(bell dings) (typewriter clacks) (inspiring music) - [V.E.]

Hi, I am V.E.

Schwab, and this is "The Fragile Threads of Power."

This book really focuses on Tes, a 15-year-old runaway.

She's opened a repair shop in London where she fixes broken things and sometimes makes other ones better, and one day comes into possession of something broken that she needs to fix.

Unfortunately, she doesn't know what it's supposed to be, but as she sets out to fix it, we discover that it has the potential to unravel everything.

(dramatic music) - I want you to explain how you conceived this absolutely magnificent idea that is now sustaining two series.

- Yeah.

- And where we are as we pick up in "Fragile Threads of Power."

- So the "Shades of Magic" series, which is the original trilogy is inspired by the desire to write a portal fantasy.

They designed four alternate realities.

There's the Gray World, our world, where magic has been forgotten.

There's the Red World where magic is worshiped like a God, and there's the White World where magic has been enslaved.

And so what we have are a rare handful of figures called Antari magicians who have the ability to create doors between these worlds, which are no longer connected.

The first series looked at a handful of characters who had that power, some who did not have the power.

This new series happened seven years later.

A lot of people were like, "Oh, why write 'Threads of Power'?"

Because "Conjuring of Light" has a really well loved conclusion.

Yes, it does and I'm super proud of it, and it's madness that I decided to then be like, "Let's pry the doors open again."

But I didn't end their lives.

They were gonna continue living on.

- Mm-hmm.

- And so as long as they were gonna live on, they were gonna have new hard days and new sad days and new beautiful days, and new enemies and challenges and lovers.

And so I don't see it in as any way reversing the conclusion or the closure of "Conjuring of Light."

It's just sometimes we have to face new demons.

- Thank you so much for being here.

This has been so much fun.

- Thank you so much.

It's a joy.

Anytime I get to spend time with you.

- And thank you for watching "A Word on Words."

I'm J.T.

Ellison.

Keep reading.

(bell dings) - [Director] Do you need a tissue?

- [V.E.]

No, I just have one eye that's just hating me.

It's fine.

It's just watering.

- Okay.

We're good.

- Oh, I thought I moved her to tears.

- Oh, that too.

(people laughing) That's what I meant.

That's what I meant.

It was J.T.

It was J.T.

I was just getting emotional.

Definitely wasn't foundation in my eye.