I first read A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC a few months after its release, and as soon as I started it...I was hooked. I loved the magic, the characters, the world-building, the writing...absolutely everything! And to prepare myself for A GATHERING OF SHADOWS, I listened to the audiobook and I was once again blown away by the story. With the A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC audiobook fresh in my mind, I dug right into A GATHERING OF SHADOWS and it was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! :D 
 I loved getting to dive right back into Kell and Lila's world. It was just as wonderful as it was when I was first introduced to it. In fact, I think it got even better! I loved that I was a bit familiar with Kell's magical world, but like Lila, I was still finding things that were new and exciting for me...like the Essen Tasch (Element Games), an international magical competition where the best magic users from each country get together to compete! In A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC, we mostly just saw Kell and Holland use magic, but in A GATHERING OF SHADOWS we see so much more! You see people who can control single elements, two elements, three elements...and we even learn about the priests who can balance them all! I loved getting to see so many new perspectives of the magic in the Kell's world...and I really, really enjoyed the spectacle that was the Essen Tasch! The battles were so intense, and they really jumped off the page. :D 
 Along with the superb magical sequences, I loved that we just really got a greater understanding of magic itself! It's still pretty mysterious, but as Lila learned more, we learned more, and I really enjoyed that! I've also loved both Lila and Kell since A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC, and I just grew to love them more and more in A GATHERING OF SHADOWS! I love how stubborn they both are. I love how broody Kell is, and how Lila is determined to make her own way. They're both such fantastic characters! Most of all, I loved that we really got to see a lot of Rhy in this one! I loved his relationship with Kell in the first book, and it was even better in this one! They have the best bromance ever! And the new characters were fantastic! I doubt anyone can read A GATHERING OF SHADOWS without having very strong feelings for Alucard. He's quite the character. :P I also really enjoy how fluid sexuality is in this series[?]Rhy in particular intrigues me the most! I do definitely enjoy the sexual/romantic tension surrounding Lila and Kell too, but I have to admit that even though I really, really want them to get together, I love that the story really isn't about a romance between them. There's definitely a romantic element there, but the story is so much deeper than that, and I think that's pretty fantastic. :D 
 Magic, great characters...what else is there? Well, plot of course, and A GATHERING OF SHADOWS has a fantastic one! Told in alternating perspectives, you get to see this story from all sides. It was interesting to see how everything came together...and to try to anticipate what would happen! I'm not going to say anything else because I'm staying far from spoilers...but it is sooooooo GOOD! If you enjoyed A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC, I think you'll definitely love this one, too! :D 
 Overall, I absolutely LOVED A GATHERING OF SHADOWS! It was intense, captivating, and completely blew me away! I was so excited for it, and it definitely lived up to and exceeded all of my expectations!!! The characters were just as dynamic and amazing as they were in first book, and the story was amazing! As soon as I started reading, I was already dreading the end because I just want to live in Kell and Lila's world FOREVER! It's been just over a week since I finished reading...and I'm still reeling. And I'm definitely having Kell, Lila, and Rhy withdrawals. :P If you haven't started the SHADES OF MAGIC series yet, I definitely recommend it...especially if you love fantasy, magic, and intricate world-building!!!