A review by nkfanning
The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab

adventurous challenging funny mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read an early e-copy!

Overall I enjoyed The Fragile Threads of Power. I think it is a great sequel to the original series, and definitely worth reading if you at all liked A Darker Shade of Magic. The four Londons and the magic system haven’t lost their charm, and like ADSOM this fantasy book is a perfect blend of action, humour, great characters, and gripping plot. 

However, I had a big problem with the pacing and I would say “layout” of the chapters and narratives. We switch between many different POVs throughout the book, some familiar like Kell, Lila, Alucard, and Rhy, some new characters like Tes and Kosika, as well as other periphery characters for a chapter or two. The problem with so many different POVs is that you will always prefer some to others. I loved Tes, a girl with a unique gift who has run away to Red London, but found myself totally bored with Kosika’s chapters, which were much more slow-paced. While I expected to enjoy Kell’s and Lila’s, I found myself frustrated with the constant flashbacks to fill in the blanks between this book and the last. Moreover, given that there hasn’t been any major changes to their relationship dynamic, nothing felt particularly fresh or new to their chapters. I would have preferred if the whole book was told in a much more linear fashion, rather than the constant jumping back and forth between different times and characters. With the title, I actually expected Alucard to be the main focus, alongside Tes, which I definitely would have preferred. Given that this is the start of a new trilogy it just felt like too many people were being crammed into one book!

So while the first half, or maybe even two thirds of this book is very slow (we are setting up the narratives of literally a dozen characters) the pay-off at the end is extremely worth it. I couldn’t read the last 150 pages fast enough as all the action came to a head. The book ends at a perfect point leaving you satisfied but also dying for the next instalment. I just hope there won’t be as many flashbacks and POV switches in the next one!