Review: The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab

★★★★★ | book 82 of 2023 — a truly magical return to the world of Shades, through both familiar and new eyes. A must read for all lovers of the Darker Shade of Magic trilogy.

The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab is the newest book in the Darker Shades of Magic world, initiating a new trilogy beginning seven years after the conclusion of A Conjuring of Light. In addition to the familiar characters of Kell, Lila, Rhy and Alucard, we are introduced to new characters like Kosika the White London Queen, Tes the tinkerer who can manipulate the threads of magic, and the new Queen of Red London (among others). It is a testament to Schwab’s skill that I loved being in the POV of Tes as much as I did the original characters and I am so looking forward to reading more from her POV (hopefully!). I have always liked White London POVs the least, but the inclusion of Kosika really held my interest.

Threads of Power incorporates a masterfully detailed plot, leaving the reader eagerly anticipating the next book. The world that we thought we were well versed in at the end of the original trilogy continues to be expanded as the secretive rebellion force The Hand is prowling the city with the intent of killing the royal family. Of course, chaos and adventure and magic ensues.

I think one of the aspects of this series that makes it so engrossing is that Schwab’s characters are unlike any other character I’ve read - there is no need for Lila to stop being pointy and geared for violence 95% of the time, and there is no need for Kell to stop being a mildly grumpy worrier 95% of the time. It doesn’t mean we don’t see a change in them, but they don’t stop being who they at their core, just because they are seven years older and in a different circumstance than they once were. Schwab represents the whole spectrum of humanity, and it is because of this, I think, that this series is still a favourite of mine. Seeing lovely moments between Kell and Lila, and between Rhy and Alucard made my heart melt, not to mention the personal growth they have all gone through. Reading this book truly felt like coming home.

If you have read the original trilogy and this new instalment, let me know what you think of it in the comments or over on my Instagram @kell_read!

Review: The Nightborn Duet by Carissa Broadbent

The Serpent & the Wings of Night ★★★★ | book thirty-one of 2023 | e-book

The Ashes & the Star Cursed King ★★★.75 | book thirty-two of 2023 | e-book

The Serpent & the Wings of Night, book 1 of the Crowns of Nyaxia series by Carissa Broadbent had me obsessed by 20% in. It was one of those books that had me up until the early hours of the morning because I just needed to know what happened next. It didn’t necessarily do anything new, nor was there anything that screamed ‘unique’, but that didn’t take away my level of enjoyment. I thought Oraya was an incredible MC, she was conflicted and almost felt like an unreliable narrator in the sense that she had been so influenced and honed by Vincent, that as she moved through the Kejari, you realised just how little of her thoughts and beliefs were her own. But her growth in this book was so wonderful to read, and the dynamic between Raihn and Mische, and then Oraya’s growing relationship and dynamic with both of them, was a joy to read. The last 15% of this book had me barely breathing. I was stressed. I am such a sucker for a tortured love interest with a quick wit and eyes only for the FMC, and Raihn was absolutely no different. There is this one scene with Oraya, going out of her way to bring Raihn joy with the sun and the mirrors — I squealed and then almost teared up.

The Ashes & the Star Cursed King, unfortunately, wasn’t quite as enjoyable for me as the first book, however, it definitely gets points for being a dual POV. I loved LOVED being in the mind of Raihn, and I kind of wish we had that for book 1 (although I do understand and appreciate the character arc Oraya went through in book one, and how dual POV probably would have hindered that). Anyway, loved being in his mind, especially since we were in this completely shaken up, post-Kejari world. I wish we got more MIsche in this one, although by the sounds of it, the next duology in this series may just feature her as our new FMC. The angst, the growth, the character development, Raihn + Oraya, there were still parts of this book that I loved, it just didn’t have that ‘unputdownable’ quality to it. I can’t really go into it without spoiling something, but this duology is definitely an enjoyable, heartwrenching read that I would recommend to lovers of ACOTAR and romantasy in general. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book about vampires, and I am looking forward to continuing the series.

Let me know your thoughts if you’ve read thhis duology! Did you enjoy them?

Review: The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty

★★★★☆ | book one of 2023 | e-book

— what a brilliant first read of the year!

The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty is the first book in the Daevabad Trilogy. The tale is heavily grounded in Middle Eastern folklore and includes Arabian nights influences (I’m not all that familiar with Arabian nights but that is the consensus). The book is set in Egypt, and also Daevabad, the fictional land of the Daeva, Djinn and Shafit. As an ancient history graduate, I loved the setting of the book. It brings me joy to recognise things like the Euphrates River, and the use of ziggurats in the Daevabad capital, not to mention the setting of Cairo. The book includes a rich fantasy world and a diverse range of characters set within a highly political city.

I did find it confusing at times, I wasn’t sure if it was because I didn’t pay enough attention to something important early on in the book, or if it really just wasn’t all that clear throughout. I found it difficult to keep the machinations of the world in order, the difference between the Djinn and the Daeva, which tribes liked whom and which were enemies. It didn’t necessarily ruin the book for me because I personally love deep world building, complex political situations and when authors are uncompromising with their world, however, I often found myself reading but not completely understanding what was going on.

The general air of confusion I had while reading it made it difficult to ascertain which characters were on whose side, however I still enjoyed the diverse cast of people. Loved the MC Nahri in the beginning as a conwoman who basically fell into this new world, but towards the end she became less interesting to me. Ali is a complex character who I really enjoyed being in the mind of, and Dara, well, he always gave me weird vibes but I also can’t help but feel bad for the guy and I definitely liked him a lot for the first half / 3/4 of the book — definitely harbouring conflicting feelings for him. The book was more violent than I was anticipating, but overall I think it added to the authenticity of the story, and heightened the risks.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. I struggled to put it down despite my comprehension issues at times. My confusion around some of the terms and the world itself didn't really affect my enjoyment, and the ending has me picking up the next book right away.

Have you read this book or this series? Let me know what you think of it!