V.E. Schwab's Threads of Power series picks up from Shades of Magic

By Tammy Bobrowsky

Published September 25, 2023 at 9:59 AM CDT

Writer V.E. Schwab sitting with arms crossed and an image of the cover of her new book--a young girl with a hood over her head holding a small box with colorful yet transparent ribbons of thread flowing out. — Writer V.E. Schwab's new book is *The Fragile Threads of Power*.

V.E. Schwab's new adult crossover "The Fragile Threads of Power" reignites the fantasy and adventure of the Shades of Magic series.

V.E. Schwab is a writer with over 20 published novels, including the popular New York Times bestseller The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

She also has a couple of film adaptations in the works and her newest novel The Fragile Threads of Power has just been released. This first book in the new Threads of Power series picks up seven years after her Shades of Magic series ended with A Conjuring of Light.

In a recent What We're Reading interview, Schwab joked, "Basically anyone who survived A Conjuring of Light is in the Threads of Power series."

And there are new characters as well, namely Tes and Kosika, two teenage girls with extraordinary power but with heavy expectations weighing down on them.

"My goal when I write characters is to make you believe that they continue living when you put down the book."

V.E. Schwab, writer

When writing characters, Schwab wants the reader to feel like the characters keep living after they're done reading.

"I don't ever want it to feel like their existence is contingent upon your attention," Schwab explained.

While her characters are strong and memorable, Schwab is also known for creating vivid worlds and writing cinematically.

"I need to see it," she said. "The original stories that inspired me were the ones that made me forget that I was reading."

Speaking of cinematic writing, both the Darker Shades series and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue are currently in the works for film adaptations, although delayed by the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike.

Schwab is excited about having her work adapted to film, but notes her love of writing novels.

"As an author, I get to play God. I get to decide how a story goes," she said. " ... I want to choose the exact words that carry you."

Find out more about V.E. Schwab on her webpage.

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