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A review by nicole1832
The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
This book was a bit of a drag for me. I liked the Shades of Magic series, but I felt like this didn’t add anything of worth to that world. While it was wonderful to see the familiar characters again, they were all kind of flat versions of themselves, with far too little attention given to their character arcs. The new characters were fun but weren’t nearly as nuanced or fleshed out as I would have liked.
The pacing was very off, too. For the first 400+ pages, the book is primarily backstory and setup, with a ridiculous amount of flashbacks. The story gets moving toward the end, but by that point I was too annoyed with the slow beginning to really enjoy it. An editor was desperately needed to cut some scenes. (And cut some words, too. There was a lot of redundant or unnecessarily dramatic prose throughout the book.)
Overall, I think diehard fans of the first series will enjoy this book, but I think casual fans can skip it.
The pacing was very off, too. For the first 400+ pages, the book is primarily backstory and setup, with a ridiculous amount of flashbacks. The story gets moving toward the end, but by that point I was too annoyed with the slow beginning to really enjoy it. An editor was desperately needed to cut some scenes. (And cut some words, too. There was a lot of redundant or unnecessarily dramatic prose throughout the book.)
Overall, I think diehard fans of the first series will enjoy this book, but I think casual fans can skip it.