"The precarious equilibrium among the four Londons has reached its breaking point. Once brimming with the red vivacity of magic, darkness casts a shadow over the Maresh Empire, leaving a space for another London to rise. Kell--once assumed to be the last surviving Antai--begins to waver under the pressure of competing loyalties. And in the wake of tragedy, can Arnes survive? Lila Bard, once a commonplace--but never common--thief, has survived...

"The young and arrogant prince Maxim Maresh, having faced the terror of the Pirate Queen, now aims to capture the respect of the combative port town of Verose - by taking the impossible challenges of the Night of Knives... and surviving, where none has survived before! These are the hidden, secret adventures of Maxim, from long before he became the king of Red London and adoptive father to Kell, the lead of A Darker Shade of Magic!"--Provided by publisher....

Witness the fate of beloved heroes and notorious foes in the heart-stopping conclusion to V.E. Schwab's New York Times bestselling Shades of Magic trilogy.

*Kirkus' Best Fiction of 2017*
As darkness sweeps the Maresh Empire, the once precarious balance of power among the four Londons has reached its breaking point.
In the wake of tragedy, Kell—once assumed to be the last surviving Antari—begins to

...

Decades after the worlds have come apart, Red London is peaceful and thriving under the Maresh Empire. Believing that one day the magic separating the different worlds would come undone, Prince Maxim is searching the land for powerful magicians who can travel between those realms. Frustrated by his son's negligence of their own kingdom, King Nokil banishes Maxim to Verose, also known as the Blood Coast, to redirect his focus. Upon his arrival, Maxim...

Three months ago, following his defeat at the hands of Prince Maxim Maresh, Rowan - the powerful Antari magician and mastermind behind the Night of Knives tournament - forcibly took control of a rag-tag pirate fleet known as the Rebel Army. Quickly he transformed it into a formidable and ruthless military machine and began attacking the settlements along the Blood Coast. Each town he landed at was offered a simple choice - join the Rebel Army or face...

Having vanquished the Pirate Queen, Prince Maxim Maresh has now been tasked with commanding the Verose military barracks. However, the young, headstrong prince finds it hard to be accepted by the regular soldiers billeted there who see him as nothing more than a spoiled royal playing at being a soldier, and he yearns to earn their respect and be judged for his skills as a warrior and leader and not because of the privilege of his royal title.

Exiled by his father to the coastal garrison town of Verose, hot-headed, arrogant, and untested Crown Prince Maxim Maresh went on to prove his worth by defeating the pirate queen Arisa, with the help of a new-found ally Isra, a member of the Arnesian garrison and a gifted solider and fighter in her own right. Following his victory, Maxim ignored his father's subsequent invitation to return home and chose to remain in Verose, determined to prove to...

Led by the Antari magician Rowan, the Rebel Army's wave of chaos has surged along the Blood Coast, decimating everything in its path. With each conquest, they offer a simple choice: join, and choose the path of power and freedom from a cold and distant crown, or die. With ranks bolstered by their conscripts, the Rebel Army mercilessly razed three cities, in a single night of terror and devastation. Now, a messenger has been sent ahead to Verose,...

Despite being battered and wounded, Prince Maxim Maresh has successfully bested the first three trials of the Night of Knives, using his wits and magical skills. However on the threshold of the fourth and final room, Maresh remembered the advice of his comrade Isra, and turned his back on the tournament. But before he could leave he was pulled into the doorway of the fourth trial by a powerful magical binding spell…

Acclaimed fantasy novel series Shades of Magic comes to comics, with a new story from award-winning creator and New York Times #1 bestseller V.E. Schwab!