Another amazing book in my favorite series! There was something really cozy and wonderful about settling right back into the world of the 4 Londons. I kept getting emotional at just the mention of people and places that were familiar. Not to mention, I love the setup for the chess matches that are the plot to come. Everyone who loved the original trilogy should go read this now!!

Also, what the hell am I supposed to do before the next book?!

I am in awe--V.E. Schwab has an incredibly unique way with words. She captivates and moves you with one-of-a-kind characters and a storyline that you can't look away from. This was truly a phenomenal continuation of the Shades of Magic series.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. I was worried that this would be a useless spinoff that unraveled the work done in the original series. That was not the case. This book added so much to this world and to the characters. I was never bored of any characters point of view and looked forward to every chapter. I loved the character interactions and Tess was a joy to meet.
It was interesting to see how the dynamics between the characters have both stayed the same yet changed as they have in the 7 year gap. The way V.E. Schwab wrote the time jumps for each character was brilliant and I found it enhanced my reading experience.
I haven't read the original series in a few years, but V.E. Schwab did an incredible job at making sure nothing was too confusing and reintroducing necessary information. I am so excited for the future installments of this series!

A triumphant return to the world of Shades of Magic. It's unreal how good this book is. Schwab is clearly a more mature writer than she was when she wrote the original trilogy. The structure and pacing of this magical story was perfect, and I was so invested in seeing where our characters went after the events in A Conjuring of Light. 10/10.

I fell in love with Schwab's writing and worldbuilding ability years ago with her "Shades of Magic" trilogy, and couldn't have been more thrilled to see a continuation of the stories of Kell, Lila, Alucard, and Rhy; in absolutely no way does "The Fragile Threads of Power" disappoint. It is as intricately-plotted as the titular threads of power are entwined, with the return of beloved, familiar characters, and the introduction of new ones. There aren't enough positive words to thoroughly express how much I loved this page-turner, or how much I'm looking forward to a second book.

Many thank to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I requested this without realizing that you really need to read the Shades of Magic trilogy before starting this. I made it through book one of the trilogy but I lost interest in continuing. I tried to start this to see if someone could pick it up without the background, but it was too confusing. Read the trilogy before this!

Schwab masterfully expanded her layered and complex world of the ever-shifting Londons with their bewitching magic, hidden discoveries, and alluring power in this immersive new chapter in the Shades of Magic series. It felt so much like coming home, seeing these beautifully written characters back on an adventure once again—along with a couple of new fresh faces.

Her care and well-thought-out plans for each storyline were meticulously crafted and placed with precision, creating a truly incredible reading experience. I can’t WAIT to see what’s going to happen next and what she has in store for us ahead!

*Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Lila Bard is my all-time favorite fictional character. Bad a*s pirate captain brimming with magic, whose tongue is as sharp as the knives she wields. If you’ve read the ADSOM books, you know 🖤. I was so happy to be back in this world with so many old friends and new faces too!
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Four worlds are connected by one magical city: London. The worlds are sealed off from each other, and only the rare Antari possess enough magic to open the doors between worlds. But now a magical device has been stolen that could wreak havoc on all four worlds. Tes, a young tinkerer with a rare ability, acquires the device. Will she be able to keep it out of the wrong hands? Or will dangerous forces acquire it and unravel everything?
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This is a very brief summary to avoid spoilers. If you’ve read Addie LaRue or any of Schwab’s other books, you know she’s a master wordsmith, and her craft is unparalleled. Her words take my breath away, and she always leaves me with the biggest book hangovers. This one’s long, but so worth it!
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While reading the ADSOM books will give you backstory, it’s not necessary to enjoy this first book in a new series.
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Thank you @torbooks for this gifted finished copy!
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The Fragile Threads of Power - V.E. Schwab
4.5/5⭐️
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“And the next time you even *think* of creating something like those chains, I will turn you to stone and use your lifeless statue as a coatrack.”
- Lila Bard 🖤

This book was one of my most anticipated reads of the entire year. I was not disappointed. Everything about it was utter perfection. I was so happy to be able to be thrown back into the world of all the Londons with my most beloved characters. I cannot wait for everyone to read it. It was perfect.

★ 4.5 / 5

The Shades of Magic trilogy was my first step into adult fantasy, so it holds a very special place in my heart. Kell, Lila, Alucard, Rhy—all of them—mean so much to me. I was excited but also nervous about this new trilogy because I had no idea where next V would go with this world. Well, I can happily and thankfully say that it was amazing. V has grown so much as a writer since 2017 when A Conjuring of Light released, and you can totally tell the difference.

The Londons have grown well beyond their royal settings, and I particularly enjoyed the fact that The Fragile Threads of Power showed the everyday lives of citizens within the Londons as well as beyond their borders. It added a greater depth to the previous books, which mostly revolved around the palaces, tavern, ship, etc. Also, the shift in magic between the Londons was fascinating. It's a big reason why the terrorist group the Hand exists because magic in Red London has drained significantly within the last decade. People blame Rhy's powerlessness as a reason why their world is draining itself of magic, but we know it's more complex than that. The influx of magic to White London being a notable reason why magic is draining from the Red London. They're closer to Black London than Red, so of course, they would start taking power back. This plot point is intensified particularly when later on the threads separating these worlds are broken and cracks appear between them. I'm so excited to see what Kosika does with Holland's tutelage to shred the barriers of the worlds and bring magic fully back to Black London and the rest.

Back to the original trilogy's characters. Kell is definitely the biggest change in personality. His trauma with his magic has made him a shell of his former self. Every time he tries to wield his Antari magic, he is wracked with excruciating pain—pain that will lead him to an inability to function when pushed to his breaking point. He's been traveling the seas on Lila's boat since the end of A Conjuring of Magic, and Lila has grown marvelously into her magic. Albeit—she witnesses firsthand the pain Kell puts himself through. Her growth is more minimal in this new trilogy. She's still the same Lila Bard, but her love and worries for Kell, her whole found family technically, makes Lila less isolated. She's not the lone thief anymore bur rather a member of a family that desperately wants to protect themself. Lastly, Rhy and Alucard. Still my OTP from this entire world. Rhy is trying to run a country that increasingly tries to assassinate him, and Alucard is stressed stopping all of those attempted assassinations. Rhy and Alucard certainly create a unique family dynamic with Nadiya, the queen, and Ren, the princess and heir. Nadiya's pursuit for knowledge in her inventions to protect her family is one of the smaller details that fascinated me. Her invention to steal magic from someone else leads Lila to be the recipient, a reality that seemingly transported me as a reader back to A Darker Shade of Magic where Lila did not know of her abilities. Basically, every part of these character dynamics made me fangirl.

Veering back to Alucard, he definitely holds the spotlight of this book for me besides Tes and Kosika. We get a deeper look into his character and history of his life. He was the least explored of the original characters in the former trilogy, so it feels fitting to truly get a decent amount of POV time with him. I keep forgetting that he has a version of Thread power. He can see them only, not influence them at all. I was not able to reread A Conjuring of Light before this release, only the first two books, so I did not remember Berras and Alucard. It took me reading a summary to remember their interaction, but seeing them duel it out at the end of Fragile Threads was QUITE nerve wracking. Also, Berras stealing Lila's powers just wasn't a great thing to read anyway, so I was gripping my phone so hard I thought it might break in half. Alucard's interactions with Nadiya also are horrifying. When he lost his own powers in Nadiya's invention test run, I was aghast that she'd have the nerve to do that. In many ways, Alucard and Kell were very similar in this book due to their level of broke-ness after Osaron. While they tease and snap at the other, I hope somewhere down the line of these books we can find a moment of true bonding—probably too much to ask for haha.

Now the biggest surprise was Holland making a return during Kosika's POV. She's the new child queen of White London, an Antari too, and her devotion to her London is unmatched. She's willing to bleed for it and sacrifice herself in the process. Holland's growth in his death as a ghost was fascinating. I was torn at first if he was actually Holland or not. A part of me still thought Osaron could've contaminated his soul/ghost, but it appears to be him, for now haha. But Holland's not the quiet, resolute man of before, and his anger seemingly bled out from him after perishing. I nearly teared up at the start of this book when we saw Kosika find his dead body after Kell and Lila left him in White London. The flower blooming next to his body was a twisted sort of perfection. He's only ever wanted White London to prosper, and we see the start of that in his death and Kosika's magical. Of all the POVs, I'm most excited for Kosika's in the next book because she and Holland are going to tear the walls down between worlds, and I'm HYPED for what'll happen then. They are the most isolated of the POVs, so we'll see if that continues in the sequel. Kell, Lila, and even Tes may have some thoughts on the matter of tearing down the walls.

Also, I totally guessed Tieran's successor as the woman leader of the Hand. It just was so easy to catch, and I was not surprised that she killed Alucard's brother to keep him quiet. I have a feeling the Hand will still be the main antagonist of the second book in this trilogy, and the barriers breaking will be the big event of the finale.

Overall, this book certainly took me forever to finish, nearly a month, but it was phenomenal. I didn't want it to end, and I'm sad that it'll be probably two years before the sequel releases. Who knows what trouble they'll fall into next.

Thank you Tor Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an eARC for review!

The moment I opened to the first page, I felt that warm embrace. It was like a hug with a cozy blanket and a mug of hot tea on a cold winter day. It was feeling nostalgic about friends past and reuniting with them years later.

I cannot get enough of this world and the characters living in it! We also met some new and very interesting characters. I am intrigued to learn more about them and see where their stories lead! It is amazing how we can already know so much about this particular Magic system, but without disrupting it, we are taught new things and find there is always something new to learn. You may think you know it all, but you don’t.

The story itself, weaved with such elegance and precision, kept me wanting to turn to the next page, the next chapter. Schwab is a mastermind and I will devour anything they write. Highly recommend to all lovers of Magic, loyal friendships and adventure.

I did not realize the story is set in a pre-existing world that has been introduced in previous books, i was able to read this without having read them. I was very much into this wonderful dark twisted story! I cannot wait to read more and go back and read the beginning.

What a triumphant return to the world of A Darker Shade of Magic. I'm already in love with these new characters, and the expansiveness of the world and plot never fail to amaze me. I can't wait for the next installment!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this ARC. I was so overjoyed to hear that Schwab was returning to the world of A Darker Shade of Magic because it's one of my favorite fantasy settings I've ever read. I was especially excited to hear that Lila Bard - one of my all-time favorite characters - would be returning. And it was everything I was hoping for and more - the suspense, the world-building, the new characters, and the old ones - all of it was just fantastic! I can't wait for the next one!

Did not like it as much as the Invisible Life of Addie Larue. I think I may just not be a big V.E. Schwab fan because I have seen a lot of good feedback for this book.

I love VE Schwab, this world she's created, and everything about this trip back to London. The old characters mixed with the new, the unique magic system, and Schwab's signature prose made this one of my favorite reads of the year. I missed Kell and Lila and Rhy and Luc so freaking much, and seeing them again made my heart absolutely soar.

I loved this book! I read the Darker Shades of Magic series right before so I could read this arc and was happy to continue to be in the different Londons. I loved seeing these characters again and being introduced to some new great characters as well. I love the way VE Schwab writes and was fully immersed in the story. Such a great series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

This book is not to be missed if you read and enjoyed the Shades of Magic trilogy. Diving into this book is just like diving back into a world you were reluxtant to leave in the first place.

Schwab does a masterful job at weaving a story that tackles the previous stories while also keeping this one fresh. I will say that it is likely in your best interest to read the Shades of Magic before taking this one on just to get an idea of how the story would play out. But regardless, another excellent story from.V. E. Schwab.

SO SO GOOD! Opening up this book felt, in a way, like walking into a childhood friend’s home- known and loved and familiar, but new again. This book had a new line of suspense to it, and I remained convinced that (redacted) was actually (redacted), but I suppose we'll still have to see in the next one!! Seeing our favorite kids again (I literally cried when we saw Lila's chapter) was such a gift and I'm so excited we have new books in this universe!