Review: The Fragile Threads of Power (Threads of Power #1) by V.E. Schwab

*I received an advance reading copy of this book from Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review.

The Fragile Threads of Power

(Threads of Power #1)

by V.E. Schwab

September 26, 2023

Goodreads Summary:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and set in the world of A Darker Shade of Magic, V. E. Schwab opens a new door into perilous adventure and tangled schemes with The Fragile Threads of Power.

Once, there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power, and connected by a single city: London. Until the magic grew too fast, and forced the worlds to seal the doors between them in a desperate gamble to protect their own. The few magicians who could still open the doors grew more rare as time passed and now, only three Antari are known in recent memory―Kell Maresh of Red London, Delilah Bard of Grey London, and Holland Vosijk, of White London.

But barely a glimpse of them have been seen in the last seven years―and a new Antari named Kosika has appeared in White London, taking the throne in Holland's absence. The young queen is willing to feed her city with blood, including her own―but her growing religious fervor has the potential to drown them instead.

And back in Red London, King Rhy Maresh is threatened by a rising rebellion, one determined to correct the balance of power by razing the throne entirely.

Amidst this tapestry of old friends and new enemies, a girl with an unusual magical ability comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds.

Her name is Tes, and she's the only one who can bring them together―or unravel it all.

Review

I've been hoping for this book since the end of A Conjuring of Light so it feels absolutely surreal to have read The Fragile Threads of Power. So surreal that I've not been able to put my thoughts down for months. But I will try now! V.E. Schwab and her brilliant writing gave us another unforgettable story.

"Words had two kinds of power- the first in their meaning, the second in how they were said." (p. 165)

The Fragile Threads of Power was made up of many intricate parts stringed together. Normally multiple storylines within a book can get confusing but Schwab's writing flowed seamlessly. I easily moved in and out of each POV. The perfection tension between the characters and the precise action sequences were so enjoyable!

I was so intrigued by the variety of new characters introduced! Some I loved, some I strongly disliked. Kosika was a hard character to pin down but Tes and Ren were just plain lovable. I greatly admired how carefully balanced the relationship was between Nadiya, Rhy and Alucard. It will be interesting to see if/how that might shift. Bex and Calin were not nice people but they were excellent at their jobs. I just know we haven't seen the last of them.

It's so good to see the old gang!! Alucard, who has more burden on his shoulders than ever, retained his sense of humour. Delilah Bard is still as amazing as ever!! She surprised me many times. Lila might not be the most vocal when it came to Kell but she expressed her love for him through her actions. My heart really broke for Rhy and Kell's struggles. Both were deeply and negatively affected by the events from the Shades of Magic books. I'm comforted knowing they were/are not alone in dealing with their inner demons.

"And that was the madness, the cruelty, that life was fragile, and he had so much to love, and spent all his time mourning the loss before he suffered it." (p. 248)

I'm not going to lie- I was nervous The Fragile Threads of Power would not live up to the Shades of Magic story (my all-time favourite series). But V.E. Schwab delivered beautifully. Now the wait for the next book has me suffering :'(

*I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the finished copy I bought.