Book Review | A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

Title: A Conjuring of Light

Author: V.E. Schwab 

Series: Shades of Magic #3

Age: Adult

Genres: Fantasy

Publication Date: February 21, 2017

Publisher: Titan Books

Source: eBook

Purchase: Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | Play Store | iBooks 

Synopsis: 
Witness the fate of beloved heroes - and enemies.

THE BALANCE OF POWER HAS FINALLY TIPPED...

The precarious equilibrium among four Londons has reached its breaking point. Once brimming with the red vivacity of magic, darkness casts a shadow over the Maresh Empire, leaving a space for another London to rise.

WHO WILL CRUMBLE?
Kell - once assumed to be the last surviving Antari - begins to waver under the pressure of competing loyalties. And in the wake of tragedy, can Arnes survive?

WHO WILL RISE?
Lila Bard, once a commonplace - but never common - thief, has survived and flourished through a series of magical trials. But now she must learn to control the magic, before it bleeds her dry. Meanwhile, the disgraced Captain Alucard Emery of the Night Spire collects his crew, attempting a race against time to acquire the impossible.

WHO WILL TAKE CONTROL?
And an ancient enemy returns to claim a crown while a fallen hero tries to save a world in decay.

My Rating: 

Quote(s) I Like:
"A queen could leave her throne. But a mother never leaves her son." - Emira

"Life isn't made of choices. It's made of trades. Some are good, some are bad, but they all have a cost. Hatred is a powerful thing. Hold on to it." - Holland

"Steel rusted and ice was only strong until a crack sent it shattering to the ground." - Emira

"Sometimes you had to pretend, everyone knew that. Pretend to be happy. Pretend to be brave. Pretend to be strong. If you pretended long enough, it eventually came true. Pretending not to be sad was the hardest, but looking sad made people think you were weak." - Nasi

"Scars are not shameful, not unless you let them be. If you don not wear them, they will wear you." - Ojka

"It doesn't matter what someone is. Only what they think they are." - Holland

My Thoughts:
This book was absolutely EVERYTHING I hoped for and more. This is how you should end a trilogy! This conclusion left me crying for 5 mins and in my feelings. I cannot explain how beautiful this was from beginning to end. The world, the characters, the actions...everything was phenomenal. I can't even begin to go in depth about my love for this book without spoiling it so I'll share my thoughts on my favorite characters.

Kell will forever be my baby. He is such a loyal and honorable man. He has his flaws, but he always has the best intentions at heart. Kell was witty, hardworking and downright gritty in this conclusion. I loved seeing the vulnerable side of him in this book as well. Kell is my dream fantasy man!

Lila is still the cutthroat pirating thief, but this time magic is on her side. Finding out exactly what she was blew my mind and made me so excited. Lila is the kind of girl to run from her problems and love to avoid pain, but seeing her embrace the pain in this book showed me how much she grew within herself. Lila is bae!

The romance between Kell and Lila grew more in this book. This book is not romance heavy, but the moments we see with them are just too cute to glide over. Especially that scene on the ship...I had a heart-attack! I need some Kell and Lila babies running around on the Night Spire soon!

Rhy is such an amazing character. Since book 2 I loved him, but now in this conclusion he's such a baby, but also headstrong. Rhy is such an amazing brother, son, prince and leader. Rhy shows so much grit in this in how he takes charge and works hard for his kingdom. Rhy is such a great leader -- a king indeed.

Alucard is still the charming pirate lord. I loved seeing him work beside the others for the sake of Red London. What I loved most is how he worked hard to show his love for Rhy. Alucard is an easy going character that you just have to fall in love with, especially with his sarcasm and witty remarks. His banter with Kell was priceless!

The romance between Rhy and Al was just as sweet as Kell and Lila's was. They were lovers who got separated and were reunited once more. I adore them.

Emira and Maxim were such a phenomenal queen and king for Red London. Their love for their sons, Rhy and Kell, was strong. I wish they would have allowed themselves to feel more around Kell instead of being angry at him most of book 2 and 3. The moments they had with Kell broke my heart though.

Holland is a character that I hated in book 1, but over the course of this book I grew to love him. I loved the insight on his upbringing and life. He was definitely dealt a terrible hand at life, but he handled it as best as he could. Holland was an ass at times, but in this he did everything like a champ. Holland will be a "villain" I love.

Osaron is an evil bastard that deserved a worse end than he got. His need for more power, greed and desire to control everything drove me up a wall. He was strong, but his strength was his ultimate downfall. He played the role of the villain extremely well.

Everything about this book gave me life! I need hardcover copies for this entire trilogy to re-read next year. So excited to read more of Victoria's work.

Have you read this book?