as a huge fan of shades of magic, and ve schwab in general, i was very excited for this book - and rightfully so! the fragile threads of power is a fantastic reintroduction to the four londons, and brings back some beloved characters whilst also introducing some amazing new faces. i did wonder if continuing lila, kell, rhy and alucard’s stories after shades of magic would feel forced, but actually their presence in this series feels like a natural continuation. whilst lila and rhy seem much more established, kell and alucard’s plotlines are questions from the end of shades of magic answered (or at least are beginning to be re-explored) and show that the “happily ever after” will always come at a cost. the introduction of tes in particular was so much fun, she’s a really well-written, interesting character who slots in with what we already know and love, but brings a fresh new perspective on the roles, magic and politics of red london. kosika’s white london storyline was slightly less interesting to me here, but i can appreciate that much of what this book is doing is setting up for a great big clash of characters and storylines later on. and the reemergence of THAT former white london inhabitant was very, very fun. ve schwab is very much on form here in terms of her usual writing style - she takes the time to explain the background of what’s going on without it ever being too slow, and takes time to focus on the characters and their thoughts/feelings without sacrificing the pace of the plot. overall, a very solid start to the series, and i’m so happy to have our favourite red london squad back!!

I'm so happy I got to read this early, especially since I just received an email saying my preorder is delayed. I didn't know what to expect from this, mainly because to me, ADSOM very much felt like it wrapped up nicely. But it was so good to be back in this world. This book had an amazing balance between introducing interesting new characters (whom I loved!), and giving us time to catch up with beloved ADSOM characters.

I'm just not completely sure this book needed to be THIS long. It's very much setting up the story for future installments, so it doesn't always feel like a lot is happening, and it didn't always feel cohesive between the different perspectives.

I am very intrigued to read the upcoming sequels, although I'm hoping they'll be a little more action-packed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Titan books for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was my most anticipated read of the year so far, and it did not disappoint. It is always a risk to return to a perfectly well rounded story; and VE Schwab has excelled with elegance, charm, and wonder.

The Fragile Threads of Power picks up seven years after we last met our core characters - Lila, Kel, Rhy and Alucard. We also meet some new characters along the way, who all blend seamlessly into the story and only add to its creative richness. The plotting, the suspense, the world building and the characters story are engaging, magical and masterfully told.

It truly was a joy to read this story. I laughed out loud, rooted for the characters (forever a Delilah loyalist), prayed for their safe return. VE Schwab is one of the most talented authors I have the pleasure of reading; and this book is a gift to the world.

V.E. Schwab's latest installment in the Shades of Magic series is a is a wonderful return to a magical world filled with shocking twists and turns. Though it starts slow, it builds toward a thrilling plot twist that leaves me desperate for the next book.
Schwab's writing as always is beautiful and if you're a fan of her previous work you're sure to love this as well

Calling all Shades fans! This is just what the doctor ordered following on from Conjuring.

Now there is a lot of talk about how thicc she is and there is a good reason for that; this is both a future follow on from the original Shade trilogy AND an intro to a whole new cast of characters.

Pace wise I'd put this on par with Gathering. If you're following directly on from a reread of the original three, some of the info recall might feel a little slow in the beginning but it's hugely appreciated if its been a while since your first read.

I can guarantee you'll want a reread of Shades afterwards, this world, these characters, there is so much to learn about them, so many Easter eggs amongst their counterparts povs, which makes this series and verse one of the best fantasies out there.

I don't want to put any spoilers out there as its prerelease, just preorder it, and come thank me later for this most excellent life choice!

Full discussion review to come after release; thanks for NetGalley and Titan for the eARC.

An interesting plot, with engaging writing style and very gray, multi-faceted characters that made The fragile threads of power a quick and an easy read. Can’t wait for more!

I am a massive fan of VE Schwab, so was so excited to receive an arc of probably my most anticipated book this year. It was fant to be back with some of my favourite characters ever, o and now some new characters that will probably join them as firm favourites although I would have liked a bit more time with them but I’m greedy ! The story is wonderful, not that I expected less, I’m hoping for more from White London in the next book, but as ever Schwab weaves, twists and turns and by the end of the book my jaw is on the floor. Loved it, here for more and now crying as I need more

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The time has come for me to review my most anticipated book of the year (probably the decade, if I am being honest) and I want to start by saying that this book was everything that I wanted it to be and so, so much more.

The Fragile Threads of Power is the return to the world of Shades of Magic that feels like slipping into your own bed after you have been away from home for a while, it is the feeling of comfort and home. Whilst this book is a continuation of a series, it is written in such a way that those unfamiliar with the world and the previous events could easily slip in and feel as though they are not having to play catch-up for a moment.

This book have been excellently crafted weaving together old and new characters as the tension and intrigue mounts throughout. Schwab does a very careful and thorough job at laying all of the pieces of the kol-kot board that by the end of the book, your jaw will be on the floor. There are a lot of interesting pieces laid onto the board and my mind is so full of all manner of theories about what is still to come in the series and it is just so delicious.

In classic Schwab fashion, there are so, so, so many incredible lines but a couple of favourites are "There is nowhere you go that I cannot follow" and "You see why I must leave you? There is so much love up there." which honestly brought me tears when I read them.

The familiar characters have been delicately tailored so that they still feel like the same people at their core but they also most definitely have grown in the years that have passed since we last saw them. There are many moments peppered throughout the book that show the way dynamics have shifted and they just feel so true to how you would expect after the passage of time. Also, the way that one particular dynamic is handled... well, it is just utterly chef's kiss!

I am very much looking forward to the rest of this trilogy when it comes out but for now I know that I have a fantastic story to return to again and again!

This is a slow book, but for anyone who is familiar with Schwab*s writing this is not a surprise. And she makes it work. Every sentence is a piece of art, infinitely enjoyable.

There are a lot of characters, timelines, and plots, but they are woven together so that they make sense, forming a picture piece by piece. I truly believe that Ve Schwab is one of the greatest writers of our time. She knows what she is doing and it shows in the pages. The characters feel so alive, there is drama and action and sadness and best of all, humor too. I appreciate all the female characters, each one unique and strong, but also vulnerable and scared but brave despite it.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Titan books for an eArc copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of this year, and I can thankfully say it lived up to everything I was hoping from this. V.E Schwab is a genius and I have loved everything I have ever read from them and would highly recommend!

It was beautifully written and drew me back into the world I already know and love. I loved the mix of the new and the old characters, and was so glad to see some of my old favourites (I’m looking at you Lila) as well as introducing some of my new favs (obviously Tes). I’m hoping we get to see a little more of White London in the next book though, as I can’t wait to see where the author takes this part of the story!

The suspense and pacing was so well done, I did not want to put this down. The only reason it took so long to read it was due to me going on holiday and forgetting my kindle charger!!

The only criticism that I personally found was that it was just a bit slow to get to the point of the story, it felt a bit slow at the beginning and then a rush towards the end. However, I can see how this is building up for the next novel in the series so might have needed to start a little slow to build us back into the universe. Also the plot twist at the end was entirely unexpected from me and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next part of this series!!

I love this universe, this author and this series and cannot wait to see what happens in the rest of the books!

I read the Darker Shades of Magic trilogy very recently so was excited that the Fragile Threads of Power would allow me to remain in that world with the characters I’d become so attached to.

V. E. Schwab has a beautiful writing style where you know that she has considered every word, and this is something I really appreciate in all of her books.

I loved following the main characters from ADSOM again, but the real highlight for this book was the new characters we were introduced to. I don’t want to say too much and spoil any of the story but I felt that Kosika, Tes, Nadiya and Ren added so much to the complexity of the story and I really enjoyed everything they brought to it. The relationships between the characters are wonderfully written and have a lot of depth. Particularly the Rhy/Alucard/Nadiya dynamic which I know some people were concerned about but I though was handled very sensitively and felt very believable.

When you read a companion book to a much loved series there is always a slight concern that you might not have quite the same emotional attachment as the books you loved previously, but I actually found The Fragile Threads of Power made me even more emotionally invested. In fact I cried several times while reading it.

The twists and turns of the plot really kept me guessing and I’m so invested in where the story of this series is going. I’m so happy we get to spend more time with Lila and Kell but the story has become about so much more.

One final note - if someone can make you care about an owl skeleton reanimated by magic, you know that there is something truly magical about their writing.

V.E. Schwab has made a triumphant return to the Darker Shades world giving us a Chance to revisit Old favourite characters & meet new ones. I can't wait to see where this goes in future books & especially look forward to seeing what's in Store for Tes.

In the long awaited return to the Shades of Magic universe, V.E. Schwab whisks us back to Red London and White London in The Fragile Threads of Power. Seven years have passed, and a lot has changed. This is a spoiler free, so I will keep quiet about exactly what has happened, but I’m sure other reviews will include details for those who do want to know. What I do want to mention is the way that Schwab interweaves past and present events.

At first, it might seem as though you’ve missed something, and you’d be right; Schwab just hasn’t got to the point where she’s going to fill the reader in yet. Some readers may feel a bit disoriented as the narration dips from present to past, and back again, but personally I enjoyed the way that Schwab chose to reveal what has happened over the last seven years. It was much more interesting than having a large information dump at the beginning.

As Schwab tells tales of new characters their fates become inevitably weaved with the characters we all know and love. The aptly named The Fragile Threads of Power, pulls on threads left behind from the original Shades of Magic trilogy and wraps them up with the new. Will they all be answered and wrapped up in this book? You’ll just need to read it to find out – and remember this is only book one in a new trilogy.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed The Fragile Threads of Power, although personally I didn’t feel it was quite up to the level of intrigue of the original books. I had worked out the identity of two of the bad guys were very early on, and I’m pretty sure I know who the identity of the third. Either Schwab has lost her touch, which I doubt, or the transparency of the identities was intentional which means there is much more to come!

There was a lot to get through in this book, and she did a great job balancing the catch-up of seven years while keeping the story firmly in the present. I can see the new characters becoming firm favourites. I think one of them is going to get a lot of flack from readers for being very work oriented and seeing things differently. To me, they read as autistic coded, and I’m interested in seeing more of them. I don’t think they’re a bad person, they just see the world differently and don’t realise the way others will use their work.

In short, The Fragile Threads of Power is a must-read if you enjoyed the Shades of Magic series. If you’re new to this universe you definitely want to start with the Shades of Magic series though as you won’t understand a lot of what is going on. It starts with A Darker Shade of Magic.

Oh my god this is so GOOD!! I love Tes and the new characters that have been introduced, and I loooove coming back to our faves after so long. I can’t wait to see what happens next. It feels exactly the same as the first trilogy, but V E Schwab has just gotten even better at writing. Love that this was 600 pages too, more story thank you!!!!!

How often do we get to return to our favourite worlds, still filled with our favourite characters. How often do we get a look into the 'after.' What happens after the big climactic battle, when all the drama dies down and our characters start living their lives for real. How often do we get to see characters dealing with the trauma from their battles, see them deal with scars both physical and mental. And how often do we get to do that whilst also getting introduced to new characters, characters that you will inevitably fall in love with. For me, this was definitely a first, and the nostalgia and just warmth I felt when reading this book was amazing. Schwab effortlessly drops us back into her world, seven years after the events of the previous series, and I can't tell you how much I adored being able to catch up with my faves and be introduced to some new ones.

The Fragile Threads of Power was a slow burner of a story because Schwab used the first 33-50% of the story to catch us up on what we'd missed, as well as allowing new readers an insight into the events of the previous series. We find Kell and Lila still at sea. Lila now the Captain, and Kell still struggling with his Antari powers after the battle with Osarin. Rhy on the throne and Alucard still beside him, though there are a few additions to their family. And Holland, dead seven years ago after returning to White London where a child now sits on the throne. Schwab does a brilliant job of introducing new readers to these characters without making those who've read the previous series feel like they were just getting re-told information. I loved seeing characters that I loved later on in life, seeing them dealing with the aftermath of Osarin, the trauma and the pain, but also seeing how they have carved new lives for themselves, allowed themselves to move on and try to live their lives.

As well as the original crew, Schwab deftly entwines two other main POV characters, both of whom intrigued me and played large parts in the overall plot. Tes, a young woman with a knack for fixing broken things, finds her unique powers forcing her into a battle between rebels and the crown, something she did not sign on for at all.Kosika took the throne in White London when Holland was found dead, a child Queen, though she is young she has helped bring magic back to her Kingdom, slowly but surely. Both of these characters are young, teenagers, both come from strained and broken backgrounds, and both have powers that are rare and coveted where they are from. Schwab does a great job of merging these two POV's with those from the previous series, allowing them to deftly slip into the plot until they are endlessly entwined.

As with any Schwab book her writing style brings a flow ensuring you end up flying through the pages. It's descriptive, without being OTT and just effortlessly drags you into the story. The start was a little slow, but Schwab took this time to introduce us to our characters and main players so it never slowed the story down in anyway, especially because she writes characters that you can't help but feel intrigued by. Good or bad, her characters have a pull, and they are all brilliantly flawed, from self sacrificing Kell and Rhy, to Lila who still can't allow herself to stop moving, or feel safe. Schwab's characters are always one of her main strengths and, with the introduction of two new main POV's, it's easy to let yourselves get swept into their stories without realising that it's not adding that much to the overall plot.

Once the story picks up, and boy does it, it moves at a breakneck pace filled with twists and turns, ensuring we are never sure who we can trust. This was definitely a 'build up' book, because for so long we didn't really know where the story was going, we knew it was building to something, but Schwab keeps what exactly pretty close to the vest until the last few chapters. But we don't mind, in fact we don't notice, or at least I didn't because I was spending so much time just enjoying being back with my faves. Seeing Kell and Alucard hound each other, Rhy and Alucard building a family, Kell and Lila building... something (yes, they're still not ready to put a label on it... and by 'them' I mean Lila.) It's the perfect book, one that fans of the original series will adore, and one that is bound to bring brand new fans to the series for the first time. It's nostalgia in book form, but with a building tension because you know something is coming, and it's going to be something bad, and after reading the ending I am desperate to get my hands on the next book.

As a massive fan of the original trilogy, I was very excited to receive an arc of this book! It was nice to see old favourites again, and some new characters, although part of me wishes that there was more of a focus on the new characters rather than the old as they felt like their stories concluded pretty well in the last trilogy. I also felt that the timeskip was a little unnecessary as not much had changed, apart from the queen, and Ren, being introduced. The story itself was very entertaining, with the storylines of several characters eventually weaving together, and showing the change in magic across all the Londons, setting it up for the rest of the story. It was also good to see how the relationship between Rhy, the queen and Alucard formed and was perceived by others, and I was glad to see an easy solution to an often-had question in fantasy, does the character follow their heart, or their duty; this solution allowed for both!

The book felt like a good starter to a new trilogy, with Kosika’s story not linking to the others at all,, while also having a solid story of its own. This feels like much more solid writing than the original trilogy and you can clearly see how much Schwab as improved in her writing. I'm excited to see where the story goes next!

This book was EVERYTHING. reentering this world felt like a warm hug and I already miss them all. The fact it’s not the end makes me so so happy!!! I am so desperate for book two!

It's been a few years since I've last been in this world and I hadn't ever expected to be able to return to these characters after the end of The Gathering of Shadows.

I think straight off the bat the time jump from the end of the first trilogy to the start of The Fragile Threads of Power felt unnecessary as it didn't feel like any of the characters we already knew had grown or changed much other than I felt Kell as a whole was a much quieter reserved character in order to bring Lila more to the front and as I discovered in this book , she's not particulary a character I love.

This all sounds negative so far but I highly enjoyed all of the new characters and the shifts in perspectives and Londons and felt it was a lot fresher and fleshed out than going back to the original story . I think this very much felt like an opening and while things did wrap up there is definitely room for more and I do think I'll continue on with this series but I am hoping it feels a little more cohesive than this did overall for me .

I will preface this review by saying that I am an unashamedly huge fan of the original Shades of Magic series and thus went into The Fragile Threads of Power with a perfect blend of excitement and trepidation. I'm delighted to say that this book captures exactly the same energy of the original series while bringing in new threats and characters for readers to enjoy (or to dislike but in a 'will they be redeemed' kind of way - we all remember Holland).
I was surprised that VE Schwab decided to continue on with Rhy, Kel, Lila, and Alucard as POV characters around a decade or less after the end of the previous trilogy. I will confess it did take a moment to adjust to where they were at this point, I think because, after the ending of the last book, I had confidently head cannoned that everything would be fine for everyone and now I was forced to confront that it *really* wasn't and there was still work to do. I swiftly got on board with that idea, however, and it was just nice to be back with these characters.
In terms of our new perspectives, I am utterly intrigued by Kosika and I'm so excited to see where her story goes since it felt so separate from the main narrative. As for Tess - I am obsessed. I love a tinkerer and a scrappy young lady and Tess fits the bill perfectly. She even has a dead owl companion?! It's like she was written with me in mind.
In terms of plot I was engaged throughout, finding it great to see new threats to our characters. I will say that this definitely has the feel of the first book in a new arc and I am utterly certain that we haven't yet really met our big bad. But much like the original series VE Schwab gives us a satisfying arc while leaving threads trailing off into future stories - very appropriate metaphor there.
For those wanting to read this book I would only start if you have already read the original trilogy as there will be spoilers otherwise, but once you've got that done you'll have no problem leaping into this action-packed emotional story. I cannot wait for part two. No really who do I need to bribe?
I receieved a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley - all opinions are my own.

The Fragile Threads of Power is V.E. Schwab’s glorious return to the Shades of Magic series and the four Londons!

Kell, Lila, Rhy, and Alucard, return as key protagonists in Red London and are joined by new and intriguing characters including Tes and her little friend, Vares. Other new characters in pude the new queen of Red London, a new priest and confidant for the king, Rhy, and the adorable Ren, who will enchant you.

In White London there is a new child queen, Kosika, who has taken the throne after the demise of Holland. She rules in his shadow, earnestly trying to restore White London to its previous glory.

Whilst the four Londons are still present in similar forms to how they were when we previously visited, the characters have changed. It has been seven years, during which time they have been living with the consequences of their actions and choices, with some making more progress than others.

Of course this new instalment brings new adventures and challenges for these beloved characters, including a dire threat to the royal family of Red London, and some significant changes to magic in the Shades of Magic world.

I was totally drawn straight back into Schwab’s world and found the multiple POVs to be a wonderful way to bring the worlds to life, particularly from the characters’ retrospective views of past events.

Can I have the next book now please?

Enormous thanks to Titan Books and Netgalley for the arc of The Threads of Magic by V.E. Schwab in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.