I tried to reread the ADSOM series before I got into this, and to be honest, I just could not get into the world the same way that I did the first time. I abandoned the reread, and jumped into this - which demonstrated that you definitely don't need to reread them! I understood what was going on, but I just have lost something in my attachment to these characters and stories. There was nothing overtly wrong, except perhaps some odd pacing here and there, but overall this just couldn't hold my interest.

V.E. Schwab could write a grocery list and I would read it. Seriously. I love her work, I love the world building and character development, and I love love love devouring her writing.

This was such a good fantasy book and it’s been awhile since I’ve read a fantasy that I enjoyed. Fantasy books tend to be slower paced so it usually takes me some time to get through it.

As much as I enjoyed meeting our new characters, I have to say that it was just nice to see some of my favorite characters again. So much has changed from when we first met them, as well as when we last saw them in A Conjuring of Light which is set seven years ago from when this new story begins. Kell has really had to adapt after we last saw him, that's for sure. I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that of the returning cast I was probably the most invested in Alucard's role in the story.

It was so good to back to this world. I have missed Lila and Kel and the gang. I am excited to see where these new characters take us and can’t wait for the next book to come out!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback.

A wonderful reintroduction to the world created in the original trilogy by V.E. Schwab. I will be anxiously awaiting the next installment.

I loved the magic system in this book so much! Everything about this book was fantasy done right. The characters were interesting and memorable, the world building was complex without being overwhelming. I loved the concept of the cities and how they worked as a far as the magic and how people traveled between with the doors. I think that the character development was done extremely well and I enjoyed the main characters a lot. I think that the magic system was so neat and complex and well done. It is one that I will definitely remember for a long time. I cannot wait to read the next book!!

I consider myself an OG Schwab fan. Since reading the first installment of the Shades of Magic series all the way back in 2016, I cannot get enough of Schwab’s writing, characters, and stories. When I heard that we were getting a spin-off series of the Shades of Magic trilogy, set seven years after the conclusion, I couldn’t believe my luck.

I absolutely loved getting to return to Schwab’s Shades of Magic world, getting to check-in on old friends and meeting new ones. If you are worried that there won’t be enough Kell, Lilah, Rhy, or Alucard, fear not! They are very much still at the forefront of this story. Kosika and Tes were excellent additions to the original cast of characters. Schwab has such an amazing gift with character development, you may love them or hate them, but I guarantee you’ll remember them.

In true Schwab fashion, The Fragile Threads of Power is complex both in terms of plot and writing structure. I will admit, the structure - the flashbacks, time jumps, multiple POVs - can be difficult to follow at times. This is definitely a book that demands all the attention, but if you are up for it, the payoff is great.

This first installment was everything I hoped it would be and I cannot wait to continue on with the series!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Will you recommend this title through Readers’ Advisory, book clubs, events, etc?
Yes
Do you nominate this title for the LibraryReads List? By pressing YES, you also consent to your email address being shared with LibraryReads.
Yes
Is your library likely to purchase this title?
yes

My favorite author!! I love the new characters and love seeing my old favorites. Sometimes is struggle liking new characters in a book that I know includes characters I already like, but after the slow beginning the new characters held my attention. I love the writing and word choices one of the reasons why VE Schwab is my favorite.

A fabulous, mysterious read that had me engrossed from the first word. It was a long read, but worth it. I can't wait to see what Schwab brings to the table next!

I would read Victoria’s shopping list. This book was phenomenal from start to end! I was hooked, could not put it down. I was excited to be back in this world with some characters I really loved

Great to be back in this world. As always Schwab is a true talent. A bit long winded though, could have been a good 200 pages shorter

Loved this! I was so glad to be able to dive back into this world, catch up with the old characters and meet new ones. I had such a great time with the story and I am excited for the next,

This review is very late, but for a good reason. I am a fan of this author and my original plan was to re-read the Darker Shade of Magic trilogy as it had been several years since I had first read the books. Unfortunately, life (and my tbr) got ahead of me and I was not able to.

Luckily a re-read was not necessary! The author did a great job of integrating characters and their experiences from the prior books without it being overwhelming or boring - it flowed very well and was much appreciated. It was great to love the characters all over again.

I would say the multiple POVs and time-jumps got confusing but because she is such a strong writer it was overall well done.

4/5 stars for me!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC! I was not able to read it before its release date for a variety of reasons, but have since been able to do so and wanted to give it a review.

Slipping back into the world of the Red, Black, White, and Grey London was much easier than I first imagined. V.E. Schwab is very good at catching a reader up without making it seem like an exposition dump. She teases out information in a way that is calculated yet casual (and I appreciate this). The book begins seven years after the events of A Conjuring of Light, and much of the book is teased out by character and in segments such as "Seven Years Ago," "Five Years Ago," and "One Year Ago." At times this brought me out of the reading as my mind felt like it had to do mental math to make sure I was tucking the actions into their proper timeline.

This new, adjoining series as the regulars of Kell, Lila, Rhys, and Alucard, but also adds new characters that inject the storyline with new energy and motivations, especially in how the story is told in time segments. The first few cycles of this had me sure I wasn't going to like the way it kept up, but the actions and the details revealed kept me interested and willing to go along as the story flowed.

Overall, I did enjoy The Fragile Threads of Power very much and am looking forward to the next book in the series.

It took me six months to get halfway through and if I'm not excited about a book and don't care about the characters I'm just not going to keep trying.

This is most definitely not a first book in a spinoff. You absolutely need to read the 3 in ADSOM. I read the first one and still have no idea what was going on. But there was so much slow information dumping that I could not stay invested. I'm sure people who loved all 3 of the other books may feel differently but this wasn't interesting enough for me to keep going.

I know I am in the minority here - but I've put this down and picked it up so many times that I know it's just not for me.

This was a great extension of the previous trilogy of Schwab’s. It’s intricate, action packed, and fresh, while still maintaining what we love from the previous stories.

It took me a really long time to get back into this world, and even though I loved the first three books, I felt like it was a struggle to reconnect with these characters after so long. Once I finally got into it, though, it was pretty good, and I will probably pick up the next one as well.