#the fragile threads of power spoilers

[torpublishinggroup]

#1 NYT bestselling author V.E. Schwab returns to the dazzling worlds of Shades of Magic with a fantastical, perilous, and intrigue-tangled new series-starter: The Fragile Threads of Power, with commissioned artwork by lasq.draws.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT

Once, the four worlds sat nestled like pages in a book, connected with fantastical power to a single city: London. But the magic pulsed. It grew too fast, and the doors between worlds were sealed in a desperate gamble at protection.

The few magicians able to open these doors grew rarer as time passed, and now only three are known in recent memory. Kell Maresh of Red London, Delilah Bard of Grey London, and Holland Vosijk of White London have hardly been glimpsed for the last seven years. A new magician rises to claim the throne of White London: She is Kosika, who burns with religious fervor and will feed her city with blood, including her own.

And back in Red London, King Rhy Maresh is threatened by a rising rebellion, one that promises to correct the power by razing the throne entirely.

These two royals from very different empires face mirror struggles: Keep their crowns. Keep their heads. And amidst a tapestry of old friends and new enemies, a girl with unusual magic comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds.

Her name is Tes, and she will bring the worlds together, or unravel it all.

[ghoulorghost]

I have an inkling possession is going to make an appearance in the next two books. Specifically Kosika being possessed by Holland's supposed ghost.

Also the idea that she has his magic seems to be a lie to me, to keep her compliant with whatever comes next. If she was chosen that obviously means she was done a favor, so she's virtually indebted to him and White London, and she'll be obligated to follow, no matter what he asks of her. I feel like she's being manipulated, her belief in the Saint and the respect she has for him being weaponized against her.

That's why it seems to me that the apparition is just someone masquerading as the real Holland. And the piece of dialogue about bringing something back from Black London? I think she already did, just nothing solid.

And the mention of the pull the magic in the Inheritor has over Tesali, Osaron attempting to grab at people even when sealed away, makes me theorise Kosika might have pulled on that magic when she tried to grow the plants in the courtyard and consequently fell ill for a week. Some part of him might have latched onto her, and activated the moment she made contact with Black London. He is sealed away together with the magic Holland lost so maybe he cloaks himself in that? Pretends to be someone that he is not? Puppeteering what's left of Holland in this realm?

And rekindling the magic in Black London sounds like a trick.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

[evenstarfalls]

So my first guess was wrong about Nadiya...

SHE'S FUCKING AROACE HOLY SHIT THIS IS SUCH A WIN

I knew V.E. Schwab wouldn't let us down like I figured she'd be some flavor of queer. And while lesbian was my first (clearly wrong now dkdjdjabfb) guess, aroace was my second and boy did she deliver!! Seeing her find a family and a place to belong and even thrive while being very clearly aroace (she may have lacked the words for it for it's obvious she's aware of it) was so wonderful. And as an asexual who is not sex averse, it was really lovely getting some representation in that regard.

Also the Loreni colors being purple and gray... I see you!! I see what this is!! 💜🩶

And like even beyond representation, she's such an interesting character! Her relationship with Alucard is really nice, and I'm excited to see where her and Lila's relationship goes, especially after Lila was hurt by the stolen invention. I think they're actually quite similar characters, which is definitely part of what makes them clash. And her inventing is probably also going to be important. I hope she continues to cook up dangerous shit I...hope she has fun :) I'm also curious about her and Rhy's relationship—I mean they're married of course, but we didn't actually get a lot of them together and I'm quite interested in that dynamic.

In short: all hail our aroace slightly unethical science queen

[christophernolan]

I cried, I laughed I fell in love with all the new characters and fell even more in love with the old characters and I can’t wait for more!!

[luciehercndale]

Kell and Lila practicing or better roleplaying or better foreplaying? in the hold of the Grey Barron. One bottle of wine spilled dead, one man injured down, his cheeks turning red like his hair at the proposal of having a tumble in front of the wines. I missed them

[teartra]

The King, The Queen, The Heart… I’m weak of their family dynamic

[fenixburned]

every time alucard is called either my heart by rhy or luca by ren my heart just melts instantly 🥹🥹🥹

[nerdy-girlramblings]

Spoilers for Fragile Threads of Power

"... if she told the truth, her father would not love her.

He would sell her."

This broke my heart. After reading FTOP, Tes is now my child and no one is allowed to hurt her. She is so precious and sweet and I love her so much. I wish her father the most painful death possible.

[fathommila]

Can’t stop smiling and kicking my feet

[typingwithmyhandstied]

Tes's characterization, storyline, and backstory has parallels and similarities to almost every other major character in The Fragile Threads of Power. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

Kell: Kell's parents traded him in for his powers. That's probably very similar to what Tes's father would have done to her if she hadn't gotten away. Both Kell and Tes want to be viewed as a human being and something beyond their powers. Neither really are. Both feel like people look at them and see their power not a person. They also seem to both have the urge to hide it as a means to not be viewed that way.

Lila: Lila's father sold her to pay off his debts. Tes fears---or really knows---that if her father knew her power, he would try to do something similar. He made use of all her sisters in similar ways. Both Tes and Lila had to leave and fend for themselves on their own because of this. They just did so in different ways.

Alucard: There's the very obvious fact that both Alucard and Tes can see the threads of magic, but both of them also have a bad relationship with their siblings. Obviously not exactly the same, but it is still very reminicent of the other.

Rhy: Tes and Rhy seem to share the same core goodness. Both of them are the kind of characters who don't seem to believe that their survival is anymore important than anyone elses.

Nadiya: Tes and Nadiya are both inventors to a certain extent.

Kosika: They are the two youngest characters. Kosika also had a parental figure that was ready to sell her for her potential power (maybe that is really just the repeated pattern throughout the books). Both were also thrust into a situation where they had a lot of independence at a young age.

Holland: He's the only character I can't really think of anything for.

[torpublishinggroup]

#1 NYT bestselling author V.E. Schwab returns to the dazzling worlds of Shades of Magic with a fantastical, perilous, and intrigue-tangled new series-starter: The Fragile Threads of Power, with commissioned artwork by lasq.draws.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT

Once, the four worlds sat nestled like pages in a book, connected with fantastical power to a single city: London. But the magic pulsed. It grew too fast, and the doors between worlds were sealed in a desperate gamble at protection.

The few magicians able to open these doors grew rarer as time passed, and now only three are known in recent memory. Kell Maresh of Red London, Delilah Bard of Grey London, and Holland Vosijk of White London have hardly been glimpsed for the last seven years. A new magician rises to claim the throne of White London: She is Kosika, who burns with religious fervor and will feed her city with blood, including her own.

And back in Red London, King Rhy Maresh is threatened by a rising rebellion, one that promises to correct the power by razing the throne entirely.

These two royals from very different empires face mirror struggles: Keep their crowns. Keep their heads. And amidst a tapestry of old friends and new enemies, a girl with unusual magic comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds.

Her name is Tes, and she will bring the worlds together, or unravel it all.

[ghoulorghost]

Another theory. I have elected to write them down as soon as my brain conjures them, to avoid scrabbling for them afterwards.

I have a feeling Ren Maresh might end up being stronger than the odds make it seem. There's enough emphasis on the fact that she has yet to develop magic, and her evolving into something else might complicate the situation.

The Hand uses the decrease of the populace's magical ability as a motive for going against the monarchy. Ren's magic being uncommon might spur them on further, since obviously the monarchy did something to keep magic in their ranks, even when the rest of the kingdom struggles with this issue.

As for what ability she might develop, I speculate she might end up being either a priest, what with her pull to animals, since priest are connected differently to nature, being able to grow plants, life, essentially. Maybe she'll end up being able to aid in the development of other kinds of life, animals perhaps?

Or she could grow up to be an antari, which would also end up bringing Kell and Lila closer to the palace, to help in training her abilities. Antari magic is said to be unbalanced which would pose quite a challenge, considering how strong her personality already seems to be.

It would also make the populace pose the question, are her parents fit enough to educate her, keeping in mind Rhy's lack of magic?

[adamsrcnan]

FRAGILE THREADS OF POWER WAS SO GOOD I AM ONCE AGAIN BLOWN AWAY AND READY TO SCREAM ABOUT IT

*SPOILERS BELOW*

*SPOILERS BELOW*

*SPOILERS BELOW*

*SPOILERS BELOW*

*SPOILERS BELOW*

*SPOILERS BELOW*

Firstly seeing my babies after 6 years was so emotional omg i missed them all so much !!!

Lila naming the Alucard's ship after Barron???? kill me she's a little softie inside

Kell not being able to do magic was like HELL like i felt his pain so deeply my precious gum drop :(

The montage of him learning to fight with the swords was top tier though !

Kay is a sexy bastard

Lila going to find Kell at night when he passes out in his room at the palace and crawling into bed beside him??? Top tier ship let me tell you.

Kosika while i do like her, i felt her chapters were a little bit repetitive and kinda dragged a little for me in the middle, but the ending in black london..... my god

GHOST/SPIRIT HOLLAND???? I missed my husband so much like please i'm being tortured. He's there but he's not because they say it's him but something is definitely off there too???

Also i relate heavily to kosika because i too would do whatever Holland asked me too and worship him as a saint

URM RHY AND ALUCARD BEING MARRIED??? SHUT THE FUCK UP WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE

I adore the whole dynamic between Rhy, Alucard and Nadiya i think it was so tastefully done and though i find Nadiya to be a little shady i like her whole inventor thing and i appreciate her loyalty towards her family

REN IS A PRECIOUS LITTLE CUTIE PIE

The fact that she's named Tieren and the way she adores animals and has a billion random pets, and the way she is fascinated by Lila and oblivious to any awkwardness Lila has around her. Just wonderful. Such a little sweetheart. If anything happens to her i will be banging on ms schwab's door !

Tes. I love her. I don't even know what else to say. I think she's brilliant. Her chapters were so entertaining to read. Her back story was intriguing. Her gift is so special. Her interactions with Lila were top tier and i definitely need them to work together again !

Delilah Bard. My wife!!! What can i say. She's a fucking icon. A legend. Never fails to disappoint.

"You came." "You called." URM I CANNOT BELIEVE SHE MADE LILA AND KELL DO THE THING???? SHE MADE THEM DO THE THING !!! THE WAY I SCREAMEDDD

KELL GETTING HIS MAGIC BACK !!!!!!!! HE'S BACK BABY!! I'M SO READY FOR HIM TO FUCK SHIT UP !!!

There's so much more i wanna say but like i'm trying to gather my thoughts. The book was so good. Everything i could hope for in a continuation of the series and more ! Victoria Schwab is a pure genius !!!

[christophernolan]

I howled..

[luciehercndale]

The way Kell is so dramatic when Lila gives him a knife after failing to use magic without pain, and misjudges her intentions. In a way, misjudges her. He thinks the knife is her way to tell him "put yourself out of your misery" (negative) but the meaning of the knife is: "try again, there is another way" (positive).

The knife has two meanings, depending from where you look at it.

Kell used a knife to cut his skin and call his magic. Antari magic demands the magician's own "sacrifice" to work so it hurts both the magician and the target. In his current state, when Kell wills Antari magic, he's hurt tenfold. To him, now, a knife mostly means "pain". But a knife can also be used to inflict pain on others, and if wielded properly, it doesn't hurt the bearer, only the target. This is what Lila wants him to understand. She gives him a reason to give a positive meaning to the knife but to his life as well: the knife is a beacon of hope. To start anew.

And we can say that Lila is also a knife.

Kell associates her with knives and she is fond of them. Like knives, she can be either as harmless as the handle or as sharp as the blade. She has the power to hurt him but also the power to heal and protect him. It also reminds me about this quote from Kafka's love letters to Milena that I think encapsulates the concept of the knife and what is to both Kell and Lila: “You are the knife I turn inside myself; that is love. That, my dear, is love.” 

Trusting the knife is a gamble but if you never try, you never know

[unmaker-unmaker]

obsessed with the fact that even though kell and lila are literally partners he somehow has no idea she wears that ring around her neck for YEARS. no visibility during sexy times no slipping out during their hourly duels they literally sleep together and yet nothing