Editors Reads Verdict
A Conjuring of Light is the conclusion the trilogy earned — emotionally devastating, structurally tight, and generous with its characters in ways that make the inevitable losses land harder. Schwab closes the Shades of Magic world with a confidence that has made it one of the decade's most beloved fantasy series.
What We Loved
- Holland's arc reaches a resolution that is both surprising and completely earned — the trilogy's moral highpoint
- Emotionally devastating without being nihilistic — Schwab honours losses while leaving characters somewhere worth arriving
- Rhy's chapters showcase Schwab's emotional intelligence at its fullest, elevating a secondary character into a series standout
- Structurally tight for a 600-page conclusion, with every POV thread pulling weight toward the ending
Minor Drawbacks
- The consuming antagonist, while logically constructed, is less personally menacing than a more character-driven villain would be
- Readers who haven't read the first two books will find no entry point — this is a pure series payoff
- Some resolutions arrive faster than the build-up seems to warrant given the series' careful pacing
Key Takeaways
- → The most formidable antagonist is one whose logic is coherent — power that wants to consume rather than control is harder to negotiate with
- → Middle characters who begin as complications to the protagonist's story can become the most emotionally resonant presences in a series
- → A trilogy conclusion should honour the losses the story required, not erase them for the sake of a happy ending
- → Who characters are becoming matters more than where they end up — growth is the real destination
- → Generosity in an ending does not require sentimentality — earned warmth and honest loss can coexist
| Author | V.E. Schwab |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Pages | 624 |
| Published | February 21, 2017 |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy, Adventure, Fiction |
A Conjuring of Light Review
A Conjuring of Light is the conclusion of one of the best fantasy trilogies of the 2010s, and it delivers. Schwab spends 600 pages dismantling the world she spent two books building — not out of nihilism, but out of a clear-eyed understanding that the threat she has staged requires real stakes.
The antagonist introduced in A Gathering of Shadows turns out to be the most formidable the series has staged: a power that doesn’t want to conquer but to consume, with a logic of its own that Schwab renders carefully. Holland, the book’s most morally complex character, comes to the fore — his chapters are some of the best in the trilogy, and his arc resolves in a way that is both surprising and inevitable.
Kell and Lila: The central relationship, carefully calibrated across three books, reaches its conclusion without collapsing into easy resolution. Schwab is more interested in who these characters are becoming than in giving readers the ending they’ve been rooting for — which turns out to be far more satisfying.
Rhy: The prince’s arc, which began as a complication to Kell’s story, becomes one of the trilogy’s most genuinely moving threads. His chapters in this book are where Schwab’s emotional intelligence is most fully on display.
The ending: Generous without being saccharine. Schwab honours the losses the story has required while leaving her characters somewhere worth arriving at.
Verdict: The finest volume of the trilogy and a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to the Shades of Magic world. Essential reading for fans of character-driven fantasy.
Shades of Magic Reading Order
- A Darker Shade of Magic
- A Gathering of Shadows
- A Conjuring of Light ← you are here
Reading Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "A Conjuring of Light" about?
The Shade of Essen Tasch has fallen, and a darkness worse than the black stone threatens all three Londons. Kell, Lila, Rhy, and Holland must confront an enemy powerful enough to consume worlds — and the cost of stopping it may be more than any of them can pay.
What are the key takeaways from "A Conjuring of Light"?
The most formidable antagonist is one whose logic is coherent — power that wants to consume rather than control is harder to negotiate with Middle characters who begin as complications to the protagonist's story can become the most emotionally resonant presences in a series A trilogy conclusion should honour the losses the story required, not erase them for the sake of a happy ending Who characters are becoming matters more than where they end up — growth is the real destination Generosity in an ending does not require sentimentality — earned warmth and honest loss can coexist
Is "A Conjuring of Light" worth reading?
A Conjuring of Light is the conclusion the trilogy earned — emotionally devastating, structurally tight, and generous with its characters in ways that make the inevitable losses land harder. Schwab closes the Shades of Magic world with a confidence that has made it one of the decade's most beloved fantasy series.
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