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Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'
The Fragile Threads of Power (Signed Edition) by V.E. Schwab, V.E. Schwab
28 reviews
bessadams's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Torture, and Child abuse
Minor: Alcohol and Sexual content
annmeyer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
discovering that v.e. schwab decided to return to this world was exciting to say the least. before starting it, i read a review that claimed this book felt more like a 4th in the previous series than a 1st in a new one — and thank god for that, though you should start with the other series if you haven't read it. the good news is that the three books before this fucking slay; i want to yell about the shades of magic series from the rooftop. yet, where the first series focuses a great deal on the colorful hues of magic, this one (so far) takes it a step forward and turns its eye to the tangible threads of magic that can be fixed or torn apart.
as far as this specific novel goes, it takes place in the same world but is set 7 years after the conclusion of a conjuring of light. it introduces new characters who find themselves fitting in nicely alongside the old ones. tes is my favorite new addition to the series, and i really liked the parts dedicated to her past.
much of the story is told through flashbacks (for all characters) of events that have happened in that time, but they were generally enjoyable. the pacing in these parts will certainly be an issue for some, but i am fond enough of the characters/world i had to persist. i definitely felt like some of the white london sections were a slog to get through, which led me to put this book down a lot more than the other three set in this magical universe (thus why i don't want to give it 5 stars), but it's clear that schwab used those sections to set something larger up. in a similar vein, i did enjoy the plot twists throughout this story (and was caught surprisingly off guard by some things) and the ending, which implies of more to come. great prose and imagery as usual, with lots of nice quotable bits and small pieces of wisdom.
i think my favorite concept / recurring theme in this book, and perhaps all the ones set in this universe, involves the ways in which peoples' magical powers can be weaponized against them by people who seek to control or enslave them. how this affects the character development of said powerful people as well as their decision-making and their ability to empathize with those like them is pretty interesting; it also serves as a sort of "thread of power," so to speak, throughout the overarching story.
delilah bard remains one of my favorite female main characters that i've encountered in a fantasy series, and i was so grateful to read from her perspective again. she's up there with aelin galathynius, which is to say that thieving, cunning women who love as bright as they burn hold a dear place in my heart. after reading some other reviews of this book online, it's clear that some other readers strongly dislike lila because she is so brash and rude (maybe akin to criticism of nesta from sjm's ACOTAR series), but whatever, the world she lives in is much more brash and rude and violent than she is. she's a badass and not everyone needs to be likeable — even though i, personally, do like her a lot. nobody could ever make me hate you, pookie.
and despite the fact that i desire so much more of them (gnawing at the bars of my enclosure), the dynamic between her and kell is one of my favorite fictional romances. they spar to sharpen their skills, they share the same power as though they are two sides of the same coin (or perhaps ones from different-colored londons), and they are as fiercely independent as they are fatedly drawn to one another. the fact that they are together brings me joy even though they don't actually exist, a sign of something surely.
i will simply wait for more and read it hungrily when it comes
as far as this specific novel goes, it takes place in the same world but is set 7 years after the conclusion of a conjuring of light. it introduces new characters who find themselves fitting in nicely alongside the old ones. tes is my favorite new addition to the series, and i really liked the parts dedicated to her past.
much of the story is told through flashbacks (for all characters) of events that have happened in that time, but they were generally enjoyable. the pacing in these parts will certainly be an issue for some, but i am fond enough of the characters/world i had to persist. i definitely felt like some of the white london sections were a slog to get through, which led me to put this book down a lot more than the other three set in this magical universe (thus why i don't want to give it 5 stars), but it's clear that schwab used those sections to set something larger up. in a similar vein, i did enjoy the plot twists throughout this story (and was caught surprisingly off guard by some things) and the ending, which implies of more to come. great prose and imagery as usual, with lots of nice quotable bits and small pieces of wisdom.
i think my favorite concept / recurring theme in this book, and perhaps all the ones set in this universe, involves the ways in which peoples' magical powers can be weaponized against them by people who seek to control or enslave them. how this affects the character development of said powerful people as well as their decision-making and their ability to empathize with those like them is pretty interesting; it also serves as a sort of "thread of power," so to speak, throughout the overarching story.
delilah bard remains one of my favorite female main characters that i've encountered in a fantasy series, and i was so grateful to read from her perspective again. she's up there with aelin galathynius, which is to say that thieving, cunning women who love as bright as they burn hold a dear place in my heart. after reading some other reviews of this book online, it's clear that some other readers strongly dislike lila because she is so brash and rude (maybe akin to criticism of nesta from sjm's ACOTAR series), but whatever, the world she lives in is much more brash and rude and violent than she is. she's a badass and not everyone needs to be likeable — even though i, personally, do like her a lot. nobody could ever make me hate you, pookie.
i will simply wait for more and read it hungrily when it comes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
jackiepreston's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Unfortunately I didn't connect with the new characters as well as I did with the old ones. Hopefully the next book will make them more interesting and hopefully the White London storyline will start to connect more directly to everyone else
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Kidnapping, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Homophobia and Child abuse
artmuseam's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
currently at a loss for words right now after that ending. i genuinely believe ve schwab is one of the greatest writers of this entire universe and her books will never fail to leave me utterly speechless and yearning for more whenever i finish them! okay, first i will admit that the beginning was a bit slow and it took me a while to adjust having the new characters in the picture since i wanted to gatekeep the returners and always get a bit annoyed when new people take the spotlight (weird habit of mine, i know). BUT once things started kicking off, especially after 1/3 of the book, i was hooked. my love for the shades of magic world exponentially increased during this read and i found myself literally holding my breath in the last parts of the book. trust me, this book is something you do not want to miss!! time to distract myself with other books while i wait for the sequel to come out :,) 4.5/5 stars <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Torture, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing
quinnyquinnquinn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Blood, and Torture
maddiebusick's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol, Classism, Mental illness, Murder, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Confinement
g_monaghan's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I adore the characters in the darker shades of magic trilogy however I was slightly disappointed with this book - I thought this novel was a final installment and not the beginning of a new series set in the same world. This is my own misunderstanding but I think the expectation ruined my reading experience slightly, despite this some interesting characters have been added to the mix and the storyline is now set up for a 2 or 3 book installment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Torture, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Ableism
Minor: Classism and Suicidal thoughts
martinatan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I am so so glad I got a hold of this at my library! What an electrifying return to one of my favorite series. I loved that we got the perspectives of known characters and new ones with a really interesting plot that delves further into this universe’s magic and politics. The writing style is just endlessly compelling and one of my favorite things about the fantasy genre crossed with these characters. They’re so dramatic and sharp-witted!
My favorite character coming out of this was Tes though I’m a long-time Lila stan. I really enjoyed her personality and the choices she made that felt true to her background. There were so many intriguing hooks for the next installment to build on and I am really interested to see where everyone ends up—hopefully coming together to overcomesome combination of The Hand + some more sinister eldritch magic power as alluded by Holland’s speech and the door to the space between worlds ? Or is that too cliche?
Some things I’d really like to see developed in the next book:What Holland’s actual physicality and presence is made of. How is his spirit and supposed ongoing life mission still intact and developing if he is … dead ??? How much is he just a part of Kosika’s head? Can he live on in her through his magic? I am sure this could be addressed if Tes and Kosika were to ever meet.
Also, something I was a little dissatisfied with at no real fault of the author is the “disabled guy gets healed” plot that played out with Kell’s arc this book. I am much more satisfied these days by stories that don’t post the potentially forever-injured hero as someone who needs to be cured. It felt wrong to see Kell sort of revert to his normal power at the end—even if he went through such undeserved and intense pain throughout the book. More to the point of what disability could look like in this amazing world Schwab has created, what does it look like for an Antari to never be quite physically recovered from a traumatic event? I hope we explore more of the consequences and changes to Kell’s outlook, since it would also feel wrong for him to not have learned anything about himself or how he thinks about magic from having lost his own powers.
That kind of leads me to one last thing I liked along the lines of disability/neurodivergence in this book: Tes! She really resonated with me as a character because of how neurodivergent-coded she was. It hit me so hard when I read one line about her devising techniques over the years to mask her own power—and then to have her suddenly recognized for that gift, albeit by very powerful and ambitious people who perhaps are reluctant to release or distribute their power (royalty kind of sucks that way). I am interested to see if Schwab picks up on any of these narrative themes that interest me because they hold so much space in my head in the real world. I don’t need to see a complete replication of all the power dynamics in my world in this one, but it is a really fun thought exercise for me to imagine how social justice and disability representation would play out.
Anyway great book! I love fantasy dawg
My favorite character coming out of this was Tes though I’m a long-time Lila stan. I really enjoyed her personality and the choices she made that felt true to her background. There were so many intriguing hooks for the next installment to build on and I am really interested to see where everyone ends up—hopefully coming together to overcome
Some things I’d really like to see developed in the next book:
Also, something I was a little dissatisfied with at no real fault of the author is the “disabled guy gets healed” plot that played out with Kell’s arc this book. I am much more satisfied these days by stories that don’t post the potentially forever-injured hero as someone who needs to be cured. It felt wrong to see Kell sort of revert to his normal power at the end—even if he went through such undeserved and intense pain throughout the book. More to the point of what disability could look like in this amazing world Schwab has created, what does it look like for an Antari to never be quite physically recovered from a traumatic event? I hope we explore more of the consequences and changes to Kell’s outlook, since it would also feel wrong for him to not have learned anything about himself or how he thinks about magic from having lost his own powers.
That kind of leads me to one last thing I liked along the lines of disability/neurodivergence in this book: Tes! She really resonated with me as a character because of how neurodivergent-coded she was. It hit me so hard when I read one line about her devising techniques over the years to mask her own power—and then to have her suddenly recognized for that gift, albeit by very powerful and ambitious people who perhaps are reluctant to release or distribute their power (royalty kind of sucks that way). I am interested to see if Schwab picks up on any of these narrative themes that interest me because they hold so much space in my head in the real world. I don’t need to see a complete replication of all the power dynamics in my world in this one, but it is a really fun thought exercise for me to imagine how social justice and disability representation would play out.
Anyway great book! I love fantasy dawg
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Violence, Ableism, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Medical content, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Torture, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Grief, Biphobia, Classism, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Death, and Death of parent
itsbrianascall's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Classism, Murder, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Violence, Death of parent, and Physical abuse
Minor: War
theintrovertsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Cursing
Moderate: Hate crime, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Gore
Minor: Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Death of parent, Vomit, Child abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol