A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

The Blurb On The Back:

Kell is one of the last travellers – magicians with a rare ability to travel between parallel universes connected by one magical city. There’s Grey London, without magic and ruled by the mad King George III. Red London – where magic is revered, and where Kell was raised alongside the heir to the empire. White London – where people fight to control the remaining magic and magic fights back. And once there was Black London …

Officially Kell is the Red traveller, carrying letters between the monarchs of each London. Unofficially he is a smuggler, a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences. His escape to Grey London leads to a run-in with Delilah, a cutpurse with lofty aspirations, who forces Kell to take her on a proper adventure. But perilous magic is afoot, and an adventure becomes a mission to save all of the worlds.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

V. E. Schwab’s standalone novel is an ingenious mix of other world and historical fantasy that kept me turning the pages. Schwab’s carefully constructed world has interesting rules and details and I particularly enjoyed the contrast between the various Londons and their attitudes to and use of magic. Kell’s a fascinating protagonist, different from and separate to the inhabitants of each world. The only person who understands what it is to be Antari is Holland who, unfortunately, was a little underdeveloped for me. In fact, the antagonists are the weakest part of the novel as all are two-dimensional while Rhys didn’t convince me as the playboy friend who Kell cares for. Fortunately Delilah makes up for this – amoral, tough and very determined, she’s quick to spot and exploit an opportunity and smart enough to adapt to a world that’s very different to the one she was brought up in and I particularly liked the way that you’re never quite sure of her motives, i.e. whether she’s using Kell or genuinely sympathetic to his plight and the ending is open-ended enough for a sequel (which I’d definitely read). While not perfect, this book is still worth a look and I look forward to seeing what Schwab does next.

Foreign Gods, Inc by Okey Ndibe

The Blurb On The Back:

Foreign Gods, Inc tells the story of Ike, a highly educated Nigerian barely making a living driving a cab in New York City. A bad marriage and his addiction to gambling and alcohol – not to mention financial demands from family in Nigeria – have pushed him into crisis. After learning about a high-end Manhattan art dealer specialising in the sale of “foreign gods”, Ike hatches a desperate plan involving the theft of his old village’s chief god. But on Ike’s return to Nigeria, complications arise: political corruption, family conflicts, and rising tension between Christians and followers of Ngene, the war god he has returned to steal. A meditation on the dreams, promises and frustrations in our globally interconnected world, Foreign Gods, Inc announces the arrival of a major literary voice.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Okey Ndibe’s debut literary novel is an interesting tale of crushed dreams, corruption and the way in which capitalism destroys those it comes in contact with, all underpinned by a magical realist vibe. It took a while for me to warm to Ike, partly because his alcoholism and gambling come across as plot necessities rather than intrinsic parts of his character and also because he’s naïve for a supposedly highly educated man and makes some stupid decisions, most notably in his scenes attempting to negotiate with the gallery owner. However the chapters set in Nigeria really held my attention. I loved the dialogue between his various Nigerian characters and whilst the depiction of Nigeria’s endemic corruption follows a well trodden literary path, I believed in the relationships Ndibe creates and particularly those between him and his mother and uncle and the tensions that exist between them. Ndibe weaves in the magical realist elements with an assured hand and I enjoyed Ike’s uneasy reaction to the idol he has come to steal and the way Ndibe keeps it open as to whether this is truly a god at work or the product of Ike’s own guilt at his actions. Ultimately there was enough here to hold my attention from beginning to end and I would definitely check out Ndibe’s other work.