It was such a treat to return to V.E Schwab's world of magic. I absolutely love the original trilogy and was beyond excited to hear that there is going to be another trilogy. Set seven years after the events in a Conjuring of Light, much has changed for Kel, Lila, Rhys, and Alucard. Not only do we get to hear what they have been up to over the last seven years, we get introduced to magical tinkerer Tes (and my new favorite character Vares) and Kosika, new queen of White London. White London is experiencing a new religious fervor and Red London is dealing with the whispers of rebellion against the crown. Then throw in a powerful magical that could change the fate of four worlds. The Fragile Threads of Power is an incredibly exciting start to a trilogy that both new and old fans will appreciate. New readers could definitely start with this story, but I would highly recommend reading the previous trilogy to experience the true depth and emotions of the characters. I cannot wait for others to get to read this, and am eagerly awaiting the next book. I am still processing the end and probably will be thinking about it for months to come. Also, more books should have magical skeleton owls in them. If The Fragile Threads of Power is not already on your TBR you should add it and preorder it. This is not a story you want to miss.

4.5 stars
It was great to be back in this world! I just really love Schwab's writing style so every time I opened this book I was completely drawn into the world and the characters.

However, there were like so so so many characters. Part of me loved that, because we got to explore what happened to all my favorite characters from the first series while still getting to know new characters Tes and Kosiska. I was really happy to see that Schwab improved from A Conjuring of Magic and spent a good amount time with each character's arc so that each section felt meaningful and impactful on a character level. BUT part of me also knows this book probably didn't HAVE to be 700 pages and that a lot this book wasn't so much moving the plot forward as catching us up on the last 7 years of everyone's life. Because of this, this would not be a good jumping on point to the Shades of Magic world, but for the people who already love these characters and this world I don't think this will really be a problem.

I deeply enjoyed sinking back in with these characters and worldbuilding and I'm so excited to see where this new series will take them. Thanks to Netgalley for the e-ARC so I didn't have to wait 6 whole more months to read this.

Fantastic as always from V. E. Schwab. Slick, smart writing, great characters. I can only recommend this.

Huge fan of VE Schwab. My first foray into her books was The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and that was the beginning of the Schwab love affair. This felt like returning to a much loved place, especially after reading A Darker Shade of Magic. It is what they say about magical places-- once there, you don't ever want to leave. Beautiful book that's certain to be in our collection!

V.E. Schwab is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, and this book is a perfect example of why. The world-building is phenomenal, the characterization is brilliant and the characters are so life-like that you forget you are reading - what you are doing is feeling, breathing, thinking, experiencing their world and story right along with them. This plot was excellent and I felt like I couldn't put the book down until I knew what happened. I highly recommend this novel and I think this will be a bestseller!

V.E. Schwab is a master with words. Whether writing as V.E. or Victoria her books never fail to immerse me as a reader. Her worlds are fascinating and her characters and stories are phenomenal. I thought this one was no different. I loved the experience reading it.

V.E. Schwab has talent! I love her stories and the way she can spin interesting ideas into interesting tales. It was nice to be back in this world because it always felt like there was so much more to explore. Can't wait to see where we go next!

I love these characterd, the old and the new. This shows the author's growth since the original 3 and that's really lovely as well. EPICLY looking forward to more reading in this world again

THE FRAGILE THREADS OF POWER brings readers back into the world of the SHADES OF MAGIC series, that readers fell in love with. V.E. Schwab has truly done it again with this book, that was beautifully woven with a masterful plot and world. I truly could not put this book down from start to finish. Schwab is an absolute genius and I cannot wait to see what she writes next!

A great follow-up to the original series. Written for new and old fans who will want to reread or start the series for the first time. Loved meeting new characters and learning more about older ones. Can't wait to talk to people about this after it releases!

First thoughts as I read The Fragile Threads of Power: this feels like coming home.

Like using a time machine, crawling into your childhood bed, and feeling as if no time has passed at all since you last laid there.

But at the same time, so much time has passed because you're different now and that change makes it sweeter, softer, and warmer.

You're not taking a single blink, a single feeling, a single moment of the experience for granted. You know you're so blessed to be here, feeling these sacred moments of comfort again.

That bed, that comfort, that moment out of time.

That is this book.

I have cried more times than I can count.

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These were my first thoughts when I was partway through, and they are even more true now as I reach the end.

This book is a masterpiece.

If you're nervous about returning to the Shades of Magic world, if you're scared it won't be as good as it once was: don't be. This is everything I could have dared hope for, and more.

I can't wait for the everyone to dive in.

(Shared to Netgalley as well but it won't link)

This book consumed me on every level. Quite possibly my favorite VE book. It was everything all at once, and everything I was hoping it would be. I have nothing but positive feelings towards this book and I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on this book.

Everything V. E. Schwab touches turns to gold, or in this case, magic as we return once more to the world of A Darker Shade of Magic. With enticing new characters and much welcomed old favourites, Schwab weaves yet another wondrous tale of love, power and everything in between.

This was an incredible continuation in the shades of magic series, and will stand out as its own as well. The familiar faces, as well as new ones, were exciting to read about and I can’t wait to see more of them as the series goes on. Schwabs writing has a way of burying deep in your mind and pulling you deeper and deeper into the story, and the same is true for this book

I'm a big fan of V.E. Schwab and of the Shades of Magic series. I loved this book, I liked that it included my favorite characters still, but also brought in new characters as well. The plot was entertaining and the story was fast paced. The writing was beautiful and the character development was great. I'm very excited to continue the series.

Ahhhhhhh. It was so great to return to this world and these characters (and meet the new ones!). I am overall very very happy about it, with just one qualm that I won't get into now because of spoilers, but will say has to do with Kell's arc so that hopefully I don't forget to talk about it later when the book comes out.

Still don't love the cover though.

The Fragile Threads of Power is a gripping and intricate novel that takes readers back to the world of A Darker Shade of Magic. Author V.E. Schwab masterfully weaves together a tapestry of old friends and new enemies in this high fantasy novel.

The story centers around Tes, a girl with a unique magical ability who comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds. The worlds are connected by the city of London, and each pulsates with fantastical power. However, as magic grew too fast, the worlds were forced to seal the doors between them. The few magicians who could still open the doors grew rare as time passed, and only three Antari are known in recent memory.

The plot is layered and complex, with multiple storylines that slowly converge. The rising rebellion in Red London threatens the balance of power and risks the entire kingdom. Meanwhile, a new Antari named Kosika has appeared in White London, taking the throne in Holland's absence, and her religious fervor has the potential to drown the city in blood. Schwab's characters are rich and complex, and readers will quickly become invested in their fates.

The Fragile Threads of Power is a fantastic addition to the world of A Darker Shade of Magic. Schwab's writing is masterful, and the story is both intricate and engaging. The novel is a must-read for fans of high fantasy, magic, and intricate plots. The book will also appeal to readers of historical fiction and science fiction fantasy.

This book stressed me out and gave me anxiety dreams, but it was perfection.
Welcome back to Red London, where no one can be trusted and even less people are safe.
I audibly gasped at the 50% mark and then once I was over my shock lived in doubt of people's intentions.
That is the thing with Schwab, you can't trust anyone even those you really desperately want to.
Fragile Threads of Power is setting the stage for the trilogy, a lot of new world building and character development but it was all so satisfying. Beautifully written, absolutely worth the wait. Ren may be my favourite new character. Although Vares is a pretty close second.

I'm SO happy there's more books in this series, I am going to EAT THEM UP.

I really really enjoyed TFTOP. This book was like coming home. A Darker Shade of Magic is one of my all-time favourite series, and getting to see all these characters that I love again felt SO nice. I also liked getting to meet other characters in this world. I can't stress how much I loved getting to revisit this world, so thank you to V.E. Schwab for writing this <3

I do feel like TFTOP has the same thing the first book of ADSOM does, where there isn't much plot and a lot of exposition. You can tell this is setting up a bigger trilogy because there was so much foundation here. That may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I thought it was really fun. I'm very much looking forward to seeing where the various threads (haha) lead in the next two books! Overall this was such a treat, but I do think reading ADSOM first is necessary to fully appreciate everything that happens in this book.

Thank you to TOR for the eARC, I am forever grateful!

The Fragile Threads of Power is the best Shades of Magic novel yet. It's a phenomenal continuation that puts all of Schwab's passion, craft, and love for this world on full display, and it made a miraculous wreckage of my heart. This is Schwab at the height of their powers, keeping us up to date with the original Shades of Magic cast and introducing us to the new Threads of Power crew, all the while weaving everything together into a thrilling, expertly plotted story that will appeal to old and new fans alike. I promise you—not one of you is ready for what's coming, and I can't wait for this novel to hit shelves this fall so the world can see what Schwab has accomplished!

(And while Schwab has done an excellent job ensuring that you don't need to read the Shades of Magic trilogy prior to reading this one, I will say that the emotional depth and impact will be much more satisfying if you have, and I would wholeheartedly recommend reading those first, to ensure that you get the richest experience possible from this one.)