The Fragile Threads of Power

By: V. E. Schwab

Narrated by: Kate Reading, Marisa Calin, Michael Kramer

Length: 21 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Long-listed, Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year 2023

Veteran narrators Michael Kramer and Kate Reading return to this fantastical world, along with a new POV portrayed by Marisa Calin.

"As the threads converge, all three narrators strive to remain as consistent as possible to each other's stylistic choices, creating a nearly flawless whole."- AudioFile

V. E. Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, opens another door to a new fantasy series set in the dazzling world of Shades of Magic.

Prepare for tangled schemes and perilous adventures with friends old and new in 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 it 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.

These two royals from very different empires now face very similar struggles: how to keep their crowns—and their own heads.

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.

©2023 V. E. Schwab (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

Perfect way to continue the series

I was shocked when I saw that a new book had been released for this series, which I thought had long since been concluded. Loved the book overall, though it’s probably not my favorite of the four. I wish we got to see more of the story from Kell and Rhy’s perspectives.

you've done it again!

thank you Victoria- these was a wonderful read and the actors did a great job brining all the characters to life. each chapter was written like a mini story and that is what kept me binding and fighting sleep every night.

Not sure how to feel about it.

I absolutely love Schwalb. She’s a fantastic author. I just had a hard time getting into this one. There were a lot of point of views, I felt jostled between story lines. The narrator who read Tes character spoke so fast it, it was like she was on fast forward the whole time, which contrasted with the other two narrators.

I loved the glimpses between Kell and Lilah. I wish I had seen more, but alas, their love isn’t the focus of the story.

Kosika seemed WAY older. They all did.
I still loved the characters. Alucard is still my favorite! How I love him and Rhy. Can’t get enough of them.

I do look forward to the rest.

Must read Shades of Magic series first

Only gave it 4/5 stars because I struggled to understand the world/ magic system.

Okay, this book was a brick. I was blessed enough to get an early copy of this book, which took me a month to read. That being said, wow! This book was a full-blown adventure. If you are looking for a book with characters you grow to love as they explore their world, this book is for you.

I will say that if you do not understand the world/ the magic system, it will take about 25% of the way in to grasp it fully. I have read A Darker Shade of Magic and that helped me gain a better understanding. Yes, this is a separate series. However, it takes place in the same world with some of the same characters. Yes, you will meet new ones that are both loveable and that you will love to hate. All in all, I suggest reading the Shades of Magic series first.

This book was such an adventure and I am so glad I decided to pick it up. It makes me want to go back and read the whole Shades of Magic series. However, my FAVORITE character was Tes. I wanted nothing more than for her to have a precious life with her little dead owl. There were times when I thought Schwab was going to kill her off and I was very prepared to be pissed. Thankfully, my girl lived to the end of the book. I am SOOOOOO excited to read the next one and throw myself into the world again.

A wonderful continuation to a stunning series!

The long anticipated continuation of the beloved Shades of Magic trilogy was everything I hoped it would be and more. Love, loss, healing, adventure, and intrigue. It has it all and it has it in spades.

The progression of the story reminded me of Addie LaRue where we would have the characters at present day and then get snippets from years past to explain and show us the how and why of their development both for our old favorite characters and for the new ones.

V.E. Schwab has absolutely outdone herself this time and the way all the threads came together at the end was incredible.

I highly recommend this series and especially this book to ANYONE who loves a good fantasy book with a flair of magic, strong characters, multiple points of view (sort of like a Brandon Sanderson novel), in a pseudo gas-lamp fantasy setting. This book was both at once punch to the gut, a warm hug, and a shot of adrenaline all wrapped up into something truly magical.

Love being back in this world

I have missed Kell, Lila, Rhy, and Alucard and I have only recently finished the Shades of Magic series.

Love the introduction of the new characters, love the plot of this series how it’s new but still folds in Shades of Magic with it. You can definitely start with this, VE planned it to perfection. But, with this just being the first one and knowing how VE writes and publishes, it could be some time before book two so you may want to start with A Darker Shade of Magic anyway. As eager as I am for the next book, I know that a lot of time and care is put into each book so I am fine with waiting however long it is; can’t rush perfection.

I don’t know that there isn’t anything that I didn’t like about this book, except maybe the fact that there was not nearly enough Alucard and Ren; those two have a wonderful dynamic and I need more. I would also like to see Kell and Ren interacting from his perspective rather then Lila’s just lingering in the edge.

I had gotten the chance to sit in on VE Schwabs spotlight panel at NY Comic Con this year and she mentioned, without giving any spoilers, people won’t turn out the way you think. That had me worried about every new character that was introduced, which one was going to be on the wrong side? You don’t find that out until the very end, though Kell is a very good judge of character.

Another masterpiece from Schwab!

Great addition to the Darker Shades saga. The first 3 are my favorite series, and Fragile Threads of Power does not disappoint!

Loved the new characters and the newest narrator. The story feels a little less centralized around the antari characters, which adds a lot of depth to the universe.

The twist at the end has me on the edge of my seat for the next book!

best one yet

This 4th book in the 4 London series is better than the 1st 3 books combined. Old characters finally felt relatable, real, and the new additions to the lineup are amazing. My only real complaint is that the author still cant think of any other adjective than "thief silent, thief quick, like a thief" for Lila Bard. Dude. ITS OVERUSED WORDING BY THIS POINT. It also ruins my immersion when it pops up, every time. lol

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

V.E. Schwab’s writing continues to impress and to improve. She provides a subtle and intriguing depth to Londons’ main characters which is lovely.

Couldn’t put it down

Just fantastic. I so wish I was coming to them at the very end of the series, rather than the beginning. My favorite of hers yet.