I'm just listening to this while I'm 3/4 of the way through a conjuring. I drive a lot while working and listening during the drive(I'm parked while commenting here) I am going crazy wanting to keep reading!! Already purchased FTOP. So good!
Right slow indicates there is too much all of these pieces are necessary in building a great world and characters I care deeply about I’ve never felt they are slow
Holland as the antagonist and the Twins as the real Villains ‘No one suffers as beautifully as you’ caused me real emotional damage during the re-read. Thank you V ❤
Fr though. Holland just consistently goes through it this whole series. I didn’t think much of him at the beginning, but by the end of the trilogy he was definitely one of my favorite characters
18:30, V.E.: I forgot that Lila lived in a boat! Me, rereading the series this week: I FORGOT SHE KILLED A MAN AND SET THE BOAT ON FIRE in her into chapters! I love these books and these characters and the whole world (er, worlds) built around them. ❤ Thank you, SO MUCH, for bringing us back to this universe for the next installments but also allowing us into your process through these videos!
Hi, Victoria! I'm the portuguese translator of the first two books in this trilogy. It was wonderful to listen to this readalong in preparation for Threads, which I am eagerly anticipating. These insights into your writing are immensely precious. Often did I question how to best translate your words, what was your intent in some of your choices, particularly names (Stone's Throw comes to mind). Reading and translating these books was an experience I never forgot. Kell, Lila, Rhy especially, are characters that will forever stay with me. Maybe the act of writing them down with words that, ultimately, I chose, even if to convey yours, gave them a different impact, etched them into my heart forevermore. Here's to 9 more weeks filled with magic, royals and pirates!
Oii, nossa, que incrível te encontrar aqui nos comentários! Eu conheci essa série em português e devorei os dois primeiros dois livros (na época não existia nem previsão pro lançamento da terceira tradução). Agora, muitos anos depois, aprendi a falar inglês e re-li o livro original. Essa trilogia me introduziu ao universo da leitura e re-ler os livros me fez lembrar de todas as sensações que eu senti quando os li pela primeira vez. Você conseguiu manter toda a magia do livro com a sua tradução, além de adicionar um pouco extra. Muito obrigada pela tradução e por ter levado essa história à todos os leitores de português. O trabalho dos tradutores frequentemente fica esquecido, mas é por causa de vocês que nós, leitores, conseguimos ter acesso às obras que terminam por roubar nossos corações. Obrigada!!!
Also, every time I re-read this series I fall in love with Rhy all over again. He's such a comfort character of mine and I absolutely adore his relationship with Kell ❤ Also just the sass he has is fabulous 🤣
I love that your books start slower. I think the world building and character building that's done in the beginning is why I love your books so much and they instantly become favorites of mine.
Thank you so much for doing this. “Kell wore a very peculiar coat…” is one of the first first sentences that I completely fell in love with. All of your books (that I’ve read so far) feel like home. I don’t know how you do it, but I sure do love listening to you talk about your books 😊
i dont think i ever saw holland as the villan, i love holland so much. I love all the characters, so interesting and amazing. I cant beleive one person can make such complex and indevidual characters
Lila Bard is one of my favorite characters ever. I can’t even explain why, I just love her and I’m drawn to her. I’m constantly recommending this series both to people I know and strangers in the book store I work in 😆
Lila is a huge inspiration for my D&D character - the son of a renowned wizard who wanted nothing to do with him. A thief, a spy, a taker of secrets - he holds fast to the research notes his father left behind. And at night, when the world is made of moon and shadow and the distant fire of stars, he pores over those notes, learning to disguise himself with powerful illusion magic. To him, a face is a tool - and he always keeps a spare.
As someone named Parrish (she/her), I was ecstatic when I read a book that had my name, spelled correctly. Oh how that excitement changed so quickly hehe
I could spend hours listening to you talking about your books 🥰 Especially this series since i discovered your books through it ❤ I do love an introductive part in a series it makes it easier to understand the characters and get attracted, my favourite character will always be Rhy❤ My heart aches for Holland though it is quite hard to read about the abuse he is enduring 😕 Can't wait to hear more especially more about Lila (she is my second favourite character ❤❤) Thank you so much for these videos it feels good to be back into that world and to learn a bit more about the behind the scenes 😊 (sorry if there is any mistakes my first language is french haha)
I forgot so many of the delightful little details that I’m rediscovering in this reread; thank you for doing it!!! I love how you are weaving commentary about your world building techniques and views of the characters into the summary. I’m so excited for all of the videos and planned my ENTIRE SUMMER around reading with you ❤
I love the way you talk about your writing process with the setting and characters. Taking the time to really flesh out Kell, Lila, and Holland on their own and have readers connect with them before they all cross paths is brilliant. Also love how you mentioned how carefree Rhy is in the beginning since he’s definitely not the same at the end of the series. All of them really get put through the wringer lol
I also love how you really get a sense of each of the characters and some of their motives right from the start! The first chapters with each of them sets them up so beautifully.
“But don’t mar the seal”. Until I thought about this, You feel the impact it has on him even more when you realize the king is basically trapped in that room with no one. This is his only comfort.
The world building in these chapters is so brilliant - I'm in awe of how well crafted this story is. Also - the full body shudders that happen during White Throne and the Dane twins intro is so real - absolutely excellent villains
I was thinking this as well! She conveys the story so beautifully, and it makes me happy to feel I've interpreted it the way she meant it to be interpreted? Not sure if I'm explaining that correctly lol xD I also hope that if ADSOM does make it to the screen in any way (As it has been hinted), that it is done justice.... I feel that the way V writes, is very much exactly how a scene in a movie or show plays out and I always loved that!
I have a 10 month old baby now and it is IMPOSSIBLE to sit down and read a book. I really wanted to reread this series before Threads of Power came out and was worried I wouldn't be able to. LOVE that you are doing this. Hands down one of my favorite series ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I can't explain how fast this video felt while listening to you recap this fantastic series. Even though I read the books at the end of the video I was so sad that I would have to wait a week to know what would happen. Your insight and behind-the-scenes are so fascinating and engaging, I can't wait to see what you have for us in the coming chapters. Thank you for taking the time to organize and record these videos, especially given your busy schedule.
Kell and Rhy's relationship is my absolute favourite in the entire series - their banter is hilarious and their devotion to each other is beautiful. Hearing you talk about them and what they mean to each other just makes me adore them even more. Can't wait for more brotherly moments!
NGL the introduction describing Kell's coat is what hooked me IMMEDIATELY the first time I read this series (and again the second). I just loved that magic was introduced in this way - something subtle that had it woven into the very fabric of Kell's clothes rather than being thrust into a fantastical world where you're just surrounded by an overwhelming amount of unknown things before you even fully understand how magic works in the world (which is great too sometimes). Also re-reading this first part reminded me that Kell has a bit of an edge and mischief to him, maybe because between Rhy and Lila, he's probably the most responsible of the three...which I dunno what that says about the three of them considering Kell was literally smuggling things between Londons but....lol
My original plan was to use this as a good, in-depth refresher but after listening to this first part it makes me desperately want to do a full re-read!!
the positioning of white london is definitely something that resonates with me more and more with each reread - obviously the desperation and fear is there and vivid, but the longer I spend in the world the more I think about the situation in white london when the worlds were sealed off and !! I have a lot of feelings about it !! but it's really interesting going back to these early bits of the series with that perspective
Right? It's a lot more complicated than "this one is bad". Because they were essentially sacrificed in the bargain, and left with the highest degree of threat. This comes up more and more in later books as we get to know Holland's origin story with the king BEFORE the Danes.
I’ve only just discovered ADSOM and to get to experience this story for the first time with a read along is just so special. I can’t wait to continue! ❤
17:32 I love this insight about mantras and the goal being to get the character to care enough about something else that they break that mantra. Now I'm wondering what the mantras would be for our other characters, especially Kell. This was such a treat! Thank you so much for doing it. Can't wait for next week!
26:49 I also LOVE this distinction between a villain and an antagonist. I will also say I wasn't SOLD on the Holland love when I read this the first time. I often don't sympathize with the anti-hero (also wasn't a fan of Snape, for example), but I'm keeping an open mind this time.
4:22 😂 I actually laughed at this admission that you write slow books, because I see folks complain about this every time your books are discussed in book groups. You actually taught me to like "slow" books! I love the comparison to a game, how you need to know the rules and set the board. It's SUCH a great comparison.
I think I've always so connected Lila with being the one who makes consistently poor choices that I'd forgotten that Kell is also very prone to bad decision making! I think Kell has always been the "sensible" one in my mind as compared to Lila and Rhy so I forget that sensible is just a very low bar when it comes to the characters in these books (in the best possible way!). I also totally forgot that she initially lived on a ship and that her introduction involved her killing a man and burning said ship down! You'd think I would have remembered that given that Lila has always been my fave character from this series! Honestly I was so hooked from the very first line of ADSOM and loved the characters so much that even though the first four parts were largely introduction, I didn't feel that way to me because I was so engrossed with learning about the worlds!
Omggg!!! So excited about this! These books are epic and Kell is such an interesting character 👌 but if i have to be honest, my favorite character is coat!!!!! Edit: the bloopers are everything!
I was first introduced to you an author through 'The Invisible Life of Addie Larue' (one of my all time favorites) and have been working my way through all of your novels. I was so excited you announced this read along as I was picking up this series for the first time. I love listening to you speak about your books and processes and am so drawn in by your words! You have quickly become one of my favorite authors. Love getting this extra dimension to your story!
oh my god thank you so much for this! this had me grinning like an idiot the entire time - the sheer JOY this has brought me omg!!!! hearing you introduce Lila, who is the character i relate to more than anyone from any piece of fiction, meant so much to me (if that even makes sense lmao). and kell my sweet baby, i would die for you. the scene where he falls asleep clutching the music box has a special place in my heart - everytime he's on the page i want to pull him out the book to give him a little kiss on the forehead :') i am just so insanely grateful for this series - there is SO much i could say about these sections alone, but i'll be here for hours, so i won't lol. but just thank you so so much!!! i'll be doing my 7th reread when i get home in July, and i'm getting my 4th adsom tattoo next week!!! thank you again, V
Update... I was planning to read each section of the book along with these videos so I could follow along... but then I got sucked in and read almost all of the first book on the train this morning, and tonight I went and bought the second book. I'm so in love with the characters. Can't stop, won't stop.
Love this!! Thank you so much for sharing your time. This is one of my all time favorite series and it's awesome to hear you talk about the story. Can't wait till next week!
This was such a great readalong experience! I read the Shades series for the first time when I was in college (about 4 years ago) and fell in love with your books. I've always wanted to do a reread and this was the perfect way to bring me back to the world! Thank you so much for making these videos :)
I was introduced to your work with The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and instantly fell in love with your “slow starts”. This is going to sound so creepy, but my husband and I spent a week in Edinburgh last May while on our belated honeymoon. As if Scotland hadn’t seemed magical enough already, when we got in line for Customs, I spotted a woman with short red hair and cherry-red glasses quite a few people behind me. I told myself that if I saw you at baggage claim I’d tell you how much I adore your work and that I couldn’t wait to read more of it! But I didn’t see you again and we were off. Now, 8 months later, I’ve spent the past month devouring the entire DSOM series and I’m so grateful to be alive during a time where an incredible author not only can but wants to do read-along videos of the fantastic series I just finished. Thank you so much for being you ❤
These books are so special to me, A Darker Shade of Magic was the first fantasy book i read and i can't wait for Threads of Power. Love every single character so much that I can't pick favorites. Lila and Kell still remain my favorite bookish couple, never shipped two characters so hard as I did with them 🖤
I'm not crying! I don't know why revisiting this has made me feel so emotional, but I'm living for this readalong. I'm treating it as a refresher and I love all of the extra insight. Totally agree with some of the comments about Victoria voicing her own books - I could listen all day!
The way I spit out my coffee when she said “I write slow books” 😂 I always find the beginning of VE’s books to be so immediately engaging I would never describe them as slow.
It's being a pleasure to reread this with your comments. I also didn't remember about Lila's lodgings, and it was a surprise! Lila is one of my favorite characters. And I can't have enough of her. I love how you buld the stories, I love the slow beginings because I do care deeply about all of them, even Holland though I hated him the first time I read the series!
I am so thrilled for this readalong and all of the insight in the videos. As someone who is writing a book herself, hearing all of your explanations and comments on this masterpiece of a novel is helping the way I think about how I write. Can't wait for the rest to come out
Reading this series for the first time right now with my best friend as part of our bookclub :> Not sure you'll see this, but thank you, V.E., for writing this trilogy. For the last four years I haven't been able to read fantasy and sci-fi because of university, and ADSoM rekindled my love for the genre and reminded me of home. Thank you so much.
Reread the four parts just to be here and comment 💜 These first four chapters are the main characters' intros and you can already tell so much about them. For example, I love how we understand that yeah, magic can make you a powerful being but it's also a curse. Kell seems to have a good life in Red London but he's not happy. He feels like he doesn't belong, because his duty as the prince's brother is to be a sort of diplomat. Yet, he can never go where he wants to, so he steals the trinkets from the other Londons as a way to rebel against his owners (because we know that to Maxim and Emira, Kell is just an asset, they own him). Holland, though, has it worse. Even though Kell's free will is taken away due to his duties to the crown, Holland's consent is completely stripped away from him when the Dane twins take the throne. Holland is often described as more powerful than Kell but the compulsion the twins exert on him make it impossible for Holland to rebel and save himself from this suffering. Unlike Kell, Holland belongs in White London and he should be the rightful king.
my heart is so happy and full to see victoria back in a cozy space sharing her books and chatting about craft with us!! ❤ESP given ADOM series was my intro to her books all those years ago
I love that you make a reference to Kell’s secret room being something that would come out of Howl’s Moving Castle! Howl is one of my favorite magicians and Kell reminded me of him in several ways, just far less flamboyant haha. Kell’s coat is also one of my favorite magic items of all time, it’s so simple and yet it offers so much depending on the person who uses it. Cannot emphasize my love for these books enough! Thank you! And please keep doing these discussions!
it is also interesting to me that you mentioned that people see your books as slow???? I do not understand this because I think of these first four parts almost as a brisk walk and a world hop or two which is a lot of movement for a hundred pages. Whats more successful is that it leaves me filled with wonder as i can vividly visualize everything on these pages. Its what caused me to fall in love in the first place.
I love this so much 🥹 I've read ADSOM series AT LEAST 3 times (no idea how many tbh) and rereading it always feels like home. Getting to sit and listen to you summarize the books in preparation for Threads feels almost magical. So much love for you ❤ Can't wait for September!
I, also, had entirely forgotten about Lila's first place of lodging. She arrived at the ship, and I was very confused. 😅 Edit to add: This will be my first time re-reading the trilogy, and I'm beyond excited to do it as a readalong with you! Even just reading through parts 1-4 today, I didn't realize how much I'd missed these characters. Starting with them from the beginning is so exciting knowing where they all end up by the end of Conjuring of Light. I love so many of these characters. I cannot wait to go on the journey with them again, and I cannot wait to meet up with them again in Threads of Power. Also, petition for more Thomas content. 😅
I love the idea of the characters each having their own mantra. Me being who I am Lila has and always will be my favorite character so looking at her introduction again has been a pleasure. Knowing that her introduction was her mantra definitely casts a different light on her adventures going forward and I am HERE for it. Thank you so much for doing this read a long! I have read the books a couple times but reading it and then hearing your insight on these characters a little at a time has already been a delightfully eye opening experience to some of the smaller things I may have overlooked before. I am already so excited to start the next video.
Now that every part is posted I’m excited for my binge watch! my thoughts from these parts: - I actually love how the first few sections were introductions! I find it can be so overwhelming to start a book (especially fantasy) and have characters I don’t really know until midway through. I found I not only understood a portion of these characters within these first few parts, but I also started to care about them! And this love only grew and grew as the time went on. The different Londons are still extraordinary to me. I love how they all have a different relationships to magic (as you put it). And differentiating them with colors was so genius, I found it made it so much easier to understand the different places instead of having to learn completely different names. I also love how everything is set up so nicely for the future, especially Kell’s place (or lack of it) in his family. My favourite part of these parts was definitely Lila’s entrance! I love how she killed Powell within her first few pages, it just perfectly sets up her badass character. She’s so cool. Next part coming straight up!
I too love the plot lines that throw you right into the action but as i read this series for the first time i’m loving getting to know the characters and worlds first, it’s really the only way i could picture it done, establishing the way things are before they are drastically changed and having that understanding of how the worlds worked and how the characters lived, thought, etc. before the plot kicks into motion. this is such an exciting way of reading it with all these insights from the author themself, it’s gonna be amazing
I literally forgot that Lila was on a ship like I read this book last year and what I remembered was her always being at the stone throw. This is why rereading is still fun.
@18:50 I know I'm late to the party but I'm so happy to be here!! And I just finished the initial series (freaking loved it!!) and this from way back in book 1, I forgot about, but reminds me now of one of my most memorable parts of book 3 where Jasta, the lady pirate scoffs at Lila's aspirations to be a pirate and tells her pirates and thieves are not the same; thieves always have an escape plan or a place to escape to but pirates do not and so they are always fighting for their lives and therefore the fiercer of the two. I thought this was a really interesting distinction and forgot that Lila had been musing about this since way back in book 1. How far she came!!
The minute you read out to opening scenes shivers ran right through my body. One of my absolute favorite moments and keeps making me need to get a coat tattoo dedicated to Kell’s
I reread the book last month and so walking through this again is not new information, but it literally feels new and wonderful every single time. I found myself giddy listening to you prepare us for going through the events of the book together. Thank you for doing this.
I am absolutely loving revisiting these books, there’s so many details I forgot as I devoured them the first time round. I have such a renewed appreciation 👏🙌✨📖
I loved the dynamic between Rhy and Kell. Soo excited for Threads of Power. I actually really like a 'slow' start, I agree with you, it does make you care about the characters, give you an understanding of them, and also an understanding of the world
Okay tell me why she speaks the way she writes. It’s absolutely enchanting. And ALSO tell me why even after all the times I’ve read this series, I still get this absolutely indescribable, visceral love for Holland. He seriously might be the most well written character I’ve ever stumbled across, and I literally screamed at “fan favorite, Holland.” How did I not know there were others like me 😭🤣 But in all seriousness, the best thing about this entire video: the reveal that Ned Tuttle is in the new book. I’m screaming.
I casually read all three books and Fragile Threads in 5 days, and re-read them all straight after (just finished the re-read). and yes im here to watch Victoria talk me through them even though the story is as fresh in my mind as humanly possible. I just cannot get enough of the world and the characters and im crying that i need to wait for book 2 of fragile threads This series has brought me so much joy 😍
I love seeing your kitties, let them wreak havoc in the background! More importantly though, on my reread of parts 1-4 I was REALLY struck by how well it sets up the characters and story (and includes so. much. foreshadowing!) and reminded me just how much I love this series and this book in particular. Can't believe anyone calls this slow!
been waiting so (un)patiently for this ! i am so greatfull for how you are letting us in your brain to see how everything was created. it is also beautiful to see how you emerge yourself in your craft and create worlds for us❤
I've read this trilogy many years ago and I absolutely adored it!! Now I've been in a reading slump for over a month but I heard you were doing this readalong and while I was re-reading the first book I totally fall in love with reading again! I cannot put the book down, I just want to worship this characters again ❤
Petition for Victoria to voice her own audiobooks ❤
YES PLS
Yes!!
consider it signed
YES PLEASE
Yes omg that would be perfect
“He has so much joy-don’t worry, we’re gonna strip it all away.” That absolutely killed me hahaha, poor Rhy.
I was honestly so surprised by how innocent and unbroken he is in this book!
I am very worried about this tidbit🙃
I hit me like a ton of bricks when I thought about his journey through the trilogy. “She’s right! He was very…..life is great…tra-la-la!
I'm just listening to this while I'm 3/4 of the way through a conjuring. I drive a lot while working and listening during the drive(I'm parked while commenting here) I am going crazy wanting to keep reading!! Already purchased FTOP. So good!
It’s wild that people view your books as “slow” because I devour each one so quickly!
Lol for real, as a Brandon Sanderson fan tolerating the thousand-word prologue that is Way of Kings, her pacing to action is excellent
Same here! I literally ate each one up and didn't find them slow at all.
Right slow indicates there is too much all of these pieces are necessary in building a great world and characters I care deeply about I’ve never felt they are slow
Same here! I love it, not slow at all!
My immediate thought whenever I get to that last bit in Part 4 is that someone needs to give Kell a refresher on Stranger Danger 🤣
So true, Kell is wayyy too gullible in this exact moment, drunk or not!
@@tales_andtravels I feel like ESPECIALLY in White London stranger danger is important
you know how some people have a safe word with their kids so the kids know which adults they can trust? kell needs that
The way he just falls for it!!! C’mon bby
He definitely made a series of POOR CHOICES.
Holland as the antagonist and the Twins as the real Villains ‘No one suffers as beautifully as you’ caused me real emotional damage during the re-read. Thank you V ❤
ugh yes!! painful
i just recently read that part and i was like 😢
Fr though. Holland just consistently goes through it this whole series. I didn’t think much of him at the beginning, but by the end of the trilogy he was definitely one of my favorite characters
I had never before sobbed so much because of a book character, and I haven’t since. That man and Victoria broke me
Holland is such a great character. Love to see my faves suffer (makes sense in my head).
"Kell wore a very peculiar coat," is such a comfort line to me. Feels likes coming home after a very long day. 🙂
18:30, V.E.: I forgot that Lila lived in a boat!
Me, rereading the series this week: I FORGOT SHE KILLED A MAN AND SET THE BOAT ON FIRE in her into chapters!
I love these books and these characters and the whole world (er, worlds) built around them. ❤
Thank you, SO MUCH, for bringing us back to this universe for the next installments but also allowing us into your process through these videos!
Lila’s first moments had me absolutely obsessed with her hahaha
I forgot as well and then after finishing the chapter with flames I realised there was no better way to introduce Lila.
Hi, Victoria! I'm the portuguese translator of the first two books in this trilogy. It was wonderful to listen to this readalong in preparation for Threads, which I am eagerly anticipating.
These insights into your writing are immensely precious. Often did I question how to best translate your words, what was your intent in some of your choices, particularly names (Stone's Throw comes to mind).
Reading and translating these books was an experience I never forgot. Kell, Lila, Rhy especially, are characters that will forever stay with me. Maybe the act of writing them down with words that, ultimately, I chose, even if to convey yours, gave them a different impact, etched them into my heart forevermore.
Here's to 9 more weeks filled with magic, royals and pirates!
Oii, nossa, que incrível te encontrar aqui nos comentários! Eu conheci essa série em português e devorei os dois primeiros dois livros (na época não existia nem previsão pro lançamento da terceira tradução). Agora, muitos anos depois, aprendi a falar inglês e re-li o livro original. Essa trilogia me introduziu ao universo da leitura e re-ler os livros me fez lembrar de todas as sensações que eu senti quando os li pela primeira vez. Você conseguiu manter toda a magia do livro com a sua tradução, além de adicionar um pouco extra. Muito obrigada pela tradução e por ter levado essa história à todos os leitores de português. O trabalho dos tradutores frequentemente fica esquecido, mas é por causa de vocês que nós, leitores, conseguimos ter acesso às obras que terminam por roubar nossos corações. Obrigada!!!
Oh, this is so great to hear!
"Everyone in this book is gonna go thru it" this is an understatement
I love the way she speaks on world and character, especially the bit about breaking a character’s mantra. So enlightening!
YES! it totally gives a different perspective as you watch the character growth through the series
I’m ready for Ned Tuttle’s comeback 😂
YES! Can’t wait to see what he’s been up to haha
Ned Tuttle just refuses to leave this story. He doesn't need to be a main character. He just wants to be included!
I love Ned!!
Also, every time I re-read this series I fall in love with Rhy all over again. He's such a comfort character of mine and I absolutely adore his relationship with Kell ❤ Also just the sass he has is fabulous 🤣
My heart swell just listening to This wonderful human talking about the world building . I love this series so much .
Everything about this was so much fun. "Stop stealing shit," Kell.
LOVE.
IT.
One of my favorite line from this video!!
The way I 😨-ed when Victoria said she's gonna strip all of Rhy's joy away even tho I already know what happens in the book
I think one of my favorite quotes is in this first section. "But hunger - for energy, for life - did things to people. Made them do things."
pirates, thieves, and sadistic kings. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?? brilliant
I love the part about getting a character to break their mantra at some point in the series. And that title - "Pirates, Thieves, and Sadist Kings" ⚔️👑
Haha I loved that insight about the title too!
I love that your books start slower. I think the world building and character building that's done in the beginning is why I love your books so much and they instantly become favorites of mine.
I totally agree!! The setting of the stage in all of V’s writing is masterful and I just get absolutely sucked in!!
Thank you so much for doing this. “Kell wore a very peculiar coat…” is one of the first first sentences that I completely fell in love with. All of your books (that I’ve read so far) feel like home. I don’t know how you do it, but I sure do love listening to you talk about your books 😊
i dont think i ever saw holland as the villan, i love holland so much. I love all the characters, so interesting and amazing. I cant beleive one person can make such complex and indevidual characters
My favorite thing is that my videographer, Jenna, hasn't read books 2 and 3, so she keeps asking me why I get emotional and defend Holland so much!
Lila Bard is one of my favorite characters ever. I can’t even explain why, I just love her and I’m drawn to her. I’m constantly recommending this series both to people I know and strangers in the book store I work in 😆
So strongly agree!! Lila is one of my all time faves, and I have recommended this book to SO many people.
Lila is absolutely the best
stone’s throw is a character on itself love it 😍
Starting off #summerofschwab strong! Loved all the insights, and cannot wait for more! More cats next time!
OMG #summerofschwab!!!!!! 👏👏👏🔥🔥🔥
ummmm….can we make #summerofschwab t-shirts??
17:20 LILAAAAAA 😍😍😍 this character intro is SUPERIOR
Lila is a huge inspiration for my D&D character - the son of a renowned wizard who wanted nothing to do with him. A thief, a spy, a taker of secrets - he holds fast to the research notes his father left behind. And at night, when the world is made of moon and shadow and the distant fire of stars, he pores over those notes, learning to disguise himself with powerful illusion magic. To him, a face is a tool - and he always keeps a spare.
As someone named Parrish (she/her), I was ecstatic when I read a book that had my name, spelled correctly. Oh how that excitement changed so quickly hehe
I could spend hours listening to you talking about your books 🥰 Especially this series since i discovered your books through it ❤ I do love an introductive part in a series it makes it easier to understand the characters and get attracted, my favourite character will always be Rhy❤ My heart aches for Holland though it is quite hard to read about the abuse he is enduring 😕 Can't wait to hear more especially more about Lila (she is my second favourite character ❤❤) Thank you so much for these videos it feels good to be back into that world and to learn a bit more about the behind the scenes 😊 (sorry if there is any mistakes my first language is french haha)
I loveeee the "slow" beginnings. It's so confusing when authors just throw you in the deep end and make you figure it out!
Same!! I love a good slow burn and V is so good at it!
15:19 The Howl’s Moving Castle referenceeee! Thats exactly how i envisioned that lil room 😍
Listening to you talk about a series that I adore so much is making me oddly emotional and we’re only one episode in, I’m so excited for the rest ❤️
Surprisingly (to me), revisiting the series has made me emotional too!
I forgot so many of the delightful little details that I’m rediscovering in this reread; thank you for doing it!!! I love how you are weaving commentary about your world building techniques and views of the characters into the summary. I’m so excited for all of the videos and planned my ENTIRE SUMMER around reading with you ❤
Honestly, I'm surprised by how many little things *I* forgot as well!
i love kell's coat, it's a character it self
I love the way you talk about your writing process with the setting and characters. Taking the time to really flesh out Kell, Lila, and Holland on their own and have readers connect with them before they all cross paths is brilliant. Also love how you mentioned how carefree Rhy is in the beginning since he’s definitely not the same at the end of the series. All of them really get put through the wringer lol
I also love how you really get a sense of each of the characters and some of their motives right from the start! The first chapters with each of them sets them up so beautifully.
8:34 Ned making a comeback in Threads of Magic? I cant wait
“But don’t mar the seal”. Until I thought about this, You feel the impact it has on him even more when you realize the king is basically trapped in that room with no one. This is his only comfort.
The world building in these chapters is so brilliant - I'm in awe of how well crafted this story is.
Also - the full body shudders that happen during White Throne and the Dane twins intro is so real - absolutely excellent villains
Now I need you to do a readalong for every one of your books! I love your insights and thought process❤
I am here for this! Yes, please!
Definitely want this, especially for Villains when 3rd book comes out
This is very comforting to see how your mind actually worked while writing this and how our as readers minds worked while reading
I was thinking this as well! She conveys the story so beautifully, and it makes me happy to feel I've interpreted it the way she meant it to be interpreted? Not sure if I'm explaining that correctly lol xD I also hope that if ADSOM does make it to the screen in any way (As it has been hinted), that it is done justice.... I feel that the way V writes, is very much exactly how a scene in a movie or show plays out and I always loved that!
I have a 10 month old baby now and it is IMPOSSIBLE to sit down and read a book. I really wanted to reread this series before Threads of Power came out and was worried I wouldn't be able to. LOVE that you are doing this. Hands down one of my favorite series ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
It always helps, I think, to have an easy way to refresh one's memory!
Thanks for doing this. As much as I am excited for this, I'm also excited for cats to crash the video 😂
omg same. i want cat cameos 😅
sameee haha
Same!
I can't explain how fast this video felt while listening to you recap this fantastic series. Even though I read the books at the end of the video I was so sad that I would have to wait a week to know what would happen. Your insight and behind-the-scenes are so fascinating and engaging, I can't wait to see what you have for us in the coming chapters. Thank you for taking the time to organize and record these videos, especially given your busy schedule.
Kell and Rhy's relationship is my absolute favourite in the entire series - their banter is hilarious and their devotion to each other is beautiful. Hearing you talk about them and what they mean to each other just makes me adore them even more. Can't wait for more brotherly moments!
NGL the introduction describing Kell's coat is what hooked me IMMEDIATELY the first time I read this series (and again the second). I just loved that magic was introduced in this way - something subtle that had it woven into the very fabric of Kell's clothes rather than being thrust into a fantastical world where you're just surrounded by an overwhelming amount of unknown things before you even fully understand how magic works in the world (which is great too sometimes).
Also re-reading this first part reminded me that Kell has a bit of an edge and mischief to him, maybe because between Rhy and Lila, he's probably the most responsible of the three...which I dunno what that says about the three of them considering Kell was literally smuggling things between Londons but....lol
My original plan was to use this as a good, in-depth refresher but after listening to this first part it makes me desperately want to do a full re-read!!
Yessss join me.
Same! And I just read them for the first time a few months ago 😃
the positioning of white london is definitely something that resonates with me more and more with each reread - obviously the desperation and fear is there and vivid, but the longer I spend in the world the more I think about the situation in white london when the worlds were sealed off and !! I have a lot of feelings about it !! but it's really interesting going back to these early bits of the series with that perspective
Yes!! I really think about it differently every time I reread, and definitely have a lot more complex feelings about it every time.
Right? It's a lot more complicated than "this one is bad". Because they were essentially sacrificed in the bargain, and left with the highest degree of threat. This comes up more and more in later books as we get to know Holland's origin story with the king BEFORE the Danes.
I’ve only just discovered ADSOM and to get to experience this story for the first time with a read along is just so special. I can’t wait to continue! ❤
You’re in for such a treat with all the books! One of my favorite series of all time.
My favorite thing about stories is the sense of community they give us, so I'm really glad I could be a part of this with all of you.
17:32 I love this insight about mantras and the goal being to get the character to care enough about something else that they
break that mantra. Now I'm wondering what the mantras would be for our other characters, especially Kell.
This was such a treat! Thank you so much for doing it. Can't wait for next week!
26:49 I also LOVE this distinction between a villain and an antagonist. I will also say I wasn't SOLD on the Holland love when I read this the first time. I often don't sympathize with the anti-hero (also wasn't a fan of Snape, for example), but I'm keeping an open mind this time.
4:22 😂 I actually laughed at this admission that you write slow books, because I see folks complain about this every time your books are discussed in book groups. You actually taught me to like "slow" books! I love the comparison to a game, how you need to know the rules and set the board. It's SUCH a great comparison.
The mantras idea is so interesting!! And trying to get the characters to break their mantras, I love it!
I love how you can relate to each character (Kell, Lila, Holland...) in a different way! It makes them feel so real!! ❤
I think I've always so connected Lila with being the one who makes consistently poor choices that I'd forgotten that Kell is also very prone to bad decision making! I think Kell has always been the "sensible" one in my mind as compared to Lila and Rhy so I forget that sensible is just a very low bar when it comes to the characters in these books (in the best possible way!). I also totally forgot that she initially lived on a ship and that her introduction involved her killing a man and burning said ship down! You'd think I would have remembered that given that Lila has always been my fave character from this series!
Honestly I was so hooked from the very first line of ADSOM and loved the characters so much that even though the first four parts were largely introduction, I didn't feel that way to me because I was so engrossed with learning about the worlds!
The first line of ADSOM is one of my favorite first lines of all time. AAH. I'm so thrilled to be coming back!!!
Omggg!!! So excited about this! These books are epic and Kell is such an interesting character 👌 but if i have to be honest, my favorite character is coat!!!!!
Edit: the bloopers are everything!
I mean, the coat is 100% a character, especially as the series goes on! It's like the Room of Requirement + the magic carpet in Aladdin.
@@veschwab_onwriting damn!!! Thank you ♥️
I was first introduced to you an author through 'The Invisible Life of Addie Larue' (one of my all time favorites) and have been working my way through all of your novels. I was so excited you announced this read along as I was picking up this series for the first time. I love listening to you speak about your books and processes and am so drawn in by your words! You have quickly become one of my favorite authors. Love getting this extra dimension to your story!
oh my god thank you so much for this! this had me grinning like an idiot the entire time - the sheer JOY this has brought me omg!!!! hearing you introduce Lila, who is the character i relate to more than anyone from any piece of fiction, meant so much to me (if that even makes sense lmao). and kell my sweet baby, i would die for you. the scene where he falls asleep clutching the music box has a special place in my heart - everytime he's on the page i want to pull him out the book to give him a little kiss on the forehead :') i am just so insanely grateful for this series - there is SO much i could say about these sections alone, but i'll be here for hours, so i won't lol. but just thank you so so much!!! i'll be doing my 7th reread when i get home in July, and i'm getting my 4th adsom tattoo next week!!! thank you again, V
Update... I was planning to read each section of the book along with these videos so I could follow along... but then I got sucked in and read almost all of the first book on the train this morning, and tonight I went and bought the second book. I'm so in love with the characters. Can't stop, won't stop.
Love this!! Thank you so much for sharing your time. This is one of my all time favorite series and it's awesome to hear you talk about the story. Can't wait till next week!
As much as I love kell I really did forget how much stress he causes me even as a fictional character
Everyone: “Kell, NO!”
Kell: “Kell, yes!”
We get a blooper reel WITH KITTIES!!! 😁🥰❤
it’s like a marvel movie and you have to wait until the end!
I would have taken 3 hours of this!!!
Thank you for taking the time to do these vidéos!!
This was such a great readalong experience! I read the Shades series for the first time when I was in college (about 4 years ago) and fell in love with your books. I've always wanted to do a reread and this was the perfect way to bring me back to the world! Thank you so much for making these videos :)
I was introduced to your work with The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and instantly fell in love with your “slow starts”. This is going to sound so creepy, but my husband and I spent a week in Edinburgh last May while on our belated honeymoon. As if Scotland hadn’t seemed magical enough already, when we got in line for Customs, I spotted a woman with short red hair and cherry-red glasses quite a few people behind me. I told myself that if I saw you at baggage claim I’d tell you how much I adore your work and that I couldn’t wait to read more of it! But I didn’t see you again and we were off. Now, 8 months later, I’ve spent the past month devouring the entire DSOM series and I’m so grateful to be alive during a time where an incredible author not only can but wants to do read-along videos of the fantastic series I just finished. Thank you so much for being you ❤
These books are so special to me, A Darker Shade of Magic was the first fantasy book i read and i can't wait for Threads of Power. Love every single character so much that I can't pick favorites. Lila and Kell still remain my favorite bookish couple, never shipped two characters so hard as I did with them 🖤
I'm not crying! I don't know why revisiting this has made me feel so emotional, but I'm living for this readalong. I'm treating it as a refresher and I love all of the extra insight. Totally agree with some of the comments about Victoria voicing her own books - I could listen all day!
The way I spit out my coffee when she said “I write slow books” 😂 I always find the beginning of VE’s books to be so immediately engaging I would never describe them as slow.
It's being a pleasure to reread this with your comments. I also didn't remember about Lila's lodgings, and it was a surprise! Lila is one of my favorite characters. And I can't have enough of her.
I love how you buld the stories, I love the slow beginings because I do care deeply about all of them, even Holland though I hated him the first time I read the series!
I adore this story so much. its so cool hearing about your thoughts whilst writing and why you wrote certain things
Okay but the noise I made when V read the first line... 😂I'm so excited for this read along and revisiting my favorite series ever! ♥
Wait, the river is the reason the London's are connected!?!? I never realized that! 😱
I am so thrilled for this readalong and all of the insight in the videos. As someone who is writing a book herself, hearing all of your explanations and comments on this masterpiece of a novel is helping the way I think about how I write. Can't wait for the rest to come out
Reading this series for the first time right now with my best friend as part of our bookclub :>
Not sure you'll see this, but thank you, V.E., for writing this trilogy. For the last four years I haven't been able to read fantasy and sci-fi because of university, and ADSoM rekindled my love for the genre and reminded me of home. Thank you so much.
You are very, very welcome.
Reread the four parts just to be here and comment 💜 These first four chapters are the main characters' intros and you can already tell so much about them. For example, I love how we understand that yeah, magic can make you a powerful being but it's also a curse. Kell seems to have a good life in Red London but he's not happy. He feels like he doesn't belong, because his duty as the prince's brother is to be a sort of diplomat. Yet, he can never go where he wants to, so he steals the trinkets from the other Londons as a way to rebel against his owners (because we know that to Maxim and Emira, Kell is just an asset, they own him). Holland, though, has it worse. Even though Kell's free will is taken away due to his duties to the crown, Holland's consent is completely stripped away from him when the Dane twins take the throne. Holland is often described as more powerful than Kell but the compulsion the twins exert on him make it impossible for Holland to rebel and save himself from this suffering. Unlike Kell, Holland belongs in White London and he should be the rightful king.
As someone who’s already read the trilogy, it’s nice to have you explain your thought process going into every single detail.
my heart is so happy and full to see victoria back in a cozy space sharing her books and chatting about craft with us!! ❤ESP given ADOM series was my intro to her books all those years ago
Late to the party but the part "he just has a lot of joy but don't worry we're gonna strip all of it away" had me die laughing hahaha
I love that you make a reference to Kell’s secret room being something that would come out of Howl’s Moving Castle! Howl is one of my favorite magicians and Kell reminded me of him in several ways, just far less flamboyant haha. Kell’s coat is also one of my favorite magic items of all time, it’s so simple and yet it offers so much depending on the person who uses it. Cannot emphasize my love for these books enough! Thank you! And please keep doing these discussions!
Every time I begin this series and read, “Kell wore a very peculiar coat,” I get little tingles of excitement.
it is also interesting to me that you mentioned that people see your books as slow???? I do not understand this because I think of these first four parts almost as a brisk walk and a world hop or two which is a lot of movement for a hundred pages. Whats more successful is that it leaves me filled with wonder as i can vividly visualize everything on these pages. Its what caused me to fall in love in the first place.
I love this so much 🥹 I've read ADSOM series AT LEAST 3 times (no idea how many tbh) and rereading it always feels like home. Getting to sit and listen to you summarize the books in preparation for Threads feels almost magical. So much love for you ❤ Can't wait for September!
the way you talk is just so good, i’m only in 2:27 and already more in love with this series which became my favorite ps: I’m from brazil!!!
I, also, had entirely forgotten about Lila's first place of lodging. She arrived at the ship, and I was very confused. 😅
Edit to add: This will be my first time re-reading the trilogy, and I'm beyond excited to do it as a readalong with you! Even just reading through parts 1-4 today, I didn't realize how much I'd missed these characters. Starting with them from the beginning is so exciting knowing where they all end up by the end of Conjuring of Light. I love so many of these characters. I cannot wait to go on the journey with them again, and I cannot wait to meet up with them again in Threads of Power.
Also, petition for more Thomas content. 😅
I love the idea of the characters each having their own mantra. Me being who I am Lila has and always will be my favorite character so looking at her introduction again has been a pleasure. Knowing that her introduction was her mantra definitely casts a different light on her adventures going forward and I am HERE for it. Thank you so much for doing this read a long! I have read the books a couple times but reading it and then hearing your insight on these characters a little at a time has already been a delightfully eye opening experience to some of the smaller things I may have overlooked before. I am already so excited to start the next video.
Now that every part is posted I’m excited for my binge watch!
my thoughts from these parts:
- I actually love how the first few sections were introductions! I find it can be so overwhelming to start a book (especially fantasy) and have characters I don’t really know until midway through. I found I not only understood a portion of these characters within these first few parts, but I also started to care about them! And this love only grew and grew as the time went on.
The different Londons are still extraordinary to me. I love how they all have a different relationships to magic (as you put it). And differentiating them with colors was so genius, I found it made it so much easier to understand the different places instead of having to learn completely different names.
I also love how everything is set up so nicely for the future, especially Kell’s place (or lack of it) in his family.
My favourite part of these parts was definitely Lila’s entrance! I love how she killed Powell within her first few pages, it just perfectly sets up her badass character. She’s so cool.
Next part coming straight up!
I too love the plot lines that throw you right into the action but as i read this series for the first time i’m loving getting to know the characters and worlds first, it’s really the only way i could picture it done, establishing the way things are before they are drastically changed and having that understanding of how the worlds worked and how the characters lived, thought, etc. before the plot kicks into motion. this is such an exciting way of reading it with all these insights from the author themself, it’s gonna be amazing
Seeing Victoria so Happy and passionate is Always beautiful 😮😮😮😮😮
This is so cool. I’m loving this. A deeper understanding of the whole series is exciting. I’m all in!!
I literally forgot that Lila was on a ship like I read this book last year and what I remembered was her always being at the stone throw. This is why rereading is still fun.
@18:50 I know I'm late to the party but I'm so happy to be here!! And I just finished the initial series (freaking loved it!!) and this from way back in book 1, I forgot about, but reminds me now of one of my most memorable parts of book 3 where Jasta, the lady pirate scoffs at Lila's aspirations to be a pirate and tells her pirates and thieves are not the same; thieves always have an escape plan or a place to escape to but pirates do not and so they are always fighting for their lives and therefore the fiercer of the two. I thought this was a really interesting distinction and forgot that Lila had been musing about this since way back in book 1. How far she came!!
The minute you read out to opening scenes shivers ran right through my body. One of my absolute favorite moments and keeps making me need to get a coat tattoo dedicated to Kell’s
I reread the book last month and so walking through this again is not new information, but it literally feels new and wonderful every single time. I found myself giddy listening to you prepare us for going through the events of the book together. Thank you for doing this.
I really love the relationship between Kell and Rhy.
I'm so excited to read Threads, can't wait to september
It’s a delight to walk through this book with the autor. It gives the story a whole other dimension! 💖 love from Mexico 🇲🇽
I am absolutely loving revisiting these books, there’s so many details I forgot as I devoured them the first time round. I have such a renewed appreciation 👏🙌✨📖
I loved the dynamic between Rhy and Kell. Soo excited for Threads of Power.
I actually really like a 'slow' start, I agree with you, it does make you care about the characters, give you an understanding of them, and also an understanding of the world
Okay tell me why she speaks the way she writes. It’s absolutely enchanting.
And ALSO tell me why even after all the times I’ve read this series, I still get this absolutely indescribable, visceral love for Holland. He seriously might be the most well written character I’ve ever stumbled across, and I literally screamed at “fan favorite, Holland.” How did I not know there were others like me 😭🤣
But in all seriousness, the best thing about this entire video: the reveal that Ned Tuttle is in the new book. I’m screaming.
I casually read all three books and Fragile Threads in 5 days, and re-read them all straight after (just finished the re-read). and yes im here to watch Victoria talk me through them even though the story is as fresh in my mind as humanly possible. I just cannot get enough of the world and the characters and im crying that i need to wait for book 2 of fragile threads This series has brought me so much joy 😍
It's so great to have this as a refresher of the books! I didn't realize how much I've forgotten haha
Recap video with the author, what a brilliant idea! More people should do this 😍
I love seeing your kitties, let them wreak havoc in the background! More importantly though, on my reread of parts 1-4 I was REALLY struck by how well it sets up the characters and story (and includes so. much. foreshadowing!) and reminded me just how much I love this series and this book in particular. Can't believe anyone calls this slow!
been waiting so (un)patiently for this ! i am so greatfull for how you are letting us in your brain to see how everything was created. it is also beautiful to see how you emerge yourself in your craft and create worlds for us❤
i love how we are introduced to the kind and law of magic it is so natural
and how you made us fall in love with morally grey holland
"we have done so much to you" "don’t worry we are going to strip it all away" she crackels she smiles innocently 😂
and my heart broke as we found out he wasn’t even allowed his own name but just two initials 😢
even if they where introduction they happen so naturally they don’t feel like a chore or information being thrown in ones face
I've read this trilogy many years ago and I absolutely adored it!! Now I've been in a reading slump for over a month but I heard you were doing this readalong and while I was re-reading the first book I totally fall in love with reading again! I cannot put the book down, I just want to worship this characters again ❤