Begin with the four Londons
Start with A Darker Shade of Magic and finish the original trilogy before moving to later same-world stories.
Book Series · 3 Books
Shades of Magic Books
In order from A Darker Shade of Magic to A Conjuring of Light.
V. E. Schwab's completed fantasy trilogy follows Antari magician Kell and aspiring pirate Lila Bard through four parallel Londons where magic thrives, fades, or consumes everything around it.
Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated
Reading order
How to Read Shades of Magic
Read A Darker Shade of Magic, A Gathering of Shadows, and A Conjuring of Light in numbered order. The second and third books form an especially direct continuation, and the trilogy completes Kell and Lila's original conflict.
The Fragile Threads of Power begins the later Threads of Power sequence in the same world. The Steel Prince comics are earlier stories about Maxim Maresh. Neither group changes the numbering of this original trilogy.
Sources: V. E. Schwab's official complete-trilogy readalong, Macmillan's official Shades of Magic page.
For parents
What Parents Should Know
This is adult fantasy with teen crossover appeal. It includes frequent bloody fighting, murder, torture, captivity, abuse, slavery, war, major deaths, and blood magic that requires characters to cut themselves to cast spells.
Characters drink alcohol, use strong language, and have romantic and sexual relationships, though the series is not built around explicit sex scenes. The danger and moral choices grow darker after book #1.
Where to start
Where Should a New Reader Start?
Where the story begins
First Book in the Series
Sale price
$1799
Book #1 · Chapter Book · 2015
A Darker Shade of Magic
By V. E. Schwab
A magician's smuggling hobby spirals into a perilous adventure across parallel worlds.
400 pages· 99,285 words
Paperback
Summary: Kell, a rare magician, navigates parallel Londons with a dangerous secret: he's a smuggler. When a deal goes wrong, he meets Delilah, a daring thief. Together, they face treacherous magic and deadly foes. As they journey through worlds, survival becomes their ultimate challenge. Can they outwit the lurking dangers and save the realms from impending doom?
In reading order
Shades of Magic Series
3 books · Published 2015–2017
#1
Sale price
$1799
A Darker Shade of Magic
Chapter Book · 2015
A magician's smuggling hobby spirals into a perilous adventure across parallel worlds.
A Gathering of Shadows
Chapter Book · 2016
No book description provided.
A Conjuring of Light
Chapter Book · 2017
Four Londons teeter on chaos. Who will rise, who will fall?
Good to know
Common Questions
How many books are in the Shades of Magic series?
There are 3 books in the Shades of Magic series. It began with A Darker Shade of Magic in 2015, and the newest book, A Conjuring of Light, was published in 2017.
What order should you read the Shades of Magic books in?
Start with A Darker Shade of Magic and follow the series order — the books above are numbered #1 through #3.
The people
The Creative Behind the Books
The people who bring Shades of Magic to life.
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