I was really excited to be back in this world with these characters! I also loved all the new characters and all the seeds planted with how they will matter in the rest of the series.

My reasoning for 3/5 stars is much of this book felt like drawn out set-up, and for nearly 700 pages that felt like too long. I was also bummed that Kell had so much less autonomy in this book. While he had a personal matter happening, he still felt like a background character that just followed Lila around and did whatever she said. He was such a force in the other books it felt odd to read. The flashbacks were also so frequent and went to so many different years in the characters life it sometimes felt more complicated than it needed to be.

Otherwise, I feel like the next 2 books are going to have a lot more action now that the set-up is done. The ending was exciting, and I'm really looking forward to more of Kosika's story and how Black London will come back into play through her.

ZOMG. I thought that I loved the original trilogy but that was nothing compared to the opener for this new extension series. I love seeing the way that Schwab is playing with the magic system and evolving it by introducing new characters with more complex powers.

I am going to have a hangover for a while, because THIS WAS AMAZING. I want to go back and read it all over again.

First of all, thank you SO much to Tor Books and Netgally for this advanced copy! I'm still pinching myself that I've had the honor to read it early. Year absolutely made.

This return to the Darker Shades of Magic universe was everything I dreamed it would be. Not only do we have new, intriguing characters to get to know, but we have get to catch up with the old gang! I cannot tell you how excited I was to see Kell, Lila, Rhy and Luc again. With brief flashbacks interwoven through the beginning of the book, we get to see what they've been up to over the past seven years and how it affects the current trouble brewing in the present.

Plus I'm such a shipper for Kell and Lila, and adore Kell and Rhy's brotherly bond. Seeing them both again made my heart explode with joy, and I crave more already.

I won't spoil anything, but I'm extremely excited to see where things continue to travel (pun intended? who's to say?) with our new Antari in the next book.

And now I begin the long wait until book two... But if you are a fan of A Darker Shade of Magic, I can safely say that this series is completely worth the wait.

The Fragile Threads of Power is a continuation, seven years later, of the Darker Shades of Magic trilogy. My friend and I went into this book unaware of that fact, and it led us to have differing feelings. The story is spent following Delilah, Kell, Rhy, and Alucard, the classic characters from the three previous books. There are a few additional characters who rely on this new timeline, such as the new queen of White London (one of several dimensions throughout the fantasy world). Plot points unfold across the perspectives of all of these characters, making the storyline very complex and giving it a classic fantasy feel. As someone who has read all of the Darker Shades of Magic books, I found it easy to follow and a great way to see what came next for all of the characters I liked. 
Since this is being sold as a separate series from the Darker Shades of Magic, and the covers appear very different, it may attract a lot of people who have not necessarily read a VE Schwab book before let alone one set in the same universe. For those readers, this book may be quite hard to follow because it does not provide too much background information about what happened in other storylines seven years prior. The audience is left to fill in the blanks about things by themselves or read the previous books, which is alright but takes some extra effort to get the same enjoyment as I was able to from already being introduced to the world. 
Prior storylines aside, this book was really good! At around 650 pages, it is quite long. However, there were no points where it dragged on because there was just so much happening. Short chapters combined with ever-changing POVs allows things to remain interesting so that you can keep reading a lot in one sitting without getting bored. There was also a lot accomplished over the course of the story, which I appreciated. 
The characters themselves were also super likeable. Maybe it was just part of me that had already liked them throughout Darker Shades of Magic and loved getting to see how things turned out for them. Pretty much everyone, even Holland, makes an appearance at some point. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who is already a fan of VE Schwab, especially those who like the Darker Shades of Magic books. Anyone else who is in the mood for a little escapism and a fast paced book to dive into, I think this makes a great choice. If you do read it, be prepared for a major cliffhanger at the end. I already can't wait for the next book to come out to find out what happens next!
Of course, thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing for providing a digital copy of this book.

I want to start this review by saying that I generally love this author, and I loved the first books in this series. However, this book was too long, and had too many characters and too many time jumps. It was nearly impossible for me to keep track of what was going on and who was doing what when. I had a hard time connecting to the characters, because they were seemingly so all over the place. You had the characters from the first books, new characters, but also flashes back in time to kind of cover the time since the last books. It almost feels like there should’ve been a book before this that covered what happened to them since then before adding in anything new. unfortunately, my experience with this book will probably keep me from eating any more in the series.

HOW DOES SHE DO THIS?! The Fragile Threads of Power is everything I hoped for and more. I didn't want it to end, and I didn't want to say goodbye again. I just knew V.E. Schwab would cause some emotional damage with this one.

If you are like me and are/were afraid this new series would change how you feel about the original series, fret not! Her writing and storytelling only welcome you back like a warm hug and give you everything your brain needs. She wrote new characters to fall in love with, which is impressive since her original four were top-tier. Not sure how she did it, but I love a skeleton bird now?

This is absolutely the most dramatic review I have ever written, but I cannot contain myself! THANK YOU ONE MILLION TIMES to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read this early!

I loved the trilogy that preceded this book, which apparently is the first of a new continuation of the series.

The original saga began in 2015 with “A Darker Shade of Magic”, continued with “A Gathering of Shadows,” and ended with “A Conjuring of Light.” In those books, set in 1819, we learned there were four Londons in four separate worlds that could be traversed by magic only available to a few.

This new series begins some six years later, and takes us back to all four worlds. In Red London, the main locus of the story, we meet 15-year-old Tesali Ranek, known as Tes. She ran a repair shop, allegedly working as an apprentice for a Master Haskin, although there was no such person. Tes was just a teenager, but she had a unique skill. She could see threads of power, manipulate them, and fix those that were broken.

In that way, her skill surpassed even that of Alucard Emery, consort to the king, who could see threads of magic but couldn’t reshape them. He, along with the king, Rhy Maresh, were trying to monitor an increasing threat by the members of the Hand, a movement seeking to topple the king.

They were helped by Delilah Bard - Lila, - captain of the Grey Barron, the renamed ship she took over from Alucard when it was the Night Spire. Lila was an Antari, the strongest type of magician in the world; there were only a few who matched her in power. Alucard has tasked her with working undercover to find out what she could about the Hand. On board with her is Kell Maresh, 22, brother to the king and Lila’s lover. Kell was formerly the most powerful magician in the kingdom, but his power was shattered by Osaron, the shadow king, the dark force that destroyed Black London. Osaron was defeated, but now Kell cannot call upon his power without being overcome by wracking pain.

Nadiya Loreni is Rhy’s queen and mother to their daughter (shared by Alucard as well), Tieren Maresh, 4 years old, called Ren. Nadiya was an inventor, and was happy to tinker in her workshop and let Alucard be Rhy’s companion. No one fully trusted her however.

Ren was named for the deceased and beloved royal priest, or Aven Essen. Rhy is now advised by the tenth Aven Essen, Ezril, who replaced Tieren after his death.

In alternate segments, we learn what is happening with the Hand. Members are trying to obtain a persalis, a piece of forbidden magic that could cut through space the way Antari were able to do. But unlike the door made by the Antari, this door could be held open indefinitely, and let a hundred killers through. The only known persalis was housed on the Ferase Stras, a legendary ship which dealt in the empire’s most dangerous goods. A group of thieves in the Hand were tasked with overcoming the wards on the ship, getting past Captain Maris Patrol and her crew, and stealing it.

Meanwhile, in White London, following the death of the previous leader, King Holland Vosijk, a seven-year-old girl named Kosika, bearing the telltale signs of an Antari, had been selected to take his place. She was now 14, and she has begun to see and hear visions of Holland, who advises her. Holland had helped magic return to White London after Osaron wreaked havoc on the worlds, and it is now Kosika’s aim, with Holland’s help, to rekindle the flame. He told her, “I chose you . . . to be my hands. Your magic was once mine. My legacy is yours. I will guide your hands, if you let me. . . . And together, we will do wondrous things.”

Evaluation: Thankfully, author goes back and forth in time at various points, in order to fill readers in on some of the backstory.

I was so sad when the original trilogy ended, and beyond delighted that Schwab has picked up the threads of the story again. Lila, Tes, and Kosika star as strong female leads. Different gender preferences and roles are so well integrated you barely take notice, which in a meta sense is a glorious way to highlight the same humanity in everyone.

This series is highly recommended for fantasy fans!

You know how when you find a series you adore, you can come back to it over and over and find new things to love each time? The Shades of Magic trilogy was my gateway into fantasy and has remained my favorite fantasy series. When I learned there would be a continuation series, I felt a smidge worried that it might not live up to the originals. That tiny, niggling worry was immediately squashed once I started reading, and I was sucked into just as I had been before!

The world-building Schwab is known for continues to blow my mind, as well as the layered cast of characters, plot, and threads (see what I did there?) that will tie into the upcoming books. Not only do we get more of our favorite characters from the previous series, but we are treated to several new ones across the Londons. I was a bit worried that our favorite four would be relegated to side character status in the new adventures, and I was so glad to see that each of them plays an important role in the book. Each new character perfectly complements the storyline, and since we got the opportunity to know each one of the original four so well in the first series, adding new characters to the cast was a perfect writing choice here. I love that Schwab trusts her readers to think and remember instead of spoon feeding us character details.

There are several nods to the first three books, with allegiances and rivalries of the past becoming important plot points in the present. I’m not sure if this continuation was always a plan, or if the idea for it came much later, but the way the two parts have come together feels seamless.

The magical system is as whimsical and complex as always, adding a blend of technology, science, and magic. I’m excited to see how this progresses down the line, especially considering the ethical dilemmas that tinkering with magical limits will pose.

All in all, the only complaint I have is that I’ll have to wait who-knows-how-long for the next installment! If you loved the Shades of Magic series, you’re going to want this book for your collection!

Thanks so much to Tor/Forge and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

V.E. Schwab brings back the characters you loved and introduces some fascinating new ones as the worlds try to move on from the events that occurred at the end of A Conjuring of Light. Unfortunately, what they seem to be moving into is a whole new mess of troubles.

While the apocalypse was averted through the monumental efforts of Lila, Kell, and all the rest of our heroes, political strife and a weakening of magic has caused new tensions to emerge and shadowy figures to start making sinister moves in Red London. Meanwhile, in White London, magic is slowly returning due to the efforts of a new ruler, but there are some serious questions in play about how this is even happening and what the cost might be for everyone.

A five star return to the world of a beloved series.

V.E.Schwab has written a phenomenal story to kick start a new trilogy taking place 7 years after the Conjuring of Light. It is written so that a new fan can jump right in, but I would also recommend checking out hte past books, they were that fantastic.

You are immediately drawn into the worlds of Red and White London and the characters of Kel, Lila, Rhys are about
New friends such as the magical Tes and Vares will join in this story and it is hard to say who is my favorite! When someone does something so well, so perfectly, it is almost impossible to describe. I would say that if you like scfy and world building. love magic and intrigue, then you must pick up this new novel. You will not be disappointed!
#TorPublishing #TheFragileThreadsofPower #VESchwab

Thank you for giving me the chance to read this enchanting story! I was hooked by the 2nd chapter, and love the character arcs & names. This is a wonderful story to escape into, and I would love to see it made into a film!

I need more. Why do I do this to myself? The Fragile Threads of Power is everything I hoped it would be and more. And now I have to wait forever for the next book in this trilogy. Ugh!

One time there were four worlds all connected by London. The magic grew too fast, and the worlds were sealed from each other and the doors were sealed. Only certain magicians were able to open the doors and as time went on the magicians grew rarer, and rarer.

With two separate empires facing similar struggles all seems lost. Until, Tess enters the scene and seems to be the only one who can bring them all together…or tear them all apart once and for all.

This book is set in the same world as the Darker Shades book. This isn’t a continuation of the series, more it just exists in the same world. I loved how the story picked up and filled in the blanks. I haven’t read many V.E. Schwab books, but I always enjoy them when I do. The thing I didn’t like about this book is that it is almost 700 pages, and it starts slow which makes it feel even longer. However, it does pick up and the book breezes by. I love how vivid everything is written; it is just so wonderful. This one does end on a cliffhanger, but it just makes me want to read the next one even more.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Publishing Group – Tor Books, @torbooks, and Netgalley, @netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Additional links will be added closer to publication.

“𝘛𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯.” “𝘛𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯.”

Where do I even begin? It was fantastic. It was everything I wanted and more. I went in expecting to find a wild new read set in the same world as the first series, maybe getting occasional glimpses of old favorites—what I got was a feast of Kell and co and the introduction of some epic new characters.

Tes, A tinkerer, given the key to unlocking unimaginable power—wild and wind made and mad.
Kosika, a queen ruling a world for 7 years, but not yet 15.
Nadiya, a different queen, but also an inventor dabbling with some dangerous devices.

The story starts off 7 years after the end of A Conjuring of Light. Kell and Lila are sailing the seas, definitely NOT pirating and taking good care of The Barron, formerly known as The Night Spire. Kell’s magic is still on the fritz and despite years of learning to fight with a sword and not rely on his power, it’s difficult, and that has consequences. Lila, despite her standoffish and gruff demeanor, does want to help him and maybe pick up a few knew daggers along the way.

Back in Red London, Rhy, Alucard, and their little growing family are in the midst of searching for a treasonous group known as The Hand who are plotting an assassination against the new King.

Our young tinkerer Tes is on the run and hiding out in London. She’s expeptionally talented, able to see and weave the threads of magic that run through the world. Things go a bit sour for her when a wounded man shows up on her doorstep begging her to fix what was once broken—with life altering consequences.

Kosika, the reining queen after Holland, is young. Barely 14 but ruling steadfast and strong, slowly bringing life back into the once decrepit and dying White London. She’s determined to follow in the steps of her Saintly predecessor, with his same magic no less—no matter what it takes.

I will absolutely be raving about this book until book 2 comes out. I loved everything to do with Tes, I really want to know what’s to come of her story. I’m curious as to why she’s so desperate to get away from her family. She was probably my favorite part of this book. She’s got some snark, a magical little dead owl, the most magical of magics and is smart. 10/10 love her character.

Everyone’s story interwove so beautifully. When everything converges and things start clicking? Perfect. It’s a mad grab of “do you have the thing? Oh she’s got the thing! Wait give ME the thing!” Let the dramatic fighting unfold. I’ve missed Lila’s charming, stab happy self. Rhy and Kell still have the best brotherly bond I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. Alucard shines in this book—we get a deeper insight into his story and feelings about life as the king’s consort. I was absolutely living for his chapters.

I can’t recommend it enough, the book was flawless and wonderful. The story was just as enticing as I was hoping. I’m so delighted to be back in this world!

“𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳,” 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘙𝘩𝘺, 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘒𝘦𝘭𝘭’𝘴 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘵.”

This was five stars and then some. I absolutely loved being back in this world and would have been happy just to hang out with the characters again but wow. That was an adventure and just so well done. Absolutely loved this book

I 1000% do not appreciate this sort of trick ending thing meant to entice me to the next in the series. My dude, I'm gonna read it anyway, why would you do this to me?

It took me some time to get into this book because I found the different worlds confusing. However, by the end of the book, I was into the story and can't wait for the next book. After doing some research, I realized that this is a sequel trilogy and so that is probably why I was a bit confused and not as knowledgeable about the world. I plan on reading the other series of books to understand the world a bit more. I do enjoy reading this author and I plan on reading more books by her.

*Review copied directly from Goodreads*

*4.5 rounded up*

It's been 6 years since reading the last Darker Shades book and OUF I did not realise how much I missed this world and these characters. I know this is <i>technically</i> the first Threads of Power but there's no way in hell you can just pick this up without reading the first three books so we're calling this book 4 and it was so good.

In every post Schwab makes about this book it's all "why did I write such a long book??", but honestly, it flew by. I could have done 200 more pages with ease.

This book picks up 7 years after the end of book 3. There are 2 new main characters, Tes and Kosika. I wish there was more to Kosika but maybe I'm just more attached to Tes <spoiler>plus she's so woven into the red London story</spoiler> so to me it feels like she's written better. While Schwab does a fantastic job of filling in the 7 year gap, it was mainly through the eyes of Lila, Kell and Alucard. I just wanted a bit more of Rhy. But honestly, what's Schwab gonna do, write an 800 page book? She's clearly already so stressed about the 600+ pages that already exist.

My only "why was this so obvious" moment was <spoiler>Ezril, the new Aven Essen, being the head of the Hand. I think the amount of distrust expressed by the other characters in the writing about her made it so obvious that she was the masked woman at the table with Barras Emry who had the trust of the king. I don't know how this could have been solved but I wish it was more of a surprise at the end</spoiler>. Anyhow that's to be discussed with my pals when they get to read this book.

The .5 was knocked off cause of this^ and <spoiler>Kell's weird Kay alter ego that makes Lila oh so horny</spoiler>. Just gave me the biggest ick.

Reading "The Fragile Threads of Power" felt like coming home. V. E. Schwab once again invites readers into a dazzling world of magic and adventure and I loved every second!

Starting the book, I was afraid I wouldn’t like the new characters as much as the old ones, but I’m happy to say that they are amazing, especially Tess.

Schwab's skillful prose transports readers effortlessly into this enchanting and treacherous universe. Her ability to create vivid worlds and craft complex characters shines through, keeping readers captivated from start to finish. The blend of action, political intrigue, and magical elements weaves a rich narrative tapestry that leaves you hungry for more.

"The Fragile Threads of Power" serves as a promising opening to this new series, setting the stage for new epic adventures. With its seamless blend of familiar faces and fresh perspectives, this book is a treat for fans of Schwab's previous works and newcomers alike. Prepare to lose yourself in a world where power hangs by a delicate thread, and the fate of multiple realms rests on the shoulders of a remarkable young girl.

Omgggggggggggg YES!!!! Huge shout out to NetGalley for an eGalley of this FABULOUS novel! This is the first of 3 novels in the sister series to Darker Shades of Magic. It picks up 7 years after the close of the previous series, but often flips back through time to fill in the gaps. There are two new main characters but the rest of the cast is familiar. Personally I feel like this is a continuation of the previous series, versus its own series- I would definitely read Shades of Magic first. Schwab just keeps outdoing herself- I don't know how I'll be able to wait for the next two!!! If you've read Shades of Magic, this is a must read... if you haven't, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! and then pick up this one when it comes out in September!