Shades of Magic (Victoria VE Schwab) Books in Order
Part ofVictoria VE Schwab Books in OrderSee the Shades of Magic books in order by Victoria V.E. Schwab, with quick summaries, world background, reading order tips, and where to start.
Last updated: June 10, 2026
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Publication Order
3 books
A Darker Shade of Magic
by Victoria VE Schwab
2015
Kell is one of the last magicians who can travel between parallel Londons, until a smuggled artifact lands him in serious trouble. With thief Delilah Bard at his side, he has to stop a dangerous magic from crossing worlds.
A Gathering of Shadows
by Victoria VE Schwab
2016
Red London is alive with the spectacle of the Essen Tach, but Kell, Lila, and their allies are already feeling the pull of darker trouble. As old power stirs again, the balance between the Londons begins to fail.
A Conjuring of Light
by Victoria VE Schwab
2017
Ancient darkness spills back across the Londons, and enemies who would rather kill each other have to work together. It is the trilogy's biggest book, with broken kingdoms, risky magic, and hard choices on every side.
Series background & context
At the heart of the Shades of Magic books is a great fantasy hook: four Londons, stacked side by side, each with a different relationship to magic. Grey London has almost none. Red London hums with it. White London has been twisted by it. Black London was consumed by it. Very few people can move between them, and Kell, one of the last Antari, is one of those rare travelers.
The worlds are the story's engine.
Kell starts as a court messenger for Red London's Maresh Empire, but he is also a smuggler, carrying small pieces of one world into another because he cannot quite resist forbidden things. Then he collides with Delilah Bard, a thief from Grey London who wants something larger than the life she has. Lila brings nerve, appetite, and chaos, which makes her a perfect match for a series built on doors opening where they should not.
From there, the trilogy grows from a clever portal fantasy into a broader fight over balance, power, and survival. The second book widens the world with the Essen Tach, a magical tournament that lets readers spend more time in Red London even as older dangers begin to stir again. By the third book, the stakes are fully world-sized. Rulers, thieves, pirates, magicians, and uneasy allies are all pulled into the same struggle.
It gets bigger fast, but it never loses sight of the characters.
What makes the series stick is the mix. There is swashbuckling adventure, court politics, sharp banter, and a magic system tied to blood, balance, and consequence. Kell is loyal but restless. Lila is bold to the point of recklessness. Around them, the supporting cast gives the books warmth and friction, especially once loyalties start getting tested.
If you like fantasy that feels lively rather than solemn, this is usually a strong place to start with Schwab. The books are full of motion, but they also make room for friendship, grief, ambition, and the cost of wanting more than your world has given you. Come for the parallel Londons. Stay for the people who keep throwing themselves through them.
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