Sophie Reads YA: Cassandra Clare

Waiting On Wednesday: Chain of Thorns (The Last Hours #3) by Cassandra Clare

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Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is:

Chain of Thorns
Series: The Last Hours #3
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published January 31st 2023 by Walker Books

Goodreads Summary

James and Cordelia must save London—and their marriage—in this thrilling and highly anticipated conclusion to the Last Hours series from the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Cassandra Clare. Chain of Thorns is a Shadowhunters novel.

Cordelia Carstairs has lost everything that matters to her. In only a few short weeks, she has seen her father murdered, her plans to become parabatai with her best friend, Lucie, destroyed, and her marriage to James Herondale crumble before her eyes. Even worse, she is now bound to an ancient demon, Lilith, stripping her of her power as a Shadowhunter.

After fleeing to Paris with Matthew Fairchild, Cordelia hopes to forget her sorrows in the city’s glittering nightlife. But reality intrudes when shocking news comes from home: Tatiana Blackthorn has escaped the Adamant Citadel, and London is under new threat by the Prince of Hell, Belial.

Cordelia returns to a London riven by chaos and dissent. The long-kept secret that Belial is James and Lucie’s grandfather has been revealed by an unexpected enemy, and the Herondales find themselves under suspicion of dealings with demons. Cordelia longs to protect James but is torn between a love for James she has long believed hopeless, and the possibility of a new life with Matthew. Nor can her friends help—ripped apart by their own secrets, they seem destined to face what is coming alone.

For time is short, and Belial’s plan is about to crash into the Shadowhunters of London like a deadly wave, one that will separate Cordelia, Lucie, and the Merry Thieves from help of any kind. Left alone in a shadowy London, they must face Belial’s deadly army. If Cordelia and her friends are going to save their city—and their families—they will have to muster their courage, swallow their pride, and trust one another again. For if they fail, they may lose everything—even their souls.

Goodreads

Why I'm waiting:

Oh I am desperate for this book! I've had Chain of Thorns preordered for so long, and I need to see Cordelia and James get a happy ending.

Are you waiting for this book? Have you already read it? Let me know :)

2021 New Release challenge

Review: Chain of Iron (The Last Hours #2) by Cassandra Clare

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Chain of Iron
Series: The Last Hours #2
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published March 2nd 2021 by Walker Books

Goodreads Synopsis
The Shadowhunters must catch a killer in Edwardian London in this dangerous and romantic sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling novel Chain of Gold, from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Cassandra Clare. Chain of Iron is a Shadowhunters novel.

Cordelia Carstairs seems to have everything she ever wanted. She’s engaged to marry James Herondale, the boy she has loved since childhood. She has a new life in London with her best friend Lucie Herondale and James’s charming companions, the Merry Thieves. She is about to be reunited with her beloved father. And she bears the sword Cortana, a legendary hero’s blade.

But the truth is far grimmer. James and Cordelia’s marriage is a lie, arranged to save Cordelia’s reputation. James is in love with the mysterious Grace Blackthorn whose brother, Jesse, died years ago in a terrible accident. Cortana burns Cordelia’s hand when she touches it, while her father has grown bitter and angry. And a serial murderer is targeting the Shadowhunters of London, killing under cover of darkness, then vanishing without a trace.

Together with the Merry Thieves, Cordelia, James, and Lucie must follow the trail of the knife-wielding killer through the city’s most dangerous streets. All the while, each is keeping a shocking secret: Lucie, that she plans to raise Jesse from the dead; Cordelia, that she has sworn a dangerous oath of loyalty to a mysterious power; and James, that he is being drawn further each night into the dark web of his grandfather, the arch-demon Belial. And that he himself may be the killer they seek.
Goodreads

Review
In Chain of Iron, the merry band of Shadowhunters find themselves in peril once more. Cordelia Carstairs has always loved James Herondale, and though she is now engaged to him, she knows his feelings lie elsewhere. But it's allowed her more freedom, her father will be returning for the wedding, and she has Cortana, her trusted sword at side. So why does Cordelia still feel so bad, as if something is going to go wrong? Lucie is keeping her secret about Jesse, and her plans to raise him from the dead. As more and more shadowhunters are being murdered, and the arch-demon Belial is digging his claws into James, will the gang be able to make it out the other side alive?

I just love this series - honestly, I think it might be my favourite of Cassie's. The worldbuilding is so immense, and the plot lines sometimes are confusing, but when you get to the moment when they all intertwine, it's sheer perfection. Cordelia and James are definitely endgame, but James is still under Grace's spell. There were moments of utter joy between Cordelia and James, which would then be ruined, and I just need them to be happy, okay? I can't really go into too much detail about what happens in the book without giving away spoilers, but it's clear Cassie has big plans for the characters in the final book. The ending of this was mind blowing, and I need Chain of Thorns like yesterday!

Dates Read:
March 2-6, 2021

Rating
4 Stars

Cassandra Clare

Waiting on Wednesday: Chain of Iron (The Last Hours #2) by Cassandra Clare

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2020 New Release challenge

Review: Chain of Gold (The Last Hours #1) by Cassandra Clare

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Chain of Gold
Series: The Last Hours #1
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published March 3rd 2020 by Walker Books

Goodreads Synopsis
From #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Cassandra Clare comes the first novel in a brand-new trilogy that stars the Shadowhunters of Edwardian London. Chain of Gold is a Shadowhunters novel.

Welcome to Edwardian London, a time of electric lights and long shadows, the celebration of artistic beauty and the wild pursuit of pleasure, with demons waiting in the dark. For years there has been peace in the Shadowhunter world. James and Lucie Herondale, children of the famous Will and Tessa, have grown up in an idyll with their loving friends and family, listening to stories of good defeating evil and love conquering all. But everything changes when the Blackthorn and Carstairs families come to London…and so does a remorseless and inescapable plague.

James Herondale longs for a great love, and thinks he has found it in the beautiful, mysterious Grace Blackthorn. Cordelia Carstairs is desperate to become a hero, save her family from ruin, and keep her secret love for James hidden. When disaster strikes the Shadowhunters, James, Cordelia and their friends are plunged into a wild adventure which will reveal dark and incredible powers, and the true cruel price of being a hero…and falling in love.
Goodreads

Review
I have always had a sort of love hate relationship with Shadowhunter books, and was ready to just give up on them, but at Christmas I decided to retry with The Dark Artifices series, and it reignited my love of the world, so when Chain of Gold was released just before my birthday, I decided to treat myself to a copy, and I am so glad that I did.

In Chain of Gold, it's now 1903, and we are following the children of our heroes in The Infernal Devices. James and Lucie Herondale, the children of Will and Tessa, are coming of age, and are now noticing more and more demonic activity after such a long period of quiet. James and his gang of Merry Thieves - Matthew, Thomas, and Christopher - find themselves in more and more dangerous situations, but the adults, and especially the Clave, don't believe them that something more sinister than a few demons is at work here, and they must work together, and with Lucie and her future parabatai, Cordelia Carstairs. Cordelia, on the other hand, has been out of London for most of her life, with her family who travel around, a lot. When her father is arrested, the family decide to settle in London, close to the Herondales who are their friends, and also powerful, and Cordelia needs to use whatever she can to develop allies, and try to save her father. She's also hopelessly in love with James, but knows he has feelings for Grace Blackthorn, the adopted daughter of Tatiana, who despises all Herondales and Lightwoods for what they did to her father and husband in The Infernal Devices.

I do think that because of the historical aspect of The Infernal Devices, that it was always a favourite of mine, so returning to that time, albeit a few years later, was a really nice surprise in this book, and definitely was what we needed for the story at hand. One thing I will say, going in, is that I definitely think you need to read The Infernal Devices before this series, to understand the background of the characters. The plot in this story was definitely well developed, and though a lot of it was tied up by the end of the book, it is clearly setting up the story line for the whole series. I adored the banter between the main characters, and I think this might've been the closest knit friendship group out of the entire Shadowhunter world.

James was a brooding and conflicted main character. Being the son of Tessa, he has inherited some of her warlock-ness, and it manifests in the form of him entering a shadow world, which only he can access, and it seems that the demon who is at the forefront of all of the issues happening - the poisonings and the attacks - has a connection to both this shadow world, and James himself. He also is conflicted about his feelings for both Grace and Cordelia. He has always had feelings for Grace since they first met in Idris, and are secretly engaged to marry, but it seems as if that is all on the surface, and not real, especially when Grace neigh on ignores him, and treats him like dirt - because he's a Herondale. Cordelia has always been in his life - he even gave her the nickname, Daisy, when they were young - and when he was ill, she was at his side, caring for him. The more they are with each other now, especially in all of the high tense situations, he starts to consider that his feelings are more than friendly, but isn't sure exactly what to do about it. Lucie, being a Herondale, has always been able to see ghosts, but her ancestry seems to have allowed her to be the only person who can see Jesse Blackthorn, Tatiana's son who died 5 years ago, and who Tatiana is trying to resurrect. Her and Jesse grow close, and there's a few different times when I thought that it was more than just friendship developing between them, but I reckon that'll be developed more in future instalments.

Of course, so much more than this happened in the book - it wouldn't be a Cassie book if it didn't - but I really couldn't list it all without spoilers. All in all, this was fantastic, and I can't wait to get my hands on book two, Chain of Iron, when it is released next March.

Dates Read:
April 1-5, 2020

Rating
4 Stars

2020 Beat the Backlist challenge

Review: Queen of Air and Darkness (The Dark Artifices #3) by Cassandra Clare

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Queen of Air and Darkness
Series: The Dark Artifices #3
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published December 4th 2018 by Simon & Schuster Children's UK

Goodreads Synopsis
Dark secrets and forbidden love threaten the very survival of the Shadowhunters in Cassandra Clare’s Queen of Air and Darkness, the final novel in the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling The Dark Artifices trilogy. Queen of Air and Darkness is a Shadowhunters novel.

What if damnation is the price of true love?

Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the disease that is destroying the race of warlocks. Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined. Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love.
Goodreads

Review
The fact that I had bought this book back in January 2019 was the best thing past me could've done. After finishing Lord of Shadows, I knew I needed to start book 3 asap, because I couldn't believe that Cassie had actually gone there, and killed Livvy.

I dove straight into Queen of Air and Darkness, and let me tell you, it is a tome. My copy was 893 pages long, so it's understandable that it took me a few days to get through. So much happened in this book that I would be on for hours trying to recount it all, so I'll summarise (spoiler's ahead):

Firstly, we have the fallout of the deaths of Livia Blackthorn and Imperator Lightwood, and the destruction of the Mortal Sword. The Cohort are calling for control of the Clave, and eventually they get it when Horace Dearborn is elected as Imperator. Now they're planning on bringing in a register of Downworlders, and all Institutes are honourbound to see the registrations. Aline and Helen are in charge of the Los Angeles Institute, but they try and work around the registrations in their own way.
Julian goes to see Magnus and turns off his emotions so that the grief he feels over Livvy, and his love for Emma, doesn't complete destroy him. It backfires, and he and Emma get into some sticky situations because of this. Horace sends both Emma and Julian on neigh on a suicide mission into Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume, and, if they can, find and recover Jace and Clary.
The entire Blackthorn brood are struggling, but all work together to stop Annabell and the Cohort, and the Seelie King from completely destroying their worlds. Parts of the Blight that they see in Faerie is starting to infect Idris, and the Warlocks are becoming ill.
Tiberius and Kit are using a forged copy of the Black Volume to try to bring Livvy back, and Ty's really struggling to come to terms with losing his twin.
Chrisitna, Mark, and Kieran are all struggling with their feelings for each other, and know that they lose the others as much as anything. They want to help Emma and Julian, and get themselves into Faerie to find them, especially when they hear from Diana and Gwyn that their mission is doomed to fail.
The whole gang - Emma, Julian, Christina, Mark, Kieran, Jace and Clary - are captured by the Seelie King, which leads to Kieran killing his father, and in turn becoming the Seelie King - but it's not supported by the majority of the Fae, especially those who support his brother Oban. They escape through portals, though Emma and Julian's send them to Thule.
Thule is a damaged world, in which Sebastian Morgenstern killed Clary and won the Dark War. Emma and Julian in this world have become Endarkened, and the Shadowhunters are neigh on no more. They realise that there is still a Mortal Sword in this world, and with the help of the Dru and Tessa from Thule, they find the sword and escape back to their own world.
Julian breaks the curse that he asked Magnus to put on him, and all of his feelings and emotions come back. He loves Emma as much as he ever did, and both of them are now starting to feel the effects of the Parabatai curse. He calls a meeting of Shadowhunters and Downworlders alike, and they make a plan to stop the Cohort with their fake meeting with the new 'Seelie King'. However, there's a spy in their camp, and Horace and Zara know all about it.
At the confrontation in Idris, a lot happens, including the Parabatai curse being fully enacted, and Emma and Julian become true Nephilim, nearly burning themselves out in their angelic power, and stopping the Cohort. They are only brought back by the various Blackthorn's love for them.
It all comes to a close with Emma and Julian breaking their Parabatai bond, and being able to be with each other. Alec is elected the new Consul, and he and Magnus marry, eventually. Kit goes off to England with Tessa and Jem, wanting to be separated from Ty, and the rest of the Blackthorns. Kieran is now King of Seelie, and has found a way for him and Mark and Christina to be together, and none of them be harmed by it.

All in all, this book had a lot, and tied up basically all of the questions that needed answering. Some parts of it were a bit long, and could've been condensed, but I definitely enjoyed it, and am glad that I decided to give this series another chance. The characters in these books made me remember why I had initially falling in love with the Shadowhunter world, and I am looking forward to the next few books that Cassie will be releasing. I'm especially looking forward to the Wicked Powers series, which is said to be about Ty and Kit, who I think still have stories to be told. That won't be for another few years though, so I'll guess I have to wait for them.

Dates Read:
December 31, 2019-January 5, 2020

Rating
4 Stars

2019 Beat the Backlist challenge

Review: Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2) by Cassandra Clare

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Lord of Shadows
Series: The Dark Artifices #2
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published May 23rd 2017 by Simon & Schuster Children's UK

Goodreads Synopsis
Sunny Los Angeles can be a dark place indeed in Cassandra Clare’s Lord of Shadows, the sequel to the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Lady Midnight. Lord of Shadows is a Shadowhunters novel.

Emma Carstairs has finally avenged her parents. She thought she’d be at peace. But she is anything but calm. Torn between her desire for her parabatai Julian and her desire to protect him from the brutal consequences of parabatai relationships, she has begun dating his brother, Mark. But Mark has spent the past five years trapped in Faerie; can he ever truly be a Shadowhunter again?

And the faerie courts are not silent. The Unseelie King is tired of the Cold Peace, and will no longer concede to the Shadowhunters’ demands. Caught between the demands of faerie and the laws of the Clave, Emma, Julian, and Mark must find a way to come together to defend everything they hold dear—before it’s too late.
Goodreads

Review
I remember buying this book on a whim, even though I had been falling out of love with Cassie's books, and am I glad that I did now. As soon as I finished Lady Midnight, I immediately picked up my copy of Lord of Shadows, and got right back into the action. After killing the evil warlock, Malcolm Fade, Emma is slowly getting back on track. However, her feelings for parabatai Julian are still there, and she knows that by loving him, she isn't just disobeying the law, but it's also a curse, and could lead to the death and destruction of everyone she cares about. She needs Julian to fall out of love with her, as that's the only way to stop the parabatai curse from continuing. Her plan, to get Julian's older brother Mark, and the only person he's ever been jealous of, to pretend to date her, to make Julian hate her. While this is all happening, there's also the fall out of Malcolm's attempt at necromancy. The Centurion's from the Scholomance have descended on the Institute, with Zara Dearborn leading a charge to register all Downworlder's, and treat them as inferior beings. The whole of the Clave seem to be turning into a mess, and it's up to Emma and the Blackthorn's to deal with it.

Now, so much happened in this book! Firstly we have the fall out of Malcolm's betrayal, then everything with the Cohort and Centurions, and then we get thrust in Faerie on a rescue mission to save Keiran from certain death - and this is all in the first half. Then we travel to London, with everyone in tow - including Kit who's now embracing his Shadowhunter heritage - and then all shit hits the fan. Malcolm's not really dead, then he is; Annabel had been brought back, and we're not sure where her allegiance's lie, and then it's to Idris, with Annabel and Keiran, to stop the Cohort, and try and prove what has actually being happening. I did love all of the action, but sometime's it seemed like too much was happening than was actually needed. All of the story lines were woven together, and sometimes you were just getting your head around what was happening with Emma and Julian, and then you were with the rest of the Blackthorn's doing something completely different.

The character's were all as wonderful as they had been in book 1. I loved that we saw more of the family dynamic this time around, and each of the Blackthorn's were their own distinct selves, but all interconnected and reliant on each other. Emma, I think is my favourite, with Livvy and Ty a close second. One of my favourite parts of this book was the inclusion of Kit into their life, with Ty and Livvy basically adopting him and taking him under their wing. Ty and Kit's relationship was fantastic, and I definitely can't wait to see how that develops in Queen of Air and Darkness.

The romance was flying in this book, with Emma and Julian's chemistry being off the charts, even with the knowledge of the parabatai curse, and Emma's supposed relationship with Mark being an issue. However, they can't fight how they feel for each other - cue REO Speedwagon playing in the background - and it gets too much for them in this book. There's also the chemistry between Christina, Mark and Kieran, which I think may be developed more in the next book - I'm hoping it is, anyway.

The main thing with this book, though, is the progression towards the final battle, final struggle towards saving everyone. The conclusion shocked me so much. I honestly did not see it coming, and I'm glad when I bought QoAaD that I never looked at the synopsis as I would've been spoiled. Looking at other people's reviews, I think I'm lucky too, that I waited until I had all 3 books to binge the series, rather than facing a two year wait as others did for book 3. That book, I think, will be my first of 2020 - here's hoping everything get's tied up!

Dates Read:
December 19-30, 2019

Rating
4 Stars

2019 Beat the Backlist challenge

Review: Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1) by Cassandra Clare

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Lady Midnight
Series: The Dark Artifices #1
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published March 8th 2016 by Simon & Schuster Children's UK

Goodreads Synopsis
The Shadowhunters of Los Angeles star in the first novel in Cassandra Clare’s newest series, The Dark Artifices, a sequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series. Lady Midnight is a Shadowhunters novel.

It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.

Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…

Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?

Glitz, glamours, and Shadowhunters abound in this heartrending opening to Cassandra Clare’s Dark Artifices series.
Goodreads

Review
I have very mixed feelings about this book. Way back in 2016 when it was published, I pre-ordered my copy, but had already started to turn off from Cassie's books, as I found them very samey. I got about a third of the way through this tome - it's a hefty book - and then decided I just couldn't be bothered with it anymore. Fast forward to December 2019, and I decided I would give it another go, and this time around, I really enjoyed it. Emma has known since she was 12, and witnessed the fall of Idris to the hands of evil Sebastian Morgenstern, that she would be the next great Shadowhunter, of the likes of Jace Herondale and more. She's the last of the Carstairs', and is forever tied with the Blackthorn family through her Parabatai, Julian. Both orphaned at 12, they couldn't bear to be separated, and have been living in the Los Angeles institute for the last five years. Basically raising the rest of the Blackthorn brood (Ty, Liv, Dru and Tavvy - all named after famous Ancient Romans, definitely a plus from me), they haven't had many difficulties of the paranormal nature, except the absence of Mark and Helin exiled after the Dark War and enactment of the Cold Peace. However, it soon appears that Downworlders are being killed in a manner similar to how Emma's parents were killed five years ago, and the murders seem to be stepping up. Add in the fact that Mark has been returned by the leader of the Wild Hunt, Gwyn, with the friendly instructions that they find the murdered, or else, Emma and Jules have found themselves with a mystery that may be even too big for them. They also have the complication of their romantic feelings for one another, which is forbidden under Shadowhunter Law between Parabatai. It seems that their peace and solitude has just been broken.

I can say one thing, Cassandra Clare can write a good character. Emma has had to deal with so much in her young life, from losing her parents in a horrific manner at 12 and then seeing the terror and death in Idris during the Dark War, having only her wits and Jules to save herself and the rest of the Blackthorns. Now feeling sort of motherly to the brood, she can't help to fall into herself with little to pull her out of her feelings expect revenge when the new murders are discovered. Her feelings for Julian threaten to overtake her, and with only Christina to confide in, she's nearly ready to explode.

Julian is very much the same. He had lost his older siblings to the Cold Peace, had to kill his father when he was turned by Sebastian, and raise his younger siblings from 12, that he almost doesn't understand what it is to be an 18 year old. Now that Mark is back, he thinks that he will be able to relinquish some of the responsibility, but unfortunately Mark is in no state to do so. Jules has also known that he's been in love with Emma for years, and it's getting harder to hide that fact.

Mark was completely and utterly destroyed when he was taken by the Wild Hunt, and the very notion of him returning to his Shadowhunting ways is neigh on killing him. He can't reconcile the fact that he is safe and home, and the complication of his own feelings towards one of the Hunters isn't helping.

The rest of the Blackthorns, though secondary characters, are all fleshed out too. Tiberius and Livia - Ty and Liv - are twins, and do pretty much everything together. Liv wants to be Ty's Parabatai, and protect him, but he's very much against it. Ty has his own little quirks, that the family embrace but don't want anyone else to see - it's implied he's on the autistic spectrum, but as mundane notions are frowned upon, not diagnosed. Drusilla is only 13, but already she is dealing with issues such as body image, and shyness, but within her family, she is loved and adored. And then we have little Octavian, the baby of the family who's only 7 and already wise beyond his years. I just adore Tavvy, and he needs to be protected at all costs.

The entire plot of this book, though slightly long at times, was breathtaking. I found myself falling back in love with Cassie's stories and understand now why I had loved them so much in the past. I can't really review the plot line without giving too much away, but just know that I'm diving right into Lord of Shadows now!

Dates Read:
December 10-15, 2019

Rating
4 Stars