My Reaction in a Nutshell: 
 I want that coat. 
 The Long Version: 
 So a few weeks ago I went to the library with the hopes of checking out Vicious by V.E. Schwab. My library didn't have it, so on a whim I decided to check out A Darker Shade of Magic (ADSOM) instead. I had heard great things about Vicious, but I hadn't heard much about ADSOM. When I read the synopsis, honestly, I found it confusing. When I read the first 10 pages I was lost. A place with four Londons? A coat with numerous sides? I was thrown headfirst into a world I knew nothing about. But it doesn't take long for readers to understand the different worlds and for things to make sense. 
 Lila gives a pretty spot on description of the various Londons (Grey, Red, White, and Black) on page 198: 
 "There's Dull London, Kell London, Creepy London, and Dead London." 
 This book is told in fourteen parts, each with multiple chapters. It revolves around Kell, an Antari, and Lila, a cross dressing thief. There are other important characters like Rhy, the prince of Red London, Holland, another Antari, and the Dane twins, the rulers of White London. I've heard that Schwab is known for writing morally grey characters (people who are not entirely evil and people who are not entirely good), and readers are given that in this book. 
 "The world sits in balance," said Kell, "humanity in one hand, magic in the other. The two exist in every living thing, and in a perfect world, they maintain a kind of harmony, neither exceeding the other. But most worlds are not perfect." (page 191) I'm not sure what it is with me and thieves, but if a characters steals I already like him/her more. Schwab wrote an addicting book. I struggled to put it down. Her characters are well developed and Schwab does a nice job of easing readers into the world-building. Lila was amazing and funny. Kell is wonderful, although at times he reminded me of Frodo from Lord of the Rings (both are in charge of guarding/bringing an evil object to a dangerous place where it can be destroyed and they each try and not lose themselves to its power so they only use it when necessary). But that was the only thing it had in common with LOTR. ADSOM was amazing!!! I really enjoyed reading about the different villains. 
 A lot of the book was about power. Who ruled and who didn't. Who had magic and who didn't (or who struggled to keep it). Who could control others through unconventional methods. Who could break another's spirit. But most of all it was about balance. It caused Kell to questions his beliefs. Prior to getting the stone he believed magic was his equal, but throughout the course of the book he begins to wonder if it is a source that needs to be controlled or it will control him. 
 "If red was the color of magic in balance--of harmony between power and humanity--then black was the color of magic without balance, without order, without restraint." (page 44) The characters in this book all make mistakes. And in doing so it makes them seem more human. None of them are perfect or entirely good. They all have such great chemistry together. The fights and running and banter are all spot on. The evil characters have good chemistry with the "good" characters. And everyone's moral compass is a bit off kilter. There are many funny banter scenes between Kell, Lila, and Rhy. Some of my favorite scenes I want to quote but they would be too spoilerly even if they are hilarious. 
 In Schwab's Acknowledgments page she said that she "pitched it as pirates, thieves, sadist kings, and violent magic-y stuff." And that is the perfect way to sum up her book. If you haven't read ADSOM yet, you probably should because it's amazing. Plus I just found out that this is the first book in a series so there is even more reason to read it because then the awesomeness of the book will continue. This book was a happy surprise, and I am so glad I stumbled across it. 
 ***TRIGGER WARNINGS: death, torture, murder, mind control, self-harm (to preform blood magic), brothel scene, attempted rape (part three, II), attempted forced prostitution (part ten, II)