#and the literal avatar. but what he doesn’t have in innate talent he makes up for in work ethic yada yada uuh sokka parallel

[daminono]

Rewatching atla and I got to the fortuneteller episode where the lady says that kataras husband is going to be a powerful bender and I thought “so obviously it’s not zuko”

[waxingmepoetic]

Book # 14 A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Hey guys, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve touched this blog, but I’ve returned with yet another book review! This time, it’s the magically magnetic “A Darker Shade of Magic”. Buckle up, buttercups-- you’re in for one hell of a ride! 

Summary: In this reality, there are four parallel worlds and four different Londons located therein: Grey, Red, White, and Black. Grey London exists in a non-magical world much like ours, Red London exists in a world where magic and humanity live in harmony, White London exists in a magic-starved and cut-throat reality where only the strongest gain power, and Black London is supposedly little more than the carcass left behind  by the unnatural magical plague that consumed it, but no one has seen the city in 300 years, so its true fate is unknown.

Kell is a magician and adopted prince of Red London who has the rare ability to step between worlds. Because he has this talent, he acts as an ambassador for the Red Crown. During one of his excursions to White London, he stumbles upon a deadly trinket which draws him into a conspiracy that is just as deadly. With the help of an unlikely Gray London ally, Delilah Bard, can Kell save Grey, White, and Red London before they meet the same fate as Black London?

SPOILERS BELOW. 

Review: Okay, firstly, I have to preface this review by saying; if you love Harry Potter, Anything by Diana Wynne Jones, and Avatar, the Last Airbender, A Darker Shade of Magic is a great book for you!

Honestly, it’s a great book anyway. 

Most of the book’s first half is spent delving into the parallel Londons, the second half is when the plot begins picking up momentum. That’s certainly not to say that you should tune out the worldbuilding, in fact- I really advise against it. Understanding the worlds Schwab has created is literally the key to understanding the plot. 

Speaking of the plot, it’s tight, guys. Like, Lunar Chronicles level tight. This is not a compliment I give lightly. The narrative bounces from person to person to show different scenes and perspectives without giving away the plot too early. By doing this, Schwab not only makes her worlds feel lived in, but she also creates dramatic irony which in turn creates the amazing tension found throughout the story. 

Another thing I absolutely love about A Darker Shade of Magic is that every word, detail, and exchange is intentional and drives the plot. Though economical stylistically, there is so much heart, personality, and intricately beautiful detail in her writing. No matter whose point of view she’s capturing, she somehow makes you care about nearly every single character.

Unless you’re supposed to hate them with every fiber of your being, that is. Astrid and Athos Dane are both equally horrible in their own unique ways. I knew I wanted them both dead from the first moment they were introduced into the narrative.

The most startling character experience for me, though, was Holland, Astrid and Athos’s court magician. Like Kell, he has the ability to travel between worlds. Holland is essentially the Dane’s puppet as he does their bidding abroad in the other Londons. 

I wanted to hate him, guys. I really, really did-- but goddamn it, Victoria Schwab made me want to see him redeemed. I cheered for him even after he murdered a lovely character that I really cared about! I wanted him to break his affliction and become the bloody King of White London! 

Holland was a character steeped in tragedy. Though morally grey at his core, he was a man in constant torment because of the magical soul-binding brand engraved on his chest by Athos Dane. He is given no choice but to do everything that is ordered of him, no matter how vile. His character arc left me broken-hearted and wishing that there was some way for him to defy his fate. 

Next is Lila, a street-hardened thief, a wanted man, and a woman of ambition. She wants out of the life she’s been dealt, and she’ll do just about anything to break free. I loved how clever and cutthroat Lila was. Sometimes, all a conflict needs is a little metal and a little blood to be resolved, and this is definitely something Lila had been forced to understand from a young age. 

However, it’s utterly heartbreaking that she had to grow up that way at all.  

When Kell literally staggers into her life, she sees him as a way out. A way to seek adventure and she becomes an initially reluctant Kell’s accomplice, confidant, and friend. 

Lila was such a breath of fresh air against the stuffy, stressful plot. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED the stuffy stressful plot, but my soul needed Delilah "Five-finger Discount” Bard, and Schwab DELIVERED! She was always there to be the voice of reason when emotions made it difficult for Kell to see situations for what they really were. She was a constant reminder to him that he did not have to shoulder the responsibility of saving the world on his own.

Finally, I want to talk about Kell.

Kell Maresh, ladies and gentlemen, is a man among men. He’s a kind prince with a serious streak that makes him cynical and overly critical of himself and others. He puts so much pressure on himself to be perfect, and he feels isolated even though the King, Queen, and Prince of Red London love him very much. He’s adopted and he knows it, and it’s this knowledge that makes him believe that he’s nothing but a possession of the Crown. 

It hurts him because he loves his adoptive family, but I think he believes that if he allows them into his heart, that they might be torn from him like his birth parents had been. He doesn’t want to let himself hope for that. 

This shattered me to pieces. 

Kell has this beautiful layer of emotionality and compassion for others that made me fall head over heels in love with him. 

This brings me to a huge theme: breaking free of imprisonment. The three central characters mirror various kinds of imprisonment fairly well:  

1.) Imprisonment caused by the situation you were born into (Lila) 

2.) Imprisonment imposed upon you by others (Holland) 

3.) Imprisonment imposed upon you by yourself (Kell) 

Kell and Lila seemed to resolve their various brands of imprisonment... but Holland’s arc... was not satisfyingly wrapped up for me. I know that not everything is going to be tied up with a pretty bow, but... I just can’t help feeling sad about it. 

I digress, I could literally write an essay about this theme, so I’m going to stop before I end up writing you guys a book.   

TL;DR: This fascinating, magical gem of a book feels like it was written by a protegee of Diana Wynne Jones herself. The terrible and beautiful worlds in A Darker Shade of Magic are intricately detailed with an innately imperfect cast of unforgettable characters that’ll leave you cheering, crying, and begging them not to succumb to their fatal flaws. As Kell and Lila race against the clock with formidable adversaries at their heels (and under their skin), can they destroy a great evil that threatens their worlds before it can rob them of everything they love forever? 

GUESS YOU’LL HAVE TO READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT, HUH?

Review: ★★★★★ out of 5. EASY.

P.S. I’m so sorry that this is a mess, the next one will be better. 

[troofless]

Under-appreciated light novels recommendation list, ranked in terms of PLEASE READ, to ehh, I’ll just put it in anyway:

Legend of Sun Knight (Completed Translation+Series): Set in a world of knights and magic, this series is golden comedy because the MC literally carries the plot. He’s smart, snarky and sleazy… but in a good way. I wrote about it here, but this series is for people who love comedy and political-castle-intrigue-level manipulation. ANYWAY PLEASE READ IT IT’S UP THERE ON MY TOP TEN BOOKS TO READ. No anime or manga translation. WHY.

Rakuin no Monshou (Completed Translation): For people who love the switching-the-royal-prince-with-a-body-double trope, political manoeuvring, military tactics, having the main character travel to different countries and exploring their governing system, and major character growth. No ecchi scenes, mentions of sex and rape (if any) are not elaborated on. Love between the MC and the female lead is more of a stranger to mutual respect to love, but since the female lead is literally 14-15 (they’re engaged to foster peace between two countries and not some lolicon thing), there are literally 0 sexy/blushy blushy/kissing/intimacy scenes between them. In the story their relationship feels less like a lovey dovey couple and more like the relationship between two generals that trust each other. This doesn’t have an anime or manga series after it. Why.

Only Sense Online (Ongoing Translation, Ongoing Series): Unlike the recent isekai and trapped-in-an-online-game-and-if-you-die-in-the-game-you-die-for-realsies trends that are going around right now, this is just a game where the MC has fun playing a normal VRMMO and makes new friends in it. …In fact, the MC isn’t an otaku or a game maniac, his sister and childhood friend are the ones crazy about levelling up and doing all the main subjugation-monster quests and everything, he’s more of the chill type who’d rather hang back and craft stuff to sell in his shop. He likes doing things at his own pace and learning how to craft new things in his own time. Instead of battling monsters and levelling up, he’s more likely to be seen harvesting items and mining rocks. Oh, and also at the start of the game he mis-clicked and is stuck in a female avatar, and combined with his mothering, take-care-of-everyone personality, everyone treats him like like a ‘nanny’ and is in awe of his ‘moe-ness’, even though he keeps insisting he’s a guy. One of the story’s underlying message is that different people have different ways of enjoying the same game, be it doing quests in a party, creating items to support players, roleplaying, and even PKing, and that’s okay because that’s what a game is for. No angst or permanent character deaths (it is a game after all), tis for warming your heart with the sheer sunny goodness that is the MC. No ecchi. Has an ongoing manga series, but no anime.

Hidan no Aria (Ongoing Translation, Completed Series): MC goes to a 'military’ school that trains students to be armed detectives, or as they say, ‘Butei�� (Busou Tantei). Think mercenaries. Female MC is a OP genius and major tsundere, only out-shadowed by our MC. MC considers himself weak, and because of his genes, his innate OP powers is only triggered when a certain condition is met: aka when he is sexually aroused. (Insert sexy times.) In this mode he doesn’t get flashy superpowers or anything (at least, by the world’s standard) — all it does it accelerate his brain’s thought process, but it gets so OP to the point where can deflect bullets with his own bullets and slice bullets in two with his knife. OP God Mode. This trigger also turns him into a major flirt and gigolo that can’t say no to a girl, which caused him to actively seek to avoid situations where he is in close contact with girls to prevent being triggered. Has a ‘harem’ of girls if you wanna call it that way, but even though the story is halfway translated as of now, it’s obvious he’s fallen for the main female lead. You’d only want to read this story to find out the next BS thing the MC does when he’s triggered, and it can only get higher and higher. Seriously, the moment where he catches a bullet in his teeth (way later in the story) gives you the best feeling ever. To put it in the Female MC’s words: "How about that rating, Kinji? Being classed by the world as a dangerous character who fights non-humans? Tell me how do you like that?” And his words: "–I’m a senior high school student. My grades are slightly below average, and I attend a violent school.”, and his monologue: [At least that was what I want to be. Honestly…] Had a 2011 anime and ongoing manga series, as well as a Yuri spinoff series (as per the usual anime law decreeing that all spinoffs have to have Yuri plot in them, see Soul Eater and Fate Prisma).

Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu (Completed Translation + Series): Idiots doing idiotic things in school. Interesting battle system, with loads of comedy. Loads. Of. Comedy. No ecchi scenes. Had an two-season anime series in 2010 and 2011, and a manga series.

Chrome Shelled Regios (Completed Translation + Series): Main character is OP but gets debuffed at the very start, tries to restart his life as a normal person but realises that his innate talent for fighting doesn’t allow him to. Has many female love interests but at the end MC only chooses one. ‘Magic’ system works a little differently from conventional sources, nearing more to martial arts style, and telekinesis-telepathy combination rather than enchanting-spell type. What else can I say other than the MC controls a weapon made of thousands of infinitely thin and sharp wires that he uses to slice bugs (the main enemy) up with... which is so badass. (Though his main weapon is a sword.) No ecchi scenes. The sideplot about ‘fate’ and the history of the setting gets a little confusing though. This had an anime, but since the director died right before the 2009 anime ended it’s unlikely that a second season will come out. It does have a manga side plot series that is completed and a great accompaniment to the main light novel.

CubexCursedxCurious (Completed Translation + Series): MC lives in a house that is apparently so holy that cursed weapons journey there to get purified and lift their cursed. Oh yeah, and some cursed weapons can turn into people too (Soul Eater style?). Wielding the weapons will obviously give you great power, but it also has serious drawbacks, e.g. A sword cursed to be able to slice through anything, drawback is that their owner will be consumed by bloodlust and is compelled to draw blood with that sword (in other words, the old regular cursed sword rule). MC is of course immune to curses (and so he can wield that sword) because he was born in that holy place. Female lead is originally a torture device made of 32 different torture tools, including Iron Maiden, Guillotine, Pendulum, etc. Literally the first scene is the female lead found naked (since her real form is a mcfreaking cube I would not be surprised) in the MC’s kitchen looking for food to eat so let there be a representative of the subsequent ecchi scenes to be found. The cursed tool system is cool, anyway. MC doesn’t end up with anyone is particular. Plus point: Not all female characters introduced are in love with the male MC. Just three (3) girls. Also, the second light novel doesn’t feature the ‘second’ heroine’s backstory arc like a lot of light novels do... but instead a couple of a girl and a genderfluid character. Cool stuff. Had a 2011 anime and (very behind) manga series.

Other more well known ones:

Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku (Up to Date Translation, Ongoing Series): Think Battle Royale x Danganronpa x the Mahou Shoujo Trope. Lots of blood and death, so don’t bother if you don’t want to see your favourite character die/put through lots of angst and depression. Each Magical Girl has different superpowers and you’d only want to read it in hopes of seeing your favourite character live to the end/have a cool death scene/have cool action scenes in general. One of the underlying themes was that it’s not a given that powerful people will always win; the strong can be overthrown by the weak (I can think of at least two occasions), a person can win a killing game without any blood on their hands, and the magical government is pretty much corrupt. Had a recent 2016 anime series and a manga series.

Hyouka (Up to Date Translation and Series): Based on Agatha Christie stories, think mysteries but without any actual murder.

And then I’ll throw in a few English books to show that I have good taste in books:

Captive Prince by CS Pacat: Gayyyyy + lots of politics. THE ROMANCE THOUGH.... enemies to tentative friends to hostile ‘ah we’re supposed to be on opposing sides as enemies of each other’s nation’ to lovers YEAAHHHHHHH. Some parts are explicit, yeah.

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan: MC was dragged into a magical military academy in a magical land to be a child soldier, but instead of being typical Harry Potter he is snarky, sarcastic and actually raises valid questions like why the heck are they raising child soldiers??? Bisexual icon male MC who is also a pacifist I love him he must be protected

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein: War story narrated by a spy who was caught by enemy soldiers and forced to reveal her state secrets in the form of written narrative. Mystery and unreliable narrator time! If you can survive the first few draggy chapters and then a little more the reveal is SO. REWARDING. Female MC.

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett: I tried recommending this to my friend and sadly I realised that if you have no background knowledge on Christianity and what the apocalypse details you may not find this interesting. It’s a shame because it’s so funny. EDIT: I’m so glad it got a TV series??? That means more people will read the book, which is amazing, right??? 

The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope: Female MC and the story of her ancestor’s romances (think short story-style but all connected together). Straight romance. Female MC.

Any book by Brandon Sanderson: Yes. Just… yes.

Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn: A bastard girl stays in the castle with her royal relatives for the summer. (If you’re wondering there is discrimination against her as a commoner but overall she is loved by her family there.) Somehow the only page I have bookmarked in this book is the part near the end where the MC commits royal crimes, and is slapped by the king, giving the reader no small amount of satisfaction. Fantasy-style with small amount of political intrigue, female MC is a apprentice hedgewitch so she knows herbal knowledge (which is a prominent part of the book when she uses it?). Anyway, please read.

A Posse of Princesses by Sherwood Smith: Female princess MC is invited to a large one week (?) party with the other country’s princes and princesses to celebrate this big county’s prince’s great birthday or smth. Some political intrigue and also great plot twist. At the end of it I got really invested in the romance between the side characters bc they were really well developed lol..

The Queen’s Thief Series by Megan Whalen Turner: The third book is my favourite book because I love the MC (Costis!!!!!), bless his innocent soul (COSTIS!!!!!!) caught up in the nefarious plots of the first book MC. Little romance and more of political plots.

Warriors by Erin Hunter: I had to include at least one joke book and this was it. Anyway this was the series I grew up reading, honestly the third series had the best MC in the blind, grumpy, no-nonsense healer who is so refreshingly different from a normal ‘hero archetype’ MC. (*whisper* You gotta talk about the furries, troof!) Oh. Oh yeah, they’re all cats.