Like putting on an old favorite pair of fuzzy socks you thought you’d lost.

V. E. Schwab’s newest addition to her formidable oeuvre delighted me. The Fragile Threads of Power is a follow-on of her wildly successful Shades of Magic series that follows the four Londons seven years after Lila, Kell, and Rhy save Red London from the encroaching terrors of Black London. Now, seemingly, the Londons have gained a new balance and the trio’s biggest problems are healing from the trauma of an inter-dimensional war and interstate politics. They are, however, about to be thrown back into a cauldron of turmoil.

The mix of new characters interspersed with familiar favorites keeps the narrative from feeling stale. The characters we know from the original trilogy still have immense growth ahead of them (processing all that trauma – if you know, you know) and it never feels like they or Schwab are coasting on previous books. The two main additions are Kosika, the young new queen of White London, and Tes, a shopkeeper who fixes magical items. They both have a rich backstory that we have hints about in this book and will [presumably] be explored as the series continues.

“The threads of power shone so bright that no place in the world was ever truly dark.”

I was sad to see this book did not perform as well as I had hoped, but for those of us who love the original trilogy, this book brought back the world-building we already love with a new threat to the balance of power. The origins of the new threat are different to that of the first trilogy, but the origins of the political movements that oppose the Maresh dynasty in Red London can be traced back to the internal politics during Shades of Magic, giving continuity to the fantasy world’s politics. I am also impressed that the inter- and intra-state politics feel so real and relatable to me – I have a degree in international relations and often feel that fictional politics, especially in fantasy, should be fleshed out more.

I won’t elaborate further for spoiler purposes, but I am ready to be emotionally toyed with and devastated again. Book 2 isn’t out until 2025.

The Fragile Threads of Power" by V.E. Schwab is an absolute gem in the realm of fantasy literature. Schwab's masterful storytelling weaves a tapestry of intrigue, magic, and unforgettable characters that will keep you utterly captivated from start to finish.

One of the most striking aspects of this novel is Schwab's ability to create a rich and immersive world. From the intricate political machinations to the vibrant magical elements, every detail feels meticulously crafted, drawing readers into a world that feels both familiar and wholly unique.

But it's not just the world-building that shines in "The Fragile Threads of Power." The characters are truly the heart of the story. Schwab has a gift for creating complex and multifaceted characters that leap off the page, each with their own motivations, flaws, and inner conflicts. Whether it's the cunning protagonist navigating the treacherous waters of court intrigue or the enigmatic mage with a mysterious past, every character feels fully realized and utterly compelling.

Beyond its immersive world and captivating characters, "The Fragile Threads of Power" also delivers a riveting plot that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. With twists and turns aplenty, Schwab keeps the tension high and the stakes even higher, ensuring that you won't be able to put the book down until you've reached the breathtaking conclusion.

In short, "The Fragile Threads of Power" is a must-read for any fantasy fan. With its lush world-building, unforgettable characters, and gripping plot, it's a book that will linger in your mind long after you've turned the final page. I love returning to this universe after the Shades of Magic trilogy. Oh I've missed so much Kell, Lila, Rhy and Alucard ! Thank you, Victoria.

Rhy sits on the throne of Red London with his queen and his consort at his sides, Kel and Lila sail the seas, a child queen sits on the throne of White London, and a powerful object capable of unimaginable destruction falls into the hands of a young runaway with a rare power to manipulate the threads of magic.
I went into this cautiously optimistic as the Shades of Magic trilogy is one of my all time favourite fantasy series and its characters are very dear to me, but this honestly exceeded my expectations. It wasn’t a gratuitous continuation of this series for no other reason than just to continue it, it had real substance.
Schwab does such justice to the characters of the original trilogy while also managing to introduce and make integral to the narrative a number of new characters - a tricky balance but it really pays off.
Returning to this world and its characters years after the ending of Conjuring of Light was honestly a wonderful experience. The characters have matured and settled into their lives in the aftermath of the events of the Shades trilogy, and Schwab weaves in little glimpses of the interim years to see how they’ve come to be where they are now. All of their interactions with each other had me absolutely enthralled, I was savouring each and every fleeting glance and word.
The expansion on the magic system in this book was expertly handled. I came into this fresh off a reread of the original trilogy, so seeing the little hints there at the potential for more, beyond our characters abilities, knowing it was going to be explored here was really satisfying.
Which brings me to Tes, the young runaway with the ability to manipulate the threads of power of this world. The sequences where she uses her abilities to construct and deconstruct magical objects were so vivid and enjoyable to read. I thoroughly enjoyed her character and am very excited to see what her powers and personality are going to bring to this new trilogy.
Overall, what really shone for me in this story is that it is so clearly a labour of love. Schwab’s love for these characters and this world is so apparent in every single detail, which makes reading it just an absolute joy.
A worthy instalment to an already incredible fantasy world, and I’m already impatient for the next.
Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books for my e-arc of this title, received in exchange for an honest review.

V. E. Schwab never misses. Haven't yet read a book by her that did not became one of my all time favourites. Again, highly recommend.

Seven years after the Shades of Magic trilogy finale, we return to Red, White, Grey and Black London.⁠
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In Red London, the reign of Rhy Maresh is threatened by the elusive organisation called the Hand, which is concerned with the vanishing of magic, which they blame on Rhy’s lack of magical talent. At the same time, a young girl with incredible abilities gets into possession of a device that can alter the fate of the worlds.⁠
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Meanwhile, in White London, a new queen rises, willing to bleed to restore her city…⁠
Reading The Fragile Threads of Power was a fantastic opportunity to revisit one of my favourite fictional worlds. VE Schwab left a door open in the Shades of Magic series, allowing a smooth transition into this new trilogy. I loved finding out what happened to the characters after the finale of A Conjuring of Magic. The novel also adds some fascinating new characters and an exciting storyline. It is filled with action and magic. Despite many retrospectives and introductory information necessary in the first part of the series, the pacing was perfect. ⁠
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I cannot wait for the second book in this series.

I love VE Schwab, and I love this series of books, so had been looking forward to reading this. It did not disappoint. Loved it. Very well written

Absolutely loved this! A super exciting continuation of The Darker Shade of Magic series - I'm so excited to see all the characters again. This is a fantastic start to the next few books and I'm excited to see what happens next - so many cliff hangers! What's going to happen?

I'm grateful to Titan Books for letting me have an advance e-copy of The Fragile Threads of Power via Netgalley to consider for review.

I was glad to see Schwab return to Grey, Red, White and (shudders) even Black London, the variously magic (or not) settings for her magnificent Darker Shades of Magic trilogy.

Glad - More Lila! More Kell! - but also slightly apprehensive because, and we've all seen them of course, I didn't want this to be another example a of writer returning to familiar ground when they should have left alone and done something new instead.

I needn't have worried. Schwab is canny enough to not simply repeat what worked so well before, and bolsters the book with new characters who intrigue the reader while the central quad - Lila, Kell, Ray and Alucard - settle down, as it were, and focus. Those familiar with that group will though recall that they're a pretty awkward, intractable lot who aren't going to behave and pay attention at the snap of the author's fingers and indeed, we have Lila Being A Pirate, Kell Sulking, Rhy Kinging and Alucard, well, Alucarding.

This first half of the book serves as a helpful reminder of just what went before and how each of the four stands in relation to the others, but Schwab doesn't have the story on pause - as the four sort out their issues, or not, we're also introduced to new comers Tesali, a sparky young runaway who has some serious magical abilities and runs her own repair shop in red London, and Kosika, the new Queen in White London. Both are outsiders, living on their wits and having to make sense of a dangerous world. Both have a lot of backstory, which Schwab allows to unfold slowly - if ever tempted to hurry this, she resisted and rightly; there is a lot to tell and both women are fascinating. They are destined, it's clear, to attract trouble and we begin to see that for Tesali (for Kosika I think it's looming in the next book).

(Apart from Tesali and Kosika, Rhys' new Queen, Nadia, an enchantress with her own underground lab, also intrigued me. She's clearly up to something more than simply defending her family, but what?)

Of course once trouble starts, Lila won't be far away and the really good news about this book is that as things heat up, with the sinister rebel faction The Hand making its move, Lila gets REALLY knife-y and plunges into the thick of things. This is what I was waiting for. Red London is absolutely made for sinister plots, for skulking figures glimpsed in dark alleys, strange conspiracies and for treason. And there's plenty of all these. (Yes, treason - there is a traitor in this book, in fact more than one, and you'll be smart if you can spot them - I didn't).

It all creates an engaging, fast-paced and pleasingly complicated story that benefits not only from those new characters but from the returning, somewhat older (I won't say, more mature) cast from the earlier books. As established figures, it's good to see them bickering away but even better to see the impression they make on the newcomers. I didn't think Tesali was actually very impressed by Lila, and The Fragile Threads of Power sets up some dynamics that it will be fun to see play out in future books.

A strong followup to Darker Shades that definitely avoids all those "second trilogy blues".

I was so happy when I realised a new book in it Darker Shade of Magic series was being written.

Set seven years after the last book ended it picks up the story of all your favourite characters,

Also introduced are some new characters and if this is your first look at the Four Londons then you can easily read this before the Darker Shade of Magic series.

It did not disappoint.

What can I say??!! I was so excited to be back in this world and it was so good.

The book picks up a significant number of years after the events of A Conjuring of Light - we meet up with all the major players from The Shades of Magic series but everything has changed, nothing is as it was - the powerful are now powerless and are having to make some major changes in order to adapt.

We also meet some new characters who definitely bring a new dimension to this world and I am excited to see where we go in the next books. 



I love the idea if I’ve understood correctly that you can eventually read this series or shades first or read either as a standalone if you choose to leave it there but honestly I have no idea why you’d do that - I can not wait for the next book.

Anything V E Schwab writes goes straight onto my TBR and this was no different. A brilliant revival into the Shades of Magic world featuring the characters we know and love as well as some exciting new additions, It was exciting returning into the brilliantly written world and having the addition of flashbacks helped me relate back to the previous books.
As always, a great read from V E Schwab!

I absolutely loved being back in this world again, getting to see the characters we got to know and love from the original trilogy, as well as meeting new characters. I really appreciated how there was a significant amount of time that had passed between the end of A Conjuring of Light and this book, and how we got ‘flashbacks’ to see all the important moments that we need to know in that time. Schwab never fails to pull me into a story and this one was no exception

Reading anything V E Schwab writes is like wearing Kell's coat - it just fits perfectly. We return to familiar Red London and its familiar characters, all of whom have grown up (in theory) since the last trilogy ended. But a new threat is approaching, one that they slowly discover, in combination with some interesting new players, as well as insights into the other Londons. It didn't entirely blow me away, but I loved returning to a familiar story told well.

This book follows on from The Darker Shade of Magic trilogy. We see old characters and what they are up to since the end of those books while also being introduced to new characters.

I really enjoyed being back in this world with these characters. I really like the new character of Tes. Seeing her particular skills at work was so interesting.

I am very interested to see how this series continues.

"There is nowhere you go," said the Antari to her prince, "that I cannot follow."

What a joy to be reunited with these incredible characters!

It's been seven years since Lila, Kell and Holland defeated the Shadow King. Since then, Lila and Kell have traveled the world in her ship, while he waits and hopes that his broken magic will heal. But to no avail. Instead, Lila teaches Kell to fight using his hands and blades. Will he ever be the world's most powerful magician again?

At the same time, in Red London, a new threat is emerging – The Hand is an underworld group that wishes to overthrow King Rhy Maresh. No one knows who they are, how they're meeting and what they're planning. Until a heist at the world's most secure black market sees the theft of a device with dark magic, one that puts the entire royal family, and everyone close to them at risk. Tes, a 15-year-old girl with a penchant for fixing broken magical objects is unwittingly drawn into The Hand's plans. Now, Lila, Kell and their allies will have to race to make sure she doesn't become a deadly pawn.

I have loved Lila, Kell, Rhy, and Alucard fiercely since reading the Shades of Magic trilogy a few years back. And now, I can love Tes, too. While 'The Fragile Threads of Power' is a long book, it's full of intrigue, dark plots, delicious fights and gorgeous magic. The characters have developed and matured since the original three books, and are even more complex and well-rounded now, if that's even possible.

If you have yet to read 'Shades of Magic', do it now. You won't regret it. And then immediately jump onto 'The Fragile Threads of Power'. I cannot wait for the next instalment.

Absolutely adore this book. I'm so in love with this world and the characters. It was super nostalgic seeing the old characters and the new ones were great additions. To say i need the next book now is an understatement!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy!

The Fragile Threads of Power offers the perfect, thrilling return to the world of the many Londons. I definitely enjoyed this more than the ADSOM trilogy, because there's just something about this story that draws you in. It's kind of slow paced at the start, however, it picks up pretty quickly and you are racing to read on and trying to find out what's happening. Schwab's writing is decidedly less dry and more descriptive than ever, and I found myself enjoying it so much. It was so great to see Kell, Lila and Rhy's adventures again. Kosaki's character left me quite intrigued and so did Tess, and I can't wait to learn more about them as the series progresses.

The Fragile Threads of Power is the perfect return to a beloved world with characters you already know and throws them into another adventure with high stakes. ADSOM fans, you're gonna love this one.

This was such a wonderful return to a series I love very dearly. The new characters added a freshness to the world while retuning characters were given ample time for readers to reconnect with them.
The plot was interesting and well thought through, if a little bloated at times, but overall an enjoyable read,
An outstanding continuation for fans of the series and of Schwab’s other works.

I dragged this book out for sooooo long because I didn’t want it to be over. I adore this world and the magic and the characters so much

So, we’ve had a 7 year gap since the ending of <I>A Conjuring of Light</I>, we get to see what our fave characters have been up to in the meantime, and have a new storyline with new characters.

This does slow the pace of the book down significantly, as for every couple of present day events we get one in the past. This didn’t bother me and I actually thought it was done seamlessly, but I do want to highlight that I don’t recommend people read this book if you haven’t read the <I>Shades of Magic</I> trilogy. If I weren’t already invested in these characters I’d have probably been bored. If you have read <I>Shades</I>, it’s like catching up with your faves. I definitely still noticed the slow pace, and this absolutely wouldn’t have been the kind of book I could finish in a couple of days, but I just enjoyed being along for the ride in this world again. Overall, I think Schwab managed the 7 year gap well, and I expect book 2 to be even stronger now that this is out of the way.

The two new characters, Tes & Kosika, are well-developed and engaging. We got enough time with them to cement their role in the story, understand their motivations and past, and invest in them enough to want to know what happens next. It was balanced well alongside Kell/Rhy/Alucard/Lila, and I’m really interested to see what their role is in the next two books.

I enjoy the way the story is going at the end of the book, it’s something I’ve suspected since fairly early on in <I>Shades</I> and I’m very excited to see it play out more. I’m also so glad to see Holland’s legacy hasn’t been forgotten, as he’s currently my favourite tragic character! Rhy and Alucard are so heartwarming in this book, their parts made me so emotional.

My main critiques are in the treatment of Kell and Lila. I don’t love what happens to Kell at the end of <I>Conjuring</I> and how it’s continued into this book. He’s gone from being the main character to very sidelined, most of his important scenes told through someone else’s perspective - obviously intentional and reflects how he feels himself. I hope we get more of his old self back in book 2.

You can very much tell that Schwab’s favourite character is Lila, and it often comes at the cost of her others.

This was something that began to bother me a little in <I>A Gathering of Shadows</I> and more so in <I>Conjuring</I> but has continued into this book and sadly will probably bother me for the rest of this series. I know not everyone shares this opinion but a heads up that if you didn’t like the treatment of her towards the end of <I>Shades</i> you probably won’t like it now either.

Overall - I have a few gripes (*cough* Lila) but thoroughly enjoyed being in this world again and desperately excited for the next two books!!

Did I just read a whole book, minus 50 or so pages, in a day?

Oh, but it was worth it.

Finding a place to begin with this one is difficult. There’s so much about it I loved that I just want to word vomit on the page, but let’s try to be a bit better than that and say that this book felt like coming home. The characters, the world, the magic, were all there, right where Schwab had left them, just ready to be picked up and slipped back on like a familiar coat.

It really is little wonder that I stayed up until 1am reading this. Or that I read it all in one day. (Well, barring the first 50 pages, which I read the night before, when it was still easy to put the book down.)

All in all, an excellent read. I blazed through the last 100 pages, and most of the book, to be honest. Cannot wait for the next one!