The balance of power between the worlds - and the four Londons - has reached tipping point. Dark power from Black London casts a shadow and clings to the once vibrant Red London, threatening to overtake the Maresh Empire.
Kell - the supposedly last surviving Antari - is torn between competing loyalties. Lila, once a thief in Grey London, has survived the Element Games - but she must learn to control her powers before it kills her! Captain Alucard Emery, of the Night Spire, must attempt the impossible - and win back the Prince of Arnes.
I went in with VERY high expectations (thanks you lot!) and ACOL did not disappoint! I loved every second of it! To be honest, I'm quite sad I've know finished the series because there's no more Lila and Kell, or Rhy and Luc, shenanigans. I guess I'll have to wait impatiently for Schwab to finish Threads of Power!
''Anoshe brought solace. And hope. And the strength to let go''
One of my favourite things in this book is the characters. I will be going in depth of each and every one, so prepare yourselves for a lengthy Review! But first, the boring bit:
The structure of the book was great - there was crisp sentences, multiple POV's and LOTS of sensory details. And the world building was fabulous! I loved getting to know more about the Prince and Princess, and the Heir So as I've said before, I have a love/hate relationship with multiple POV's. 2 or more and I usually lose track of who's who, etc, but Schwab does it exceptionally well. I liked the pacing of the book, not too fast or slow. I know some didn't, but I liked the pace slowing down at certain points.
Kell
Well hello there Kell! Kell had some major development going on. He wasn't himself for part of the book, which is mostly down to the events of A Darker Shade of Magic and A Gathering of Shadows. I felt like he'd lost himself a little bit but came out stornger (and more confident) than before with Lila by his side. Let's not forget we also meet his sexy side! That was a shocker, I wasn't expecting that! If you know what I'm referring to, I laughed for a good five minutes when Alucard interrupted them! I think if I was being picky, I would have liked to see a bit more of Kell and Lila together and not those just those few moments, but I am happy about their ending, especially with Kell being able to see more. I didn't quite feel his arc is complete (especially with you know what) and I'm hoping there'll be some answers in Threads of Power (maybe it relates to the title?!). I'd also like to know more about his past; it's STILL a mystery (probably the historian in me itching for answers) that I hope will also be explored??
Lila Bard
My oh my, how opinions change! I didn't like her in the first book, I kinda still didn't like her in book 2, but Book 3 she's one of my favourite characters in the entire series! So, my initial thoughts of her were that she was annoying, selfish and so on (you can read my ADSOM for further thoughts on her). Nothing good about her. In this book she's still arrogant but her softer side shows more. She's matured a lot; instead of running, she stayed to help Arnes survive; she admits when she's made a mistake; there's so much more. I loved her and Kell together, they balanced each other out well and became better people by knowing each other. I don't think she's completely in control of her powers, maybe it's something Kell can teach her? Or another storyline for TOP? Either way, she's still matured a hell of a lot, even if it comes across more subtle than Rhy or Kells.
Prince Rhy
I quite liked Rhy is the other books but I adore him in A Conjuring of Light, In ACOL he grows so much in terms of character development. I felt so sorry for him when he had to lead in the wake of his tragedy. He could have folded and broke down completely - but he didn't. He was grieving but that grief made him stronger; he doesn't lock his feelings away or become a hard person. I loved seeing him grow into a leader to help save as many people as he could. I also loved his humour - yes it was a way of dealing with his trauma, but it did become more natural eventually. And the chemistry between him and Alucard was amazing. I was rooting for them through the whole book.
Alucard
Oh sweet Alucard. He's a flirt, handsome, and he knows it. As I said before, I love him and Rhy together. They have so much chemistry and much like Kell and Lila, are suited to each other. Alucard plays a pivotal role in helping rid Arnes of the dark power, so they aren't together for most of the book. When they are though, it's amazing. There's some serious flirting scenes, but there's many tender yet intimate ones (i.e the boat). Alucard goes through his own journey of self-improvement following his *trauma*. His backstory broke me. It's a lot of people's, including mine, worst nightmare. It's hard to describe without giving away many spoilers, but one thing I will say: Humour.
““Kell,” she said, the word something between a whisper and a gasp.
And then the door burst open.
Alucard stood in the doorway, soaking wet, as if he'd just been dumped in the sea, or the sea had been dumped over him. "Stop fucking with the ship.”''
Holland
Mixed bag of feelings here. I don't think I liked him, but I didn't hate him. There's not really any character growth here except that he knew he made bad choices and helped fix what he'd done. I did feel bad for him being blamed and hated for deaths that weren't his fault; the Twins gave orders that he HAD to follow. I loved seeing the backstory (much like in Gathering of Shadows) of his time as an assassin to Twins Predecessor, and also his time growing up in White London. We also finally see how he was bound to Athos in a flashback and I felt so sorry for him. I think he's the most complicated character in the series because of his history and what he's been through. Again, I can't really explain properly without spoiling anything, so you'll just have to read it! The ending for him was perfect.
Okay, the characters are have had their say - now it's plot time! I'll keep this quick as I know this is quite lengthly already!
The.Plot.Was.Perfect. Everything was done for a reason - there was no loose ends (unless you count the odd tiny things, which I think were deliberate). I knew there was going to be deaths but wow, so much death. And heartbreak. The dynamics between the characters was really interesting, especially when they played against each other (i.e Kell and Alucard). I think one of my favourite parts was the boat market. There's just something fascinating about boats, magic and water together. There's also so much more I could say, but this review is already too long (woops), so I would say just say read it. Best villain Schwab has written - and perfectly written too.
Just gonna add I read this within 12 hours :)
Rating: 5 Stars
Recommend? Absolutely
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