A Darker Shade of Magic
V.E. Schwab
This novel is the first of a three-part series, “Shades of Magic,” that deals with different worlds that only those with a certain level of magic can access. This magic marks those characters as physically different and leads to many superstitions about them across the worlds that they travel. While the setting of the series is fantastical (a world where the Thames shines red with magic!) the theme is universal: feeling like an outsider, like a different world must be better than the one you are in, and finally learning to fight for yourself and the beauty in your own world.
MICHAEL MAIRE LANGE
Permission and Access Officer
The Bancroft Library
This book is part of the 2019 Berkeley Summer Reading List. Stay tuned for more weekly posts!