Gotta love Schwab. She is very good at creating that suspenseful feeling in her writing with every novel.

This book is fresh, rich, and suspenseful as I mentioned. I honestly was not bored reading this book and will be purchasing a physical copy to reread. I believe this is a great start to a fresh new trilogy.

Awesome! I highly recommend this book. This is one of those rare books in which you realize after reading a few chapters that there is no way that you can put this book down and will be finishing it in one night. It was so well written and thought out. I loved this book so much and Thank you so much to V.E. Schwab for writing such an amazing 5 star book.

I loved this book. However, I forgot that I had read this book so long ago. Too much time has passed to write a good review.

V.. E. Schwab is one of my favorite authors and I am honored to have the chance to read an ARC of the latest in the Shade of Magic world (s). In this universe, there are four worlds, steeped in magic and connected only through London, the city existing in all four worlds. The magic grew until the worlds had to seal the doors between them or risk fatal destruction. The Antari are the only ones left who can travel between worlds and their number has dwindled to three - Delilah Bard, a pirate, from Grey London, Kell Maresh, a royal from Red London, and Holland Vosijk of White London. None of the Antari have been seen for the last seven years and a new magician has risen in their place. A mysterious and very talented young woman has appeared on the scene offering a solution to the rebellion boiling in most of the worlds, or the destruction of them all. I urge you to read the first three Shades of Magic books. The Fragile Threads of Power is a stellar addition to the series but you are doing yourself an injustice to miss the previous novels. Many thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read the ARC.

I went into this blind. I didn't read the description. I didn't even know there was a previous series with many of these characters. My fault. The writing was so amazing I still felt invested in the story, though I was confused at times. Which London is this? Is this current or seven years ago? I did feel like I was missing some important history (again, my fault).

I liked all the characters, particularly Tes. Even feeling lost at times this was easily a 4* read. It was just that good. The characters, the different POVs, the events were all woven perfectly. Now I have to go back and read A Darker Shade of Magic series, then reread this one before the next book.

Diving into The Fragile Threads of Power was everything I could have wanted and more. V.E. Schwab remains extraordinary (as if there was any doubt.) Returning to characters I have such affinity for felt like coming home, a warm hug on a chilly day, balm for my soul. That said, the addition of the new players was woven into the story so seamlessly that you couldn’t help but fall in love with them too. Schwab’s world-building, well-rounded characters and painterly writing are unparalleled, and this book couldn’t have been more incredible. Suspenseful, humorous, action-packed, and incredibly touching (I cried SEVERAL times) - Fragile Threads needs to be read by all! Be warned though - once you pick it up, you won’t be able to put it down!

I’m still shocked I got to read V. E. Schwab’s highly anticipated book The Fragile Threads of Power. I LOVED the (once a trilogy) series Shadow of Night, and was ecstatic to hear Schwab was continuing the series. If you love magic and adventure and gorgeous world building than I highly suggest you start this series. It was so fun to continue another quest with these characters—I hadn’t realized how much I missed them.

"We choose the stories that bring us comfort."

Well.

That was…

WOW.

It wasn’t at all surprising how amazing this was (I expected it) but oh my gosh?! This was so good. MIND-BLOWN GOOD.

I had no idea how much I’ve missed this world. Being back with my favorite characters? It’s the best feeling in the world! Kell and Lila and Alucard and Rhy… they’re as amazing as I remember. I love these four so much! Everytime I’m reading from one of their POVs I tried to read as slowly as I could. Tried to savor every word as much as I could. (I know I’m biased but who can blame me?)

I don’t know what else to say? I do want to thank the author for bringing us back to London and the world of magic and Antari‘s, princes and pirates.

V.E. Schwab has an effortless way with words and weaving stories I could easily get lost in. She brought me back to my favorite world and favorite characters but also introduced new ones… Ren was adorable. Tes grew on me. I admire her resilience and quiet strength. And although I find Nadiya quite terrifying, she’s a really interesting character and I love how dark her brilliant mind can get. (Is that weird?)

There is a seven year gap between this new series and the original trilogy so there was a lot of shifting between the Now and Then chapters. I’m usually not a fan of this set-up… I wish I knew it beforehand, tbh. But I just tried to not let it bother me that much. And I would try to read really fast some of the n years ago chapters so I could get to the Now.

The Fragile Threads of Power had me in its grip from the very first page and I will spend the next however many days recovering from it.

And now I only have one question to ask… when’s book two coming?

I received an ARC from the publisher to read and review. Quoted excerpt/s may change in the final print.

V.E Schwab never fails to write lyrical prose with well thought out action scenes. Her characters always feel very real and have unique voices.

One of my favorite authors. One of my favorite series. I went in scared and V delivered! What an epic way to be back in London with all my favorites and new favs!

It’s always a little scary when authors bring back or continue well-loved, finished series. V.E. Schwab couldn’t have done it better! Our favourite characters are back, and yes some things have changed, but the characters are still true at their core. No drastic personality changes occur between A Conjuring of Light and Fragile Threads of Power, something that I’ve seen in quite a few series continuations rather than off-page growth of character. I really appreciate that I could jump straight into this book and feel that I really do know these characters and understand their decisions based on 3 books of previous knowledge. The new storyline and characters introduced are also absolute perfection. Believe it or not I’m actually MORE excited to learn about them in the rest of the series than even the original characters. I’m so thrilled to see where we go in the next book of this series. And always Alucard is my soulmate.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Fragile Threads of Power. I quickly reread The Shades of Magic trilogy to prepare myself to return to Red London and was so excited to see we were getting a new trilogy in one of my favorite magical realms.

I always love Shwab's story telling and the way she paints a picture with her words. Revisiting Kell, Lila, Rhy and Alucard, 7 years after their previous adventures, was lovely. I enjoyed many our of new characters, and learning about their backstories, but I wanted more of our main four. I found myself frustrated- every time I felt pulled into the story, there was a series of flashbacks that pulled me right back out of it. It seemed to really slow down the first half of this book but I loved the action in the last half and can't wait to see what adventures arise in the next book.

As usual, VE Schwab is a master of plotting and characters. If you are a fan of her already, then you will love this book. If you're new here, but are looking for complex and gray characters, magical suspense, and accessible fantasy, buckle up.

6/5 stars

When I heard one of my all-time favorite authors was writing a NEW series in a FAVORITE fantasy world, I was ecstatic, borderline unhinged with excitement. The original Shades of Magic trilogy is a series that means so much to me and I love and adore the characters and the world more than I can say.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from The Fragile Threads of Power. I didn’t know if our old characters would have cameos or be featured at all, and there’s always a little bit of trepidation for me when I’m approaching a much-loved fantasy world with characters that I don’t know yet.

But if you were wondering if we see our old characters rest assured that we do, they are back, changed of course after the events of A Conjuring of Light and also seven years older. I loved seeing how they had grown and changed since the end of that book, and it was so comforting to have what felt like old friends on the page again in Red London having new adventures.

There are, however, new characters to get to know and love too. Two of my favorites were Kosika from White London, and Tes from Red London. We get to see a lot of their backstory for the first third of the book until we see the even that features them as major players in Threads.

The first third of the book does have a lot of flashbacks and switching between POV’s. All of which is very deliberately done to get us to the meat of what the threat is in the current book and how the past got us here. And that can sometimes be something that is hard for me, but I felt equally invested in every storyline that was being told and didn’t feel pulled out of the story at all.

V.E. Schwab does a lot of things right for me in her books, and one of my favorites is her character and relationship development. I love seeing Lila and Kel back as well as Rhy and Alucard, and the added dynamic of a Queen and child in that family unit. Another thing I love about Schwab’s books is her world building and plotting. The opening chapter of this book is particularly strong for world building, plotting, and character introduction. We are immediately introduced to what this world is, who this person is, and what might happen from this one event. And then the way Schwab weaves in all the other characters, their past histories, and the threads of what is to come in the final chapters of this book was masterfully done.

I loved every single page of this book. I was captivated and never wanted to put it down. When I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it until I could get back to reading it again. This book honestly exceeded every expectation I had and is a new favorite from this author and for the year.

I received an ARC for review, thank you to the author and Tor Publishing!

It is so good to be back with these characters again. Threads of Power is set 7 years after the events on A Conjuring of Light, the third book in the Shades of Magic trilogy. While there is enough flashback scenes to talk about what happened, the joy you get seeing old characters again is just a whole different feeling.

There was such a good mix of chapters with old and new characters and I loved getting to know the new cast while catching up with the others. The first half of the book is an absolute ride and so full of MAGIC. I've missed this world and just love Schwab's worldbuilding.

There's plenty of action, surprises (good and bad), and tender moments that will tug at your heartstrings. Oh and pain, lots of that too.

As far as pacing goes the book slows down between 60-90% and then snowballs the last 10. This is very much a foundational book for this series so I'm very curious where it goes and what the exact roles of our new characters will be. 👀

Thank you Tor for my eARC, all opinions my own.

I can fairly confidently say that this was my most anticipated read of 2023. Not only have I enjoyed every V.E. Schwab book I’ve read, but my favorites by were were the three books that made up her “Shades of Magic” trilogy. And its been years and years and years since those books came out! I wasn’t even expecting a return to this world as the original trilogy ended quite neatly. But not only are we returning to the world, but we’re returning to the same main characters (plus a few extras) several years later! The best of the best.

And yes, there was a lot to like about this book! First and foremost, for fans of the original trilogy, I’m happy to report that our main characters are just as awesome as you remember them, perhaps even more so as they tackle the ever more complex relationships between one another. I was a bit concerned going in that Lila, Kel, Rys and Luc would be relegated to background characters who just flitted in and out of the main storyline. But rest assured, they play vital, central roles to everything that is happening. Per my experience with the first trilogy, Lila is still far and away my favorite character of the four. As the book plays out, the story jumps backwards in time at several points to show how are characters have lived over the last eight or so years. Through these flashbacks, we get to see Lila as a captain, Lila as a reluctant leader, and, best of all, Lila as a support system for Kel as he deals with the loss of his magic. Of course, her “support” comes in the very hard-nosed style that we all would expect from her.

For his part, Kel’s story was heart-breaking as he traverses the various stages of grief over the loss of the central portion of his identity. Schwab doesn’t shy away from the very dark places that this kind of loss can inflict on people. Rys probably gets the least page time, but for this book, at least, his story is the most straight-forward: learning how to become a king at a very young age. Alucard was the one who surprised me the most, however. In the original trilogy, he felt like the least of the four characters (not necessarily in preference, just in page time and the amount of story given to him). But here he is probably the most central character of the four to the main arch and mystery that makes up the plot of this book. I really enjoyed getting to spend more time with this character, and I’m very intrigued to see where he goes from there.

Now, to the new characters. Yes, of course, they are very good as well, especially Tes, the young girl with the extraordinary ability to see and manipulate magic itself. Her history was interesting, with a complicated and, at times, frightening family. And her abilities open a lot of pathways forward (perhaps too many? She definitely has the potential to run the story into the “Superman problem” where a character is so over-powered that essentially any conflict going forward could be solved by that one person simply intervening). I also liked the Antari queen that we meet in White London. There’s an interesting mystery building there, but I have to admit that she was my least favorite of the group. Not because she was a bad character in her own right, but because she had some stiff competition and there were a few mysteries that I feel are leading in a very obvious, dark direction which makes me struggle to truly connect ot her.

So, that’s a lot about characters, and there’s a reason why: Yes, I mostly read for characters, so that’s common of my reviews. But in this case, the characters were truly the heart of the story. As much as I enjoyed this read, and I really, really did, it definitely suffers as being the first book in a trilogy. Almost 90% of the story is devoted to understanding how our familiar characters ended up where they did and introducing the new characters and their history. Beyond that, there’s a rather short, simple mystery that is resolved at the end. But it’s also clear that Schwab is placing much larger pieces on this chessboard, and much of this book is spent properly positioning everything. That alone is why I had to knock this one down from a 10 star rating. But on pure enjoyment, pure joy at seeing beloved characters back on the page again, this is definitely a top tier book!

Rating 9: It’s a rare feat to return to a beloved fantasy trilogy, pick up fan favorite characters and manage to not break anything in the process, but Schwab makes it look easy! A triumphant return that’s nothing less than masterful!

(link will go live Sept. 20)

It felt like coming home.

The magic system and worlds Schwab has created continue to impress. Not to mention her characters fly off of the page.

A triumph

No one writes a fantasy novel the way V. E. Schwab does! The entire story is so original and unique, everything blended together so smooth and clean. She is the QUEEN of plot twists when you least expect them! The ending leaving you both gasping for more and wanting to read the book all over again!

You are following the stories of a few "Antari", magicians with the power to use magic from 5 different affinities, Wind, Earth, Water, Bones and Fire. It gives a very nostalgic feeling towards those who watched and enjoyed the Avatar The Last Airbender series as children and teens!

As the story progresses, you are able to watch each POV flawlessly tie into one another and become interconnected in a way I thought was perfect. The plot twists and turns are completely unexpected, having you hold your breath as each page is turned. just waiting to see what happens next (it's never what you expected)! The relationship between Kell and Lila quickly became one of my favorite parts of the series, showing how true and relatable they are, showing that a person does not need to be perfect or strong in order to be loved and supported. The family dynamic with the royal Maresh family is such a beautiful dedication to the LGBTQ community and the family Alucard has longed for.

The way this book begins and ends, and everything in between, was a genuine masterpiece. The magic and magical laws are unlike what you would normally read about, giving it that unique quality you search for in a book. Not only that, allowing characters to learn alongside each other and embrace their own weaknesses was such a lovely touch.

I. LOVE. V. E. SCHWAB! Honestly she is just brilliant. I had to re read the shades of magic first before reading this, once I realized this continues after those books, and I am so glad I did. I forgot just how much I enjoyed those books, and this one was just as great! I need the other books now, but sadly I will have to be patient. But honestly. Amazing! Loved this book so much!

It feels wonderful to step back into the Shades of Magic world. While this is presented as a new trilogy, I would not recommend it to anyone who hasn't read the first set. I do wish there had been a book to bridge these together, the catch up and backstory provided for new characters made it a bit difficult to really get submerged into the new storyline. However, with the original trilogy I also found the first book to be a bit of a struggle so this is consistent with the writing style. I loved the new character Tes and can't wait to see what's in store for the rest of the series!