Setkání stínů

Gostei bem menos desse segundo volume. Achei a história um pouco cansativa; todo esse lenga-lenga de Lila como pirata me deixou sem ânimo para continuar a leitura. Reforço que ela é uma personagem sabichona demais, e isso torna muito difícil gostar dela. Me irrita essa necessidade constante de agir como se fosse melhor e mais inteligente que todo mundo, sem dar crédito aos ensinamentos de pessoas que cresceram em um mundo com magia, sabem como ela funciona e entendem o que pode, e principalmente o que não deve, ser feito. Personagem INSUPORTÁVEL! Sem mencionar que em 4 meses ela consegue dominar elementos de magia que nem sabia que existiam e ainda derrotar pessoas que passaram a vida em contato com esses elementos. Muito forçado.E o fato da história se concentrar quase o livro inteiro nela e naquele evento chatíssimo entre os reinos não ajudou em nada o ritmo da leitura. O livro só ficou realmente bom no final, e ainda termina sem uma conclusão de verdade. O que me leva a ler o próximo, porque preciso saber o que vai acontecer com o único personagem que realmente vale a pena acompanhar.

“If you decide to leave- when you decide to leave- don't do it without saying goodbye.”4.5 StarsOH MY GOD! This book was so magical. As always I loved all the characters, especially Kell, Lila and Rhy. I didn't expect to love Rhy more than I did in A Gathering of Shadows. I thought Lila was even more badass in this book with her magical abilities and participating in the Elemental Games. Kell needs millions of hugs and lots and lots of love because he deserves everything. ALUCARD EMERY THOUGH when he kissed Rhy... I was squealing a bit but, I called it from a mile away. I think that I loved A Gathering of Shadows a bit more than A Darker Shade of Magic. Everything about this was just perfection and magical and I have no words to describe how good this was. Thank god I have the third book. I'm hoping for happy tears and more amazing magic in the final instalment. I'm also secretly hoping that Holland is alright as well. A Conjuring of Light here I come!

4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔.𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔.𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝑫𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒉 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒅. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒖𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆.”𝑴𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 Continuing from the first book, this is the second installment in the series. I absolutely loved the first one! If you haven’t read the first book, you can read my review here:My review of A Darker Shade of Magic.Like in the first book, this is told in the third-person POV, which has a charm of its own. Focusing majorly on Lila’s growth and independence in Red London, this leans more toward character-driven storytelling.The writing style was wonderful, and the author did a great job capturing the emotional depth of the characters. This made it easy to connect with them. I found their struggles relatable as Lila struggles to find her purpose while Kell feels confined by his circumstances.The world-building and the magic system are among the strongest aspects of the series. The vivid descriptions of Red London and its magic were mesmerising. Also, a few action scenes were exciting to read, and as the story progresses, many events build up toward a dangerous ending. The anticipation of it kept me hooked throughout the plot.Moreover, the bond between Kell and Rhy was beautiful to witness. Even though they weren’t brothers per se, their emotional connection was so strong. The tension within the palace and between them added another layer to the relationship. I also loved the way Lila begins to show her vulnerability around others, which was a nice contrast from the first book where she kept her walls so high.But, I found this book to be a bridge between the first book and the grand finale. At times, the plot felt disconnected and I still don’t understand the purpose of the “Essen Tasch Tournament” apart from bringing Lila and Kell together. The pacing also felt uneven—some matches were very detailed while others were quickly summarised, which made them feel like they didn’t matter much.The book ended with a cliffhanger, which I am definitely excited to read. All in all, even though the plot didn't always feel cohesive or that impactful to me, I still enjoyed this. And I am curious to see how everything concludes.𝑻𝑳;𝑫𝑹Overall, this was a fast-paced second book in the series, written in third person POV and focuses largely on Lila and her life in Red London. The author did a great job in capturing the emotional depth and character relationships, making it easy to connect with them. With exciting action scenes and mesmerising magic elements, this was an engaging read. But it felt like a setup for the finale, which somewhat disconnects the plot