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A Gathering of Shadows
A Gathering of Shadows | V.E. Schwab
Kell is plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, he is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila. As Red London prepares for the Element Games - an extravagant international competition of magic - a certain pirate ship draws closer. But another London is coming back to life, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning. Black London has risen again - and so to keep magic's balance, another London must fall.
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review
Melancholy2243
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Mehso-so

Not as great as the first one. This was just way too long and deviated from the climax way too much throughout the book. The final event occurs after a lot of unnecessary events that I personally felt weren't required.

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Robotswithpersonality
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Mehso-so

Well we all know how I feel about cliffhangers...at least the next book in the series is also the last book in the series.
There are a number of elements about this series I enjoy, and thankfully there are audiobooks for the parts I want to speed up. 💁🏼‍♂️ Great fantasy elements; complex to the point of morally gray characters; thoughts on family loyalty vs monarchical fealty vs free will and personal identity; power and responsibility.

julesG Who reads the audiobook? I once tried ADSoM on audio and couldn't deal with the 'old man voice' trying to 'be' Kell. 4mo
Robotswithpersonality @julesG Oh, man, and his inflection in this book was SO off.😆 If it hadn't been for 1.5 to 2x speed and the intercession of the female narrator I would have bailed. Still, having that guy around to voice the king when he was being an asshole really added something. 🙃 4mo
julesG Just checked, this one was read by the dynamic duo of Michael Kramer and Kate Reading. 😬 They did a lot of Sanderson's books. I'm not a fan of his narration. 4mo
See All 9 Comments
Robotswithpersonality @julesG forewarned is forearmed! Hopefully we've warned/encouraged somebody with this knowledge 💁🏼‍♂️ 4mo
julesG The first book in the series is read by Steven Crossley and Kell sounds like he's at least 40 years old. 4mo
Robotswithpersonality @julesG To be fair, I think between Rhy and Lila, Kell has to take on grumpy Only Adult in The Room Energy™ every once in a while 😋 4mo
julesG Sure! But he's in his early twenties and should sound like it. I didn't even get to a part with Lilah, now I wonder whether I missed out on a Ditsy SoCal Lilah 😂😂 4mo
Robotswithpersonality @julesG I'm not even sure there was a female narrator for the first book, I just remember a dude using a higher voice 🤦🏼‍♂️ 4mo
julesG See, I missed out on Steven Crossley doing Lilah. 😁 4mo
9 likes2 stack adds9 comments
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xicanti
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The nicest thing about having the audio edition of A GATHERING OF SHADOWS on hand is that I didn‘t have to choose between settling in with the book and working on my tiny greenhouse! I finished AGoS while I put the greenhouse‘s frame in place and attached some of the frontal decorations, and now I have SO MANY EMOTIONS. SO MANY. I just wanna cry and also SCREAM ABOUT EVERYTHING I LOVED IN IT AT FAR TOO GREAT A LENGTH FOR LITSY‘S CHARACTER LIMIT.

xicanti (An abbreviated list of things I loved in it: SIBLINGS; PEOPLE FIGURING THEIR WAY TOWARDS STUFF; SAILING; MAGICAL FUCKING SPORTS (profanity necessary); PAINPAINPAIN; 😭; etc. 4mo
TheBookHippie I love it!!! 4mo
Mimi28 That‘s awesome 🤩!! 4mo
dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 4mo
Graciouswarriorprincess That‘s amazing!!! 4mo
40 likes5 comments
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xicanti
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I was gonna keep A GATHERING OF SHADOWS as strictly audio so I could dive into a library book next, but it‘s no good. I love it so much I‘ve gotta alternate between audio and print. Really stay in the narrative all day long.

Cooking jackfruit recipe #3 took me to 48%. This one used a sauce with lots of sour notes, and it was a better fit than the spicy or sweet ones. Still, I don‘t think jackfruit‘ll become a go-to for me. #audiocooking

Aimeesue I like jackfruit, but only if it‘s been dried out a bit before it‘s sauced. Definitely a textural thing for me. Needs a slosh of dehydrating. 4mo
Lindy I read your post with interest because I‘m a fan of jackfruit dishes encountered in restaurants but I haven‘t tried cooking with it myself. 4mo
xicanti @Aimeesue I gave this round a good pay-down with some paper towels before I cooked it, and it did seem to make a difference. 4mo
See All 8 Comments
xicanti @Lindy I got a few packages of shredded jackfruit on clearance and I‘ve been playing around with it, looking for a sauce that works for me. Cooking it is fairly simple, but I‘ve found its natural sourness and veggie texture make it more its own thing than the meat substitute it gets billed as. 4mo
humouress The standard in my extended family is jackfruit curry. I could take it or leave it but some people love it. 4mo
Ruthiella I‘ve only had jackfruit with black beans in a soft taco or burrito, which was delicious. 4mo
xicanti @humouress I did come across some interesting jackfruit curry recipes, but they all used coconut milk and it‘s currently pretty expensive here. I might give one a try if it goes on sale before my jackfruit supply runs out, though. 4mo
xicanti @Ruthiella I‘ll look around for jackfruit & black bean recipes! 4mo
46 likes8 comments
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SpeculativeFemale
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#AutumnPlease Day 10

This lovely #Shadow book is coming up very soon on my TBR. Loved the first of the series and keep meaning to get around to the rest!

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Great cover!! 🖤🤍❤️ 6mo
Eggs Perfect ❤️🤍🖤 6mo
29 likes2 comments
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BookwormAHN
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36 likes1 stack add
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BookmarkTavern
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#PhotoChallenge #shadow

I bought the second one as soon as I had finished the first for a #LMPBC round two years ago. And I still haven‘t gotten to it yet. 😅

#Scarathlon2023 #HHC @dabbe, @Clwojick, @Liatrek, @JessClark78, @Chrissyreadit, @StayCurious, @TheDaysGoBy, @vonnie862, @LadyCait84, @Sresendez12, @Nessavamusic, @kelli7990, @JessieKB

thegirlwiththelibrarybag I love the minimalistic cover vibes that these books have… I think I got halfway through the first book and decided it wasn‘t for me. (edited) 6mo
dabbe 🧡🎃🧡 6mo
74 likes2 comments
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Ash.on.the.line
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#scarathlon photo challenge for the day #shadows
I read this one forever ago but I loved this series!

review
MsRadioSilence
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Pickpick

I love a magic tournament, but I wish we‘d spent more time with the Essen Tasch. Also, I don‘t like cliffhangers, not because I want to know immediately what happens, but because it tends to make the next book either very fast or very slow in the beginning. That being said, I love Alucard, and he‘s a great addition to our main trio. 4/5⭐️

#september #lgbtq #lgbt #lgbtqia2s

review
kissmehardy
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Pickpick

Was I frantically turning pages trying to see what happened next? Yes. Did that cliffhanger commit a crime against me personally? Yes. Am I a little tired of Schwab's female leads being weirdly anti-human connection? Also yes, but I can look past that. #fantasy

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st.satan

Is it good or bad that I don't know what to think about the book a month after I read it?😅

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Nessavamusic
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this second book of the series. It brings back our main characters along with pirates, more polity intrigue and a magical competition. A lot of fun and I look forward to the next book!
#doublespin done! First #bookspinbingo 😁

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 7mo
42 likes1 comment
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angieinwonderland
Pickpick

The second book in the series was much quicker paced. I could have finished it much quicker if I hadn't been doing the readalong with the author who experienced technical glitches. It kind of disrupted the flow, but it didn't detract from the action!

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bookish6
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May Reads 📚
Tagged my favourite one 🌷

#maybooks #books #springreading

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bookish6
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"Whatever I am, let it be enough."

I absolutely love this series so far! Kell, Rhy, Lila, and Alucard are just ?‍?'s?
The last one is going to be amazing!

I can't wait to see how this series ends.

#abookinvolvingmagic #involvingmagic #agatheringofshadows #shadesmagic #veschwab

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lumbricuslibri

"Impossibility is a thing that begs to be disproven. Perhaps it hasn't been possible for years, perhaps it's not even possible right now, but that doesn't mean it ???'? be. It doesn't mean it ???'? be. You say the magic guttered, the flame went out. But what if it simply needed to be stoked?"

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lumbricuslibri

"Everyone thinks I have a death wish, you know? But I don't want to die—dying is easy. No, I want to ????, but getting close to death is the only way to feel alive. And once you do, it makes you realize that everything you were doing before wasn't ???????? living. It was just making do. Call me crazy, but I think we do the best living when the stakes are high."

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lumbricuslibri

It reminded her of the sea and the night sky. It reminded her of sharp knives and stars and freedom.

"That is perfect."

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lumbricuslibri

"Look, everyone talks about the unknown like it's some big scary thing, but it's the ???????? that's always bothered me. It's heavy, builds up around you like rocks, until it's walls and a ceiling and a cell."

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lumbricuslibri

"Not much of a morning person?"

"Such a useless time of day."

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lumbricuslibri
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lumbricuslibri

What a waste of life, to stand around and think so much on every little thing.

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lumbricuslibri

He'd grown up with them—stories of a bad king, a mad king, a curse; of a good king, a strong king, a savior. Stories of why the magic went away, and who would bring it back. And every time a new ruler the throne with blood and the dregs of power in their veins, the people would say now. Now the magic will come back. Now the world will wake. Now it will get better, now we will get stronger.

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lumbricuslibri
This post contains spoilers
show me
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- finally finished ADSOM which I started last year
- immediately started AGOS

review
Sharv_Sona
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Pickpick

Mind blowing. I loved this book. V.E. Schwab has this talent where she could to take something and make it interesting easily. I‘ll admit the book was a bit slow paced near the start (until practically half the book) but it was written in such a magnificent way, that I didn‘t want to put it down once engaged.

I loved the storyline, I love the characters, and I cannot wait until I start the next book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

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Sharv_Sona

“People could only hurt you if you cared enough to let them.”

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Sharv_Sona

My greatest fear in life isn‘t dying. It‘s being the source of someone else‘s suffering. I know you feel trapped. I know I‘m your cage.

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Sharv_Sona
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Sharv_Sona

You cannot be the symbol of power and an ordinary man at the same time. You have to choose.

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Sharv_Sona

“Politics is a dance until the moment it becomes a war. And we control the music.”

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Sharv_Sona

Everyone‘s immortal until they‘re not.

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Sharv_Sona

“This is a bad idea,” said Kell
“The best kind,” said Rhy

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Sharv_Sona

Do you know what makes you weak?
You never had to be strong.

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Sharv_Sona

Magic is tangled, so you must be smooth.
Magic is wild, so you must be tame.
Magic is chaos, so you must be calm.

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Sharv_Sona

Lila supposed it would be better not to slit the captain‘s throat in plain sight.
No, it could be done in private.

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Sharv_Sona

Mysteries are always more exciting than truths.

review
lukulamppu
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Mehso-so

I went into this book with high expectations because the first book in the trilogy was so good but it just didn‘t hit the mark for me. I was really quite bored until the last few chapters when things started to finally happen. But at least the ending made sure I‘ll have to read the third book too.

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Branwen
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Another beautiful day reading outside! 📚🍁🍂 I hope there are many more gorgeous fall days this month! 💕 I'm hoping to finish this today and move on to my reread of A Conjuring of Light next! After that, there's nothing left to do but wait for the first Threads of Power book to be published! 😭

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful!! I‘m always jealous of your reading spots!! 🍂🍁 1y
Branwen @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awww thank you! 💕📚 I'm very lucky that the park is so big - I'm always finding new places to read! 🌿 1y
62 likes2 comments
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Branwen
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I forgot how much I love these characters! ❤️ Also, it's a little colder today, but still perfect outside reading weather! 🍁🍂📚

Ruthiella Those leaves 🍁 are the perfect color to accent the book. 😍 (edited) 1y
Branwen @Ruthiella I didn't realize how perfect they looked until after I took the picture! 😄🍁 1y
53 likes2 comments
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Branwen
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It's actually pretty warm today! And lots of sunshine again! ☀️🌿 Still beautiful outside reading weather! 💕📚

tokorowilliamwallace We're actually getting cool weather in the evenings here in Florida since the hurricane. 1y
Branwen @tokorowilliamwallace That's good to hear! 1y
53 likes2 comments
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Branwen
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Behold! Coldstone has a Halloween themed ice cream! 🎃🍁🖤 It's cake batter flavor (and colored black!), and filled with m&m's, kit kats, and Halloween Oreos! Plus the waffle cone is orange! HOW EPIC IS THIS?!?! 😱 It looks...kind of menacing in the picture, but I promise that it was in fact delicious! 😅 Eating this at the pavilion in town while reading was particularly blissful! 🎃

inthegreensandblues That ice cream looks amazing! But did it stain your teeth? 😆 1y
ShyBookOwl 🎃🎃🎃 amazing! 1y
Read-y_Picker That looks like something that I need. Right. Now. 🧟‍♀️🍦 1y
Branwen @ShyBookOwl @Read-y_Picker It was really yummy! 🖤🍦 @inthegreensandblues It absolutely did! My tongue and teeth were black all day! It was monstrous and delightful! 😂 1y
46 likes4 comments
review
Roary47
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Mehso-so

3✨The second book in the series did pretty well. Events in the first book caused two characters to be connected. This got pretty repetitive as the story went on. However, a game/ event similar to gladiators caused a lot of drama all around. Magic was learned and used in this battle game, and it made the story more exciting.

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Roary47
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I am almost done with the tagged book so my next audio while I clean for Easter is Beyonders. I may DNF the tales of ancient Egypt this month since I‘m finding no drive to pick it up. I started Dinoverse #4 yesterday and I‘m already two chapters in. 😍 @Andrew65 #weekendreading

Andrew65 Looks good plans. 2y
9 likes1 comment
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Roary47
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Didn‘t have a babysitter today so I cleaned some of the yard for Easter. Just let the girls play while I listened to the tagged book I managed to capture two ducks in the sun on this beautiful spring day. 💛😍

BethM Love it! 2y
22 likes1 comment
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Roary47
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I spent most of the day being mom to a sick cutie so now as a teacher I have to do my job. Setting up next weeks work so I can do my household duties tomorrow. Whew. Next week will be a nice quick week. 😊

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KristiAhlers
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Pickpick

Finished this today! I always worry a series is going to not deliver the longer the books go. This one kept the momentum and had me inhaling each page. So very good #readingchallenge2022

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Lovelylottereader
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Pickpick

I don‘t really know what to say about this book, to be honest I was wondering how, after the ending of the first book, the story with these AMAZING characters would continue. I have to say that I‘m far from disappointed and honestly quite speechless. I loved the fact that this book focused a lot more on the magic in the world and how the characters developed. I cannot wait to start reading the next book because I HAVE to know how it ends.
5⭐️

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Lovelylottereader
This post contains spoilers
show me

She knew she should probably bow, kiss his hand, or swoon-at the very least explain what she was doing there, in the private palace halls, as close to the prison as anyone would let her-but instead she flicked her fingers, producing a small blade. “Who do I need to kill?”