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

3.0

I always enjoy reading V.E. Schwab’s writing, and even in a particularly long and slow book, I enjoyed my time. I have to say this book felt less like the first of a new sub-series, and more like an extended epilogue to A Conjuring of Light—thanks to a really high proportion of flashbacks. Despite leading in with some new characters, most of our action involved MCs from the original series, now 7 years older. It could have been any length of time, as far as character growth was concerned. Kell remains the world’s most sufferingest boy, Lila is still alarmingly vicious, Alucard and Rhy are mushier than ever. The stakes have been (necessarily) reset after ACoL, but it was strange seeing our previously god-tier characters struggle with a couple of pretty normal bad guys. Overall a slow build to a somewhat avoidable threat, but a good bit of groundwork laid for the next installment.