Two days ago, a friend of mine recced me this book. "You should read it", they said, "Knowing you, you'll fall in love with the characters instantly. It has princes, magicians, and crossdressing lady pirates. It practically has your name written on it."
I tried to tell them that I'm still halfway through the second Matthew Swift book, but after a lot of time and persuasion (a whole five minutes) I gave in and picked up A Darker Shade of Magic.

I tore through it. Devoured it. I screamed at my friend, I laughed out loud, and I squealed like a little schoolgirl.

The characters are likeable, and I may or may not have developed a crush on Rhy, Kell, and Lila (which doesn't surprise anyone, probably). The relationship between Kell and Rhy is very well written and refreshing. Having a strong female character who doesn't need a man to rescue her and who follows her own mind is beyond merely refreshing.

While it's not the best book I've ever read (it's a bit too slow for that at certain points), it's definitely going on my rec-list and I'm going to start the sequel soon.