The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab
Published by Titan Books
Age Group: Adult
Format: Fiction
Genres and Categories: Brown Characters, Gay Characters, Queer Characters, Magic Users, Pirate Characters, Royalty Characters, Physical Disabilities, Action, Adventure, Epic Fantasy, Elemental Magic, Multiversal Travel, Alternative Universe, London
Series: Threads of Power #1
My Rating:
Published on: 26th September 2023
Pages: 576
Disability Representation: Missing Eye
Buy this Book! Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Blackwells / Forbidden Planet / Bookshop.org US / Bookshop.org UK / Waterstones / BookBeat Audio
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The Sunday Times bestseller, launching a new trilogy in the Shades of Magic universe, an enchanting and thrilling epic fantasy from the international sensation, V. E. Schwab, perfect for fans of Samantha Shannon, Kerri Maniscalco, Leigh Bardugo and R. F. Kuang.

Seven years have passed since the doors between the worlds were sealed. Seven years since Kell, Lila and Holland stood against Osaron, a desperate battle that saved the worlds of Red, Grey and White London. Seven years since Kell's magic was shattered, and Holland lost his life.

Now Rhy Maresh rules Red London with his new family – his queen, Nadiya, their daughter Ren, and his consort, Alucard. But his city boils with conspiracy and rebellion, fuelled by rumours he is causing magic to fade from the word.

Now Kosika, a child Antari, sits on the throne of White London. The queen leads her people in new rituals of sacrifice and blood in devotion to the altar of Holland Vosijk, summoning vast power she may not be able to control.

Now Lila and Kell, living free on the waves, are charged by the captain of the Floating Market to retrieve an immensely powerful artefact, stolen by secretive forces.

Now Tes, a young woman with a knack for fixing broken things, is thrust into the affairs of Antari and kings, traitors and thieves. And only her unique powers can weave the threads of power together.

A triumphant return to the worlds of The Shades of Magic, The Fragile Threads of Power continues the stories of fan-favourite characters Kell, Lila, Rhy and Alucard, and introduces a new generation of magic, shadows and embers in the dark.

This book was provided for free by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

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I loved V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic series, and I promptly devoured the graphic novel series set in that universe. I’ve been waiting ever since for the next novel, and finally, The Fragile Threads of Power is here as V.E. Schwab returns to Red London. How does the first book in the new series compare? Keep reading to find out!

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 review, 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 woven 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 very early on, and I’m pretty sure I know who the identity of the third is. 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 flak 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, and you can check out my review for A Darker Shade of Magic here.

About V.E. Schwab

VICTORIA “V. E.” SCHWAB is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including the acclaimed Shades of Magic series, the Villains series, the Cassidy Blake series and the international bestseller The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Her work has received critical acclaim, translated into over two dozen languages, and optioned for television and film. First Kill – a YA vampire series based on Schwab’s short story of the same name – is currently in the works at Netflix with Emma Roberts’ Belletrist Productions producing. When she’s not haunting Paris streets or trudging up English hillsides, she lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is usually tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up monsters

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Thanks for reading my review of The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab, the first book in the Threads of Power series. It is due out on September 26th 2023, and is available for pre-order from any of the links in this review.

Are you excited to return to Red London?

Don’t forget to check out the rest of my reviews if you’re looking for some more book recommendations 🙂 You can also now sign up for my newsletter to get an email each month with a list of my new reviews!

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