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DFZ Changeling #1
By a Silver Thread
A new DFZ series
In the world’s most magical metropolis where spirits run noodle shops and cash-strapped dragons stage photo-ops for tourists, people still think fairies are nothing but stories, and that’s exactly how the fairies like it. It’s a lot easier to feast on humanity’s dreams when no one believes you exist. But while this arrangement works splendidly for most fair folk, Lola isn’t one of the lucky ones.
She’s a changeling, a fairy monster made just human enough to dupe unsuspecting parents while fairies steal their real child. The magic that sustains her was never meant to last past the initial theft, leaving Lola without a future. But thanks to Victor Conrath, a very powerful--and very illegal--blood mage, she was given the means to cheat death.
For a price.
Now the only changeling ever to make it to adulthood, Lola has served the blood mage faithfully, if reluctantly, for twenty years. Her unique ability to slip through wards and change her shape to look like anyone has helped make Victor a legend in the DFZ’s illegal-magic underground. It’s not a great life, but at least the work is stable… until her master vanishes without a trace.
With only a handful left of the pills that keep her human, Lola must find Victor before she turns back into the fairy monster she was always meant to be. But with a whole SWAT team of federal paladins hunting her as a blood-mage accomplice, an Urban Legend on a silent black motorcycle who won’t leave her alone, and a mysterious fairy king with the power to make the entire city dream, Lola’s chances of getting out of this alive are as slender as a silver thread.
BY A SILVER THREAD is a fast-paced Urban Fantasy featuring cunning fae, a kind heroine, and a magic so destructive that using it even once will stain your soul forever. Buckle up for a wild ride through a near-future, magical Detroit where urban legends ride the streets, fairy queens have mansions uptown, and the City is an actual deity you don't want to cross. Welcome to the DFZ!
In the world’s most magical metropolis where spirits run noodle shops and cash-strapped dragons stage photo-ops for tourists, people still think fairies are nothing but stories, and that’s exactly how the fairies like it. It’s a lot easier to feast on humanity’s dreams when no one believes you exist. But while this arrangement works splendidly for most fair folk, Lola isn’t one of the lucky ones.
She’s a changeling, a fairy monster made just human enough to dupe unsuspecting parents while fairies steal their real child. The magic that sustains her was never meant to last past the initial theft, leaving Lola without a future. But thanks to Victor Conrath, a very powerful--and very illegal--blood mage, she was given the means to cheat death.
For a price.
Now the only changeling ever to make it to adulthood, Lola has served the blood mage faithfully, if reluctantly, for twenty years. Her unique ability to slip through wards and change her shape to look like anyone has helped make Victor a legend in the DFZ’s illegal-magic underground. It’s not a great life, but at least the work is stable… until her master vanishes without a trace.
With only a handful left of the pills that keep her human, Lola must find Victor before she turns back into the fairy monster she was always meant to be. But with a whole SWAT team of federal paladins hunting her as a blood-mage accomplice, an Urban Legend on a silent black motorcycle who won’t leave her alone, and a mysterious fairy king with the power to make the entire city dream, Lola’s chances of getting out of this alive are as slender as a silver thread.
BY A SILVER THREAD is a fast-paced Urban Fantasy featuring cunning fae, a kind heroine, and a magic so destructive that using it even once will stain your soul forever. Buckle up for a wild ride through a near-future, magical Detroit where urban legends ride the streets, fairy queens have mansions uptown, and the City is an actual deity you don't want to cross. Welcome to the DFZ!
380 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 2023
663 people are currently reading
1364 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Aaron
35 books3,037 followersHello, my name is Rachel Aaron, and I write the Heartstriker books, a new Urban Fantasy series about misfit dragons, starting with Nice Dragons Finish Last. I also wrote The Legend of Eli Monpress fantasy series for Orbit Books about a wizard thief and the poor bastards who have to try and stop him. PLUS I'm also the author of the new, rolicking fun Science Fiction romance Fortune's Pawn under the name Rachel Bach.
I was born in Atlanta, but I currently live a lovely, nerdy, bookish life in Denver, CO with my lightspeed son, perpetually understanding husband, and far too many plants. Besides my own books, the internet knows me best for writing very fast. The best way to get to know me is probably to read my blog or follow me on Twitter.
I was born in Atlanta, but I currently live a lovely, nerdy, bookish life in Denver, CO with my lightspeed son, perpetually understanding husband, and far too many plants. Besides my own books, the internet knows me best for writing very fast. The best way to get to know me is probably to read my blog or follow me on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 195 reviews
February 23, 2024
ARC received from the author in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars.
This new DFZ book is exquisitely trademark Rachel Aaron, who is one of my favourite authors for a very good reason. Immensely readable & instantly engaging, with new characters that you can't help loving. The inclusion of fairy lore just leveled up the already fascinating world of the DFZ. So good, so fun!
Full review to come.
4.5 stars.
This new DFZ book is exquisitely trademark Rachel Aaron, who is one of my favourite authors for a very good reason. Immensely readable & instantly engaging, with new characters that you can't help loving. The inclusion of fairy lore just leveled up the already fascinating world of the DFZ. So good, so fun!
Full review to come.
June 8, 2023
One of my favourite authors returns to the DFZ with another sequel series to the Heartstrikers. I ADORED the first DFZ sequel series (starting with Minimum Wage Magic) almost as much as the original Heartstrikers series.
Minimum Wage Magic focussed far more on the humans and human mages (thaumaturges and shamans, mostly, with some draconic support characters), whereas this one focusses on a changeling (as made clear by the series title), blood magic, and spirits. Worldbuilding has always been one of the strengths of these inter-connected series, and By A Silver Thread is no different.
The two DFZ series are also a little more mature than Heartstrikers - with our MCs being in their late 20s as opposed to late teens/early 20s, and that tonal shift works very well. It heightens the stakes, and makes every encounter fraught with tension and dread.
Despite expanding the world, magic, and introducing us to a new cast of characters, By A Silver Thread doesn’t quite reach the heights of Heartstrikers or the first DFZ series for me. Lola is a perfectly good protagonist - she wrestles constantly with her monstrous “other” self while being indebted to the man/crime-lord who “rescued” her as a child, but it does take her a while to figure out things and listen xD
However, she is a definite underdog in a magical city surrounded by very powerful people (not all of whom are friendly), and she does well for herself given the stakes that are against her.
Early on, said crime-lord disappears, but instead of this being an event to celebrate, widespread panic ripples through Lola and everyone else who “works” for him, in various levels of debt.
We have also a fairy side-plot with the previous Fairy Queen’s defeat, and new fae scrambling for power and control. How these two plots are interlinked is great, and I was glad we got to see more of them, rather than a throwaway character here and there. Tristan is probably my favourite of all the characters in this - deadly and dangerous but a powerful ally, too.
I loved the detail of fae magic, barrows, belief, and how everything fits together. It was brilliantly crafted.
Pacing was pretty break-neck from beginning to end, with only a few quieter moments where we could catch our breath. Almost all of these slower scenes revolved around Lola and the Rider character, which was okay but felt a little rushed. Even at the end, there didn’t seem to be much emotional reaction from Lola to things that happened, which I’d expected.
I did manage to figure out the “twist” quite early on (some big hints were dropped around chapter five and six) so that took a little fun out of it (but yay on me for paying attention and being able to predict something), although the majority of how it all came together was a delight to read and discover. The world has some very good, solid rules that help readers figure out things, which definitely helped!
I will mention I was not a fan of the narrator - mostly because of the constant pausing? It felt like there were full stop-length pauses at random parts of a sentence, which came across as jarring more often than not, and was part of the reason I stopped listening to The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow (which had the same narrator).
e.g. “You lucked out tonight because the changeling had already decided to go to the concert without. Any further urging from you.”
A few lines also seemed to have been re-recorded here and there, so occasionally in the middle of a paragraph or scene, there would be one super loud line before the rest of the narration continued at the previous volume.
Overall a great continuation of this world and series. Book two is very clearly set up at the end of this one, along with several unfinished threads/character locations etc., and I am intrigued as to where the story will go!
Minimum Wage Magic focussed far more on the humans and human mages (thaumaturges and shamans, mostly, with some draconic support characters), whereas this one focusses on a changeling (as made clear by the series title), blood magic, and spirits. Worldbuilding has always been one of the strengths of these inter-connected series, and By A Silver Thread is no different.
The two DFZ series are also a little more mature than Heartstrikers - with our MCs being in their late 20s as opposed to late teens/early 20s, and that tonal shift works very well. It heightens the stakes, and makes every encounter fraught with tension and dread.
Despite expanding the world, magic, and introducing us to a new cast of characters, By A Silver Thread doesn’t quite reach the heights of Heartstrikers or the first DFZ series for me. Lola is a perfectly good protagonist - she wrestles constantly with her monstrous “other” self while being indebted to the man/crime-lord who “rescued” her as a child, but it does take her a while to figure out things and listen xD
However, she is a definite underdog in a magical city surrounded by very powerful people (not all of whom are friendly), and she does well for herself given the stakes that are against her.
Early on, said crime-lord disappears, but instead of this being an event to celebrate, widespread panic ripples through Lola and everyone else who “works” for him, in various levels of debt.
We have also a fairy side-plot with the previous Fairy Queen’s defeat, and new fae scrambling for power and control. How these two plots are interlinked is great, and I was glad we got to see more of them, rather than a throwaway character here and there. Tristan is probably my favourite of all the characters in this - deadly and dangerous but a powerful ally, too.
I loved the detail of fae magic, barrows, belief, and how everything fits together. It was brilliantly crafted.
Pacing was pretty break-neck from beginning to end, with only a few quieter moments where we could catch our breath. Almost all of these slower scenes revolved around Lola and the Rider character, which was okay but felt a little rushed. Even at the end, there didn’t seem to be much emotional reaction from Lola to things that happened, which I’d expected.
I did manage to figure out the “twist” quite early on (some big hints were dropped around chapter five and six) so that took a little fun out of it (but yay on me for paying attention and being able to predict something), although the majority of how it all came together was a delight to read and discover. The world has some very good, solid rules that help readers figure out things, which definitely helped!
I will mention I was not a fan of the narrator - mostly because of the constant pausing? It felt like there were full stop-length pauses at random parts of a sentence, which came across as jarring more often than not, and was part of the reason I stopped listening to The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow (which had the same narrator).
e.g. “You lucked out tonight because the changeling had already decided to go to the concert without. Any further urging from you.”
A few lines also seemed to have been re-recorded here and there, so occasionally in the middle of a paragraph or scene, there would be one super loud line before the rest of the narration continued at the previous volume.
Overall a great continuation of this world and series. Book two is very clearly set up at the end of this one, along with several unfinished threads/character locations etc., and I am intrigued as to where the story will go!
Read
August 9, 2025A finalist in the 10th annual SPFBO contest!
10 finalists were chosen from the 300 books entered this year.
10 finalists were chosen from the 300 books entered this year.
December 18, 2023
I love that our protagonist is unique and doesn't fit into typical archetypes. She's soft, and dedicated, trapped in a terrible situation. She's a shapeshifter who struggles to keep herself together, and her powers are more of a hindrance than a help to her. And she's incredibly compelling and has interesting internal conflicts.
May 2, 2023
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
By a Silver Thread is the first book of the DFZ Changeling, a brand new series set in the DFZ (Detroit Free Zone). If you have read Rachel Aaron's Heartstriker Series or DFZ then you will be very familiar with this world and the rules of it. But have no fear, you don't need to have read those other series to have a good time starting off in this one.
Lola is a changeling, made by fae magic to substitute for the child stolen from our side of the vale. She was never supposed to live, but she has a silver thread that ties her to the child stolen. It gives her a purpose, stay alive and keep your sister alive too. She still wouldn't have been able to accomplish this if a blood mage hadn't found her and decided she was useful. Victor has used his magic/blood to keep Lola alive and begrudgingly loyal. She is one of his favorite tools, since she can manipulate magic and change shape, she can go anywhere and be anyone.
When Victor disappears under suspicious circumstances, Lola has to find him and she only has a short period of time to do that. She is on a clock since she only has enough of his pills to keep her from turning into a monster to last about a week. Her deadline is looming and with each new discovery she makes on what happened to Victor, the more questions she has.
Lola is off to learn why the fae aren't playing a bigger role in world and if they could be involved in Victor's disappearance; what Victor is planning, and why he needs Lola and her magic, and what it has to do with the movie Fenrir that seems to be everywhere and all the humans in the city is dreaming about. At least she has one ally to help her, even if he seems dangerous with a past of his own and secrets to hide.
With realms of Fae to visit, plots and plans decades in the making and Lola at the heart of it all there was a lot to discover in By a Silver Thread. Having read the other two series set in this world, I was hoping to see a few more cameos but the series is still young and I'm sure I will get to see a few more of my favorite characters from before.
Just remember sometimes the monster is the hero too.
Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
By a Silver Thread is the first book of the DFZ Changeling, a brand new series set in the DFZ (Detroit Free Zone). If you have read Rachel Aaron's Heartstriker Series or DFZ then you will be very familiar with this world and the rules of it. But have no fear, you don't need to have read those other series to have a good time starting off in this one.
Lola is a changeling, made by fae magic to substitute for the child stolen from our side of the vale. She was never supposed to live, but she has a silver thread that ties her to the child stolen. It gives her a purpose, stay alive and keep your sister alive too. She still wouldn't have been able to accomplish this if a blood mage hadn't found her and decided she was useful. Victor has used his magic/blood to keep Lola alive and begrudgingly loyal. She is one of his favorite tools, since she can manipulate magic and change shape, she can go anywhere and be anyone.
When Victor disappears under suspicious circumstances, Lola has to find him and she only has a short period of time to do that. She is on a clock since she only has enough of his pills to keep her from turning into a monster to last about a week. Her deadline is looming and with each new discovery she makes on what happened to Victor, the more questions she has.
Lola is off to learn why the fae aren't playing a bigger role in world and if they could be involved in Victor's disappearance; what Victor is planning, and why he needs Lola and her magic, and what it has to do with the movie Fenrir that seems to be everywhere and all the humans in the city is dreaming about. At least she has one ally to help her, even if he seems dangerous with a past of his own and secrets to hide.
With realms of Fae to visit, plots and plans decades in the making and Lola at the heart of it all there was a lot to discover in By a Silver Thread. Having read the other two series set in this world, I was hoping to see a few more cameos but the series is still young and I'm sure I will get to see a few more of my favorite characters from before.
Just remember sometimes the monster is the hero too.
He was the hero. And he'd come to kill her. Because she was the monster.
June 7, 2023
I love the other DFZ books, but this one didn’t grab me. I readily admit that I generally don’t find fae creatures very interesting, but this character especially so: she was very reactive and most of her personality seemed to be what was being done to her, not who she actually was. Attempts to give her a little sass just came off as her being a jerk, since there wasn’t much personality to hang it on.
Worse, the Detroit Free Zone was barely a character in this book. It really could have taken place anywhere with bad traffic and a big arena. I love the DFZ as a character, not just a setting, and found that pretty disappointing.
Worse, the Detroit Free Zone was barely a character in this book. It really could have taken place anywhere with bad traffic and a big arena. I love the DFZ as a character, not just a setting, and found that pretty disappointing.
April 27, 2025
My SPFBOX finalist review of By a Silver Thread is published at Before We Go Blog.
By a Silver Thread by Rachel Aaron is an urban fantasy thriller with a Pinocchio-like premise: Lola is a fairy changeling who wants nothing more than to be a real human girl. But she needs pills to maintain human form, pills that are in dwindling supply.
Lola’s pill quest takes place in an anarchic cyberpunk version of Motown known as the Detroit Free Zone (DFZ). I believe this world is shared with several of Rachel Aaron’s other books. By a Silver Thread mentions a couple of times that DFZ is a living city, but I have no idea what that means:
“Even driving like an absolute lunatic, it still took Lola thirty minutes to get to Victor’s mansion. Part of this was just the reality of driving in the DFZ. It wasn’t merely a crowded mess of ten million people with zero public transit. The double-layered city itself was alive.”
I’m intrigued, but apparently By a Silver Thread only gives a sliver of the worldbuilding that can be found in the author’s other books.
A sense of urgency pervades the pages of By a Silver Thread, with readers reminded of Lola’s current pill count at the beginning of each chapter. Unfortunately, this also makes Lola seem like more of a junkie than I think the author intended:
“As always, her pills were her first concern. The plastic bottle had been crushed nearly flat, but it was still in one piece. Lola counted her pills twice to make sure they were all still there before cramming the broken lid back on and shoving the bottle deep into her gossamer.”
Rachel Aaron is a veteran writer with a double-digit number of novels in her back catalogue. This experience reflects well in her writing, which is among the upper tier of this year’s SPFBOX finalists.
As much as I enjoyed Rachel Aaron’s prose, unfortunately this novel just didn’t work for me. I found the magic/romance elements of the book to be incongruous with its cyberpunk setting, and the DFZ setting itself wasn’t fleshed out enough for me to appreciate the world. More importantly, I never felt a real connection with Lola as the lead protagonist. Although this is a miss for me, readers looking for an inventive urban fantasy may wish to check it out.
By a Silver Thread by Rachel Aaron is an urban fantasy thriller with a Pinocchio-like premise: Lola is a fairy changeling who wants nothing more than to be a real human girl. But she needs pills to maintain human form, pills that are in dwindling supply.
Lola’s pill quest takes place in an anarchic cyberpunk version of Motown known as the Detroit Free Zone (DFZ). I believe this world is shared with several of Rachel Aaron’s other books. By a Silver Thread mentions a couple of times that DFZ is a living city, but I have no idea what that means:
“Even driving like an absolute lunatic, it still took Lola thirty minutes to get to Victor’s mansion. Part of this was just the reality of driving in the DFZ. It wasn’t merely a crowded mess of ten million people with zero public transit. The double-layered city itself was alive.”
I’m intrigued, but apparently By a Silver Thread only gives a sliver of the worldbuilding that can be found in the author’s other books.
A sense of urgency pervades the pages of By a Silver Thread, with readers reminded of Lola’s current pill count at the beginning of each chapter. Unfortunately, this also makes Lola seem like more of a junkie than I think the author intended:
“As always, her pills were her first concern. The plastic bottle had been crushed nearly flat, but it was still in one piece. Lola counted her pills twice to make sure they were all still there before cramming the broken lid back on and shoving the bottle deep into her gossamer.”
Rachel Aaron is a veteran writer with a double-digit number of novels in her back catalogue. This experience reflects well in her writing, which is among the upper tier of this year’s SPFBOX finalists.
As much as I enjoyed Rachel Aaron’s prose, unfortunately this novel just didn’t work for me. I found the magic/romance elements of the book to be incongruous with its cyberpunk setting, and the DFZ setting itself wasn’t fleshed out enough for me to appreciate the world. More importantly, I never felt a real connection with Lola as the lead protagonist. Although this is a miss for me, readers looking for an inventive urban fantasy may wish to check it out.
November 12, 2024
Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ widely!
By a Silver Thread by Rachel Aaron is a fun and unique urban fantasy, and I already can't wait to read the sequels.
The main character is a changeling, but due to blood magic he has long outstayed the typical time they usually are in the human world. I loved the magic and the strengths and weaknesses that come along with it! It felt fresh and different, which is always a treat.
Her wanting to be a normal human, and not a monster is her main agency and goal, and made for a very interesting and engaging character. I simply love the nonhuman characters, who make you wonder what exactly being human means.
There are dark bits, especially as the MC and her best friend are deeply bound by above mentioned blood mage, who is not a good person. Overall however it was more of a fast paced and fun read to me. There's banter and action a plenty, and some of the scenes had me all out snort and giggle.
Some nice twists and turns surprised me, while still feeling like an organic part of the story. Others bits went exactly as expected, which made for a very satisfactory read.
There's a tiny bit of romance in here, but it's definitely more along the lines of Dresden or Verus than it is paranormal romance. This made me really happy, as it's so hard to find female led UF that's not actually PR in a trenchcoat.
I was perfectly entertained, and would highly recommend!
By a Silver Thread by Rachel Aaron is a fun and unique urban fantasy, and I already can't wait to read the sequels.
The main character is a changeling, but due to blood magic he has long outstayed the typical time they usually are in the human world. I loved the magic and the strengths and weaknesses that come along with it! It felt fresh and different, which is always a treat.
Her wanting to be a normal human, and not a monster is her main agency and goal, and made for a very interesting and engaging character. I simply love the nonhuman characters, who make you wonder what exactly being human means.
There are dark bits, especially as the MC and her best friend are deeply bound by above mentioned blood mage, who is not a good person. Overall however it was more of a fast paced and fun read to me. There's banter and action a plenty, and some of the scenes had me all out snort and giggle.
Some nice twists and turns surprised me, while still feeling like an organic part of the story. Others bits went exactly as expected, which made for a very satisfactory read.
There's a tiny bit of romance in here, but it's definitely more along the lines of Dresden or Verus than it is paranormal romance. This made me really happy, as it's so hard to find female led UF that's not actually PR in a trenchcoat.
I was perfectly entertained, and would highly recommend!
February 11, 2025
Read for SPFBOX as part of team Fantasy Book Critic. This is just my opinion, group verdict may differ widely.
7/10
Monsters, magic and mayhem abound in By A Silver Thread, a fast-paced urban fantasy romp that practically bleeds with action, trauma and emotional turmoil. Somehow, Aaron manages to put a refreshing spin on the familiar fairy changeling lore, resulting in a uniquely twisted story that is both bloody dark and bloody fun all at the same time.
After falling in love with Rachel Aaron’s writing in the Tear Down Heaven series, I was beyond excited to jump into the interconnected DFZ world for more urban fantasy fun. That said, I was a bit nervous when SPFBOX forced me to start with By A Silver Thread instead of with the Heartstrikers series in in-world chronological order, but I should never have worried.
Within just a few chapters, I felt very immersed in this near-future magical Detroit setting (especially with the backdrop of Halloween), and I never felt like I was missing context from the previous series. Moreover, Lola quickly proved to be a very compelling protagonist as a shape-shifting changeling monster, even if she felt a bit younger than her 27 years. I really liked exploring her intense inner conflict and heavy trauma, and the ticking time clock element due to her rapidly decreasing stash of pills that helped subdue her fairy monster nature added such an addictive air of urgency and looming dread to the narrative.
At the same time, I do think the breakneck pacing of By A Silver Thread ended up hindering my personal enjoyment a bit, as we never fully got to appreciate all the cool world building or just take a moment to breathe and sit in everyone’s tumultuous feelings. While I was never bored, my emotional investment was unfortunately about as thin as a thread, and I really found myself wanting more depth from this intriguing cast of side characters, be they the loveable goodies or deliciously hateable baddies.
The enigmatic Rider was the only character who really stood out to me, and I loved seeing him and Lola (trauma) bond throughout this wild adventure. There is no denying that their unexpected romance developed quite quickly and felt rather rushed, but at least their tender scenes together made me feel some feels, so I welcomed it with open arms.
While most of the big twists and revelations in By A Silver Thread weren’t as shocking or surprising to me as they seemed to be to Lola herself, I did quite like the potential this ending showed for the characters’ journeys in the rest of the series. I will definitely be back to explore the unique DFZ world further, even if it might be in a different series first, and I would highly recommend this action-packed urban fantasy adventure if you want an easy, engaging read that you can effortlessly breeze through in just a few sittings.
7/10
Monsters, magic and mayhem abound in By A Silver Thread, a fast-paced urban fantasy romp that practically bleeds with action, trauma and emotional turmoil. Somehow, Aaron manages to put a refreshing spin on the familiar fairy changeling lore, resulting in a uniquely twisted story that is both bloody dark and bloody fun all at the same time.
After falling in love with Rachel Aaron’s writing in the Tear Down Heaven series, I was beyond excited to jump into the interconnected DFZ world for more urban fantasy fun. That said, I was a bit nervous when SPFBOX forced me to start with By A Silver Thread instead of with the Heartstrikers series in in-world chronological order, but I should never have worried.
Within just a few chapters, I felt very immersed in this near-future magical Detroit setting (especially with the backdrop of Halloween), and I never felt like I was missing context from the previous series. Moreover, Lola quickly proved to be a very compelling protagonist as a shape-shifting changeling monster, even if she felt a bit younger than her 27 years. I really liked exploring her intense inner conflict and heavy trauma, and the ticking time clock element due to her rapidly decreasing stash of pills that helped subdue her fairy monster nature added such an addictive air of urgency and looming dread to the narrative.
At the same time, I do think the breakneck pacing of By A Silver Thread ended up hindering my personal enjoyment a bit, as we never fully got to appreciate all the cool world building or just take a moment to breathe and sit in everyone’s tumultuous feelings. While I was never bored, my emotional investment was unfortunately about as thin as a thread, and I really found myself wanting more depth from this intriguing cast of side characters, be they the loveable goodies or deliciously hateable baddies.
The enigmatic Rider was the only character who really stood out to me, and I loved seeing him and Lola (trauma) bond throughout this wild adventure. There is no denying that their unexpected romance developed quite quickly and felt rather rushed, but at least their tender scenes together made me feel some feels, so I welcomed it with open arms.
While most of the big twists and revelations in By A Silver Thread weren’t as shocking or surprising to me as they seemed to be to Lola herself, I did quite like the potential this ending showed for the characters’ journeys in the rest of the series. I will definitely be back to explore the unique DFZ world further, even if it might be in a different series first, and I would highly recommend this action-packed urban fantasy adventure if you want an easy, engaging read that you can effortlessly breeze through in just a few sittings.
February 27, 2025
Look… Urban Fantasy is not something my hand necessarily reaches for, nor are stories that have fae in them, but luckily I am the type of reader that will give a go at anything for a chance that it all works out in my, the reader’s, best interests (meaning a good hell of a time had).
For me, By a Silver Thread had a difficult start. I just felt there was too much info-dumping happening and I wanted the story to reveal itself to me as opposed to reading more background info, or description, or read about the MCs love of noodles… I didn’t want any of that until I had at least an inkling of momentum. Luckily, once I hit around-about 30% mark, I was pretty much glued to the book. In fact, I recall being a bit pissed off for having to stop reading to go to work. Every reader knows that this is one of the best compliments a book can have.
Aaron has cleverly created this central issue for our main character where she has a sort of race against time on her hands. Such a simple concept but it immediately adds a level of urgency to the story. But Aaron doesn’t rest on laurels after adding this urgency-element, she actually adds a nice twisting path during the countdown that balances out waiting for the unsurprising culmination point. That is all to say that Aaron knows how to keep the reader entertained and the story rolling on nicely!
By a Silver Thread had some interesting concepts. For one, our main character is not human, but a changeling named Lola who is being controlled by a human “blood mage” named Victor Conrath. Victor is like a human version of the pact making devil. I liked how much the beliefs and the magic and magical beings were made to rely on human’s belief. Particularly, upon turning the concept on the head – you believe it, it exists. I liked all of the characters introduced in this story, good and not so good, because they were each, even if on page for a brief time, somehow larger than life. Also, the action scenes? Hello, action scenes… very creative and fun to follow!
I had a really good time with this book. The story is wholesome, the central concepts give space for reader to understand the importance of close, caring relationships and also the importance of small yet enjoyable moments, like eating your favorite food or the importance of breakfast, or a hug and a kind word. I absolutely plan to continue reading Lola’s story in the sequel and explore Aaron‘s other works.
Huh… and just like that, I am no longer quite so opposed to Urban Fantasy and faes. Thank you, Rachel Aaron!
PS! Whilst I was at first a bit surprised at the intimate scene that appeared as I had sort of hoped it wasn’t going to go down the usual route, I have to admit that after some consideration… I get it, Lola, I’d totally tap that, too!
For me, By a Silver Thread had a difficult start. I just felt there was too much info-dumping happening and I wanted the story to reveal itself to me as opposed to reading more background info, or description, or read about the MCs love of noodles… I didn’t want any of that until I had at least an inkling of momentum. Luckily, once I hit around-about 30% mark, I was pretty much glued to the book. In fact, I recall being a bit pissed off for having to stop reading to go to work. Every reader knows that this is one of the best compliments a book can have.
Aaron has cleverly created this central issue for our main character where she has a sort of race against time on her hands. Such a simple concept but it immediately adds a level of urgency to the story. But Aaron doesn’t rest on laurels after adding this urgency-element, she actually adds a nice twisting path during the countdown that balances out waiting for the unsurprising culmination point. That is all to say that Aaron knows how to keep the reader entertained and the story rolling on nicely!
By a Silver Thread had some interesting concepts. For one, our main character is not human, but a changeling named Lola who is being controlled by a human “blood mage” named Victor Conrath. Victor is like a human version of the pact making devil. I liked how much the beliefs and the magic and magical beings were made to rely on human’s belief. Particularly, upon turning the concept on the head – you believe it, it exists. I liked all of the characters introduced in this story, good and not so good, because they were each, even if on page for a brief time, somehow larger than life. Also, the action scenes? Hello, action scenes… very creative and fun to follow!
I had a really good time with this book. The story is wholesome, the central concepts give space for reader to understand the importance of close, caring relationships and also the importance of small yet enjoyable moments, like eating your favorite food or the importance of breakfast, or a hug and a kind word. I absolutely plan to continue reading Lola’s story in the sequel and explore Aaron‘s other works.
Huh… and just like that, I am no longer quite so opposed to Urban Fantasy and faes. Thank you, Rachel Aaron!
PS! Whilst I was at first a bit surprised at the intimate scene that appeared as I had sort of hoped it wasn’t going to go down the usual route, I have to admit that after some consideration… I get it, Lola, I’d totally tap that, too!
March 1, 2025
3.5/5
Rachel Aaron kicks off her DFZ Changeling trilogy with By A Silver Thread, a fast-paced urban fantasy set in her ever-evolving Detroit Free Zone. It’s a solid start, full of cool magic, intriguing lore, and a likable main character. To me it doesn’t quite hit the heights of her best work, but for the sake of the competition I shouldn't compare it to Rachel's books I read and loved, but as a single entry.
The story follows Lola, a faery changeling trapped under the thumb of her blood mage master, Victor. Bound by magic and dependent on his pills to keep her human form intact, she’s left scrambling when Victor vanishes. Without the pills, she risks dissolving into nothing—and worse, taking her sister down with her (now, the sisterhood is not typical and it's best to understand it by reading the book). We get a tense, fast-moving mystery as Lola races to survive, solve Victor’s disappearance, and confront her own monstrous nature.
Lola is a great protagonist, likable and relatable, and I think Aaron has written her well. I appreciated her struggle to maintain her humanity despite years of abuse, and her rebellious spirit. Her shapeshifting abilities, which depend on belief to hold their form, are creative and cleverly tied to her story. However, her characterization can feel a bit surface-level at times—her growth is satisfying but predictable, and she doesn’t quite stay in your mind the way some of Aaron’s past leads do.
The world-building is, as always, a highlight. Aaron’s DFZ feels alive, and the addition of faery lore fits the setting. Longtime fans will appreciate the nods to her previous series, while new readers should still find the story accessible, though they might miss some of the nuance.
That said, the book stumbles a bit in its pacing. The tension builds well thanks to the countdown mechanic with Lola’s pills, but the plot can feel a little rushed, and some supporting characters—like the enigmatic Black Rider—don’t get enough space to shine.
Overall, By A Silver Thread is an entertaining, if slightly uneven, start to the series It’s not Aaron’s strongest work, but with its creative magic and heartfelt moments, it’s well worth a read for fans of the DFZ or urban fantasy in general. A solid 7.5/10-good, but not unforgettable.
Rachel Aaron kicks off her DFZ Changeling trilogy with By A Silver Thread, a fast-paced urban fantasy set in her ever-evolving Detroit Free Zone. It’s a solid start, full of cool magic, intriguing lore, and a likable main character. To me it doesn’t quite hit the heights of her best work, but for the sake of the competition I shouldn't compare it to Rachel's books I read and loved, but as a single entry.
The story follows Lola, a faery changeling trapped under the thumb of her blood mage master, Victor. Bound by magic and dependent on his pills to keep her human form intact, she’s left scrambling when Victor vanishes. Without the pills, she risks dissolving into nothing—and worse, taking her sister down with her (now, the sisterhood is not typical and it's best to understand it by reading the book). We get a tense, fast-moving mystery as Lola races to survive, solve Victor’s disappearance, and confront her own monstrous nature.
Lola is a great protagonist, likable and relatable, and I think Aaron has written her well. I appreciated her struggle to maintain her humanity despite years of abuse, and her rebellious spirit. Her shapeshifting abilities, which depend on belief to hold their form, are creative and cleverly tied to her story. However, her characterization can feel a bit surface-level at times—her growth is satisfying but predictable, and she doesn’t quite stay in your mind the way some of Aaron’s past leads do.
The world-building is, as always, a highlight. Aaron’s DFZ feels alive, and the addition of faery lore fits the setting. Longtime fans will appreciate the nods to her previous series, while new readers should still find the story accessible, though they might miss some of the nuance.
That said, the book stumbles a bit in its pacing. The tension builds well thanks to the countdown mechanic with Lola’s pills, but the plot can feel a little rushed, and some supporting characters—like the enigmatic Black Rider—don’t get enough space to shine.
Overall, By A Silver Thread is an entertaining, if slightly uneven, start to the series It’s not Aaron’s strongest work, but with its creative magic and heartfelt moments, it’s well worth a read for fans of the DFZ or urban fantasy in general. A solid 7.5/10-good, but not unforgettable.
May 4, 2023
Slightly disappointed; I love the DFZ and the previous series but this just didn’t do it for me. I think it’s because Lola is just so stupid. And naive. I mean she works for a crime lord and is literally a slave, but she’s just a cheerful changling going about her business. And for some random reason has talked herself into believing she has a sister in the human child she replaced. Argh!
Luckily she’s just so gosh darn nice that she has lots of friends (mostly male) who just want to help her. Double argh!
I’m going to stomp off and reread Nice Dragons.
Luckily she’s just so gosh darn nice that she has lots of friends (mostly male) who just want to help her. Double argh!
I’m going to stomp off and reread Nice Dragons.
May 30, 2023
While not my fave of the DFZ books, this one was still fun and easy to read
Want to read
March 15, 2023Ummmmmmm I BOW DOWN TO YOU RACHEL AARON!!
Thank you SO MUCH ! —>
—>
—>
—>
—>
—> ANOTHER BOOK/SERIES SET IN THE DFZ!!!!!!
Woo HOOOOO!!
Thank you SO MUCH ! —>
—>
—>
—>
—>
—> ANOTHER BOOK/SERIES SET IN THE DFZ!!!!!!
Woo HOOOOO!!
February 27, 2024
4.5 Stars
I can never go wrong with a Rachel Aaron book. She's just one of those authors I am comfortable with buying whatever she writes, and this is another example of it.
I can never go wrong with a Rachel Aaron book. She's just one of those authors I am comfortable with buying whatever she writes, and this is another example of it.
February 26, 2025
I read this for SPFBO. To find out more about the SPFBO contest and to see the participating bloggers/authors and reviews follow the links below
Last year, I read Rachel Aaron’s Hell for Hire and loved it, so I had expectations with a capital “E” for By a Silver Thread.
That said, it’s weird reading an author’s current work and then going back and reading an earlier book because while BaST is enjoyable, it doesn’t have the polish that Hell for Hire had. There’s repetition, a lot of unneeded description, and a little bit of clunkiness here and there, but even so, you can see this is an author who has some chops, and by the time she got to Hell for Hire, she has those writing chops honed down to a fine point.
*
BaST gives you the feeling that you know this story. It’s an UF that takes place in a magical “our-world’ making it weirdly comfortable in the daily life stuff - like dealing with traffic or line-ups for the best noodles in town, but also familiar since the story revolves around the ever popular Fae lore and it’s MC Lola, who is a Changeling.
Some of you all are probably thinking… ugh, more Fae stories, and may even feel that you’ve read variations of them hundreds of times by now, and depending on how new you are to the Fantasy or Romance and its sub-genres, you probably have. And btw. if you’ve ever wondered why there are so many books especially in the UF/RF genre based around Fae lore… well, they’re for people like me, who never, ever get tired of them. Especially when they’re creative and the author takes all those cliches and twists them up and runs with them - like Rachel Aaron does here.
*
What made this a fun take on the usual Fae story for me, was seeing the story from Lola’s side.
Lola is a changeling – a shapeshifter created by her boss Victor, with blood magic. Lola is still tethered to her human, who is now grown and should have long ago been switched out. Lola sees her as a sister - one that she dearly wants to protect.
Victor, is basically a head honcho crime boss in the city. He’s a nasty piece of work and uses Lola’s love of her sister to keep her around working for him. Not only does he have his hooks in her through her sister but he also keeps her in line with his specially formulated pills that keep Lola from shifting into monster form. She needs to take these pills regularly to keep the monster at bay and of course she can only get them through him. Like I said nasty piece of work …everything goes to hell in a handbasket when Victor up and disappears throwing his whole organisation into chaos and leaving Lola to deal with the mess, on a limited number of pills.
I enjoyed Lola’s pov. though she’s a little naïve at times, despite the tasks that Victor sets before her. Mostly I think it’s her desire for normal and to be loved, that keeps her willfully blind and Victor plays into that blind-spot as much as he can.
The rest of the cast were great too. I especially liked the bond between Simon and Lola – who are kind of like siblings, since they grew up together and both are essentially owned by Victor. And Tristan was another favourite, though I kept having to remind myself, that he is a fae too, and who knows what his true motives are?
Since BaST takes place in the same universe as Hell for Hire, I found it pretty easy to fall into the world and understand the way it worked. Occasionally a lot of information gets thrown at you in that let’s-get-this-out-of-the-way kind of feeling but even so, the weirdness and workings of the world and city, come across quite clearly. I’m sure the fact that Fae books are a favourite also helped, as I didn’t have to think too hard on that side of the world building.
The magic was also easy for me to grasp because that explain-it-away-so-it-makes-sense by the general population, is a similar version of HfH’s being ‘kicked’ which is how Aaron tackles the biggest hurdle I have when reading UF - and that is, how is the general public not noticing all the crazy sh*t going down?
All in all, By a Silver Thread is a fun, fast-paced story, that starts off feeling rather tame, but once it finds it’s feet it shifts off into high gear and you just want to binge the rest of the book in one go to see how it all plays out. I think a lot of people will enjoy this for its creativeness, while staying true to what you’d expect from an Urban Fantasy.
7.5
Learn more about the contest here-
Mark Lawrence: The Official Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off homepage #SPFBO
Phase one is here
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Finalist board is here
Mark Lawrence: SPFBOX finalists - SPFBO 10
Last year, I read Rachel Aaron’s Hell for Hire and loved it, so I had expectations with a capital “E” for By a Silver Thread.
That said, it’s weird reading an author’s current work and then going back and reading an earlier book because while BaST is enjoyable, it doesn’t have the polish that Hell for Hire had. There’s repetition, a lot of unneeded description, and a little bit of clunkiness here and there, but even so, you can see this is an author who has some chops, and by the time she got to Hell for Hire, she has those writing chops honed down to a fine point.
*
BaST gives you the feeling that you know this story. It’s an UF that takes place in a magical “our-world’ making it weirdly comfortable in the daily life stuff - like dealing with traffic or line-ups for the best noodles in town, but also familiar since the story revolves around the ever popular Fae lore and it’s MC Lola, who is a Changeling.
Some of you all are probably thinking… ugh, more Fae stories, and may even feel that you’ve read variations of them hundreds of times by now, and depending on how new you are to the Fantasy or Romance and its sub-genres, you probably have. And btw. if you’ve ever wondered why there are so many books especially in the UF/RF genre based around Fae lore… well, they’re for people like me, who never, ever get tired of them. Especially when they’re creative and the author takes all those cliches and twists them up and runs with them - like Rachel Aaron does here.
*
What made this a fun take on the usual Fae story for me, was seeing the story from Lola’s side.
Lola is a changeling – a shapeshifter created by her boss Victor, with blood magic. Lola is still tethered to her human, who is now grown and should have long ago been switched out. Lola sees her as a sister - one that she dearly wants to protect.
Victor, is basically a head honcho crime boss in the city. He’s a nasty piece of work and uses Lola’s love of her sister to keep her around working for him. Not only does he have his hooks in her through her sister but he also keeps her in line with his specially formulated pills that keep Lola from shifting into monster form. She needs to take these pills regularly to keep the monster at bay and of course she can only get them through him. Like I said nasty piece of work …everything goes to hell in a handbasket when Victor up and disappears throwing his whole organisation into chaos and leaving Lola to deal with the mess, on a limited number of pills.
I enjoyed Lola’s pov. though she’s a little naïve at times, despite the tasks that Victor sets before her. Mostly I think it’s her desire for normal and to be loved, that keeps her willfully blind and Victor plays into that blind-spot as much as he can.
The rest of the cast were great too. I especially liked the bond between Simon and Lola – who are kind of like siblings, since they grew up together and both are essentially owned by Victor. And Tristan was another favourite, though I kept having to remind myself, that he is a fae too, and who knows what his true motives are?
Since BaST takes place in the same universe as Hell for Hire, I found it pretty easy to fall into the world and understand the way it worked. Occasionally a lot of information gets thrown at you in that let’s-get-this-out-of-the-way kind of feeling but even so, the weirdness and workings of the world and city, come across quite clearly. I’m sure the fact that Fae books are a favourite also helped, as I didn’t have to think too hard on that side of the world building.
The magic was also easy for me to grasp because that explain-it-away-so-it-makes-sense by the general population, is a similar version of HfH’s being ‘kicked’ which is how Aaron tackles the biggest hurdle I have when reading UF - and that is, how is the general public not noticing all the crazy sh*t going down?
All in all, By a Silver Thread is a fun, fast-paced story, that starts off feeling rather tame, but once it finds it’s feet it shifts off into high gear and you just want to binge the rest of the book in one go to see how it all plays out. I think a lot of people will enjoy this for its creativeness, while staying true to what you’d expect from an Urban Fantasy.
7.5
Learn more about the contest here-
Mark Lawrence: The Official Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off homepage #SPFBO
Phase one is here
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Finalist board is here
Mark Lawrence: SPFBOX finalists - SPFBO 10
April 14, 2025
I read this as a finalist for #SPFBOX and I have to say I knew I would enjoy this one going into it, as Rachel Aaron is an author I always have a good time with and I've read a lot of her books in this world previously.
You don't have to have read books set in this universe to enjoy the book, but I think it certainly helps that some of the history and characters referenced in this book I was already familiar with from her other series. If you have read the others I think you'll get more from this one than those who haven't dived into those other ones.
This is the story of a fresh character called Lola, a changeling who stuck around long after her magic was supposed to fade away. She's a monster at the start of the book, and we see her rescued by a Blood Mage in exchange for him keeping her alive and helping her 'sister' (the human she's linked to by a silver thread - hence the title).
Lola as a character is very easy to enjoy, she reminds me of many of Rachel's characters in that she knows how to take care of herself and to stand up for what she believes in, but she's also trapped and so there's a journey she goes on to discover her own power and worth over the course of the book.
The story centres around Lola's survival after her blood mage protector/master is suddenly missing. She and some fellow 'employees' are trying to find out where he is and what's going on, but it's especially important for Lola who might die without his magic to sustain her.
I think personally this is a really fun, easy ride, as with all of the books in this world. I always find it quite quick to get going, and although the characterisation isn't as deep as some books I like to read, I do enjoy the way Rachel writes and the stories she's putting out there, which just appeal to the fun side of my reading tastes.
This is a very solid book with a fun plot and lots of magic and magical beings throughout. It was cool to learn a bit more about the magic foundations of this world and fairy barrows, as we haven't seen so much of this in other stories in this world, and I liked getting a wider picture here.
In the end, I think although it was a good fun ride I didn't connect quite as much with Lola as some of Rachel's other characters in other books, and as a result this one will probably not be one I remember as clearly as some of the other ones she's put out. It's still a series and story I would recommend to those who want fun urban fantasy plotlines, but for me it was just a likeable read rather than super memorable, so 3.75*s from me which is 7.5/10 overall.
You don't have to have read books set in this universe to enjoy the book, but I think it certainly helps that some of the history and characters referenced in this book I was already familiar with from her other series. If you have read the others I think you'll get more from this one than those who haven't dived into those other ones.
This is the story of a fresh character called Lola, a changeling who stuck around long after her magic was supposed to fade away. She's a monster at the start of the book, and we see her rescued by a Blood Mage in exchange for him keeping her alive and helping her 'sister' (the human she's linked to by a silver thread - hence the title).
Lola as a character is very easy to enjoy, she reminds me of many of Rachel's characters in that she knows how to take care of herself and to stand up for what she believes in, but she's also trapped and so there's a journey she goes on to discover her own power and worth over the course of the book.
The story centres around Lola's survival after her blood mage protector/master is suddenly missing. She and some fellow 'employees' are trying to find out where he is and what's going on, but it's especially important for Lola who might die without his magic to sustain her.
I think personally this is a really fun, easy ride, as with all of the books in this world. I always find it quite quick to get going, and although the characterisation isn't as deep as some books I like to read, I do enjoy the way Rachel writes and the stories she's putting out there, which just appeal to the fun side of my reading tastes.
This is a very solid book with a fun plot and lots of magic and magical beings throughout. It was cool to learn a bit more about the magic foundations of this world and fairy barrows, as we haven't seen so much of this in other stories in this world, and I liked getting a wider picture here.
In the end, I think although it was a good fun ride I didn't connect quite as much with Lola as some of Rachel's other characters in other books, and as a result this one will probably not be one I remember as clearly as some of the other ones she's put out. It's still a series and story I would recommend to those who want fun urban fantasy plotlines, but for me it was just a likeable read rather than super memorable, so 3.75*s from me which is 7.5/10 overall.
December 18, 2024
It took me a bit longer to get into compared to the other series in this world.
Although this book is also in the DFZ, it didn't feel like it. There's no dragons or spirits in this book. There's also another kind of magic that I can't remember being mentioned in the other 2 series.
I did like Lola once I got to know her.
Although this book is also in the DFZ, it didn't feel like it. There's no dragons or spirits in this book. There's also another kind of magic that I can't remember being mentioned in the other 2 series.
I did like Lola once I got to know her.
May 8, 2023
3 1/2 stars. Genuinely mixed feelings on this one. Rachel Aaron's writing is, as always, stellar. Her plots are fast paced, with great action scenes where you never get lost as to what is happening, which is hard to pull off. Her world building is great, and the blurb had me super excited to jump right in. I didn't click much with her WoW portal fantasy story, but the DFZ and particular Minimum Wage Magic was absolutely great, so I was psyched to see more of that world.
Something about the characters or the execution of them didn't fall flat for me exactly, but kept hitting just slightly left of center. I really like the changeling who thinks she's a monster. I felt like the metaphor was hammered home a bit hard though, and the ending of the story set up a bit too heavy-handedly so you could see it coming from slightly too far away.
I also felt like I didn't have a solid enough grasp of fairy magic to really understand the stakes. Like,
Also there was a weird mix of tone. The words were reasonably happy-go-lucky, but the actual events were slightly grim. There weren't really any actual highs and happy moments that didn't occur in dreams, and one romance scene that I couldn't really get a handle on because their relationship felt too rushed for me to trust the guy.
That's the thing, I guess. She has multiple potential love interests, and the narrative is kind of signaling which one she's supposed to be most attracted to, but I don't feel a lot of trust for any of the three of them. Makes it hard to relax into the moment.
So I enjoyed it, and it was a fast read, but I didn't love it. Too much complexity of feelings. Will read the sequel though and hope that it is slightly less emotionally complicated.
Something about the characters or the execution of them didn't fall flat for me exactly, but kept hitting just slightly left of center. I really like the changeling who thinks she's a monster. I felt like the metaphor was hammered home a bit hard though, and the ending of the story set up a bit too heavy-handedly so you could see it coming from slightly too far away.
I also felt like I didn't have a solid enough grasp of fairy magic to really understand the stakes. Like,
Also there was a weird mix of tone. The words were reasonably happy-go-lucky, but the actual events were slightly grim. There weren't really any actual highs and happy moments that didn't occur in dreams, and one romance scene that I couldn't really get a handle on because their relationship felt too rushed for me to trust the guy.
That's the thing, I guess. She has multiple potential love interests, and the narrative is kind of signaling which one she's supposed to be most attracted to, but I don't feel a lot of trust for any of the three of them. Makes it hard to relax into the moment.
So I enjoyed it, and it was a fast read, but I didn't love it. Too much complexity of feelings. Will read the sequel though and hope that it is slightly less emotionally complicated.
June 1, 2025
3.5 stars
Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this as much as the previous DFZ books. I think it’s because I dislike anything connected to fae/fairy courts etc. and since that will feature in the sequels I won’t read them.
Apart from that it was a good time. I like how Lola’s power works and the other characters were interesting. I wish we saw more of the DFZ spirit. I like her.
I liked the little Easter eggs from the other two series.
Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this as much as the previous DFZ books. I think it’s because I dislike anything connected to fae/fairy courts etc. and since that will feature in the sequels I won’t read them.
Apart from that it was a good time. I like how Lola’s power works and the other characters were interesting. I wish we saw more of the DFZ spirit. I like her.
I liked the little Easter eggs from the other two series.
May 2, 2023
Setting/Worldbuilding: 10/10
Main characters: 10/10
Side characters: 10/10
Dialogue: 8/10
Plot: 10/10
Technique: 8/10
Prose: 8/10
Romance: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Overall enjoyment: 10/10
Total: 94/100 (4.7)
You guys, when Rachel Aaron releases a new book set in the DFZ, you can be sure that I will lap up that thing so fast it'll forget it even had a name.
My goodness, what a ride. I ADORE the DFZ and will do anything to come back to the world, and Rachel does not disappoint! In her characteristic welcoming, warm style of writing, she introduces us to a whole new aspect of DFZ lore we have not yet seen and a whole new belief-based magic system. I am not really a massive fan of faes and stories revolving around faes, but by the feverish pace I consumed this book you wouldn't even tell. I am so glad to see new faces in here and a whole new epic story to savour. Oh, and there was a pretty sweet romance too.
Only thing I would add is if you're coming into this book hoping for cameos from the Heartstrikers or Opal, that won't be what you'll get. This is a whole new story, and the nods to previous stories are really just nuggets instead of full-blown cameos (except for a very obvious example). I'm wondering if that might change, but either way this doesn't detract from my reading experience at all.
On to the next book if I can wait that long...
Main characters: 10/10
Side characters: 10/10
Dialogue: 8/10
Plot: 10/10
Technique: 8/10
Prose: 8/10
Romance: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Overall enjoyment: 10/10
Total: 94/100 (4.7)
You guys, when Rachel Aaron releases a new book set in the DFZ, you can be sure that I will lap up that thing so fast it'll forget it even had a name.
My goodness, what a ride. I ADORE the DFZ and will do anything to come back to the world, and Rachel does not disappoint! In her characteristic welcoming, warm style of writing, she introduces us to a whole new aspect of DFZ lore we have not yet seen and a whole new belief-based magic system. I am not really a massive fan of faes and stories revolving around faes, but by the feverish pace I consumed this book you wouldn't even tell. I am so glad to see new faces in here and a whole new epic story to savour. Oh, and there was a pretty sweet romance too.
Only thing I would add is if you're coming into this book hoping for cameos from the Heartstrikers or Opal, that won't be what you'll get. This is a whole new story, and the nods to previous stories are really just nuggets instead of full-blown cameos (except for a very obvious example). I'm wondering if that might change, but either way this doesn't detract from my reading experience at all.
On to the next book if I can wait that long...
June 13, 2024
3.5 stars
This is the first book in the DFZ Changeling series, and I was super excited to return to the world of the DFZ. For the most part I liked this book, just not as much as I liked Heartstrikers or The DFZ series. The fairy magic was interesting but part of me feels like it doesn't quite fit into this world with the belief based magic. I also felt like the romance was really rushed and sort of took over the story. And there were certain things that happened in this book that felt like a repeat of things that happened in the DFZ series. The big battle was predictable, as were most of the other elements of the story. Overall, I just felt like this story wasn't nearly as interesting as the other ones were. Plus the dragons were glaringly absent. Still there were things to like. I enjoyed the way Lola could change shapes and create vehicles for herself to use, and I enjoyed her self-discovery. One of my favorite parts of the book was a certain song dedication.
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This is the first book in the DFZ Changeling series, and I was super excited to return to the world of the DFZ. For the most part I liked this book, just not as much as I liked Heartstrikers or The DFZ series. The fairy magic was interesting but part of me feels like it doesn't quite fit into this world with the belief based magic. I also felt like the romance was really rushed and sort of took over the story. And there were certain things that happened in this book that felt like a repeat of things that happened in the DFZ series. The big battle was predictable, as were most of the other elements of the story. Overall, I just felt like this story wasn't nearly as interesting as the other ones were. Plus the dragons were glaringly absent. Still there were things to like. I enjoyed the way Lola could change shapes and create vehicles for herself to use, and I enjoyed her self-discovery. One of my favorite parts of the book was a certain song dedication.
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Writings of a Reader at Blogspot
Writings of a Reader on Facebook
March 19, 2025
By a Silver Thread is one of the SPFBO 10 finalists, which I read as a judge! Our group review can be read on Queen's Book Asylum. Our overall rating was 7.5/10, my personal rating is 7/10. In stars, I would give this 4*
By a Silver Thread was one of the finalists I looked forward to reading because 1) UF has a special place in my heart and 2) SOME people have been trying to make me read Aaron’s Heartstrikers series pretty much since I stepped into the community 7 years ago. And I still failed to do so, but we are not discussing my own failings here, thank you very much.
So this was my very first Rachel Aaron novel, and as such I went in with an open mind, as I had no preconceptions. Which is not to say I didn’t have expectations, because as I said, I know she has avid fans among the people in my circles. That said, I’m not sure By a Silver Thread is the book that will make me run to pick up more of her books.
It’s a fast-paced, entertaining popcorn book that I’m not going to remember in a couple of weeks. Or rather days. I feel like By a Silver Thread would appeal more to people who are new to the subgenre. Personally, I need a bit more than a bunch of tropes and clichés thrown together, along with bits and pieces picked up from all over the place. Then again, I liked the idea of the DFZ (Detroit Free Zone), a city inhabited by humans, spirits, and all kinds of supernatural creatures, including the fairies. Now, I’m not generally into fairy stories, and I honestly would have liked something a bit more original than that. But this comes down to personal preferences rather than anything else. But I have to give Aaron that I found the Sea of Magic and that whole section pretty cool.
To be honest, I’m having a hard time writing this review, because I didn’t hate By a Silver Thread (even if my review seems a bit harsh so far). I could read it within a weekend (more or less), so it was engaging up to a point – I sometimes felt myself slipping away, wanting to do something else, while also being on a deadline. But I didn’t love it either, and I’m not 100% sure why is that.
Part of it comes down to the MC, Lola, I guess, because I found it hard to cheer for her. I mean, sure, she has her problems, struggling with her – literal – inner monster while also being a slave to the big bad blood mage, but that was basically all her character. Oh and her “sister” to whom she is bound by a silver thread (title pun absolutely intended, but also this is literally what’s going on). She feels a bit one dimensional, and becomes a bit tiring before the plot kicks up by a notch toward the end. And even the romantic subplot feels very forced. Don’t get me wrong, I like romances, but we don’t need a romance plot in every goddamn UF book. Geez.
By a Silver Thread has a classic villain, people love to hate, Victor Conrath, who teams up with a psycho fae so you can imagine all the chaos that brings forth. But honestly, I was more intrigued by a side character, Jamie, Victor’s assistant. We don’t get to know her much, but she seems to be a basket case herself. Would have been interested to see where her connection with Victor comes from and what holds her there. Victor kind of lacked personality for me, but then again, 90% of the time characters mostly talk about him and that’s how we learn anything about him in the first place.
To close off my review, I’m just going to say that while By a Silver Thread won’t be my favorite book, I appreciate what Aaron was going for: it has a unique POV in Lola who is a changeling, it has an already established city (DFZ), it has themes of found family, of standing up to our tormentors, winks at popular culture – elements that readers might find endearing.
By a Silver Thread was one of the finalists I looked forward to reading because 1) UF has a special place in my heart and 2) SOME people have been trying to make me read Aaron’s Heartstrikers series pretty much since I stepped into the community 7 years ago. And I still failed to do so, but we are not discussing my own failings here, thank you very much.
So this was my very first Rachel Aaron novel, and as such I went in with an open mind, as I had no preconceptions. Which is not to say I didn’t have expectations, because as I said, I know she has avid fans among the people in my circles. That said, I’m not sure By a Silver Thread is the book that will make me run to pick up more of her books.
It’s a fast-paced, entertaining popcorn book that I’m not going to remember in a couple of weeks. Or rather days. I feel like By a Silver Thread would appeal more to people who are new to the subgenre. Personally, I need a bit more than a bunch of tropes and clichés thrown together, along with bits and pieces picked up from all over the place. Then again, I liked the idea of the DFZ (Detroit Free Zone), a city inhabited by humans, spirits, and all kinds of supernatural creatures, including the fairies. Now, I’m not generally into fairy stories, and I honestly would have liked something a bit more original than that. But this comes down to personal preferences rather than anything else. But I have to give Aaron that I found the Sea of Magic and that whole section pretty cool.
To be honest, I’m having a hard time writing this review, because I didn’t hate By a Silver Thread (even if my review seems a bit harsh so far). I could read it within a weekend (more or less), so it was engaging up to a point – I sometimes felt myself slipping away, wanting to do something else, while also being on a deadline. But I didn’t love it either, and I’m not 100% sure why is that.
Part of it comes down to the MC, Lola, I guess, because I found it hard to cheer for her. I mean, sure, she has her problems, struggling with her – literal – inner monster while also being a slave to the big bad blood mage, but that was basically all her character. Oh and her “sister” to whom she is bound by a silver thread (title pun absolutely intended, but also this is literally what’s going on). She feels a bit one dimensional, and becomes a bit tiring before the plot kicks up by a notch toward the end. And even the romantic subplot feels very forced. Don’t get me wrong, I like romances, but we don’t need a romance plot in every goddamn UF book. Geez.
By a Silver Thread has a classic villain, people love to hate, Victor Conrath, who teams up with a psycho fae so you can imagine all the chaos that brings forth. But honestly, I was more intrigued by a side character, Jamie, Victor’s assistant. We don’t get to know her much, but she seems to be a basket case herself. Would have been interested to see where her connection with Victor comes from and what holds her there. Victor kind of lacked personality for me, but then again, 90% of the time characters mostly talk about him and that’s how we learn anything about him in the first place.
To close off my review, I’m just going to say that while By a Silver Thread won’t be my favorite book, I appreciate what Aaron was going for: it has a unique POV in Lola who is a changeling, it has an already established city (DFZ), it has themes of found family, of standing up to our tormentors, winks at popular culture – elements that readers might find endearing.
April 8, 2025
I love visiting DFZ, and Rachel Aaron gives us a fresh perspective on this capatilistic spirit-city each time! The spin-offs work perfectly as either a continuation or a jumping on point.
In this book, we explore the fate of fae and blood mages in this awoken world. Lola, our main character, is a changeling, trapped from childhood in service. She can shift shape at will, but she is made solid by belief - and her perspectives and reflections on that were fascinating. What is the real her? Is there a real her if others’ belief and disbelief can shape her?
I’ve read a lot of fae stories in the past, but I liked this take, and how all those legends and old powers interact with this changed world of spirits, human technology, and magic. The element of belief and how it can be manipulated (quite concretely in this case) for power is strong. I did see where the plot was going in broad strokes. But it was fun getting there.
There is a well-built sense of urgency, due to Victor’s disappearance and Lola’s pills running out, and great pacing.
The element that I squinted at was the Rider. I need to see more before I understand him really, or his role in the story.
In this book, we explore the fate of fae and blood mages in this awoken world. Lola, our main character, is a changeling, trapped from childhood in service. She can shift shape at will, but she is made solid by belief - and her perspectives and reflections on that were fascinating. What is the real her? Is there a real her if others’ belief and disbelief can shape her?
I’ve read a lot of fae stories in the past, but I liked this take, and how all those legends and old powers interact with this changed world of spirits, human technology, and magic. The element of belief and how it can be manipulated (quite concretely in this case) for power is strong. I did see where the plot was going in broad strokes. But it was fun getting there.
There is a well-built sense of urgency, due to Victor’s disappearance and Lola’s pills running out, and great pacing.
The element that I squinted at was the Rider. I need to see more before I understand him really, or his role in the story.
December 7, 2023
Set in the same world as the Heartstrikers series, By a Silver Thread features a young changling named Lola who is, for all intents and purposes, a slave to the Blood Mage Vincent - an all around awful human being with a taste for power.
Though it takes a bit for the pieces to be put into place, the story moves along at a fairly decent pace and is highly readable. Lola is a likeable character who, despite the job and situations her master places her in, is a decent person who, in her own mind, has one major flaw - she's not human, but a monster who needs her master's blood-pills to keep her gossamer, the magic from which she's made, in check. Watching Lola struggle to overcome this need and Victor's control on her is satisfying to read. She still has some growing to do though, so on to the next book.
Oh, yeah, Victor ...
*****
I do wish we could catch glimpses of Julius Heartstriker, aka The Peacekeeper, and Marcy, he's only mentioned as the dragon in whose territory the Detroit Free Zone (DFZ for short) exists. Guess I'll just have to go read the series again!
Though it takes a bit for the pieces to be put into place, the story moves along at a fairly decent pace and is highly readable. Lola is a likeable character who, despite the job and situations her master places her in, is a decent person who, in her own mind, has one major flaw - she's not human, but a monster who needs her master's blood-pills to keep her gossamer, the magic from which she's made, in check. Watching Lola struggle to overcome this need and Victor's control on her is satisfying to read. She still has some growing to do though, so on to the next book.
Oh, yeah, Victor ...
*****
I do wish we could catch glimpses of Julius Heartstriker, aka The Peacekeeper, and Marcy, he's only mentioned as the dragon in whose territory the Detroit Free Zone (DFZ for short) exists. Guess I'll just have to go read the series again!
September 4, 2024
Uhhhh spannend 👀
Read
December 28, 2024RTC:
Reading for SPFBOX
http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/2...
Reading for SPFBOX
http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/2...
August 2, 2025
3 STARS - For some reason, I didn’t enjoy this new series very much. I think the magic was too complicated.
March 29, 2025
This is a 2.5, but since I even started the second book, and I even liked the Rider a bit as a character (and the sassy fairy, can't remember his name, read it a few months ago), not too bad. Lola is not a very impressive main character, she just sounds like the typical YA empowered sassy female. And how many times can an author use "gossamer" in a book? I get it is an important feature of Lola and the fae, but I remember some pages with literally 10 per cent of the word count on them being about gossamer. It is annoying and repetitive. I much liked other books and series in the DFZ, this one is rather mediocre.
May 21, 2023
We are back to DFZ!
I was always of the opinion that Rachel actually started to build her urban series around the concept of Detroit Free Zone, a magical city where various species live and cohabit, but those damn dragons just forced themselves into spotlight and it became the series about dragons. Honestly, their egos are as big as city, so it figures.
But it seems she wanted to get back to that original concept of vertical modern metropolis built on ruins of old Detroit that's this hotpot of magical creatures with two of her subsequent series Minimum Wage Magic and By a Silver Thread.
Putting the DFZ in series name it's a clear indicator of that even if dragons are a huge part of it. :)
Anyway, the only thing that was missing from DFZ were apparently fae. Lola is a changeling, a construct made by fairy magic who was swapped for a real child. She is bound to a service to a blood mage, Victor, who uses her powers of physical transformation for his drug selling purposes. She has to take pills made from his blood in order to keep her real form coming out, so when Victor disappears, Lila has to race against time while dealing with paladins, Victor enemies and mysterious Black Rider to find her master.
So, I'll starts with this:
I always appreciate when authors decide to write novels with constructs as their main protagonists. In its essence, constructs like golems, patched up Frankenstein's monster, or changeling are made from bits of parts and given life, they are not born, just made. Because of that they seem to be less of a person, they seem expandable, immune, easy to unmake when their purpose is fulfilled. So, I am always delighted when authors circumvent that perception and show these character having thoughts and feelings and thus, give them personality readers can connect to.
Lola is essentially a blob of gossamer, a sideproject of an ambitious fairy, a speck of dust in games big players of DFZ play. She changes her looks like Mistique, evershaping her gossamer into a car she can drive to a certain place, a key to open the door, things she can use. Not knowing how she really looks like, only that she is a monster, she lives something we can't even call life. Victor disappearance brought a lot of firsts for her: freedom to go where she wants, fall in love and question her master. This is the most interesting thing for me in this novel, especially because she did it again with Black Rider in similar capacity. But make no mistake, this is a plot driven story. Lola and BR are not particularly funny or interesting to read about like Heartsrikers are, the most interesting thing about them is what they are and can Aaron develop them further considering restrictions of their creation and their purpose.
Beside them, fairies were of standard variety and I have to say, perfect addition to DFZ . Victor also fits right in.
AS much as plot was easy to follow and fast-paced I admit I never had a lot of patience for Aaron's penchant for info dump. She has these scenes where character sit and one of them is explaining to main character how something works, magic system or rules, but it's actually an explanation for reader. She does this a lot and BaST is no exception: Sea of Magic, vessels and spirits, collective emotion giving and taking them power and the nature of gossamer and fae domains vs. blood magic is just too convoluted and after pages of explanations to make it make sense I just get bored and my eyes start to skim over them. And as complicated as it is, it's still heavily relying on the fact you've read previous books in trilogy and know how spirits or magic work. I made peace with this being a thing in Aaron's writing and depending on characters it can bother me more or less or not at all.
It's fun being back to DFZ. Heartsrikers remain my favorite due to the fact Aaron's dragons are so damn funny and lovable, but I'll give a chance for Lola capturing my heart in the next book.
I was always of the opinion that Rachel actually started to build her urban series around the concept of Detroit Free Zone, a magical city where various species live and cohabit, but those damn dragons just forced themselves into spotlight and it became the series about dragons. Honestly, their egos are as big as city, so it figures.
But it seems she wanted to get back to that original concept of vertical modern metropolis built on ruins of old Detroit that's this hotpot of magical creatures with two of her subsequent series Minimum Wage Magic and By a Silver Thread.
Putting the DFZ in series name it's a clear indicator of that even if dragons are a huge part of it. :)
Anyway, the only thing that was missing from DFZ were apparently fae. Lola is a changeling, a construct made by fairy magic who was swapped for a real child. She is bound to a service to a blood mage, Victor, who uses her powers of physical transformation for his drug selling purposes. She has to take pills made from his blood in order to keep her real form coming out, so when Victor disappears, Lila has to race against time while dealing with paladins, Victor enemies and mysterious Black Rider to find her master.
So, I'll starts with this:
I always appreciate when authors decide to write novels with constructs as their main protagonists. In its essence, constructs like golems, patched up Frankenstein's monster, or changeling are made from bits of parts and given life, they are not born, just made. Because of that they seem to be less of a person, they seem expandable, immune, easy to unmake when their purpose is fulfilled. So, I am always delighted when authors circumvent that perception and show these character having thoughts and feelings and thus, give them personality readers can connect to.
Lola is essentially a blob of gossamer, a sideproject of an ambitious fairy, a speck of dust in games big players of DFZ play. She changes her looks like Mistique, evershaping her gossamer into a car she can drive to a certain place, a key to open the door, things she can use. Not knowing how she really looks like, only that she is a monster, she lives something we can't even call life. Victor disappearance brought a lot of firsts for her: freedom to go where she wants, fall in love and question her master. This is the most interesting thing for me in this novel, especially because she did it again with Black Rider in similar capacity. But make no mistake, this is a plot driven story. Lola and BR are not particularly funny or interesting to read about like Heartsrikers are, the most interesting thing about them is what they are and can Aaron develop them further considering restrictions of their creation and their purpose.
Beside them, fairies were of standard variety and I have to say, perfect addition to DFZ . Victor also fits right in.
AS much as plot was easy to follow and fast-paced I admit I never had a lot of patience for Aaron's penchant for info dump. She has these scenes where character sit and one of them is explaining to main character how something works, magic system or rules, but it's actually an explanation for reader. She does this a lot and BaST is no exception: Sea of Magic, vessels and spirits, collective emotion giving and taking them power and the nature of gossamer and fae domains vs. blood magic is just too convoluted and after pages of explanations to make it make sense I just get bored and my eyes start to skim over them. And as complicated as it is, it's still heavily relying on the fact you've read previous books in trilogy and know how spirits or magic work. I made peace with this being a thing in Aaron's writing and depending on characters it can bother me more or less or not at all.
It's fun being back to DFZ. Heartsrikers remain my favorite due to the fact Aaron's dragons are so damn funny and lovable, but I'll give a chance for Lola capturing my heart in the next book.
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