A Darker Shade of Magic

“Kell—inspired by the lost city known to all as Black London—had given each remaining capital a color. Grey for the magic-less city. Red, for the healthy empire. White, for the starving world.”

This excerpt represents the first passage in which the multiple Londons are named. The specific colors Kell chooses as labels for the worlds symbolize the settings’ vastly different characteristics. The worlds have a major impact on the characters’ development: Growing up in “healthy” Red London, Kell enjoys tremendous comfort and privilege compared to Lila Bard from the “magic-less” Grey London and Holland Vosijk from the “starving” White London. Their contrasting backgrounds impact the dynamics between these characters.

“‘[T]here was a time, ages ago, when […] doors ran between your world and mine, and others, and anyone with a bit of power could pass through. Magic itself could pass through. But the thing about magic,’ added Kell, ‘is that it preys on the strong-minded and the weak-willed, and one of the worlds couldn’t stop itself.’”

Kell’s warning to the Prince Regent of Grey London develops the theme of Power as a Path to Corruption. The people of Black London succumbed to greed for magic and destroyed their world in the process. Even though the “worlds are kept separate” now, rulers like the Prince Regent and White London’s king and queen still hunger for greater power and see magic as a way to seize it.

“Kell had seen what happened when power warred with the body, watched it darken in the veins of corrupted men, turning their blood from crimson to black. 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. As an Antari, Kell was made of both, balance and chaos; the blood in his veins, like the Isle of Red London, ran a shimmering, healthy crimson, while his right eye was the color of spilled ink, a glistening black.” 

This excerpt develops the novel’s color symbolism by elaborating on the significance of red and black. Red represents “harmony between power and humanity” like the balance found in Red London, while black symbolizes “magic without balance, without order, without restraint” like the magic that consumed Black London. Kell’s Antari nature makes him the living embodiment of the tension between chaos and order. Maintaining this delicate balance becomes even more perilous for Kell as the stone’s power gains sway over him.

“‘Have we not provided?’ [Rhy]’d asked, visibly upset. ‘Is there anything you want for?’ ‘No,’ Kell had answered, and that had been a truth and a lie at the same time. ‘Are you not loved?’ whispered Rhy. ‘Are you not welcomed as family?’ ‘But I’m not family, Rhy,’ Kell had said. ‘I’m not truly a Maresh, for all that the king and queen have offered me that name. I feel more like a possession than a prince.’”

This passage develops the theme of The Nature of Family as well as Kell and Rhy’s relationship. Although Rhy Maresh cares about Kell, he doesn’t understand the inner conflict and trauma that his adoptive brother experiences. The royal family ensures that Kell’s material needs are satisfied, but he lacks a genuine sense of belonging and familial love. Kell’s coveted Antari powers and the spell that erased his earliest memories further complicate his place in the Maresh family, as he serves the king and queen, rather than taking a true place as their son.

“Lila stood on the dock and watched the Sea King burn. She stared up at it, face warmed by the fire that danced on her chin and cheeks the way the lamp light had before the constable. It’s a shame, she thought. She’d rather liked the rotting ship. But it wasn’t hers. No, hers would be much better.”

In Lila’s dramatic introductory chapter, Lila kills a man who sexually assaults her and sets a ship on fire. Immediately after surviving this attack, Lila daydreams about becoming a pirate and securing a “much better” ship of her own. Holding onto her dreams of freedom and travel helps her survive the brutal world of Grey London. Eventually, Lila’s adventures with Kell grant her wish.

“She handed back the cigar and dug the silver watch out of her vest pocket. It was warm and smooth, and she didn’t know why she liked it so much, but she did. Maybe because it was a choice. Taking it had been a choice. Keeping it had been one, too. And maybe the choice started as a random one, but there was something to it. Maybe she’d kept it for a reason.”

The silver pocket watch, which serves as a motif for the theme of Choice and Consequence, appears during a number of significant events. Over the course of the novel, Lila makes many impulsive decisions that seem “random,” but Schwab uses the way that she handles the consequences to show her character and determine the plot. 

“She dug in her pocket and retrieved a small parcel wrapped in cloth, and before Kell could say yes or no, she pushed the note and payment both into his hands. A strange feeling shot through him as the fabric of the parcel met his skin. And then the woman was pulling away.”

Kell receiving the black stone from a mysterious woman in White London is a major plot event. This moment brings Kell and Lila together and has dire consequences for people across multiple worlds. The “strange feeling” Kell experiences when he touches the parcel foreshadows the stone’s tremendous power and importance.

“She drew a small, dark kerchief from her pocket and reached out, dabbing his jaw with it before pressing the fabric into his hand. ‘Keep it,’ she said. And then she turned and strode away. Kell watched the strange girl go, then slumped back against the alley wall.”

During Kell and Lila’s first meeting, she impulsively steals the black stone. This develops the theme of Choice and Consequence because this chance decision alters the course of her life forever. The scene also provides insight into Lila’s character and makes her later growth all the more notable. She has no compunctions about stealing from a wounded and bleeding stranger in this scene, but she later risks her life to protect Kell and safeguard the worlds.

“Even though the tavern was bustling, Barron looked up when she came in, eyes going from her face to the disguise tucked under her arm. She thought she saw a flicker of concern, and it made her cringe. She wasn’t his family. He wasn’t hers. She didn’t need his worry, and he didn’t need her weight.”

This passage develops the theme of The Nature of Family by exploring Lila’s relationship with her father figure, Barron. Schwab’s vivid diction illustrates Lila’s feelings of guilt; Barron’s concern causes her to “cringe,” and she worries about dragging him down. Lila’s prickly exterior and her reticence to allow herself to be loved are influenced by the times that she’s been hurt by those close to her, such as her biological father.

“‘The sooner he comes, the sooner I will let you go. Call his name.’ ‘He won’t come,’ she whispered bitterly. ‘Why do you refuse to believe—’ ‘Because I know our friend,’ said Holland.”

Holland and Kell are foil characters, and Holland demonstrates a keen understanding of his fellow Antari in this passage while illustrating the differences between himself and Kell. The cunning Holland tortures Lila to draw out his quarry while the resolute, self-sacrificing Kell knowingly walks into a trap to save someone who stole from him.

“You look at me, Kell, and think we are alike. That we are the same, even, one person on two divergent paths. Perhaps you think our power bonds us. Allow me to correct your misapprehension. We may share an ability, you and I, but that does not make us equals.”

At multiple points in the story, Kell attempts to persuade Holland to resist Athos and Astrid’s orders. In this passage, Holland scornfully rejects Kell’s pleas. Two of the most important differences between these characters are Kell’s privilege and empathy. Holland resents the former and exploits the latter.

“She took him in, the magical young man in her bed, first so guarded, now exposed. Vulnerable. Her eyes trailed up the lines of his stomach, over his wounded ribs, across his throat. They wandered down his arms, bare but for the knife strapped to his forearm. She hadn’t touched it this time.”

The changes in Kell’s appearance reflect the changes in Lila’s feelings toward him. Schwab uses precise adjectives, such as “exposed” and “[v]ulnerable” to show Lila’s newfound desire to protect the magician. The fact that Lila allows Kell to keep his knife shows her growing trust in him.

“‘Evil?’ Kell shook his head. ‘No,’ he said. ‘It is Vitari. In a way, I suppose it is pure. But it is pure potential, pure power, pure magic.’ ‘And no humanity,’ said Lila. ‘No harmony.’ Kell nodded. ‘Purity without balance is its own corruption.’”

This excerpt illustrates why the black stone serves as a motif for the theme of Power as a Path to Corruption. Kell maintains that the stone is not evil, as Lila initially posits, but rather that it is too potent to be harnessed safely, and too appealing to those who would misuse it. As the novel continues, the stone tempts Kell to seize its tremendous power and corrupts his will more with each use.

“[…] Lila was right about one thing. Kell did not feel strong enough to do this alone. And worse, he did not want to. He was afraid—more afraid than he wanted to admit—about the task ahead of him, and the fate that waited at its end. And someone would need to tell the Red throne—tell his mother and father and Rhy—what had happened. He could not bring this danger to their doorstep, but he could leave Lila there to tell them of it.”

This passage provides insight into Kell’s thoughts and emotions as he makes the pivotal decision to involve Lila in his plans. This excerpt also develops the novel’s major theme of Choice and Consequence: Kell blames himself for carrying the stone between worlds, takes responsibility for his smuggling, and is willing to sacrifice himself to neutralize the stone’s threat and protect the people he loves. In addition, the passage’s wording shows a shift in Kell’s thoughts about The Nature of Family. Previously, he felt that the king and queen saw him as a tool rather than a son, but the penitent Kell now thinks of them as “his mother and father.”

“‘I’m not going to die,’ she said. ‘Not till I’ve seen it.’ ‘Seen what?’ Her smile widened. ‘Everything.’ Kell smiled back. And then Lila brought her free hand to his jaw and tugged his mouth toward hers. The kiss was there and then gone, like one of her smiles. ‘What was that for?’ he asked, dazed. ‘For luck,’ she said, squaring her shoulders to the wall. Not that I need it.’”

This passage marks an important moment for the plot and Lila and Kell’s relationship. They share their first kiss immediately before traveling between worlds together for the first time. Lila’s confidence, determination, and hunger for adventure shine through her smile, squared shoulders, and declaration that she will live until she sees “[e]verything.” Her spirit gives Kell the courage to face the plot’s high stakes and his fear of dying. In this book, they are too busy trying to undo their mistakes and save the worlds to define their relationship, but they’re clearly drawn to one another, and moments like this foreshadow the development of their relationship in future books.

“‘Love doesn’t keep us from freezing to death, Kell,’ she continued, ‘or starving, or being knifed for the coins in our pocket. Love doesn’t buy us anything, so be glad for what you have and who you have because you may want for things but you need for nothing.’ She was breathless by the time she finished, her eyes bright and her cheeks flushed.”

Lila’s rebuke to Kell develops the theme of The Nature of Family. She scorns Kell’s desire for love and trivializes his sense of being an outsider in his own family. Her bright eyes and flushed cheeks emphasize her vehemence on the subject, as it touches close to her own struggles with familial relationships and brings out passion in her. Lila’s tirade says more about the many things she has been deprived of than what Kell or anyone else deserves from their families. Nonetheless, Lila’s words lead Kell to consider his family in a new light and to appreciate what they’ve done for him more.

“Holland tossed the timepiece in their direction; it bounced along the blackened street, skidding to a stop at the edge of the inn’s charred remains. From here Kell could see that it was stained with blood. ‘He died because of you,’ said Holland, addressing Lila. ‘Because you ran. You were a coward. Are you still?’”

Holland’s revelation that he killed Barron touches on the novel’s major themes. Holland pins responsibility for Barron’s death squarely on Lila. He emphasizes his accusation by casting down the now-stained silver pocket watch, which serves as a motif for the themes of Choice and Consequence and The Nature of Family. Ironically, Lila loses the closest thing she has to a family in the same chapter in which she encourages Kell to appreciate his own family more.

“‘Some people steal to stay alive, and some steal to feel alive. Simple as that.’ ‘And which are you?’ asked Kell. ‘I steal for freedom,’ said Lila. ‘I suppose that’s a bit of both.’”

One of the most important similarities between Kell and Lila is that they are both thieves, and Lila’s theory about crime explores the characters’ motives. She suggests that some people steal out of “sheer defiance,” which aligns with Kell’s reasons for smuggling: He doesn’t need to steal to survive, but he routinely commits a treasonous offense by taking things between worlds anyway. Applying Lila’s logic, this gives Kell an outlet for the negative emotions caused by his suspicion that the royal family is exploiting him for his magical powers. Lila, on the other hand, steals both to supply her material needs and to enjoy the thrill that makes her “feel alive” and free.

“‘I know,’ said Kell. ‘I know what and who you are. What will you do, Astrid? Kill me?’ Rhy’s face lit up with a strange kind of glee. ‘No’—the word slid over his tongue—‘but I’m sure you’ll wish I had. Now’—Rhy’s hand lifted Kell’s chin—’where is my stone?’”

In a suspenseful plot twist, Kell realizes that Astrid is controlling his brother. The chapter’s title, “Masquerade,” operates on multiple levels: The action is set at a masquerade party in honor of Rhy’s birthday, and White London’s queen wears Red London’s prince like a mask.

“‘What do you want with it?’ he growled as the two guards dragged him to his feet. ‘To take the throne, of course.’ ‘You already have a throne,’ observed Kell. ‘In a dying London. And do you know why it dies? Because of you. Because of this city and its cowardly retreat. It made of us a shield, and now it thrives while we perish. It seems only just that I should take it, as reparation. Retribution.’”

Astrid and Athos’s scheme develops the theme of Choice and Consequence. By sealing itself off centuries ago, Red London condemned White London to face the dark magic that consumed Black London on its own. Astrid sees her world’s protracted death throes as the result of Red London’s choices and her bid to conquer Red London as the righteous consequence or “reparation.” 

“Kell staggered to his feet as Holland collapsed onto the damp street. A horrible sadness rolled through him as he crossed to the Antari’s body. They had been two of a kind, a dying breed. Now he was the only one. And soon, there would be none. Perhaps that was how it should be. How it needed to be.”

In a major plot development, Kell defeats Holland. Kell displays his characteristic empathy by feeling a “horrible sadness” for his fallen enemy despite all the pain Holland inflicted on him. The scene also contains dramatic irony. Kell believes that he is now “the only one” of the Antari left, not realizing that Lila is also a blood magician. 

“Honestly, what had happened to her? The Lila Bard of south London looked out for herself. That Lila would never waste her life on someone else. […] Perhaps she never should have stolen the damned stone, but even here, and now, facing death in the form of a pale queen, she didn’t regret it. She’d wanted freedom. She’d wanted adventure. And she didn’t think she minded dying for it.”

Lila takes a moment to reflect on her character development as she faces impending doom. This passage develops the theme of Choice and Consequence. Lila doesn’t regret that she’s likely to die because she chose to steal the black stone, which helped her escape her circumstances even though it threw her into more dangerous ones. She embraces her choices and their consequences because she achieved her dream of “freedom” and “adventure.” Because Lila believes these are her final moments, her defiant spirit shines all the brighter. 

“Kell summoned the last of his strength and focused not on Vitari trying to crush his life, or on the darkness sweeping through him, but on Lila’s voice and the cold ground and his aching fingers and his bloody lips as they formed the words. ‘As Anasae.’”

At the novel’s climax, Kell dispels the black stone’s magic. Kell’s struggle with Vitari is the culmination of the theme Power as a Path to Corruption. The magic nearly consumes Kell’s will entirely, but the magician’s love for his brother, which he remembers thanks to Lila, gives him the strength to win.