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The Dark Artifices #1
Lady Midnight
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2016)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.
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.
688 pages, Hardcover
First published March 8, 2016
About the author
Cassandra Clare
197 books270k followersCassandra Clare was born to American parents in Tehran, Iran and spent much of her childhood travelling the world with her family, including one trek through the Himalayas as a toddler where she spent a month living in her father’s backpack. She lived in France, England and Switzerland before she was ten years old.
Since her family moved around so much she found familiarity in books and went everywhere with a book under her arm. She spent her high school years in Los Angeles where she used to write stories to amuse her classmates, including an epic novel called “The Beautiful Cassandra” based on a Jane Austen short story of the same name (and which later inspired her current pen name).
After college, Cassie lived in Los Angeles and New York where she worked at various entertainment magazines and even some rather suspect tabloids where she reported on Brad and Angelina’s world travels and Britney Spears’ wardrobe malfunctions. She started working on her YA novel, City of Bones, in 2004, inspired by the urban landscape of Manhattan, her favourite city. She turned to writing fantasy fiction full time in 2006 and hopes never to have to write about Paris Hilton again.
Cassie’s first professional writing sale was a short story called “The Girl’s Guide to Defeating the Dark Lord” in a Baen anthology of humor fantasy. Cassie hates working at home alone because she always gets distracted by reality TV shows and the antics of her cats, so she usually sets out to write in local coffee shops and restaurants. She likes to work in the company of her friends, who see that she sticks to her deadlines.
City of Bones was her first novel. Sword Catcher is her most recent novel.
Since her family moved around so much she found familiarity in books and went everywhere with a book under her arm. She spent her high school years in Los Angeles where she used to write stories to amuse her classmates, including an epic novel called “The Beautiful Cassandra” based on a Jane Austen short story of the same name (and which later inspired her current pen name).
After college, Cassie lived in Los Angeles and New York where she worked at various entertainment magazines and even some rather suspect tabloids where she reported on Brad and Angelina’s world travels and Britney Spears’ wardrobe malfunctions. She started working on her YA novel, City of Bones, in 2004, inspired by the urban landscape of Manhattan, her favourite city. She turned to writing fantasy fiction full time in 2006 and hopes never to have to write about Paris Hilton again.
Cassie’s first professional writing sale was a short story called “The Girl’s Guide to Defeating the Dark Lord” in a Baen anthology of humor fantasy. Cassie hates working at home alone because she always gets distracted by reality TV shows and the antics of her cats, so she usually sets out to write in local coffee shops and restaurants. She likes to work in the company of her friends, who see that she sticks to her deadlines.
City of Bones was her first novel. Sword Catcher is her most recent novel.
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July 14, 2021
5th anniversary editions are available for pre order at waterstones currently (july 14th, 2021)
1.) City of Bones ★★★
2.) City of Ashes ★★
3.) City of Glass ★★★
1.) Clockwork Angel ★★★
4.) City of Fallen Angels ★
2.) Clockwork Prince ★★★★
5.) City of Lost Souls ★★★★
3.) Clockwork Princess ★★★★★
6.) City of Heavenly Fire ★★★★★
*.) The Bane Chronicles ★★★
*.) Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy ★★★
Lady Midnight was completely worth me reading eleven back-list Cassie Clare titles for. Holy shit, this book was everything. Everything. And honestly this was one of the best things I’ve read all year. I am so in love, friends. This world just gets more complex, the banter gets funnier, the cast gets more diverse, and the stories get more and more enthralling. And this is easily the best book I’ve read from Cassie Clare yet.
But I went into this brand-new series, that has been building up in the previous series for some time now, never expecting the main story to be about a secret murderous cult. Like, the blessings. Basically, in Lady Midnight Emma is still unable to let the mysterious deaths of her parents go unsolved, even though everyone else thinks they were just the first casualties of the start of the Dark War. But it has been five years since then, and the Cold Peace is still being held up by the Shadowhunters, making it so no one can help or work with the fae.
Emma and the Blackthorns are living back at the LA Institute, and upholding that law even though they know it’s wrong. That is, until they get an offer that they can’t refuse. And we are thrown into a world of ley lines, sacrificial killings, necromancer magic, and a baffling puzzle that Emma and the gang need to figure out quickly.
Lady Midnight is truly a book all about forbidden love. It is filled with angst, heartbreak, and pain. But it is so expertly done, that you’ll ask for more and say please while doing so. Cassandra Clare is just perfecting her writing, her stories, her characters, her plot twists, and her diversity with every single book. This book honestly blew me away. Also, yes, you need to read all eleven books leading up to his one, truly.
Please use caution reading the rest of this review if you have not read this book and all the series leading up to this book! And as always, I’m going to do a little mini character breakdown on my thoughts and feelings on all the main characters in this book. Spoilers ahead!
(Perfect art by Loweana - who seriously makes my favorite art for every single fandom; The Cruel Prince, Six of Crows, and now The Dark Artifices!)
➽ Emma Carstairs - My queen, my love, my entire heart. My favorite main character in… forever. I’m not joking, I actually like her that much. Easily my favorite character in all of Cassie Clare’s books. Wow, The blessings. I’m not deserving.
➽ Julian Blackthorn - My soft, sweet boy. Too pure for this world and all the Shadowhunters. I will protect him at all costs. Also, full disclosure, I’ve had a thing for the “dark haired, broody, tortured artist” type since high school and Adrian from Vampire Academy and Julian really is the epitome of that, too. And some of his one-liners? God, I was swooning so hard.
➽ Mark Blackthorn - Mark Blackthorn is responsible for 90% of the angst I felt in this book. “Why lie?” is now my favorite ending line of every book and I will be haunted. Also, what a bi icon. My heart.
➽ Kieran - My dude really messed up in the middle of this book, but my subconscious just falls in love with all the queer faeries Seriously, it is beyond my control at this point. Plus, you all know that fae princes are literally my greatest weakness in this life, so….
➽ Cristina Rosales - What an amazing new character. Cristina is Latinx and from Mexico and the most precious angel in the world. Her and Emma’s friendship was so wonderful and just warmed my heart during every scene.
(Gorgeous art by Haunted Duck Princess!)
➽ Livvy Blackthorn - This sweet little protector. I love Livvy so much, but I’m so scared how she is going to handle possibly being alone.
➽ Tiberius Blackthorn - Ty is honestly one of the best characters I’ve read about in years. Cassie Clare has done such a beautiful job with his character and showing that people on the Autism spectrum just learn and consume information differently; never wrongly. But I don’t want him and Livvy to separate, I’m weak.
➽ Dru Blackthorn - This shy little sweetheart gave me so many feels in this book. And again, I think Cassie Clare creating a thirteen-year-old struggling with body image is something I wish I had when I was thirteen. Every book, every series, every new character, Cassie just impresses me more and more. And I can’t wait to see more of Drusilla.
➽ Octavian Blackthorn - My heart always breaks for Tavvy, because even though he is only seven, all he has ever known is war. I mean, that’s so relatable to our world, and that breaks my heart, too.
➽ Diego Rocío Rosales - I honestly really like Diego, who is also Latinx and followed Cristina from Mexico, but I don’t want him to ruin my polyamorous dreams, but if he’s willing to add to them then I will be the happiest human on Earth. Thanks. But I am really scared to meet Jaime.
➽ Gwyn - Leader of the Hunt and stealer of my heart. Give me everything about this man, because I am highkey ready to call him daddy.
➽ Iarlath - Someone kill this man, quick.
➽ Anselm Nightshade - Vampire and pizza place owner! That combination is going to lead to nothing good.
➽ Arthur Blackthorn - I lowkey dislike Arthur. I know he has been though SOME SHIT, but I just feel so damn bad for Julian every time I think of him, and it just really ruins his character for me.
➽ Johnny Rook - This death was hella brutal. I was not prepared. But I will also say that I was so surprised when this book started out, on page one, with the Shadow Market and introduced us to this character, because I know the short stories that are currently being published are all about this magical place and I can’t wait to learn more.
➽ Kit Rook - AKA: Christopher Herondale. DAMN! I honestly screamed at this reveal. I can’t wait to learn everything about him. Also, this really solidifies that you really should read Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy before starting this book.
➽ Diana Wrayburn - Questionable face tat, but I can’t wait to learn more about her.
➽ Malcolm Fade - If Lady Midnight taught me anything, it is that warlocks are so damn over-powered. Holy moly, the power this dude had. Also, friendly reminder: no body = no death. Okay, thanks, bye.
➽ Annabel - Oh shit. Apparently the 2 AM "u up?" text is powerful. I’m scared, friends.
➽ Tessa & Jem - That “item” that they were after. Shit, son. But seeing Jem build a relationship with Emma? So beautiful, I don’t even have words for it. I really hope that they are in Lord of Shadows more, because I honestly can’t get enough of them.
➽ Clary & Jace - Holy shit, mom and dad are running the NY Institute now? Damn, they grow up fast. Real talk, one of my favorite moments of this book was Jace and Mark’s heart to heart, where he tells him that he has only given witchlight to two people before. Ahhh, the feels.
➽ Izzy & Simon - Um, how are my babies engaged?!?! Ahhhhh! I honestly screamed when this information was presented, even though we didn’t get to see my favorites in this book at all. But still, I am so damn happy, and they deserve the world, and each other, and I’m honestly just overcome with emotions.
And you all knew I wasn’t going to write this long review and not talk more about the budding polyamorous relationship that I think Cassie Clare is building for us. I truly think with my entire body and soul that Cassie Clare wanted to have Tessa, Jem, and Will be in a polyamorous relationship, but it was still not that talked about back when The Internal Devices came out. But, dear reader, I think she is going to right her wrongs and give us the relationship of my dreams. And with two of the partners being fae? Lord, this is my actual dreams.
But I know that Emma and Julian’s forbidden relationship is going to be the actual death of me. The only really negative thing I can say about this book is that I think the laws revolving around parabatai and the age restrictions that make these kids pick lifelong and life-altering relationships is so unbelievable. And let’s be real, Emma and Julian got done so dirty by their forced arrangement. But seeing how this bond is going to… maybe ruin them? Lord, I can’t. I actually can’t. And Mark Blackthorn is just going to intensify the angst, but I’m highkey ready for that!
I always appreciate that the heart of every Shadowhunter novel is about oppression and prejudices that impact everyone; friends, families, entire societies. The Clave is the political force that makes and implements the rules in this world, and much like my own world, many are really harmful, extremely backwards, and very exclusionary. And I love seeing young people fight back against the generation that wants to keep them in these broken cycles that are filled with hate and fear.
Another cool addition that this book gave us was the talk of Scholomance. I feel like I don’t remember this being something in the other books, and it is like a detective school, but Shadowhunter style. Diego already attended it, and it looks like Ty is going to eventually go to it, and I’m just really interested to see more.
Okay, let’s talk about the sex. First off, birth control runes? Praise/bless. I loved this more than words and Clary is honest to god doing the lord’s work. The sex on the beach. Like, it might be a tiny bit unrealistic (sand is not your friend during sex, I promise) but like, I had to wait 102 books for Jace to whip out that condom in Hell, but Cassie Clare gives us a hot sex scene in this first book of a series? The blessings. And Julian was the virgin and not Emma? The gifts keep on coming. Seriously, you all, I was screaming with joy over everything in chapter eighteen. Also, huge shout out to Solly for sending me the naughty version of the beach scene, because he knows me.
Also, a big shout out to Lea for sending me the short story that is only found in first editions of Lady Midnight! And, friends, it was perfection! Overall, this is one of the best things I’ve read all year and I am so damn thankful that I read all those other books to get to this one. I experienced pure happiness while reading this book, from the first to last page. And I am literally posting this review and running back to my bookshelves to pick up Lord of Shadows!
(Beautiful art by Cassandra Jean!)
Youtube | Instagram | Twitter | Blog | Spotify | Twitch
Content and trigger warnings for murder, death, loss of a loved one, torture, blood depictions, self-harm, anxiety attacks, PTSD, talk of cancer, and graphic violence.
I read this for the Stay Home Reading Rush & OWLs Magical Readathon 2020! ⚡
1.) City of Bones ★★★
2.) City of Ashes ★★
3.) City of Glass ★★★
1.) Clockwork Angel ★★★
4.) City of Fallen Angels ★
2.) Clockwork Prince ★★★★
5.) City of Lost Souls ★★★★
3.) Clockwork Princess ★★★★★
6.) City of Heavenly Fire ★★★★★
*.) The Bane Chronicles ★★★
*.) Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy ★★★
“No one is ever the villain of their own story.”
Lady Midnight was completely worth me reading eleven back-list Cassie Clare titles for. Holy shit, this book was everything. Everything. And honestly this was one of the best things I’ve read all year. I am so in love, friends. This world just gets more complex, the banter gets funnier, the cast gets more diverse, and the stories get more and more enthralling. And this is easily the best book I’ve read from Cassie Clare yet.
But I went into this brand-new series, that has been building up in the previous series for some time now, never expecting the main story to be about a secret murderous cult. Like, the blessings. Basically, in Lady Midnight Emma is still unable to let the mysterious deaths of her parents go unsolved, even though everyone else thinks they were just the first casualties of the start of the Dark War. But it has been five years since then, and the Cold Peace is still being held up by the Shadowhunters, making it so no one can help or work with the fae.
Emma and the Blackthorns are living back at the LA Institute, and upholding that law even though they know it’s wrong. That is, until they get an offer that they can’t refuse. And we are thrown into a world of ley lines, sacrificial killings, necromancer magic, and a baffling puzzle that Emma and the gang need to figure out quickly.
Lady Midnight is truly a book all about forbidden love. It is filled with angst, heartbreak, and pain. But it is so expertly done, that you’ll ask for more and say please while doing so. Cassandra Clare is just perfecting her writing, her stories, her characters, her plot twists, and her diversity with every single book. This book honestly blew me away. Also, yes, you need to read all eleven books leading up to his one, truly.
Please use caution reading the rest of this review if you have not read this book and all the series leading up to this book! And as always, I’m going to do a little mini character breakdown on my thoughts and feelings on all the main characters in this book. Spoilers ahead!
(Perfect art by Loweana - who seriously makes my favorite art for every single fandom; The Cruel Prince, Six of Crows, and now The Dark Artifices!)
➽ Emma Carstairs - My queen, my love, my entire heart. My favorite main character in… forever. I’m not joking, I actually like her that much. Easily my favorite character in all of Cassie Clare’s books. Wow, The blessings. I’m not deserving.
➽ Julian Blackthorn - My soft, sweet boy. Too pure for this world and all the Shadowhunters. I will protect him at all costs. Also, full disclosure, I’ve had a thing for the “dark haired, broody, tortured artist” type since high school and Adrian from Vampire Academy and Julian really is the epitome of that, too. And some of his one-liners? God, I was swooning so hard.
“These pictures are my heart. And if my heart was a canvas, every square inch of it would be painted over with you.”
➽ Mark Blackthorn - Mark Blackthorn is responsible for 90% of the angst I felt in this book. “Why lie?” is now my favorite ending line of every book and I will be haunted. Also, what a bi icon. My heart.
➽ Kieran - My dude really messed up in the middle of this book, but my subconscious just falls in love with all the queer faeries Seriously, it is beyond my control at this point. Plus, you all know that fae princes are literally my greatest weakness in this life, so….
“You are all that exists on the earth and under the sky that I do love.”
➽ Cristina Rosales - What an amazing new character. Cristina is Latinx and from Mexico and the most precious angel in the world. Her and Emma’s friendship was so wonderful and just warmed my heart during every scene.
(Gorgeous art by Haunted Duck Princess!)
➽ Livvy Blackthorn - This sweet little protector. I love Livvy so much, but I’m so scared how she is going to handle possibly being alone.
➽ Tiberius Blackthorn - Ty is honestly one of the best characters I’ve read about in years. Cassie Clare has done such a beautiful job with his character and showing that people on the Autism spectrum just learn and consume information differently; never wrongly. But I don’t want him and Livvy to separate, I’m weak.
➽ Dru Blackthorn - This shy little sweetheart gave me so many feels in this book. And again, I think Cassie Clare creating a thirteen-year-old struggling with body image is something I wish I had when I was thirteen. Every book, every series, every new character, Cassie just impresses me more and more. And I can’t wait to see more of Drusilla.
➽ Octavian Blackthorn - My heart always breaks for Tavvy, because even though he is only seven, all he has ever known is war. I mean, that’s so relatable to our world, and that breaks my heart, too.
➽ Diego Rocío Rosales - I honestly really like Diego, who is also Latinx and followed Cristina from Mexico, but I don’t want him to ruin my polyamorous dreams, but if he’s willing to add to them then I will be the happiest human on Earth. Thanks. But I am really scared to meet Jaime.
➽ Gwyn - Leader of the Hunt and stealer of my heart. Give me everything about this man, because I am highkey ready to call him daddy.
➽ Iarlath - Someone kill this man, quick.
➽ Anselm Nightshade - Vampire and pizza place owner! That combination is going to lead to nothing good.
➽ Arthur Blackthorn - I lowkey dislike Arthur. I know he has been though SOME SHIT, but I just feel so damn bad for Julian every time I think of him, and it just really ruins his character for me.
➽ Johnny Rook - This death was hella brutal. I was not prepared. But I will also say that I was so surprised when this book started out, on page one, with the Shadow Market and introduced us to this character, because I know the short stories that are currently being published are all about this magical place and I can’t wait to learn more.
➽ Kit Rook - AKA: Christopher Herondale. DAMN! I honestly screamed at this reveal. I can’t wait to learn everything about him. Also, this really solidifies that you really should read Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy before starting this book.
➽ Diana Wrayburn - Questionable face tat, but I can’t wait to learn more about her.
➽ Malcolm Fade - If Lady Midnight taught me anything, it is that warlocks are so damn over-powered. Holy moly, the power this dude had. Also, friendly reminder: no body = no death. Okay, thanks, bye.
➽ Annabel - Oh shit. Apparently the 2 AM "u up?" text is powerful. I’m scared, friends.
➽ Tessa & Jem - That “item” that they were after. Shit, son. But seeing Jem build a relationship with Emma? So beautiful, I don’t even have words for it. I really hope that they are in Lord of Shadows more, because I honestly can’t get enough of them.
➽ Clary & Jace - Holy shit, mom and dad are running the NY Institute now? Damn, they grow up fast. Real talk, one of my favorite moments of this book was Jace and Mark’s heart to heart, where he tells him that he has only given witchlight to two people before. Ahhh, the feels.
➽ Izzy & Simon - Um, how are my babies engaged?!?! Ahhhhh! I honestly screamed when this information was presented, even though we didn’t get to see my favorites in this book at all. But still, I am so damn happy, and they deserve the world, and each other, and I’m honestly just overcome with emotions.
And you all knew I wasn’t going to write this long review and not talk more about the budding polyamorous relationship that I think Cassie Clare is building for us. I truly think with my entire body and soul that Cassie Clare wanted to have Tessa, Jem, and Will be in a polyamorous relationship, but it was still not that talked about back when The Internal Devices came out. But, dear reader, I think she is going to right her wrongs and give us the relationship of my dreams. And with two of the partners being fae? Lord, this is my actual dreams.
“It was a sort of love few other people could understand. It was total and it was overwhelming and it could be cruel.”
But I know that Emma and Julian’s forbidden relationship is going to be the actual death of me. The only really negative thing I can say about this book is that I think the laws revolving around parabatai and the age restrictions that make these kids pick lifelong and life-altering relationships is so unbelievable. And let’s be real, Emma and Julian got done so dirty by their forced arrangement. But seeing how this bond is going to… maybe ruin them? Lord, I can’t. I actually can’t. And Mark Blackthorn is just going to intensify the angst, but I’m highkey ready for that!
I always appreciate that the heart of every Shadowhunter novel is about oppression and prejudices that impact everyone; friends, families, entire societies. The Clave is the political force that makes and implements the rules in this world, and much like my own world, many are really harmful, extremely backwards, and very exclusionary. And I love seeing young people fight back against the generation that wants to keep them in these broken cycles that are filled with hate and fear.
Another cool addition that this book gave us was the talk of Scholomance. I feel like I don’t remember this being something in the other books, and it is like a detective school, but Shadowhunter style. Diego already attended it, and it looks like Ty is going to eventually go to it, and I’m just really interested to see more.
“There is nothing more important than love. And no law higher.”
Okay, let’s talk about the sex. First off, birth control runes? Praise/bless. I loved this more than words and Clary is honest to god doing the lord’s work. The sex on the beach. Like, it might be a tiny bit unrealistic (sand is not your friend during sex, I promise) but like, I had to wait 102 books for Jace to whip out that condom in Hell, but Cassie Clare gives us a hot sex scene in this first book of a series? The blessings. And Julian was the virgin and not Emma? The gifts keep on coming. Seriously, you all, I was screaming with joy over everything in chapter eighteen. Also, huge shout out to Solly for sending me the naughty version of the beach scene, because he knows me.
Also, a big shout out to Lea for sending me the short story that is only found in first editions of Lady Midnight! And, friends, it was perfection! Overall, this is one of the best things I’ve read all year and I am so damn thankful that I read all those other books to get to this one. I experienced pure happiness while reading this book, from the first to last page. And I am literally posting this review and running back to my bookshelves to pick up Lord of Shadows!
“I breathe when you breathe, I bleed when you bleed, I’m yours and you’re mine, you’ve always been mine, and I have always, always belonged to you!”
(Beautiful art by Cassandra Jean!)
Youtube | Instagram | Twitter | Blog | Spotify | Twitch
Content and trigger warnings for murder, death, loss of a loved one, torture, blood depictions, self-harm, anxiety attacks, PTSD, talk of cancer, and graphic violence.
I read this for the Stay Home Reading Rush & OWLs Magical Readathon 2020! ⚡
November 12, 2018
OH MY GOODNESS. I don't think I'll ever be able to say it's better than The Mortal Instruments . . . but WOWWWW WAS THIS BOOK ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!
This book was absolutely phenomenal. I think it is some of Cassandra Clare's best work to date. To the people who say all of Cassie's books are the same, I hope Lady Midnight finally shuts you up. No more stories about "orphaned girls who aren't aware of their supernatural powers." (P.S. Clary was never an orphan so I don't know why I keep seeing that associated with TMI?) It was so wonderful to jump into the Shadow world from a perspective we've never seen before. Here's a girl who's been a Shadowhunter all her life, who grew up with all of the customs we're so used to learning about throughout the past books, who's already lived through a war and survived. Even though it's the same world, it is so unbelievably different from anything I've read from Cassie before. Given, some of that may have to do with the fact that this is the first totally new and full novel I've read from Cassie Clare in 2014, but I do believe most of it is attributed to the fact that she's grown as a writer and story teller.
From page one of this book, I can already sense a level of sophistication and improvement in her writing. There's an unfamiliar level of seriousness I haven't seen in the Shadow World before. It's intense, it's insane, and it's REAL. The characters in this book seem way more grounded than our beloved TMI/TID cast. I think some of that may have to do with the fact that there aren't jokes 24/7 (thought the comedy in this book is A+!) but each character is extremely individual and realistic in my opinion. I love absolutely all of them. It was so strange to start a book knowing quite a bit about this group of characters before starting; That's a TOTALLY new experience for me.
I will say, this story was a bit slow to start. The first 100-200 pages were kind of slow, but I think it was more just getting used to a new world with new characters and a new story. As soon as the book picked up, I couldn't put it down! From there on, this book is a non stop thriller with everything you could possibly want from a new installment of the Shadowhunter Chronicles.
Lady Midnight has taken the Shadow World further than I've ever imagined. I can't remember ever having so many theories for a series, and I am just EXPLODING with all of the new information that's revealed to us. I'm halfway through the book, thinking to myself, "I need Queen of Air and Darkness NOW because I cannot wait until 2018 to know the truth!" This story went in so many directions I wasn't expecting at the start, and I'm dying to see how things play out in the rest of the trilogy.
That being said you DEFINITELY need to read all of Cassandra Clare's works prior to this because we get ALL THE TMI AND TID FEELS. If there's one thing I love about Cassie's books, it's the way she's able to throw in references of our favorite characters so subtly and endlessly give us the satisfaction we desire from her previous books. But that means for those of you who aren't totally caught up yet, STAY AWAY BECAUSE THE SPOILERS ARE EVERYWHERE.
All in all, this book was absolutely fantastic. I never realized how much I wanted from this book, and Cassie managed to fulfill all of those unconscious desires I had for the future of this world. I can't remember the last time I loved a first book in a series this much. If that review hasn't sold you, I hit page 668 and turned DIRECTLY to page one to start all over again. Lady Midnight was absolutely phenomenal. I'm so proud of Cassie for never failing to disappoint me, always being an insanely talented writer, and continuing on with a world I know is so dear to her heart. I hope you all absolutely adore Lady Midnight as I did, and I cannot wait to post the spoiler-filled discussion I have prepared for my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/emmmabooks. Happy reading my fellow Shadowhunters <3
*Disclaimer- I was sent an advanced copy of this book by Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. All opinions included in this review as well as my future video are entirely my own.*
This book was absolutely phenomenal. I think it is some of Cassandra Clare's best work to date. To the people who say all of Cassie's books are the same, I hope Lady Midnight finally shuts you up. No more stories about "orphaned girls who aren't aware of their supernatural powers." (P.S. Clary was never an orphan so I don't know why I keep seeing that associated with TMI?) It was so wonderful to jump into the Shadow world from a perspective we've never seen before. Here's a girl who's been a Shadowhunter all her life, who grew up with all of the customs we're so used to learning about throughout the past books, who's already lived through a war and survived. Even though it's the same world, it is so unbelievably different from anything I've read from Cassie before. Given, some of that may have to do with the fact that this is the first totally new and full novel I've read from Cassie Clare in 2014, but I do believe most of it is attributed to the fact that she's grown as a writer and story teller.
From page one of this book, I can already sense a level of sophistication and improvement in her writing. There's an unfamiliar level of seriousness I haven't seen in the Shadow World before. It's intense, it's insane, and it's REAL. The characters in this book seem way more grounded than our beloved TMI/TID cast. I think some of that may have to do with the fact that there aren't jokes 24/7 (thought the comedy in this book is A+!) but each character is extremely individual and realistic in my opinion. I love absolutely all of them. It was so strange to start a book knowing quite a bit about this group of characters before starting; That's a TOTALLY new experience for me.
I will say, this story was a bit slow to start. The first 100-200 pages were kind of slow, but I think it was more just getting used to a new world with new characters and a new story. As soon as the book picked up, I couldn't put it down! From there on, this book is a non stop thriller with everything you could possibly want from a new installment of the Shadowhunter Chronicles.
Lady Midnight has taken the Shadow World further than I've ever imagined. I can't remember ever having so many theories for a series, and I am just EXPLODING with all of the new information that's revealed to us. I'm halfway through the book, thinking to myself, "I need Queen of Air and Darkness NOW because I cannot wait until 2018 to know the truth!" This story went in so many directions I wasn't expecting at the start, and I'm dying to see how things play out in the rest of the trilogy.
That being said you DEFINITELY need to read all of Cassandra Clare's works prior to this because we get ALL THE TMI AND TID FEELS. If there's one thing I love about Cassie's books, it's the way she's able to throw in references of our favorite characters so subtly and endlessly give us the satisfaction we desire from her previous books. But that means for those of you who aren't totally caught up yet, STAY AWAY BECAUSE THE SPOILERS ARE EVERYWHERE.
All in all, this book was absolutely fantastic. I never realized how much I wanted from this book, and Cassie managed to fulfill all of those unconscious desires I had for the future of this world. I can't remember the last time I loved a first book in a series this much. If that review hasn't sold you, I hit page 668 and turned DIRECTLY to page one to start all over again. Lady Midnight was absolutely phenomenal. I'm so proud of Cassie for never failing to disappoint me, always being an insanely talented writer, and continuing on with a world I know is so dear to her heart. I hope you all absolutely adore Lady Midnight as I did, and I cannot wait to post the spoiler-filled discussion I have prepared for my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/emmmabooks. Happy reading my fellow Shadowhunters <3
*Disclaimer- I was sent an advanced copy of this book by Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. All opinions included in this review as well as my future video are entirely my own.*
March 20, 2016
THIS FIRST PART WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2012.
Jesus the book isn't even out yet and you guys are trashing it already. Seriously, wait at least until it comes out, read it and THEN give your opinion. Right now it's just useless and pissing all of us fans off. She's not milking this. If she really just wanted more money, she wouldn't work so hard on all of this beautiful material she's creating for US. FOR US. She doesn't have to do this, she could be working as a doctor or a lawyer and making money. And if you think those two jobs are harder and that writing is easier, you're 100% wrong. It's not easy, it's hard as hell but she does it. AND SHE DOES IT BEAUTIFULLY. It's even harder to get published and get enough books sold. Do your research before you go around calling people cash cows. We've all got to make a living. Some people do it by working at jobs that they absolutely hate and some, like Ms. Clare, do it by sticking with what they're passionate about. So what if she makes money? Her books are amazing and if you don't like them, that's fine. But it's rude to trash talk a series that isn't even written yet. In fact, it's rude to trash talk anything but the least you could do is hold off until you have something TO trash talk.
----
OH MY GOD. I knew this book would be amazing and it WAS. SO. FREAKING. AMAZING.
Cassandra Clare, you have done it yet again. You've managed to make me care so much about characters I just met and made me feel their happiness, pain, sadness as if it were my own. I was so sad when I saw the last page. And then The Last Conversation... really? REALLY?! Gah!
I really hope that the people who were trash talking have read it and been stunned. She created yet another beautiful masterpiece and I was more than happy to spend money on it.
Jesus the book isn't even out yet and you guys are trashing it already. Seriously, wait at least until it comes out, read it and THEN give your opinion. Right now it's just useless and pissing all of us fans off. She's not milking this. If she really just wanted more money, she wouldn't work so hard on all of this beautiful material she's creating for US. FOR US. She doesn't have to do this, she could be working as a doctor or a lawyer and making money. And if you think those two jobs are harder and that writing is easier, you're 100% wrong. It's not easy, it's hard as hell but she does it. AND SHE DOES IT BEAUTIFULLY. It's even harder to get published and get enough books sold. Do your research before you go around calling people cash cows. We've all got to make a living. Some people do it by working at jobs that they absolutely hate and some, like Ms. Clare, do it by sticking with what they're passionate about. So what if she makes money? Her books are amazing and if you don't like them, that's fine. But it's rude to trash talk a series that isn't even written yet. In fact, it's rude to trash talk anything but the least you could do is hold off until you have something TO trash talk.
----
OH MY GOD. I knew this book would be amazing and it WAS. SO. FREAKING. AMAZING.
Cassandra Clare, you have done it yet again. You've managed to make me care so much about characters I just met and made me feel their happiness, pain, sadness as if it were my own. I was so sad when I saw the last page. And then The Last Conversation... really? REALLY?! Gah!
I really hope that the people who were trash talking have read it and been stunned. She created yet another beautiful masterpiece and I was more than happy to spend money on it.
December 13, 2018
Update After 2017 Reread:
I still absolutely love this first book! It is a solid start to what is most likely going to be an amazing series. However, I disagree with former me's review (down below). I think I was still high on the adrenaline of the finale while reading that, because, personally, it is not better than Clockwork Princess. I mean, that was a very bold statement. What was I thinking? It's amazing, but nothing can come to Clockwork Princess (not yet).
Original Review:
My favorite Cassandra Clare book so far, including Clockwork Princess. I KNOW.
It wasn't just a war between the good guys vs. the evil villain, but was an action-packed mystery filled with family, friends, magic, murder, and forbidden love. WOWZA!
I loved how different every character felt. Especially how Ty, Mark, and Arthur had complex and different ways of thinking and dealing with issues. I'm so happy that Cassandra Clare wrote about mental illnesses in the Shadowhunter community and why we haven't really seen it so far in any of her other books. I also am happy that Julian, the love interest, wasn't like all of the other love interests that we've seen so far in her books: jokey and sarcastic. Julian was much more mature than the others because of circumstances beyond his control and seemed much more grounded. The way he took care of the kids *SWOON*. He's definitely my second favorite of the Cassandra Clare men so far (Will Herondale will never be usurped let's be honest.)
There's so much left that I want to talk about, but I'm going to leave those things for my video review, which will come soon to my channel!
I still absolutely love this first book! It is a solid start to what is most likely going to be an amazing series. However, I disagree with former me's review (down below). I think I was still high on the adrenaline of the finale while reading that, because, personally, it is not better than Clockwork Princess. I mean, that was a very bold statement. What was I thinking? It's amazing, but nothing can come to Clockwork Princess (not yet).
Original Review:
My favorite Cassandra Clare book so far, including Clockwork Princess. I KNOW.
It wasn't just a war between the good guys vs. the evil villain, but was an action-packed mystery filled with family, friends, magic, murder, and forbidden love. WOWZA!
I loved how different every character felt. Especially how Ty, Mark, and Arthur had complex and different ways of thinking and dealing with issues. I'm so happy that Cassandra Clare wrote about mental illnesses in the Shadowhunter community and why we haven't really seen it so far in any of her other books. I also am happy that Julian, the love interest, wasn't like all of the other love interests that we've seen so far in her books: jokey and sarcastic. Julian was much more mature than the others because of circumstances beyond his control and seemed much more grounded. The way he took care of the kids *SWOON*. He's definitely my second favorite of the Cassandra Clare men so far (Will Herondale will never be usurped let's be honest.)
There's so much left that I want to talk about, but I'm going to leave those things for my video review, which will come soon to my channel!
March 8, 2016
LADY MIDNIGHT tore me apart then pieced me back together....then tore me apart again.
LOVED this book!
A very detailed review will be up on my channel later this week! :)
LOVED this book!
A very detailed review will be up on my channel later this week! :)
June 9, 2023
By far the most rich story Cassie has put out to date.
April 2, 2016
OH MAN. STILL PROCESSING EVERYTHING. BUT OH MAN THIS WAS GREAT. FULL VIDEO REVIEW TO COME!
February 10, 2017
It took me three weeks to finish this book. THREE!
But that doesn't mean I didn't like it (on the contrary), it was just because this was a really eventful month and it messed up my reading schedule badly, for two weeks I read only one chapter per day, so now you see why it took me so long to finish it. BUT I FINALLY DID. AND NOW I WANT/NEED MORE.
I mean... my interest wasn't really picked until page 350 or so... but after that page everything was full of gasps and squeals and cries of rage and/or happiness. I'm not going to do a full review here, maybe I'll make a full discussion in my channel, but here I'll just say a few important points:
- I LOVE THE BLACKTHORN KIDS. EVERYONE. They are so precious, and not only that, they are a really interesting mix of characters! Definitely Mark, Ty, Livvy, Dru, Tavvy and Julian (SPECIALLY JULIAN) now have a spot in my heart.
- So, Julian, I love him, but not in the "book boyfriend" way, is more like he's my son and I have to protect him from the evils of this world. The thing is... he doesn't really need protection! He really surprised me throughout the book! He is REALLY ruthless, and I wasn't expecting it! The fact that he's capable to do ANYTHING to make things go his way and to protect his family is admirable, but also a little unsettling. I love that about him. And I love that he's passionate and caring and... just a really interesting and well-built character!
- I also like Emma, and Cristina, and Perfect Diego. I also like Kieran. Cassandra Clare really knows how to create great characters!
- I obviously ship Emma and Julian (and I'm rooting for them), but OMG, the whole thing that happened at the end left me RAGING. I think the reason why parabatai love is forbidden is believable, but I didn't like the way Emma handled the situation. I was like: REALLY, REALLY??? THAT HAPPENS IN EVERY BOOK EVER. I mean, I understand why she did what she did, but we already know the mess that that will cause.
- I shouted out loud when Honeslty, that was my biggest shock in the book.
- TESSA. JEM. CLARY. JACE. MAGNUS. ALEC.
- I really like how the story is building, and I'm eager to read the next book! I love the Shadowhunter universe, and I really like that Cassie keeps adding things we didn't know! The Scholomance really draws my attention, and also the whole world of Faerie! I have a feeling the next books will be even better than this one! Also, I think this is the best first installment of a series Cassie has ever written.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
¿CÓMO QUE HASTA EL 2016? AGHHHHHHH.
¡Era para el 2015! NOOOOO, CASSIE, NO ME HAGAS ESTO.
But that doesn't mean I didn't like it (on the contrary), it was just because this was a really eventful month and it messed up my reading schedule badly, for two weeks I read only one chapter per day, so now you see why it took me so long to finish it. BUT I FINALLY DID. AND NOW I WANT/NEED MORE.
I mean... my interest wasn't really picked until page 350 or so... but after that page everything was full of gasps and squeals and cries of rage and/or happiness. I'm not going to do a full review here, maybe I'll make a full discussion in my channel, but here I'll just say a few important points:
- I LOVE THE BLACKTHORN KIDS. EVERYONE. They are so precious, and not only that, they are a really interesting mix of characters! Definitely Mark, Ty, Livvy, Dru, Tavvy and Julian (SPECIALLY JULIAN) now have a spot in my heart.
- So, Julian, I love him, but not in the "book boyfriend" way, is more like he's my son and I have to protect him from the evils of this world. The thing is... he doesn't really need protection! He really surprised me throughout the book! He is REALLY ruthless, and I wasn't expecting it! The fact that he's capable to do ANYTHING to make things go his way and to protect his family is admirable, but also a little unsettling. I love that about him. And I love that he's passionate and caring and... just a really interesting and well-built character!
- I also like Emma, and Cristina, and Perfect Diego. I also like Kieran. Cassandra Clare really knows how to create great characters!
- I obviously ship Emma and Julian (and I'm rooting for them), but OMG, the whole thing that happened at the end left me RAGING. I think the reason why parabatai love is forbidden is believable, but I didn't like the way Emma handled the situation. I was like: REALLY, REALLY??? THAT HAPPENS IN EVERY BOOK EVER. I mean, I understand why she did what she did, but we already know the mess that that will cause.
- I shouted out loud when Honeslty, that was my biggest shock in the book.
- TESSA. JEM. CLARY. JACE. MAGNUS. ALEC.
- I really like how the story is building, and I'm eager to read the next book! I love the Shadowhunter universe, and I really like that Cassie keeps adding things we didn't know! The Scholomance really draws my attention, and also the whole world of Faerie! I have a feeling the next books will be even better than this one! Also, I think this is the best first installment of a series Cassie has ever written.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
¿CÓMO QUE HASTA EL 2016? AGHHHHHHH.
¡Era para el 2015! NOOOOO, CASSIE, NO ME HAGAS ESTO.
May 28, 2017
“Entreat me not to leave thee,
Or return from following after thee-
For whither thou goest, I will go”
The parabatai oath always makes me weep.
By the Angel, my hands are shaking as I'm trying to compose a decent review. I feel broken beyond repair, Cassandra Clare's words ravaged my sanity, shattered my soul and now I'm on my knees searching for tiny fragments, trying to put together what's left of me.
“I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea,
But we loved with a love that was more than love”
Parabatai. Two warriors bound for life, one soul in two bodies. Your shelter, your friend, your better half. Emma and Julian have always looked out for each other, fought together, chased away the bad dreams, bandaged the physical and the mental wounds. But what happens when this unconditional love turns into something else? Severe punishment, a life apart, a life devoid of meaning. While Emma and the Blackthorns investigate a murderous cult associated with necromantic powers, the stakes are high. Emma can finally find out what happened to her parents and Julian can get his brother back. But when forbidden feelings come to surface, they may endanger everything they hold dear. Their family, their honor, their bond.
“We are bound together, Emma, bound together- I breathe when you breathe, I bleed when you bleed, I'm yours and you're mine, you've always been mine, and I have always, always belonged to you!”
After the Mortal Instruments and the Infernal Devices I thought I was ready for anything Cassandra Clare would put me through. After all, I survived Clockwork Princess' epilogue. Barely. And then came Lady Midnight and I realized that no power, earthy or heavenly, could have prepared me for this, no iratze could heal my broken heart, no amount of words could possibly describe how much I love this woman, even though she is such a sadist. A terrible, cruel sadist. She can inflict every feeling that crosses your mind, from sorrow and anger and bitterness to elation, hope, happiness and love. Tears of joy, tears of laughter, tears of pain, tears of longing, tears of relief, my eyes were constantly wet.
She delivered a story full of action, ass-kicking, suspense and mystery entwined with romance, heartache and the struggles of a broken family to stay together against all odds. An all-entrancing plotline with jaw-dropping moments and hold-your-breath moments and by-the-Angel-I-actually-feel-pity-for-the-villain moments. Ruthless fairies, secrets, bloody lotteries, lies, dark magic and gross demons in a kingdom by the sea, a lost love and a promise for revenge, all of them combined resulted into a mesmerizing tale you never wanted to end. And there's more.
“Why all these paintings of you? Because I am an artist, Emma. These pictures are my heart. And if my heart was a canvas, every square inch of it would be painted over with you.”
My poor, poor Julian.
A hero worthy of his Herondale blood. Julian was deprived of his childhood, he became a father and a mother to his youngest siblings, he was forced to grow up, be responsible, put aside his wants and needs and bear the weight of the world in his shoulders. He was the glue that kept his family together. He was a gentle soul but ruthless and cunning at the same time, he had to make terrible choices and hide everything he felt. His only refugee was Emma. Stubborn, disobedient, arrogant and wild Emma, who at times was blinded by her need for revenge but cared about Julian so much that made you warm inside. The tension, the longing, the understanding between them gave us a love story that can inspire poems because of its beauty and its tragedy. But every character in this book had a different kind of tragedy to deal with. I was angry at Mark and his ignorance and wrong choices for a long time, but the way he rose to the circumstances won me over. The rest of the Blackthorns were without exceptions amazing characters, and I fought the urge to reach and hug Ty and tell him everything was going to be alright. They deserve alright.
Of course there was also humour and sassiness that made me burst into loud laughter, and dear Lord the Clace and Malec and Sizzy feels made me squeal! Let me tell you this, Jace became a seriously fine adult. I am and always will be a die-hard Wessa fan but I liked the glimpses at Jem and Tessa, even though my heart was crying for Will. I just miss him so much.
“Parabatai.
The one who understands your music.”
As for the ending, I have to say only one thing: Emma Cordelia Carstairs, if you proceed with your appalling plan, no power from Heaven or Hell will be able to save you from my wrath.
August 13, 2018
SUCH A GREAT NOVEL THE SECOND TIME AROUND. I'm so happy I decided to reread Lady Midnight. I feel it really helped me get a better grasp on the plot and the characters. I feel so much more in love with this story (as if I was not the first time). I definitely cried so much AGAIN because of all the feels, and I think I have a new found appreciation for certain parts of the story! For example, the inclusion of neurodiverse people in such a conservative society really resonated with me. I was so happy to see these individuals standing tall against the stigma enforced by their superiors. I also believe my "ships" are more set in stone this time, as I was not totally committed to a lot of potential romances before. The story was just as powerful, the characters just as loveable, and I'm just gushing at this point because I love Lady Midnight so much. I'm so happy to see Cassie Clare growing so successfully, in her writing and creativity most of all. Now to wallow in sadness for the next SIXTY days while preparing for Lord of Shadows!
I received a copy of this book from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I received a copy of this book from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
July 30, 2018
**UPDATE** 6/23/13: WAIT.I'M PROBABLY REALLY LATE ON THIS BUT, DAT IS NOT THE COVER FOR THE BOOK....IS IT?!...IT BETTER NOT BE. IS IT?!?!?!?! Cause it doesn't look very put together O_O IT'S NOT. HAHA. I'M KIDDING MYSELF...haha...*nerve-wracked*
UPDATE (2013): HONESTLY PEOPLE. STOP. IT. STOP HATING BEFORE THE BOOK IS EVEN OUT. REALLY. JUST STOP. It's one thing to hate AFTER the release and after you've given it a try, and it's another to hate it before =_= And SO FRIGGIN' WHAT? SHE LIKES WRITING THEM. How are you guys so sure she's only doing it for the money? IF she is, again, SO WHAT. THIS IS HER OCCUPATION. Why do most people do the jobs they do...? TO MAKE A LIVING. AND ALSO. Of course us fans are happily gonna buy them and make her some money because WE WANT TO READ THEM. BECAUSE WE ENJOY IT. It's not like she's forcibly coming into our homes and forcing us to buy or read her books.SO SERIOUSLY. And if you guys think it's rude or lame that I'm "targeting" you then it's rude and lame that you're targeting the author, and some of you, even the fandom. If you really feel like "killing yourself" over how much you're tired of this series. Then go do it somewhere else. I've had enough of this BS. GO ahead and unfriend me block me whatever I don't give a shit. After all, I'm just EXPRESSING MY OPINIONS as you all sweetly put it. I rest my case.
Sincerely
~Seriously Pissed
***
(2012): At first, I'm like, What's gonna happen to us when all the shadowhunter themed books are over? And katniss answered that for me...
AND THEN I SAW CASSIE WAS MAKING ANOTHER SERIES...And i was like
OMG, YOU'RE KIDDING RIGHT?
AND THEN...
WAIT...YOU'RE NOT KIDDING????
well then....
I'm sorry but...
I'M DEAD ANYWAY
UPDATE (2013): HONESTLY PEOPLE. STOP. IT. STOP HATING BEFORE THE BOOK IS EVEN OUT. REALLY. JUST STOP. It's one thing to hate AFTER the release and after you've given it a try, and it's another to hate it before =_= And SO FRIGGIN' WHAT? SHE LIKES WRITING THEM. How are you guys so sure she's only doing it for the money? IF she is, again, SO WHAT. THIS IS HER OCCUPATION. Why do most people do the jobs they do...? TO MAKE A LIVING. AND ALSO. Of course us fans are happily gonna buy them and make her some money because WE WANT TO READ THEM. BECAUSE WE ENJOY IT. It's not like she's forcibly coming into our homes and forcing us to buy or read her books.SO SERIOUSLY. And if you guys think it's rude or lame that I'm "targeting" you then it's rude and lame that you're targeting the author, and some of you, even the fandom. If you really feel like "killing yourself" over how much you're tired of this series. Then go do it somewhere else. I've had enough of this BS. GO ahead and unfriend me block me whatever I don't give a shit. After all, I'm just EXPRESSING MY OPINIONS as you all sweetly put it. I rest my case.
Sincerely
~Seriously Pissed
***
(2012): At first, I'm like, What's gonna happen to us when all the shadowhunter themed books are over? And katniss answered that for me...
AND THEN I SAW CASSIE WAS MAKING ANOTHER SERIES...And i was like
OMG, YOU'RE KIDDING RIGHT?
AND THEN...
WAIT...YOU'RE NOT KIDDING????
well then....
I'm sorry but...
I'M DEAD ANYWAY
December 31, 2018
I. CANNOT. DEAL.
This book was incredible and this series may topple TID as my favorite in the Shadowhunter world if it continues this way. Definitely the strongest first book in any of the series for sure.
There were so many things that were RIGHT about this book, but especially the characters. They were fantastic and wonderful and their journey was HEARTBREAKING but still amazing and I just can't deal guys I can't.
This book broke me into a million pieces so I honesty don't know how I'm going to survive the rest of the books.
I may reread this immediately because I do want to video review it but also I just need it in my life again..
REREAD BEFORE LOS ALSO HOPEFULLY TO DO A VIDEO REVIEW.
So many things. My heart.
REREAD TO READ QOAAD
spoiler alert i still love this book and i still love julian and emma that's it.
This book was incredible and this series may topple TID as my favorite in the Shadowhunter world if it continues this way. Definitely the strongest first book in any of the series for sure.
There were so many things that were RIGHT about this book, but especially the characters. They were fantastic and wonderful and their journey was HEARTBREAKING but still amazing and I just can't deal guys I can't.
This book broke me into a million pieces so I honesty don't know how I'm going to survive the rest of the books.
I may reread this immediately because I do want to video review it but also I just need it in my life again..
REREAD BEFORE LOS ALSO HOPEFULLY TO DO A VIDEO REVIEW.
So many things. My heart.
REREAD TO READ QOAAD
spoiler alert i still love this book and i still love julian and emma that's it.
June 18, 2021
like, I'm glad I enjoyed this, but wow fuck you guys this broke my heart and the only thing I got out of it was my new favorite tumblr blog
So, uh, it turns out I like Cassandra Clare books now, and I think she's just improved significantly at creating lovable characters and narratives I personally find compelling, and I am so glad I have learned to love this.
dark artifices reviews: book one | book two | book three
The villain of this book is hate and oppression. The amount of clave-dragging in here…… I’ve been waiting for literal years. And though I think this becomes much more clear in book two, it’s clear from the beginning that hate is about to be the villain.
Lady Midnight follows various characters and plotlines, most notably including our Forbidden Romantic Plotline, our The Cold Peace Is Terrible plotline, and our Julian Gets Repeatedly Fucked Over By The Clave plotline, but every plotline has a common villain: systematic prejudice.
Also, can I just say: I can’t believe the main villain of this series is a Donald Trump allegory.
✔Emma Carstairs - a literal ICON, invented big dick energy
✔Julian Blackthorn - definitely would kill a man for his own selfish motivations but listen… he's in love with Emma, that's too relatable and therefore i can't hate him
[source for both]
I literally love that the main couple of this is a reversed bad boy / good girl who’s maybe turning evil dynamic. It’s this strange dynamic because this author feeds into this trope, and seeing such a conscious subversion of that ideal in her work was incredible. There’s this one line where the female lead is like “oh this is his first kiss meanwhile I’ve slept with like 20 people but that’s okay it’s us” and I was SCREAMING I can’t believe this book killed slutshaming. Anyway, I love this so much I’m obsessed with it.
Also, their relationship is so tense. Like, the mutual pining is too good. Also, please let me just share this meme I’ve been laughing at for three years:
I will actually admit that I did not like Emma and Julian’s dynamic… quite as much in the next book, which I talked about in my review? BUT OH WELL.
✔Christina Rosales - an ICON, a blessing to my life………. I love that she’s close platonic friends with Emma and they never feud, I love how much she asks for herself and how unapologetic she is about her life, I just relate to her a lot and I hope she’s happy forever
✔Mark Blackthorn - my boy, my man, the bi icon we deserved. I actually loved his entire reintegration arc so so so much and I adore that he’s trapped between two worlds but still doing his best to get back within his home. too good we did not deserve him
✔Kieran of the Hunt - did anyone try the chicken? I thought the chicken was lovely. book two Kieran is the superior Kieran and that’s my discourse for the day.
[source for both]
I’m sorry, but if we’re going to talk about Cassandra Clare redoing constructs from her own work in a different way: the three-sided love triangle of Kieran and Christina and Mark. I will not be elaborating on which dynamic this echoes at this time.
In other news, I cried twice during this book, and both times it was about - you guessed it - Mark and Kieran’s backstory!! They didn’t have to do me like this.
✔Diana Wrayburn - genuinely one of my favorite characters from this series and i have NO IDEA why she’s so slept on. i mean, it’s not like anyone hates her, but i would like you all to be screaming about Diana for 40 hours per week as i do? this is a full-time Diana love zone. i love my canonically trans wife
✔Taavy Blackthorn - he’s ten and i’m pretty sure ten year olds don’t have personalities. pure.
✔Dru Blackthorn - I would fucking die for Dru she’s too legendary. also, she’s plus-sized and the narrative is so good about it.
✔Livvy Blackthorn - a small bean doing her best and it’s just not very good.
✔Ty Blackthorn - deliciousfinallysomegoodfuckingfood.gif it is really, really depressing how few books have canonically autistic characters who are not essentially used as jokes, but here we are.
✔Kit - chaotic bisexual. i have a tumblr post to share about this involving the phrase “token straight family member” but unfortunately, spoilers.
In case you haven’t noticed, I love the Blackthorn family. The dynamic of the siblings with Julian is absolutely the best, and their mutual love and support for each other means so much to me.
Soooooo, Ty and Kit had two separate meet cutes in this and both of them were the best thing I’ve ever read. They definitely get more development in book two, but Kit’s joining-the-Blackthorns arc, even here, was absolutely the best. Basically, I really wish I could continue to be emotional about the Blackthorns forever.
✔Diego Rosales - not nearly as perfect as the marketing would indicate but I actually him?
✔Annabelle Blackthorn - a very very interesting character of book two.
✔Zara Dearborn - a very very awful character of book two. fuck off, Zara.
I think we all know Cassandra Clare is really into the overlaps between worlds, and I’m honestly… here for it. Jace and Clary’s cameo is the most I’ve liked them in the entire canon of the universe. Jem and Tessa showed up for three pages and it was my favorite thing I’ve ever read. There was some line about the Carstairs “owing the Herondales” and I feel like that’s the exact opposite of TID canon but okay?
also, I know I’m a bitch, but Tessa and Jem were not in book two, and I think that makes it a bad book, personally
ANYWAY, the point is, I really enjoyed this book, and so far I'm really enjoying this series. I hope I will continue to not die of sadness!!
dark artifices reviews: book one | book two | book three
Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube
So, uh, it turns out I like Cassandra Clare books now, and I think she's just improved significantly at creating lovable characters and narratives I personally find compelling, and I am so glad I have learned to love this.
dark artifices reviews: book one | book two | book three
➽P L O T A N D T H E M E S
The villain of this book is hate and oppression. The amount of clave-dragging in here…… I’ve been waiting for literal years. And though I think this becomes much more clear in book two, it’s clear from the beginning that hate is about to be the villain.
“This is why fairies are despised, this senseless cruelty.”
“Careful, boy,” said Gwynn. “You have your laws and we have ours. The difference is that we do not pretend ours are not cruel.”
Lady Midnight follows various characters and plotlines, most notably including our Forbidden Romantic Plotline, our The Cold Peace Is Terrible plotline, and our Julian Gets Repeatedly Fucked Over By The Clave plotline, but every plotline has a common villain: systematic prejudice.
Also, can I just say: I can’t believe the main villain of this series is a Donald Trump allegory.
➽E M M A A N D J U L I A N
✔Emma Carstairs - a literal ICON, invented big dick energy
✔Julian Blackthorn - definitely would kill a man for his own selfish motivations but listen… he's in love with Emma, that's too relatable and therefore i can't hate him
[source for both]
I literally love that the main couple of this is a reversed bad boy / good girl who’s maybe turning evil dynamic. It’s this strange dynamic because this author feeds into this trope, and seeing such a conscious subversion of that ideal in her work was incredible. There’s this one line where the female lead is like “oh this is his first kiss meanwhile I’ve slept with like 20 people but that’s okay it’s us” and I was SCREAMING I can’t believe this book killed slutshaming. Anyway, I love this so much I’m obsessed with it.
Also, their relationship is so tense. Like, the mutual pining is too good. Also, please let me just share this meme I’ve been laughing at for three years:
I will actually admit that I did not like Emma and Julian’s dynamic… quite as much in the next book, which I talked about in my review? BUT OH WELL.
➽K I E R A N, M A R K, C H R I S T I N A
✔Christina Rosales - an ICON, a blessing to my life………. I love that she’s close platonic friends with Emma and they never feud, I love how much she asks for herself and how unapologetic she is about her life, I just relate to her a lot and I hope she’s happy forever
✔Mark Blackthorn - my boy, my man, the bi icon we deserved. I actually loved his entire reintegration arc so so so much and I adore that he’s trapped between two worlds but still doing his best to get back within his home. too good we did not deserve him
✔Kieran of the Hunt - did anyone try the chicken? I thought the chicken was lovely. book two Kieran is the superior Kieran and that’s my discourse for the day.
[source for both]
I’m sorry, but if we’re going to talk about Cassandra Clare redoing constructs from her own work in a different way: the three-sided love triangle of Kieran and Christina and Mark. I will not be elaborating on which dynamic this echoes at this time.
In other news, I cried twice during this book, and both times it was about - you guessed it - Mark and Kieran’s backstory!! They didn’t have to do me like this.
➽T H E B L A C K T H O R N S
✔Diana Wrayburn - genuinely one of my favorite characters from this series and i have NO IDEA why she’s so slept on. i mean, it’s not like anyone hates her, but i would like you all to be screaming about Diana for 40 hours per week as i do? this is a full-time Diana love zone. i love my canonically trans wife
✔Taavy Blackthorn - he’s ten and i’m pretty sure ten year olds don’t have personalities. pure.
✔Dru Blackthorn - I would fucking die for Dru she’s too legendary. also, she’s plus-sized and the narrative is so good about it.
✔Livvy Blackthorn - a small bean doing her best and it’s just not very good.
✔Ty Blackthorn - deliciousfinallysomegoodfuckingfood.gif it is really, really depressing how few books have canonically autistic characters who are not essentially used as jokes, but here we are.
✔Kit - chaotic bisexual. i have a tumblr post to share about this involving the phrase “token straight family member” but unfortunately, spoilers.
In case you haven’t noticed, I love the Blackthorn family. The dynamic of the siblings with Julian is absolutely the best, and their mutual love and support for each other means so much to me.
“You pointed a knife at me.”
“It wasn’t personal.”
Soooooo, Ty and Kit had two separate meet cutes in this and both of them were the best thing I’ve ever read. They definitely get more development in book two, but Kit’s joining-the-Blackthorns arc, even here, was absolutely the best. Basically, I really wish I could continue to be emotional about the Blackthorns forever.
➽O T H E R C H A R A C T E R S
✔Diego Rosales - not nearly as perfect as the marketing would indicate but I actually him?
✔Annabelle Blackthorn - a very very interesting character of book two.
✔Zara Dearborn - a very very awful character of book two. fuck off, Zara.
I think we all know Cassandra Clare is really into the overlaps between worlds, and I’m honestly… here for it. Jace and Clary’s cameo is the most I’ve liked them in the entire canon of the universe. Jem and Tessa showed up for three pages and it was my favorite thing I’ve ever read. There was some line about the Carstairs “owing the Herondales” and I feel like that’s the exact opposite of TID canon but okay?
➽S H U T U P, E L L E
ANYWAY, the point is, I really enjoyed this book, and so far I'm really enjoying this series. I hope I will continue to not die of sadness!!
dark artifices reviews: book one | book two | book three
Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube
Read
March 14, 2012Alternative Titles:
The Shadow Hunter Saga: Separation Anxiety. Makes $$$
Mortal Instruments: I Swear I Have Other Ideas I Swear (but no really I don't lol $$$$)
Cassandra Clare: Is Gonna Milk This $$$$$ Cow til Blood Comes Out and then throw in White Dye and Sell Each Bag at an Exorbitant Price
Mortal Instruments Fans: Will Read the Same Characters and Conflicts Again and Again and Again and Again and Again and $$$$$$
The Jace Wayland/Herondale/Morgenstern/Malfoy/Jeeves: How Many Times Can Hair Dye Make Me a Different Character? Oh yeah, and $$$$$$$
Takers?
Reading this book will be fun cuz then I get to play 'take a shot whenever this reminds you of something' as far as my alcohol tolerance level will allow.
The Shadow Hunter Saga: Separation Anxiety. Makes $$$
Mortal Instruments: I Swear I Have Other Ideas I Swear (but no really I don't lol $$$$)
Cassandra Clare: Is Gonna Milk This $$$$$ Cow til Blood Comes Out and then throw in White Dye and Sell Each Bag at an Exorbitant Price
Mortal Instruments Fans: Will Read the Same Characters and Conflicts Again and Again and Again and Again and Again and $$$$$$
The Jace Wayland/Herondale/Morgenstern/Malfoy/Jeeves: How Many Times Can Hair Dye Make Me a Different Character? Oh yeah, and $$$$$$$
Takers?
Reading this book will be fun cuz then I get to play 'take a shot whenever this reminds you of something' as far as my alcohol tolerance level will allow.
March 8, 2018
DNF-ed at page. 337.
(Link: https://giphy.com/gifs/the-gazette-ur...)
Rating: 1.5 stars.
(Link: https://giphy.com/gifs/southparkgifs-...)
I admit this, I got fed up by Clare's constant Edgar Allan Poe references and when I skimmed to the ending part and saw being a mother fucking actual character in this book, I lost it and quit.
I am so pissed that I feel the need to write a 'poem' about this whole freaking Poe business:
In the very end, I hope you guys are as offended by my poor poem-writing-skill as I'm offended by Clare's stupid Poe's quotes.
(Link: https://giphy.com/gifs/southparkgifs-...)
Honestly, Clare's use of my idol Edgar Allan Poe as references isn't the biggest turn-off in this book yet, the real turn-off is the YA romance angst and how Clare wrote this book while fully expecting readers to care about the every little thing her characters do in their day-to-day lives and expecting readers to give a shit about these details.
(Link: https://giphy.com/gifs/edgar-allan-po...)
The problem is, characters need to be somewhat interesting for me to care about them, but Clare's characters, as usual, aren't even remotely interesting nor well constructed.
(Link: https://giphy.com/gifs/southparkgifs-...)
Plus, at least 200 pages of this book could have been trimmed away, so where were Clare's editors when we need them the most?
So, what had gone wrong? Here is a check list:
**Warning: slight plot spoilers below**
(1) The matter of simple mathematics
The population of L.A. : 3,976,322 (2016)
Number of Shadowhhunters: inclunding Emma, the Blackthorns, the Ashdowns, Diana and Cristina, etc; around 20-30 Shadow Hunters in total.
Number of demons: don't know, but supposedly there must be many demons in a large city like L.A.
So there are only 20 or so Shadowhunters to keep the demons in L.A. under control the whole time, it looks like the demons had been having plenty of slow days in L.A. all along.
(2) Uninteresting gay romances:
I always like gay/yaoi romances here and there, but OMG how can this certain someone think this faerie guy truly loves him because the faerie has been tender to him!?
Get real, please.
(3) The general stupidity of the Shadowhunters:
First, these people allow Jace and Clary to run the New York Institute. *facepalms*
Secondly, when the wicked, manipulative faeries release a prisoner back to the L.A. Institute, our MCs do nothing to prevent said prisoner from harming the children. No, they haven't even suspected said prisoner might be brainwashed into harming them. No, they haven't even thought about this.
Thirdly, there seems to be no psychologist, no social worker, no orphans adoption system in the Shadowhunters society.
I mean, the adult Shadowhunters always died on missions and there had just been a massive war some five or six years ago, but in the Shadowhunters' society, we can still barely find one psychologist to help the survivors, no mention of PTSD treatment, no welfare system to look after the orphans.
Last but not least, no one outside of the L.A. Institute has ever realized their supposed chief is mentally ill and it is actually a few teenagers who are actually running things and fighting demons with little to no management from older Shadowhunters.
(4) I really don't like how Clare fully expects readers to be invested with her main characters when these characters have nothing to make me root for them:
Alright, I know I'm supposed to care about Emma and her investigation to find her parents' killer, I know I'm supposed to care about Julian, his emotional problems and his hotness, I know I'm also supposed to find the younger Blackthorn siblings cute and adorable---I'm supposed to care because that is exactly what Clare's tone and her writing has been indicating all along: most of the main characters were given a lengthy backstory, their daily routines (e.g. training, eating breakfast, throwing jokes at each other or simply chatting away, etc) are given the utmost attention and screen time; as though the daily routines and the internal monologues of these characters are so interesting that they all deserve readers' unlimited attention and time.
The truth is: they don't deserve that much of spaces and screen time. I would rather see the plot moves forward in a bit of a faster pace instead of dealing with the Blackthorns siblings and their chatters, or the romantic angst between Emma and Julian, just to name a few of these annoyance. *sighs*
(5) When reading this book, I was trapped with some of the blandest and most boring main characters in my recent memory:
Let's face it, Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorns are really boring both as a pair of BFF and potential love interest for each other. One of the main problems is I just totally don't get Emma as a character, she seems to like fighting and training and wanting to avenge her parents.........and that's all I get from her as a character.
Not to mention, even when Emma is a supposedly well trained warrior, she still decides to carry a sword around 24/7 which makes no sense to me even when I know this sword is from her dead parents. She also tends to act purely out of impulse, randomly fighting demons and going out to investigate demon activities without telling anyone where she is going---Stupid with a capital S damn it, it is just the same like Jace, all over again.
As to Julian, oh boy he is even more boring than Emma, although to be fair the guy has a bit more common sense and sense of responsibility in him than Emma, and as far as character's trait goes, he likes to paint and draw---still it just isn't enough to hook me with this character. I mean, am I really supposed to be invested with a character only because he is hot, he is into art and he has a sensitive soul?
To make matter worse, Clare wrote about Julian and his lengthy backstory fully expecting me to care about him as a person and his endless struggle with trying to raise 4 younger siblings since 12 or so years old. Okay, I know child-caring in such a young age is hard, still I feel nothing when I read about the hardship he faces.
I sense that with Julian and one of his younger brothers, Clare did try to address serious topics such as Special Education Needs and the problem of Shadowhunters not valuing their children's other talents (e.g. painting) outside of their fighting skills, but it just isn't enough to keep me interested; not even for 5 minutes.
As to the other Blackthorn siblings, they are so freaking boring! I understand that they are struggling to deal with the death of their father, the kidnapping of their older brother and the BS dished out to them by other adult Shadowhunters, but I simply can't guilt-trap myself into caring for any of them.
There also is Cristina...a Shadowhunter from Mexico! But as far as I can see, she is here only to show 'Look! There is a POC in the story!'
(6) the tiresome romantic woes between Emma and Julian take up a lot of spaces in the story:
I have a feeling that Emma and Julian might not have turned out being so bland and uninteresting if all the romantic angst had been taken out from the storyline: they could have just been a case of "I like you, you like me, let's start dating!", or even better they could have simply stayed friends for crying out loud. That could have been kind of cute.
Instead, Clare decided these two need to have romantic angst, jealousy and misunderstanding between them, tons of it.
In order to get to the bottom of the unnecessary of the romantic woes between Emma and Julian, we must first get back to Point no. 3 in this review: the general stupidity of the Shadowhunters...especially the adults.
I mean all of the romantic angst between these two is established by the fact that they are parabatai---magic bound warrior partners with a bond which is supposedly unbreakable---and for some odd and unknown reason two parabatai aren't supposed to feel romantic love toward each other!
You think this taboo can keep Emma and Julian and their raging teenager's lust ridden hormones in check? You better think again!
So, the whole point about Emma and Julian's feeling for each other being 'forbidden' is based solely on the foundation of them being parabatai; and if you asked me, this 'forbidden love' feels really forced and underwhelming to me, even worse than the 'forbidden love' between Jace and Clary.
Plus it really makes zero sense to me when these adults just let Emma and Julian bind themselves to be parabatai at the tender age of 12, shortly after Emma suffered the trauma of losing both her parents. I mean, who in their right minds would allow two 12 years old kids making permanent life decision like this?!
To be honest, my good guess is by the end of the trilogy, Clare would find a loophole (no matter how far-fetched it is) for these two to break off their parabatai bond so they can sex each other up eventually.
(7) Nothing happens:
Last but not least, I'm getting to the most damaging part of this book's many flaws: nothing happens in the first 300+ pages
We don't get much hint about the identity of the murderer of Emma's parents, we don't get much hint for the conspiracy surrounding the demon activities, for most of the time we don't even get much action scene. All we get is romantic subplots breeding left and right, and a lot of details about the daily activities of the Blackthorn family and their backstories.
300+ pages filled with these kind of nonsense is a bit too much for me. And trust me, if Lady Midnight doesn't have such kind of poor planning, shabby plots, awful pacing and nonexistent sense of direction, I wouldn't have DNF-ed it.
The Final Words: don't buy it, don't borrow it, it just doesn't worth it.
Thoughts I have in the reading progress:
I am in the middle of this book and I wholeheartedly agree with this reviewer: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pre-review:
Another series within the poorly constructed world of Shadowhunters, a world which obviously is borrowed from Harry Potter?
Oh. My. Goodness.
You know what I'm trying to say here, right?
I admit I'm being very negative here, but Cassandra Clare has so far given me almost nothing to be positive when it comes to her books.
And for those angry fans who say stuff like "You shouldn't comment on a book you haven't yet read!", I want to share this comic (by Vicky/KurvosVicky), although his comic focuses on movies but the same can be well reflected on books and manga/comic
Original post: http://kurvosvicky.deviantart.com/art...
My review for City of Heavenly Fire: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review for Clockwork Princess: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
(Link: https://giphy.com/gifs/the-gazette-ur...)
Rating: 1.5 stars.
(Link: https://giphy.com/gifs/southparkgifs-...)
I admit this, I got fed up by Clare's constant Edgar Allan Poe references and when I skimmed to the ending part and saw being a mother fucking actual character in this book, I lost it and quit.
I am so pissed that I feel the need to write a 'poem' about this whole freaking Poe business:
Cassandra Clare
--a satire based *very* loosely on Annabel Lee, a poem by Edgar Allan Poe--
Author: Mizuki
Special Thank To: Andre
It was many many and many a year ago
In a kingdom of Badly Written YA Novels,
That an 'author' there lived who
By the name of Cassandra Clare
And this 'author' wrote novels
Filled with melodramas, Mary Sues and someone else's ideas
I was a reader and doomed to suffer,
In this kingdom of Badly Written YA,
For hardly anyone else could
Always fill her books with sheer meaninglessness,
The same like Cassandra Clare was capable of doing.
And this was the reason that, long ago
In this kingdom of Badly Written YA,
Cassandra Clare decided to fill her novels
With so many quotes,
Beautiful words taken from better authors and poets,
Cut out and stuffed into Clare's thick books.
Sadly these quotes serve no real purpose at all
In this kingdom of Badly Written YA.
I, the poor reader, not happy with Clare's awful use of,
Edger Allan Poe's quotes,
Is screaming in rage,
Yes! Why must The Conqueror Worm have anything,
To do with some guy turning into a worm,
In Clockwork Princess?
And why must Poe and Annabel Lee have
Any relation with demon hunters,
In the sunny Los Angeles?
Hell, it makes no sense.
Just like so many other contradictions
In Clare's Mortal Instruments Series.
In the very end, I hope you guys are as offended by my poor poem-writing-skill as I'm offended by Clare's stupid Poe's quotes.
(Link: https://giphy.com/gifs/southparkgifs-...)
Honestly, Clare's use of my idol Edgar Allan Poe as references isn't the biggest turn-off in this book yet, the real turn-off is the YA romance angst and how Clare wrote this book while fully expecting readers to care about the every little thing her characters do in their day-to-day lives and expecting readers to give a shit about these details.
(Link: https://giphy.com/gifs/edgar-allan-po...)
The problem is, characters need to be somewhat interesting for me to care about them, but Clare's characters, as usual, aren't even remotely interesting nor well constructed.
(Link: https://giphy.com/gifs/southparkgifs-...)
Plus, at least 200 pages of this book could have been trimmed away, so where were Clare's editors when we need them the most?
So, what had gone wrong? Here is a check list:
**Warning: slight plot spoilers below**
(1) The matter of simple mathematics
The population of L.A. : 3,976,322 (2016)
Number of Shadowhhunters: inclunding Emma, the Blackthorns, the Ashdowns, Diana and Cristina, etc; around 20-30 Shadow Hunters in total.
Number of demons: don't know, but supposedly there must be many demons in a large city like L.A.
So there are only 20 or so Shadowhunters to keep the demons in L.A. under control the whole time, it looks like the demons had been having plenty of slow days in L.A. all along.
(2) Uninteresting gay romances:
I always like gay/yaoi romances here and there, but OMG how can this certain someone think this faerie guy truly loves him because the faerie has been tender to him!?
Get real, please.
(3) The general stupidity of the Shadowhunters:
First, these people allow Jace and Clary to run the New York Institute. *facepalms*
Secondly, when the wicked, manipulative faeries release a prisoner back to the L.A. Institute, our MCs do nothing to prevent said prisoner from harming the children. No, they haven't even suspected said prisoner might be brainwashed into harming them. No, they haven't even thought about this.
Thirdly, there seems to be no psychologist, no social worker, no orphans adoption system in the Shadowhunters society.
I mean, the adult Shadowhunters always died on missions and there had just been a massive war some five or six years ago, but in the Shadowhunters' society, we can still barely find one psychologist to help the survivors, no mention of PTSD treatment, no welfare system to look after the orphans.
Last but not least, no one outside of the L.A. Institute has ever realized their supposed chief is mentally ill and it is actually a few teenagers who are actually running things and fighting demons with little to no management from older Shadowhunters.
(4) I really don't like how Clare fully expects readers to be invested with her main characters when these characters have nothing to make me root for them:
Alright, I know I'm supposed to care about Emma and her investigation to find her parents' killer, I know I'm supposed to care about Julian, his emotional problems and his hotness, I know I'm also supposed to find the younger Blackthorn siblings cute and adorable---I'm supposed to care because that is exactly what Clare's tone and her writing has been indicating all along: most of the main characters were given a lengthy backstory, their daily routines (e.g. training, eating breakfast, throwing jokes at each other or simply chatting away, etc) are given the utmost attention and screen time; as though the daily routines and the internal monologues of these characters are so interesting that they all deserve readers' unlimited attention and time.
The truth is: they don't deserve that much of spaces and screen time. I would rather see the plot moves forward in a bit of a faster pace instead of dealing with the Blackthorns siblings and their chatters, or the romantic angst between Emma and Julian, just to name a few of these annoyance. *sighs*
(5) When reading this book, I was trapped with some of the blandest and most boring main characters in my recent memory:
Let's face it, Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorns are really boring both as a pair of BFF and potential love interest for each other. One of the main problems is I just totally don't get Emma as a character, she seems to like fighting and training and wanting to avenge her parents.........and that's all I get from her as a character.
Not to mention, even when Emma is a supposedly well trained warrior, she still decides to carry a sword around 24/7 which makes no sense to me even when I know this sword is from her dead parents. She also tends to act purely out of impulse, randomly fighting demons and going out to investigate demon activities without telling anyone where she is going---Stupid with a capital S damn it, it is just the same like Jace, all over again.
As to Julian, oh boy he is even more boring than Emma, although to be fair the guy has a bit more common sense and sense of responsibility in him than Emma, and as far as character's trait goes, he likes to paint and draw---still it just isn't enough to hook me with this character. I mean, am I really supposed to be invested with a character only because he is hot, he is into art and he has a sensitive soul?
To make matter worse, Clare wrote about Julian and his lengthy backstory fully expecting me to care about him as a person and his endless struggle with trying to raise 4 younger siblings since 12 or so years old. Okay, I know child-caring in such a young age is hard, still I feel nothing when I read about the hardship he faces.
I sense that with Julian and one of his younger brothers, Clare did try to address serious topics such as Special Education Needs and the problem of Shadowhunters not valuing their children's other talents (e.g. painting) outside of their fighting skills, but it just isn't enough to keep me interested; not even for 5 minutes.
As to the other Blackthorn siblings, they are so freaking boring! I understand that they are struggling to deal with the death of their father, the kidnapping of their older brother and the BS dished out to them by other adult Shadowhunters, but I simply can't guilt-trap myself into caring for any of them.
There also is Cristina...a Shadowhunter from Mexico! But as far as I can see, she is here only to show 'Look! There is a POC in the story!'
(6) the tiresome romantic woes between Emma and Julian take up a lot of spaces in the story:
I have a feeling that Emma and Julian might not have turned out being so bland and uninteresting if all the romantic angst had been taken out from the storyline: they could have just been a case of "I like you, you like me, let's start dating!", or even better they could have simply stayed friends for crying out loud. That could have been kind of cute.
Instead, Clare decided these two need to have romantic angst, jealousy and misunderstanding between them, tons of it.
In order to get to the bottom of the unnecessary of the romantic woes between Emma and Julian, we must first get back to Point no. 3 in this review: the general stupidity of the Shadowhunters...especially the adults.
I mean all of the romantic angst between these two is established by the fact that they are parabatai---magic bound warrior partners with a bond which is supposedly unbreakable---and for some odd and unknown reason two parabatai aren't supposed to feel romantic love toward each other!
You think this taboo can keep Emma and Julian and their raging teenager's lust ridden hormones in check? You better think again!
So, the whole point about Emma and Julian's feeling for each other being 'forbidden' is based solely on the foundation of them being parabatai; and if you asked me, this 'forbidden love' feels really forced and underwhelming to me, even worse than the 'forbidden love' between Jace and Clary.
Plus it really makes zero sense to me when these adults just let Emma and Julian bind themselves to be parabatai at the tender age of 12, shortly after Emma suffered the trauma of losing both her parents. I mean, who in their right minds would allow two 12 years old kids making permanent life decision like this?!
To be honest, my good guess is by the end of the trilogy, Clare would find a loophole (no matter how far-fetched it is) for these two to break off their parabatai bond so they can sex each other up eventually.
(7) Nothing happens:
Last but not least, I'm getting to the most damaging part of this book's many flaws: nothing happens in the first 300+ pages
We don't get much hint about the identity of the murderer of Emma's parents, we don't get much hint for the conspiracy surrounding the demon activities, for most of the time we don't even get much action scene. All we get is romantic subplots breeding left and right, and a lot of details about the daily activities of the Blackthorn family and their backstories.
300+ pages filled with these kind of nonsense is a bit too much for me. And trust me, if Lady Midnight doesn't have such kind of poor planning, shabby plots, awful pacing and nonexistent sense of direction, I wouldn't have DNF-ed it.
The Final Words: don't buy it, don't borrow it, it just doesn't worth it.
Thoughts I have in the reading progress:
I am in the middle of this book and I wholeheartedly agree with this reviewer: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pre-review:
Another series within the poorly constructed world of Shadowhunters, a world which obviously is borrowed from Harry Potter?
Oh. My. Goodness.
You know what I'm trying to say here, right?
I admit I'm being very negative here, but Cassandra Clare has so far given me almost nothing to be positive when it comes to her books.
And for those angry fans who say stuff like "You shouldn't comment on a book you haven't yet read!", I want to share this comic (by Vicky/KurvosVicky), although his comic focuses on movies but the same can be well reflected on books and manga/comic
Original post: http://kurvosvicky.deviantart.com/art...
My review for City of Heavenly Fire: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review for Clockwork Princess: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
August 15, 2016
FULL REVIEW + DISCUSSION ON twirlingpages.com!
2/2/2016 : well, i feel like my soul shattered into a billion pieces and blew into the ocean. how will i ever recover from this novel???? or this ending?????? i won't. good bye world. i drowned in my own tears and my entire being fell into shambles thanks to this FANTASTIC novel. i need the next one NOW, even though this one hasn't even released yet... oops.
*clears throat* okay, saying LADY MIDNGHT is an emotional rollercoaster ride is an understatement. i'm shell-shocked by cassandra clare's improvement in writing, world building, character development, EVERYTHING. especially since i just finished rereading her first two novels, it's so obviously clear as to how much she's grown as an author. she keeps getting better and better.
my favorite part of LADY MIDNIGHT is not the intricately thought out plot – which is very intricate and very fantastic – but the depth of our cast. i remember reading THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS and finding everyone a bit flat or "too perfect." clary and jace (from TMI) were both born to be legends and, to me, they were cutouts of The Chosen One. our main characters in LM, emma and julian, aren't naturally "special" but work to where they're at. i could easily connect with them because they're just regular people, erm, shadowhunters, who are trying to make the most out of what's come out of the war. and it's not only our two leads who i adore; EVERYONE is incredibly fleshed out and unique. clare made it so easy for me to connect with all of them, which led me to feel ALL THE FEELZ. i also love how there are many diverse characters and aspects, but they weren't the main focus; it's there and it's important but it's not flung in your face.
cassandra clare's ability to create more depth in the shadow world never fazes to amaze me. i personally don't find the writing to be very special, but THE WORLD is so incredible. we see characters we know from TMI and TID (which made me SO GIDDY), but also see the back story to minor characters in the other series. more secrets about their government unravel, more family relationships explained, and MORE ANGST. it's also nice because it's written in a way that doesn't require you to read the companion series.
the plot has such a nice balance between action, romance, suspense, and magic. although the book is the size of a monster, there weren't many parts that felt dragged or unnecessary (a few, but not many). one of the conflicts of the story follows family relationships and the like, which i LOVE because i feel like there's more to YA drama than romance and monsters; LADY MIDNIGHT has all three! *sly grin* but yes, this book has a perfect mix of everything.
if you couldn't tell from my paragraphs of gushing, I LOVE THIS NOVEL. i usually try to be very picky and critical with my books, but i honestly couldn't find anything i truly disliked. it made me fall in love with the world and characters and everything about everything. (it also made me feel like i was being stabbed in the heart a few million times, but i suppose i'm a bit masochistic.) and now, i'm going to reread all of cassie clare's other novels and allow this world to consume my soul <3333
2/2/2016 : well, i feel like my soul shattered into a billion pieces and blew into the ocean. how will i ever recover from this novel???? or this ending?????? i won't. good bye world. i drowned in my own tears and my entire being fell into shambles thanks to this FANTASTIC novel. i need the next one NOW, even though this one hasn't even released yet... oops.
*clears throat* okay, saying LADY MIDNGHT is an emotional rollercoaster ride is an understatement. i'm shell-shocked by cassandra clare's improvement in writing, world building, character development, EVERYTHING. especially since i just finished rereading her first two novels, it's so obviously clear as to how much she's grown as an author. she keeps getting better and better.
my favorite part of LADY MIDNIGHT is not the intricately thought out plot – which is very intricate and very fantastic – but the depth of our cast. i remember reading THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS and finding everyone a bit flat or "too perfect." clary and jace (from TMI) were both born to be legends and, to me, they were cutouts of The Chosen One. our main characters in LM, emma and julian, aren't naturally "special" but work to where they're at. i could easily connect with them because they're just regular people, erm, shadowhunters, who are trying to make the most out of what's come out of the war. and it's not only our two leads who i adore; EVERYONE is incredibly fleshed out and unique. clare made it so easy for me to connect with all of them, which led me to feel ALL THE FEELZ. i also love how there are many diverse characters and aspects, but they weren't the main focus; it's there and it's important but it's not flung in your face.
cassandra clare's ability to create more depth in the shadow world never fazes to amaze me. i personally don't find the writing to be very special, but THE WORLD is so incredible. we see characters we know from TMI and TID (which made me SO GIDDY), but also see the back story to minor characters in the other series. more secrets about their government unravel, more family relationships explained, and MORE ANGST. it's also nice because it's written in a way that doesn't require you to read the companion series.
the plot has such a nice balance between action, romance, suspense, and magic. although the book is the size of a monster, there weren't many parts that felt dragged or unnecessary (a few, but not many). one of the conflicts of the story follows family relationships and the like, which i LOVE because i feel like there's more to YA drama than romance and monsters; LADY MIDNIGHT has all three! *sly grin* but yes, this book has a perfect mix of everything.
if you couldn't tell from my paragraphs of gushing, I LOVE THIS NOVEL. i usually try to be very picky and critical with my books, but i honestly couldn't find anything i truly disliked. it made me fall in love with the world and characters and everything about everything. (it also made me feel like i was being stabbed in the heart a few million times, but i suppose i'm a bit masochistic.) and now, i'm going to reread all of cassie clare's other novels and allow this world to consume my soul <3333
October 4, 2019
So I take a almost a two-year hiatus from reading, and I do this. I come back to one of the wretched Shadowhunter series. I was waiting to get my car fixed at Walmart a few days ago, and I decided to pick this book up. I don't know what I was expecting...
There are at least a few common things you can find in every Shadowhunter series.
1. Forbidden love or love triangle of some sort
2. Lots of angst but the bad kind
3. Long, awkward, and often cringe descriptions of make out sessions between love interests
4. Continuous descriptions of the main male protagonist's physical features and how they look in the sunlight or moonlight or whatever
5. Cheesy villain and his cliche backstory
6. Cardboard cutouts of past characters
7. Predictable
This book is nearly shit, obviously. I will explain the nearly later.
Firstly, why is this book so LONG!? Nearly 700 pages. It could have been much shorter if she cut out certain, unnecessary scenes. I suppose I forgot how long her books are. Hmm, must be the overly dramatic romance. Or the lengthy, cheesy descriptions of how everyone looks. For instance, what is this? I swear this is real.
The sunlight illuminated his eyelashes.
I read something like that at the beginning of the book when she described Julian. I've always had a problem with Clare's writing but that just made me laugh out loud. That sentence should suffice. The rest of the book was just Clare describing how beautiful Julian looked at every hour of the day, or in every angle. This is the same thing that happened with Mortal Instruments. Jace and his golden eyes and caramel hair. Clary and her fiery red hair and emerald eyes. And this...
I was thinking about painting you. Painting your hair. That I'd have to use titanium white to get the color right, the way it catches light and almost glows. But that wouldn't work, would it? It's not all one color, your hair, it's not just gold: It's amber, and tawny and caramel and wheat and honey.
This is the most unrealistic shit I've ever come across. Men are absolute shit at seeing different colors. It's what they make fun of us women for! And Julian's seventeen. I get that he's a painter and all but STILL. I've seen this kind of crap way too many times for me to melt into a puddle of water.
Emma is disappointing. It's a shame that I hate most female protagonists, at least in YA books. I wish I had more positive experiences but man... She's annoying, childish, and arrogant. She isn't sassy or sarcastic or quick-witted as Clare intended her to be. She's just plain daft. Like, empty. She's basically Jace. And that immature shit she pulled at the end? I don't understand. She is just so contrived.
Julian is so bleh. He's the opposite of Jace, but he's not any better. He makes people feel bad that his life sucks, (he has to take care of kids and run a house -- therefore he deserves to be PRAISED AT ALL TIMES BOO HOO) is a painter (but paints literally only Emma... SHOCKING), wears a bracelet made of seashells or some shit, smells like cloves... why btw? I mean, JUST cloves is kind of gross. He's also very clingy. These kinds of romantic plots always irk me. I don't ever see the characters as themselves, just when they're together. Always together. So unbelievably together. Even when they're not together, they're together. Literally all Emma thinks of is Julian. All Julian ever thinks of is Emma. I mean, even with the whole parabatai stuff, is that really necessary?
Together, they are a disaster. Constantly whining about how they can't be together and how oh-so-painful it is. Haven't seen that before... Everyone is supposed to worship their perfect asses because they're the best Shadowhunters of their generation. Never seen that before either! Also, why do Emma and Julian need to HIDE their love in the first place? DOES ANYONE NOT SEE HOW ABSOLUTELY IN LURVE THEY ARE?!
The rest of the Blackthorn family are annoying. The only characters I enjoyed reading about were Mark and Christina. They are the least annoying, least contrived. Mark has a lot of dynamic. Christina is just so soft and pleasant and... quiet. She knows what to say and when to say it. I would love to read more about them in the next books.
I don't have much to say about the plot besides that it is so predictable and jaded. If Clare had not spent so much time describing how pretty and perfect and untouchable Emma and Julian were, maybe I would have paid more attention to it. Shame.
I'm not surprised. I'm not sure what I was expecting. All I know is that there is DEFINITELY something wrong with me. Because guess who'll be back to read and review the next installment of this beautiful series?
There are at least a few common things you can find in every Shadowhunter series.
1. Forbidden love or love triangle of some sort
2. Lots of angst but the bad kind
3. Long, awkward, and often cringe descriptions of make out sessions between love interests
4. Continuous descriptions of the main male protagonist's physical features and how they look in the sunlight or moonlight or whatever
5. Cheesy villain and his cliche backstory
6. Cardboard cutouts of past characters
7. Predictable
This book is nearly shit, obviously. I will explain the nearly later.
Firstly, why is this book so LONG!? Nearly 700 pages. It could have been much shorter if she cut out certain, unnecessary scenes. I suppose I forgot how long her books are. Hmm, must be the overly dramatic romance. Or the lengthy, cheesy descriptions of how everyone looks. For instance, what is this? I swear this is real.
The sunlight illuminated his eyelashes.
I read something like that at the beginning of the book when she described Julian. I've always had a problem with Clare's writing but that just made me laugh out loud. That sentence should suffice. The rest of the book was just Clare describing how beautiful Julian looked at every hour of the day, or in every angle. This is the same thing that happened with Mortal Instruments. Jace and his golden eyes and caramel hair. Clary and her fiery red hair and emerald eyes. And this...
I was thinking about painting you. Painting your hair. That I'd have to use titanium white to get the color right, the way it catches light and almost glows. But that wouldn't work, would it? It's not all one color, your hair, it's not just gold: It's amber, and tawny and caramel and wheat and honey.
This is the most unrealistic shit I've ever come across. Men are absolute shit at seeing different colors. It's what they make fun of us women for! And Julian's seventeen. I get that he's a painter and all but STILL. I've seen this kind of crap way too many times for me to melt into a puddle of water.
Emma is disappointing. It's a shame that I hate most female protagonists, at least in YA books. I wish I had more positive experiences but man... She's annoying, childish, and arrogant. She isn't sassy or sarcastic or quick-witted as Clare intended her to be. She's just plain daft. Like, empty. She's basically Jace. And that immature shit she pulled at the end? I don't understand. She is just so contrived.
Julian is so bleh. He's the opposite of Jace, but he's not any better. He makes people feel bad that his life sucks, (he has to take care of kids and run a house -- therefore he deserves to be PRAISED AT ALL TIMES BOO HOO) is a painter (but paints literally only Emma... SHOCKING), wears a bracelet made of seashells or some shit, smells like cloves... why btw? I mean, JUST cloves is kind of gross. He's also very clingy. These kinds of romantic plots always irk me. I don't ever see the characters as themselves, just when they're together. Always together. So unbelievably together. Even when they're not together, they're together. Literally all Emma thinks of is Julian. All Julian ever thinks of is Emma. I mean, even with the whole parabatai stuff, is that really necessary?
Together, they are a disaster. Constantly whining about how they can't be together and how oh-so-painful it is. Haven't seen that before... Everyone is supposed to worship their perfect asses because they're the best Shadowhunters of their generation. Never seen that before either! Also, why do Emma and Julian need to HIDE their love in the first place? DOES ANYONE NOT SEE HOW ABSOLUTELY IN LURVE THEY ARE?!
The rest of the Blackthorn family are annoying. The only characters I enjoyed reading about were Mark and Christina. They are the least annoying, least contrived. Mark has a lot of dynamic. Christina is just so soft and pleasant and... quiet. She knows what to say and when to say it. I would love to read more about them in the next books.
I don't have much to say about the plot besides that it is so predictable and jaded. If Clare had not spent so much time describing how pretty and perfect and untouchable Emma and Julian were, maybe I would have paid more attention to it. Shame.
I'm not surprised. I'm not sure what I was expecting. All I know is that there is DEFINITELY something wrong with me. Because guess who'll be back to read and review the next installment of this beautiful series?
August 20, 2017
Update: $3.99 Kindle US today only 8-20-17
Okay so I'm just going to put the ole spoiler beware up here because I think I'm just going to start spoiling on most every book I read so that I can talk to myself about it. Ya get meh? ❤
Okay so I loved, loved, loved that there were parts that had Jem and Tessa from The Infernal Devices in it. I love them and I loved Jem so much so it was really touching. I liked that it had some parts where Clary, Jace, Magnus and Alex were in it. Not so much as Jem and Tessa because they are just better to me.
I am absolutely in love with Mark, ❤ the half faerie half shadowhunter that was taken in the last book of the mortal instruments. He had to go to the faerie realm because of reasons and now he's back to try to help the Blackthorns and Emma find who are murdering faeries and such. If he completes this trial and they find the murderer then he can have the choice of staying with his family or going back to the Wild Hunt. <--- It's a faerie thing you can read about it.
Emma Carstairs, who is a distant relation to Jem (swoon), is living with the Blackthorns because Julian Blackthorn is her parabatai. Their uncle is supposed to be running the home/institute but it's really Julian and he also takes care of all his siblings. I loved all of them too. The only thing that got on my nerves was how many times they had to mention they were parabatai. I wanted to scream we know already. But, I digress.
But then they start falling for each other and that is forbidden. It's a LAW! And it seems for good reason as Jem states to Emma at the end of the book. Thank goodness. I really wanted Emma to end up with Mark because he's hot and he's a little wild like Emma. Then I thought he was going to want Emma's best friend Cristina. Then find out he's with some faerie dude. So, no I wasn't happy with any of this. But, the ending might lead to what I'm hoping for!
Emma is bad to the bone. She has trained since she was little. She really kicks arse and she's not a brat. I never wanted to smack her like I did Clary in all the other books. Emma is a tough warrior and does everything she can to help every one else.
Everyone is trying to find out about these murders. The little kids are doing research online while the others go out and look for clues. Julian almost dies when he gets shot with a poisoned arrow but Emma saves him.
Emma and Mark go out on their own on his steed and find more clues and kill some demons.
They also have a warlock friend named Malcolm, he helps out where he can. See none of them are supposed to be helping the faeries so it's all hush-hush. It's a law and they could get in trouble with the Clave after the Cold War 5 years ago when they set up some more laws. Sigh. They help anyway because the same markings that are on the dead were on Emma's parents when they were brutally killed. Plus, they want Mark back, if he wants to come back.
Turns out there some cult out there that put people in a lottery and if they are chosen they have to go kill someone. And there are reasons. They have a Guardian that wants this done for reasons and I didn't even see it coming when I found out who the Guardian was.... I can definitely understand the Guardians reasons for doing what they were doing. I felt sad for Emma when she found out and also glad because she killed the Guardian. Although, they will probably not be dead for real. They will come creeping back in the next book!
Speaking of the next book!
Something wicked this way comes! I'm going to assume there will be hell on earth because when you take an innocent person and do what they did to them . . . um, yeah . . . I would think the Kraken is going to be released! I can't wait to see =)
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
Okay so I'm just going to put the ole spoiler beware up here because I think I'm just going to start spoiling on most every book I read so that I can talk to myself about it. Ya get meh? ❤
Okay so I loved, loved, loved that there were parts that had Jem and Tessa from The Infernal Devices in it. I love them and I loved Jem so much so it was really touching. I liked that it had some parts where Clary, Jace, Magnus and Alex were in it. Not so much as Jem and Tessa because they are just better to me.
I am absolutely in love with Mark, ❤ the half faerie half shadowhunter that was taken in the last book of the mortal instruments. He had to go to the faerie realm because of reasons and now he's back to try to help the Blackthorns and Emma find who are murdering faeries and such. If he completes this trial and they find the murderer then he can have the choice of staying with his family or going back to the Wild Hunt. <--- It's a faerie thing you can read about it.
Emma Carstairs, who is a distant relation to Jem (swoon), is living with the Blackthorns because Julian Blackthorn is her parabatai. Their uncle is supposed to be running the home/institute but it's really Julian and he also takes care of all his siblings. I loved all of them too. The only thing that got on my nerves was how many times they had to mention they were parabatai. I wanted to scream we know already. But, I digress.
But then they start falling for each other and that is forbidden. It's a LAW! And it seems for good reason as Jem states to Emma at the end of the book. Thank goodness. I really wanted Emma to end up with Mark because he's hot and he's a little wild like Emma. Then I thought he was going to want Emma's best friend Cristina. Then find out he's with some faerie dude. So, no I wasn't happy with any of this. But, the ending might lead to what I'm hoping for!
Emma is bad to the bone. She has trained since she was little. She really kicks arse and she's not a brat. I never wanted to smack her like I did Clary in all the other books. Emma is a tough warrior and does everything she can to help every one else.
Everyone is trying to find out about these murders. The little kids are doing research online while the others go out and look for clues. Julian almost dies when he gets shot with a poisoned arrow but Emma saves him.
Emma and Mark go out on their own on his steed and find more clues and kill some demons.
They also have a warlock friend named Malcolm, he helps out where he can. See none of them are supposed to be helping the faeries so it's all hush-hush. It's a law and they could get in trouble with the Clave after the Cold War 5 years ago when they set up some more laws. Sigh. They help anyway because the same markings that are on the dead were on Emma's parents when they were brutally killed. Plus, they want Mark back, if he wants to come back.
Turns out there some cult out there that put people in a lottery and if they are chosen they have to go kill someone. And there are reasons. They have a Guardian that wants this done for reasons and I didn't even see it coming when I found out who the Guardian was.... I can definitely understand the Guardians reasons for doing what they were doing. I felt sad for Emma when she found out and also glad because she killed the Guardian. Although, they will probably not be dead for real. They will come creeping back in the next book!
Speaking of the next book!
Something wicked this way comes! I'm going to assume there will be hell on earth because when you take an innocent person and do what they did to them . . . um, yeah . . . I would think the Kraken is going to be released! I can't wait to see =)
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
April 14, 2017
“The stars wheeled crazily overhead as she spun, sucking in her breath as her body slowed its rolling. She came to a stop on her back, her hair and clothes full of sand and her ears full of the sound of the wildly crashing ocean…”To the people who say that Cassandra Clare is dragging this on, milking the cow, etc: PLEASE STOP. There's people all over the world who are grateful for these books and series. Don't ruin it for everyone else. You don't have to like Cassie. You don't have to read her books. But at least have some respect for the author and her loyal readers. Prior to reading The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices, I too criticized the fact that Cassie only wrote books within her Shadowhunter world. Once I got a taste of a world full of Nephilim, runes, parabatai, and seraph blades, I quickly (and proudly) ate those words up without hesitation. We all have books we love, books we hate. No one should be shamed for the books they choose to read. Just as authors shouldn't be shamed for the world that the create. People complain about underdeveloped world-building and now people are complaining about "overdevelopment". Let it be. Don't read the books. Don't spend your money. But don't drag the author, their hard work, their imagination, and the readers who love to support their creation. End of rant.
Anyways...
Words can't even describe how much hype surrounded this book. But you know what... Lady Midnight was so much better than I ever would have comprehended. Lady Midnight was not just great. It was not just amazing. It was not just fantastic. There were absolutely NO WORDS to describe the masterpiece that this book was. Every word, every sentence, every punctuation had me hooked to the very core to the point where putting this book down was torture.
The Infernal Devices will probably always be my favorite Shadowhunter series but after putting this book down, I'm left doubting if that statement even proves to be true anymore. I even predicted that The Dark Artfices would put The Mortal Instruments to shame. Boy, I was wrong. Lady Midnight completely obliterated The Mortal Instruments. Clary who? Jace who? Because after being reintroduced to these characters, I forgot all about The Mortal Instruments and the characters that preceded Emma and Julian five years earlier.
Emma Carstairs was fierce. Determined. Every bit as BADASS as a heroine should be. I was never annoyed with her like I was with Clary because unlike Clary, Emma actually knew how to listen. She knew her limits and when to stop. It was actually refreshing after putting up with bratty Clary for six books.
As for Julian Blackthorn -- he made this book for me. I absolutely adored him. Julian Blackthorn could do no wrong in my eyes. I felt so much for him and how he had to grow up at such a young age to be the father to Livvy, Tiberius, Dru, and Tavvy. My heart broke for him so many times. He is not quite like Will or Jace Herondale. If anything, Julian Blackthorn has the outward appearance of Will and Jace, but the heart and personality of Jem and Alec.
I very much enjoyed how this book finally decided to explore the law behind why parabatai should never fall in love. It was a detail that I've been wondering from the moment the term parabatai was introduced to us. The romance in Lady Midnight was steamy, complicated, and all the while... heartbreaking. Especially after that ending. I loved the friendship between Emma and Julian ever since they were introduced in City of Heavenly Fire. I had a feeling that their hasty decision of becoming parabatai would prove to be problematic in the future and boy did it get messy in Lady Midnight. The tension between Emma and Julian throughout this whole book was just so thick it drove me CRAZY.
Lady Midnight was just perfect from beginning to end. From its beautiful cover, to the plot, the romance, everything! It all weaves together seamlessly. I can't wait to see how everything unfolds in this new chapter of the Shadowhunter world.
P.S. I love you Cassie but after that ending, I just want to jump off a cliff and drag you along with me. WHY OH WHY DO YOU LOVE TO DO THIS TO US? I'd take a million of your lengthy epilogues over this one page epilogue that left me reeling!
June 17, 2016
POR FIN.
Esta es la novela que más esperaba de este 2016. Han sido dos años de dura espera, de estar pendiente de cada noticia, de decidir no leer adelantos para disfrutar aún más de su lectura… Dos años en los que se han creado unas expectativas que Cassandra Clare ha sabido suplir.
Creo que Lady Midnight simboliza el cambio del mundo literario de Cassandra Clare. Nos tenía acostumbrados a novelas llenas de acción, de giros en la tramas increíbles y sobre todo, de misterios que nos quitaban horas de sueño. Pero fallaba algo, y Cassie aprendió. Consiguió que en tres novelas de Los Orígenes conociésemos a Tess, Will y Jem del mismo modo que a Clary, Jace, Alec, Simon e Isabelle en seis libros. Y ahora, en tan solo un libro, ha conseguido que prácticamente conozcamos a Cristina, Julian y Emma del mismo modo.
Digo que ha aprendido porque no ha decidido comenzar esta saga de una manera sencilla. Se toma su tiempo para presentar a los personajes, detallarlos, crearlos y hacerlos humanos. Se toma su tiempo para plantear la trama central, para narrar las escenas. Hay muchas subtramas y todas tienen la misma importancia; no escatima en páginas. Eso es un puntazo a tu favor, Cassie.
Pero lo voy a decir bien claro: esta es una novela de personajes. Como para mí lo fue Ciudad de las almas perdidas, donde Clary, Jace y Sebastian fueron humanos, llenos de matices e increíblemente bien detallados. Lady Midnight es una novela donde lo importante son los personajes. Y obvio que voy a hablaros de ellos, que esta reseña es larguita.
Cristina: Comienzo con uno de los personajes que más me ha sorprendido. Me ha mantenido en vilo con su historia sobre Diego el Perfecto. He entendido sus motivos, sus miedos, su manera de ser. Me ha gustado mucho su personalidad y creo que en Lord of Shadows se le dará mayor protagonismo. Es un soplo de aire fresco.
Ty: Posiblemente el que más ternura me da los pequeños de la familia. Es un personaje interesante y que sorprenderá. Lo noto. Me han gustado determinadas escenas donde sus acciones sorprenden, y creo que es justamente su punto a favor. Es el típico personaje al que al principio no prestas del todo atención, pero que se hace indispensable. Además, es especial, y eso va a traer problemas.
Dru, Tavvy y Livvy: Los más peques de los Blackthorn. Me han gustado mucho también, especialmente Dru. Están muy bien definidos aunque he echado de menos conocerlos más. Aunque claro, Cassandra sí que nos tiene preparado algo con ellos. (The Wicked Powers)
Mark: Oh, Mark… Qué sorpresa tan grande. Además, un gran paso para la representación. Con él he sufrido especialmente, no sabiendo con quién debería terminar. #StopTriángulosAmorosos
El trato que Cassie le da es increíble, y sufre una evolución muy bien llevada. La verdad, uno de los mejores personajes de la novela sin duda alguna. Junto a Emma, creo que mi favorito.
Julian: El verdadero cuidador de los Blackthorn. Un personaje puro, lleno de bondad, sacrificado… Podría deshacerme en buenas palabras para describirlo. Julian es increíble, fascinante, aunque me hubiera gustado ver su parte más oscura… si es que la tiene. Ser el parabatai de Emma le hace sin duda uno de los personajes más interesantes.
Emma: La verdadera protagonista de esta historia, pues digamos que la trama comienza por algo relacionado con ella. El hecho de que sea una Carstairs ya te da esperanza, pero consigue desmarcarse de Tessa y Clary. Hay varias cosas que no quiero spoilear que hacen que sea muy diferente, pero sobre todo el hecho de que sea ya de por sí la mejor cazadora de sombras de la nueva generación. La verdadera sucesora de Jace, la guerrera más fuerte y que aprecia de verdad su entrenamiento. Me ha encantado TODO sobre Emma. Podría leer cientos de páginas sobre ella y sus sentimientos, los cuales, por cierto, son explicados al detalle y con los que consigues conectar con ella de un modo increíble.
El resto de personajes como Diana, Kit, Arthur, Malcolm, Kieran… Han sido algo más que secundarios. Repito de nuevo que es una novela de personajes, y que lo digo por algo. No son meros personajes que aparecen porque tienen que hacerlo, o para revelar cierta información, no. Los llegas también a conocer; son profundos.
En cuanto a la trama, sí que es verdad que no es nada arriesgada. Al ser una novela más coral en cierto sentido (hay que introducir en la interacción a todos los hermanos + gente ajena al Instituto), me ha parecido más complicada de manejar que la saga original, por ejemplo. Entiendo que la trama en sí sea más sencilla a simple vista. Que no lo es, porque como he comentado más arriba, hay muchas subtramas, y es lo que hace que Lady Midnight tenga un valor añadido.
El misterio, que se va descubriendo poco a poco, va tornándose más y más interesante mientras vamos conociendo todo lo que lo rodea. Se introducen temas como la venganza, el ‘racismo’ entre subterráneos, hadas y cazadores de sombras, el amor… Gracias a este misterio, se dan escenas increíbles como la del Midnight Theatre, las escenas de la convergencia o las del Mercado de las Sombras.
Eso sí, se presentan unos plot twists para las siguientes entregas que madre mía. MADRE MÍA.
Y lo mejor de todo es que no son tramas que afecten solo a los protagonistas de esta nueva saga, sino que afectan a los cazadores de sombras que ya conocemos (o a otros personajes). Porque tenemos apariciones estelares viejos amigos, sobre todo de Magnus, e incluso hay spoilers si no hemos leído los relatos de Simon… (Lo admito, yo no lo he hecho y me he spoileado. ¡Pero es que quiero esperar a la edición en papel!)
Vamos, que Lady Midnight, para mí, es muy diferente del resto de libros del mundo de los cazadores de sombras. Según estoy escribiendo esta reseña me doy cuenta de la cantidad de cosas que han pasado en la novela, no solo a los personajes, sino todo el conjunto, el cómo ha evolucionado el mundo de los cazadores de sombras, el cómo es presentada esa nueva realidad, o el cómo ha mejorado Cassandra Clare en plasmar sus historias.
Es una novela con más calidad que las anteriores, con menos sorpresas, pero con personajes más definidos. Las tramas son más simples, por decirlo de algún modo, pero presentan conflictos morales complicados y sobre todo, es un compendio de subtramas que hacen que Lady Midnight sea una novela muy profunda. Te engancha, te destroza y hace que adores aún más a Cassandra Clare.
Ahora, a esperar poco menos de un año para Lord of Shadows.
RESEÑA EN EL CANAL PRÓXIMAMENTE.
Esta es la novela que más esperaba de este 2016. Han sido dos años de dura espera, de estar pendiente de cada noticia, de decidir no leer adelantos para disfrutar aún más de su lectura… Dos años en los que se han creado unas expectativas que Cassandra Clare ha sabido suplir.
Creo que Lady Midnight simboliza el cambio del mundo literario de Cassandra Clare. Nos tenía acostumbrados a novelas llenas de acción, de giros en la tramas increíbles y sobre todo, de misterios que nos quitaban horas de sueño. Pero fallaba algo, y Cassie aprendió. Consiguió que en tres novelas de Los Orígenes conociésemos a Tess, Will y Jem del mismo modo que a Clary, Jace, Alec, Simon e Isabelle en seis libros. Y ahora, en tan solo un libro, ha conseguido que prácticamente conozcamos a Cristina, Julian y Emma del mismo modo.
Digo que ha aprendido porque no ha decidido comenzar esta saga de una manera sencilla. Se toma su tiempo para presentar a los personajes, detallarlos, crearlos y hacerlos humanos. Se toma su tiempo para plantear la trama central, para narrar las escenas. Hay muchas subtramas y todas tienen la misma importancia; no escatima en páginas. Eso es un puntazo a tu favor, Cassie.
Pero lo voy a decir bien claro: esta es una novela de personajes. Como para mí lo fue Ciudad de las almas perdidas, donde Clary, Jace y Sebastian fueron humanos, llenos de matices e increíblemente bien detallados. Lady Midnight es una novela donde lo importante son los personajes. Y obvio que voy a hablaros de ellos, que esta reseña es larguita.
Cristina: Comienzo con uno de los personajes que más me ha sorprendido. Me ha mantenido en vilo con su historia sobre Diego el Perfecto. He entendido sus motivos, sus miedos, su manera de ser. Me ha gustado mucho su personalidad y creo que en Lord of Shadows se le dará mayor protagonismo. Es un soplo de aire fresco.
Ty: Posiblemente el que más ternura me da los pequeños de la familia. Es un personaje interesante y que sorprenderá. Lo noto. Me han gustado determinadas escenas donde sus acciones sorprenden, y creo que es justamente su punto a favor. Es el típico personaje al que al principio no prestas del todo atención, pero que se hace indispensable. Además, es especial, y eso va a traer problemas.
Dru, Tavvy y Livvy: Los más peques de los Blackthorn. Me han gustado mucho también, especialmente Dru. Están muy bien definidos aunque he echado de menos conocerlos más. Aunque claro, Cassandra sí que nos tiene preparado algo con ellos. (The Wicked Powers)
Mark: Oh, Mark… Qué sorpresa tan grande. Además, un gran paso para la representación. Con él he sufrido especialmente, no sabiendo con quién debería terminar. #StopTriángulosAmorosos
El trato que Cassie le da es increíble, y sufre una evolución muy bien llevada. La verdad, uno de los mejores personajes de la novela sin duda alguna. Junto a Emma, creo que mi favorito.
Julian: El verdadero cuidador de los Blackthorn. Un personaje puro, lleno de bondad, sacrificado… Podría deshacerme en buenas palabras para describirlo. Julian es increíble, fascinante, aunque me hubiera gustado ver su parte más oscura… si es que la tiene. Ser el parabatai de Emma le hace sin duda uno de los personajes más interesantes.
Emma: La verdadera protagonista de esta historia, pues digamos que la trama comienza por algo relacionado con ella. El hecho de que sea una Carstairs ya te da esperanza, pero consigue desmarcarse de Tessa y Clary. Hay varias cosas que no quiero spoilear que hacen que sea muy diferente, pero sobre todo el hecho de que sea ya de por sí la mejor cazadora de sombras de la nueva generación. La verdadera sucesora de Jace, la guerrera más fuerte y que aprecia de verdad su entrenamiento. Me ha encantado TODO sobre Emma. Podría leer cientos de páginas sobre ella y sus sentimientos, los cuales, por cierto, son explicados al detalle y con los que consigues conectar con ella de un modo increíble.
El resto de personajes como Diana, Kit, Arthur, Malcolm, Kieran… Han sido algo más que secundarios. Repito de nuevo que es una novela de personajes, y que lo digo por algo. No son meros personajes que aparecen porque tienen que hacerlo, o para revelar cierta información, no. Los llegas también a conocer; son profundos.
En cuanto a la trama, sí que es verdad que no es nada arriesgada. Al ser una novela más coral en cierto sentido (hay que introducir en la interacción a todos los hermanos + gente ajena al Instituto), me ha parecido más complicada de manejar que la saga original, por ejemplo. Entiendo que la trama en sí sea más sencilla a simple vista. Que no lo es, porque como he comentado más arriba, hay muchas subtramas, y es lo que hace que Lady Midnight tenga un valor añadido.
El misterio, que se va descubriendo poco a poco, va tornándose más y más interesante mientras vamos conociendo todo lo que lo rodea. Se introducen temas como la venganza, el ‘racismo’ entre subterráneos, hadas y cazadores de sombras, el amor… Gracias a este misterio, se dan escenas increíbles como la del Midnight Theatre, las escenas de la convergencia o las del Mercado de las Sombras.
Eso sí, se presentan unos plot twists para las siguientes entregas que madre mía. MADRE MÍA.
Y lo mejor de todo es que no son tramas que afecten solo a los protagonistas de esta nueva saga, sino que afectan a los cazadores de sombras que ya conocemos (o a otros personajes). Porque tenemos apariciones estelares viejos amigos, sobre todo de Magnus, e incluso hay spoilers si no hemos leído los relatos de Simon… (Lo admito, yo no lo he hecho y me he spoileado. ¡Pero es que quiero esperar a la edición en papel!)
Vamos, que Lady Midnight, para mí, es muy diferente del resto de libros del mundo de los cazadores de sombras. Según estoy escribiendo esta reseña me doy cuenta de la cantidad de cosas que han pasado en la novela, no solo a los personajes, sino todo el conjunto, el cómo ha evolucionado el mundo de los cazadores de sombras, el cómo es presentada esa nueva realidad, o el cómo ha mejorado Cassandra Clare en plasmar sus historias.
Es una novela con más calidad que las anteriores, con menos sorpresas, pero con personajes más definidos. Las tramas son más simples, por decirlo de algún modo, pero presentan conflictos morales complicados y sobre todo, es un compendio de subtramas que hacen que Lady Midnight sea una novela muy profunda. Te engancha, te destroza y hace que adores aún más a Cassandra Clare.
Ahora, a esperar poco menos de un año para Lord of Shadows.
RESEÑA EN EL CANAL PRÓXIMAMENTE.
Want to read
March 19, 2012WHY THE HELL IS everyone complaining that they think Cassie's writing more books to make cash?! True, I have my own complaints about never ending series, but when you have someone as talented as Cassie, IT KIND OF MAKES SENSE FOR HER TO WRITE MORE. Especially when many fans are ASKING FOR MORE. (ex. When everybody asked for more books in TMI series.) Honestly, I'm sure Cassie has other writing projects that she does that don't involve Shadowhunters, but I'm getting sick of biased people of judging simply because this would be the third series of Shadowhunters that Cassie will be writing. (I don't see fans of Vampire Academy complaining that a spinoff series, Bloodlines is coming out. Or fans of Evermore, when Alyson Noel decided to write a series on Ever's sister.)
Why judge so harshly, read the book first. Who knows? It could end up being even better than TID AND TMI.
***************
Update: IT HAS A TITLE!!!! Lady Midnight!! YES.
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG
YES!!!!!!
I am highly anticipating for this book!!!! Cassandra Clare is one of my fav authors and I'm sure she will not disappoint! I can't wait to dive into a new Shadowhunter tale!
*runs off screaming with joy, happiness, and frustration at why the book can't come out earlier*
Why judge so harshly, read the book first. Who knows? It could end up being even better than TID AND TMI.
***************
Update: IT HAS A TITLE!!!! Lady Midnight!! YES.
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG
YES!!!!!!
I am highly anticipating for this book!!!! Cassandra Clare is one of my fav authors and I'm sure she will not disappoint! I can't wait to dive into a new Shadowhunter tale!
*runs off screaming with joy, happiness, and frustration at why the book can't come out earlier*
March 21, 2016
"Lex malla, lex nulla. A bad law is no law."
This could be one of the hardest reviews I’ve ever written and that’s just because my feelings and thoughts are all over the place and I know, no matter how many days pass, I won’t be able to have a clear response so bear with me. This is going to be a mess.
As usual, there were things I liked and things I didn’t. In this particular case, I don’t know if everything I loved can outweigh what I disliked. This is the first time I had to call two of my friends to ask them if I was being neutral enough and this is the result.
If at this point y’all don’t know this is not a spoiler free blog and therefore my reviews contain untagged spoilers, then I don’t know what you guys are up to. Read at your own risk.
Lady Midnight is the first book in what is going to be a trilogy named The Dark Artifices and in this first installment, we deal with the aftermath of the Dark War that, after 5 years, it still has a huge impact in the Shadowhunter world. We follow Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn as they work together to discover who’s behind the murders of mundanes and faeries happening in Los Angeles.
Now, I’m going to begin with what I actually liked about this book because I feel like I need to start with positive things.
•I absolutely adored the Blackthorn dynamic. I really like this family a lot! I loved how close they are and how they manage all the situations they get themselves involved. I think they could’ve been written really poorly but I’m so happy with all of them. I love Julian and his strong sense of responsibility, I love Ty and his way of seeing things(I don’t know exactly his condition; it can be a grade of autism, though I don’t know if people can have just a bit of it or it can also be Asperger syndrome but I was glad to read about a character like that and that person being an actual active member of everything) and Livvy with her fierceness, Dru with her love for morbid topics and how protective she was of Tavvy and Tavvy being so young and cute and I just really loved them all. And Mark, who I actually got to know a bit in Bitter of Tongue, I grew to like him a lot in this book.
•Dude, I fucking loved Cristina Mendoza Rosales. She was such a mature character and she gave me and a lot of people new perspectives and while she was a rule follower, she was ready for everything and understood there were things higher than law and I just fell for her so hard. I’m just happy she exists.
•I loved reading about all characters and their cameos and it was a big fangirl moment for me. Jace actually seemed to have grown up a lot and reading about Izzy and Simon’s engagement party and Tessa and Jem, holy shit, I was so so happy and *sighs*so good.
•Cristina and Mark are my new ship and I will sink with them. I’m so here for more of those two. You have no idea how much I ship them omg.
And that was about it. If I end up reading the second book, when it comes out, it’ll be only for what I wrote above.
Now comes the part where I rant about everything I actually hated so if you loved the book, you may want to stop reading this now.
Boy, I was not pleased with A LOT of things and it made so sad. For 4 years since it was announced this trilogy was coming out and after we all met the characters when they were children, I was sold.
I’m telling you, after City of Heavenly Fire, I was ready to take a break. Since 2010 I was reading CC’s books nonstop and I was exhausted. You all know these books got centuries worth of baggage and I was going to wait until The Dark Artifices had at least 2 books out, you know? And then these kids came into the picture and I couldn’t help it. I had to know what was going to be for them in the future.
Enter Lady Midnight and just nah.
Probably one of things I hated the most was how in-your-face was the whole romance between Emma and Julian because for years we were sold the idea of how unthinkable was a romance between parabatai and I expected so much and more from this book and I didn’t get it at all.
I don’t know if I was misguided or maybe it was just me but I thought that, at least in this first book, Julian’s feelings were going to be unrequired. So color me surprise when it was not Julian who I first read having doubts about it but Emma. In the first fucking chapter. I was like whaaaat??? And from there the romance went downhill for me. It’s not the fact that Emma loved him too, no. It is just that there was not mystery. There was not seduction. CC did not play with the possibilities when we all were expecting being heartbroken and this impossible love for so many reasons and I did not get it. I’m not even talking about Emma and Julian having sex at the first opportunity but rather the notion of them thinking it was not going to affect their parabatai bond. It was how poorly it was handled. It was because the level of ridiculousness shocked the fuck out of me.
I’d like to think I’m not the only one who feels that their romance was not only was rushed but also bad written and I just got this incredible feeling of being tricked and robbed. And while I wasn’t crazy for all the angst I knew it gotta exist because, hello parabatai in love, I was not expecting them got their feelings somewhat sorted out that quick. Sue me, I like to be seduced but nooo.
Which leads me to the thing I hated the most…
Are. You. Freaking. Kidding. Me? I knew, as soon as Julian was hurt and Emma put that iratze on him and shit worked amazingly, something was up. And what was it? Well, apparently when the pair of parabatai fall in love, their runes become even more powerful because…. yeah, I guess romantic love is the most powerful thing in the world. Bullshit.
If you ask me, two parabatai who are siblings, have more chances of being all powerful because a) they share blood b) they grew up together c) parabatai bond. To me, that’s a killer combination if you’re following the CC’s logic. But nope, romantic love y’all.
And the reason why parabatai can’t be romantically together? They become all magic powerful and go Hercules on everyone around them. Like, killing everyone and going power crazy.
How convenient that was never mentioned. A friend of mine told me she read something about a Lightwood being in love with their parabatai and the result was mortal to them back before The Infernal Devices and that’s it. And now Lady Midnight.
I just hate how everything was left out, how there was no information about this until now. How. Fucking. Convenient.
It’s feels like when someone tells you “oops, you should have read the fine print” because I don’t remember reading anything in the Codex about such thing. And one would think something so important would’ve been included in the Codex no matter how "in the shadows" that shit had to stay. Actually, the parabatai part in the Codex was absurdly short and most of it was the vow.
Something so important and sacred for this world has so little information. How convenient. Next thing we’ll know it’s a way to break the parabatai bond without any of them being dead because the power of true love.
I’m frustrated and mad. How dare CC to take such an already established concept, a concept we all already know about and it’s so important and twist it to her better convenience? Just no. How disrespectful of her.
And some of you may say “but they’re her books and she can do what she wants…” yes but that’s not how shit goes and we all know it. It’s really not fair to change the rules at this point just because it’s easier that way.
And the way Emma broke things with Julian? Fuck.
Why does she have to involve Mark? Doesn’t she realize Julian is going to end up hating Mark and therefore the brothers are going to be divided and that’s going to divide the siblings and it’s going to hurt everyone but mostly Julian? Doesn’t she realize how selfish that decision was? Couldn’t she just break things with Julian and try to “date” someone else? Why create unnecessary drama?
Emma spent the whole book saying and proving she cares a great deal about Julian, duh she loves him, but she just doesn’t think about the consequences. She doesn’t think about Mark having to deal with Julian’s feelings, too.
She doesn’t think about Mark having small feeling for Cristina. She doesn’t think about her friend liking Mark, too. She doesn’t stop to think about anything and yes, you may tell me “but Laura, she didn’t force him" and you’re right! But as soon as she said it was to help Julian, we all know Mark was game and that isn’t fair.
Now, let’s leave Emma and Julian aside for a while and let’s talk about the main villain in this book.
So, Malcom Fade, High Warlock of Los Angeles. Someone so in love with someone, so hurt by betrayal and so powerful he managed to kill a lot of people and form a cult for years in order to bring back to life his old love.
I just didn’t feel it. I don’t know if it was because we didn’t know Malcom that much so the fact that he turned out being the bad guy, while surprising, didn’t evoke a lot of things to me. I mean, yeah, he turned out hating the kids he saw grow and poor kids, you know? But that was it.
Everything about this plot was weak and I get that Emma’s parents ended up being just meaningless deaths and that’s something she will have to deal with but I just was not impressed by Malcom trying to rise Anabel from the dead. I feel like it was such a hollow thing. Maybe because I’m used to bad guys trying to destroy everything and conquer the world that here came this guy and he only wanted to be with his beloved one again and some of the Fair Folk helping him, it still didn’t work out in my opinion. It was something so bizarre like this kid Christopher Herondale.
Fuck me sideways, I thought Tessa and Jem were looking for powerful artifice but this kid? While I’m in love with William Herondale and the mere mention of him can bring me to my knees, this plot twist was uncalled for and stupid. Is CC trying to win people over? Someone please give me a valid reason why this kid is needed? And I know we don’t have Herondale representation, I know. Jace may be called Herondale but he was raised Lightwood. So if the only reason why this kid was brought was to be a plot device, then I’m out.
Guys, I’m confused and mad and disappointed. I just don’t see a way out.
What can let Emma and Julian be together? Well, one of them could become a supernatural creature. That way the parabatai bond would break and they could be together.
Or they can be exiled and stripped from their Marks and if they survive that, then yeah, cool.
Or they could die in the process.
BUT if later in the books a way for them to be together is discovered while still being both Shadowhunters and alive, after everything we’ve been told, then what’s the fucking point?
I’m not happy with this book, as you can see and I just don’t know what to make out of it.
I'm not happy with how childish it was. One would think CC has grown as a writer (I just laughed so hard omg) so much in the past years that she's now capable of delivering mature content but no. High school drama going on here.
I know I left a lot of things out in this review but it’d take me forever to tell you about every single thing I hated.
December 1, 2022
second read: i freaking LOVE the betrayal trope. i want the characters to HURT to SUFFER to be BROKEN to absolutely FALL APART. like i love them but do i want them to go through unimaginable pain and absolutely rue the day they were ever born? obviously. i want the best for them but i also want to see them at their worst. i wanna see them suffer (i say that with love) and come out alive at the end (that part is important guys stop killing our fav characters its rude).
and i want to be reading this feeling all of those things right along with them. if im not sobbing crying kicking things throwing the book across the room, uve failed. that's right, i want to feel all that betrayal the characters are feeling just so i can feel something. and yes i will be reading this out to my therapist later. im not crazy ur crazy.
first read:
THIS BOOK INVERTED MY RIB CAGE. MY HEART IS LIQUIFIED AND SEEPING OUT THROUGH THE HOLES IN MY CHEST. AND THERE IS CASSIE, JUMPING IN THE PUDDLES.
ok when i first started this i was like "#jemma is inevitable" because we all know cassie has a kink for forbidden love #incest is forbidden for a reason. but if forbidden love were a kink for her before it is now a handcuffed-to-the-bed-blindfold-over-eyes-passionate-LOVE-AFFAIR because she has really done it this time. she has jumped all into this forbidden love trope with no survivors.
i mean i knew this would happen but i did not expect to be so invested so besotted so in love with Julian and Emma to the the point that it as an all-consuming obsession. as in i have ignored all my classes, neglected a day of sleep, skipped meals, held my pee in, gotten in trouble for reading in class, and more. this book has taken over two days of my life as in every single one of those 48 hours. because when im not reading im fantasizing them and when im not doing that im sobbing. sobbing.
AND THEN cassie has the fucking AUDACITY to write things like: “These pictures are my heart. And if my heart was a canvas, every square inch of it would be painted over with you.” like WHO GAVE HER THE PERMISSION??
and i want to be reading this feeling all of those things right along with them. if im not sobbing crying kicking things throwing the book across the room, uve failed. that's right, i want to feel all that betrayal the characters are feeling just so i can feel something. and yes i will be reading this out to my therapist later. im not crazy ur crazy.
first read:
THIS BOOK INVERTED MY RIB CAGE. MY HEART IS LIQUIFIED AND SEEPING OUT THROUGH THE HOLES IN MY CHEST. AND THERE IS CASSIE, JUMPING IN THE PUDDLES.
ok when i first started this i was like "#jemma is inevitable" because we all know cassie has a kink for forbidden love #incest is forbidden for a reason. but if forbidden love were a kink for her before it is now a handcuffed-to-the-bed-blindfold-over-eyes-passionate-LOVE-AFFAIR because she has really done it this time. she has jumped all into this forbidden love trope with no survivors.
i mean i knew this would happen but i did not expect to be so invested so besotted so in love with Julian and Emma to the the point that it as an all-consuming obsession. as in i have ignored all my classes, neglected a day of sleep, skipped meals, held my pee in, gotten in trouble for reading in class, and more. this book has taken over two days of my life as in every single one of those 48 hours. because when im not reading im fantasizing them and when im not doing that im sobbing. sobbing.
AND THEN cassie has the fucking AUDACITY to write things like: “These pictures are my heart. And if my heart was a canvas, every square inch of it would be painted over with you.” like WHO GAVE HER THE PERMISSION??
January 23, 2018
hoooooo boy. i don't really know where to start with this review, since i have so many mixed feelings regarding this book. but!!! not all of them are negative and i promise i have a lot of good things to say about the blackthorns so stay tuned everyone
some positive and negative aspects:
let's get this out of the way. i went into this book expecting.... absolutely nothing. i'm not the biggest cassandra clare stan, and i could never see myself even remotely enjoying one of her books (yet, here we are). i was convinced that the only good thing she ever created was magnus bane and that was it. i'm glad to say that i was wrong :-) don't get your hopes up yet, though, i will forever dislike the mortal instruments and i refuse to call myself a cc stan when i only enjoyed one (1) of her books. so much for the disclaimer
✔ THE CHARACTERS
the characters really made this book for me. it would've been a way less enjoyable read for me if i hadn't learned to love the blackthorn family with my entire sinner heart. i'm going to go in depth later but for now, just know that i would die for each and every one of them. thank u
✖ THE ROMANCE
i'm just not a big fan of the way cassie portrays romance, but then again, this might be a #me thing. i just.... don't..... like.... clichés.... and this is where you can't even argue with me, all the relationships she establishes between characters in her books are just soooooooooooooooooooooo CLICHÉ.
✔ THE WRITING
you can really see that cassie improved her writing a lot from previous books. it's still not my favorite, but you can see an improvement.
✖ THE PACING
who told cassie it was fine to a) make her chapters ten hours long and b) add the most unnecessary details?? i just wanna talk.
i remember being so bored throughout the entire book because everything was so drawn-out and slow; i felt actually exhausted at the thought of having to get through 600+ pages of it.
ok, i feel like that was enough ranting for now. onto the part where i scream for 3 hours over how much i love the blackthorn family
♡JULIAN BLACKTHORN
everyone deserves a mom like julian blackthorn tbh. i just *clenches fist* wish him all the best and hope he gets to be content and happy by the end of The Dark Artifices. this applies to most of the characters in this book, but if they get hurt i'm ready to fist fight cassandra clare. meet me in the pit bitch
name a better fictional mother than julian blackthorn. i'll wait
♡EMMA CARSTAIRS
she was remarkably less annoying than clary, for sure. i still think all of cc's characters are somewhat trying to be hilarious and beautiful and perfect, but i didn't mind emma as much.
♡TIBERIUS BLACKTHORN
downright my favorite character in the entire book. he's so soft and weird and intelligent and my heart bursts for him!!! i love all the blackthorns but ty i would start wars and kill people for. not only that but...... i also found myself in him.
ThatsMe.jpg
♡MARK BLACKTHORN
know a fence but if you dislike mark take it up with me bitch!!! mark is a bisexual legend, an icon, a gentle soul that deserves nothing but joy and love. i rest my case
♡THE BLACKTHORN FAMILY AS A WHOLE
listen, if i would talk about each and every one of them, this review would never end. i have Things to do.... People to meet..... no time for gushing about all these characters.
but i love dru and livvy and tavvy too, and i genuinely feel like they each added so much to this book. the blackthorns, to me, feel a little bit like the weasleys. you just can't help getting attached to every single one of them.
with that said, i hope cassie doesn't hurt them in lord of shadows. the thought of the blackthorns being safe and happy? #blessed #healed #content #glowing #complete
some positive and negative aspects:
let's get this out of the way. i went into this book expecting.... absolutely nothing. i'm not the biggest cassandra clare stan, and i could never see myself even remotely enjoying one of her books (yet, here we are). i was convinced that the only good thing she ever created was magnus bane and that was it. i'm glad to say that i was wrong :-) don't get your hopes up yet, though, i will forever dislike the mortal instruments and i refuse to call myself a cc stan when i only enjoyed one (1) of her books. so much for the disclaimer
✔ THE CHARACTERS
the characters really made this book for me. it would've been a way less enjoyable read for me if i hadn't learned to love the blackthorn family with my entire sinner heart. i'm going to go in depth later but for now, just know that i would die for each and every one of them. thank u
✖ THE ROMANCE
i'm just not a big fan of the way cassie portrays romance, but then again, this might be a #me thing. i just.... don't..... like.... clichés.... and this is where you can't even argue with me, all the relationships she establishes between characters in her books are just soooooooooooooooooooooo CLICHÉ.
exhibit a) ooooOOooOH nO! i'm falling in lOvE?!?! IMMEDIATE DENIAL!!!!
"[...]but he had luminous eyes and a beautiful mouth that-
She goggled at herself. What was wrong with her? What was wrong with her thoughts?"
spare me.
exhibit b) let's just make this moment here real dramatic and make them almost kiss but guess what, in the last second, thEY GET INTERRUPTED!!! genius
i'm tired. so tired. maybe i'm just too old to not be annoyed at the typical ya tropes™ anymore
exhibit c) just..... no
the general cringe is just unavoidable in these books, i know, but if i have to read one more time how person A wants to crawl inside person B's skin, i'm going to throw the fuck up
✔ THE WRITING
you can really see that cassie improved her writing a lot from previous books. it's still not my favorite, but you can see an improvement.
✖ THE PACING
who told cassie it was fine to a) make her chapters ten hours long and b) add the most unnecessary details?? i just wanna talk.
i remember being so bored throughout the entire book because everything was so drawn-out and slow; i felt actually exhausted at the thought of having to get through 600+ pages of it.
ok, i feel like that was enough ranting for now. onto the part where i scream for 3 hours over how much i love the blackthorn family
♡JULIAN BLACKTHORN
everyone deserves a mom like julian blackthorn tbh. i just *clenches fist* wish him all the best and hope he gets to be content and happy by the end of The Dark Artifices. this applies to most of the characters in this book, but if they get hurt i'm ready to fist fight cassandra clare. meet me in the pit bitch
"Julian determined that he would love them twice as fiercely as any adult could. He would do everything for them, he thought. [...] He would make sure they had everything they wanted. He would make sure they never missed what they didn't have; he would love them enough to make up for everything they'd lost."
name a better fictional mother than julian blackthorn. i'll wait
♡EMMA CARSTAIRS
she was remarkably less annoying than clary, for sure. i still think all of cc's characters are somewhat trying to be hilarious and beautiful and perfect, but i didn't mind emma as much.
"You belong where you're loved."
♡TIBERIUS BLACKTHORN
downright my favorite character in the entire book. he's so soft and weird and intelligent and my heart bursts for him!!! i love all the blackthorns but ty i would start wars and kill people for. not only that but...... i also found myself in him.
"Ty had probably wandered off after an animal, was petting a squirrel or cuddling a stray cat. Or he might have shut himself away with a book, not wanting to socialize."
ThatsMe.jpg
♡MARK BLACKTHORN
know a fence but if you dislike mark take it up with me bitch!!! mark is a bisexual legend, an icon, a gentle soul that deserves nothing but joy and love. i rest my case
♡THE BLACKTHORN FAMILY AS A WHOLE
listen, if i would talk about each and every one of them, this review would never end. i have Things to do.... People to meet..... no time for gushing about all these characters.
but i love dru and livvy and tavvy too, and i genuinely feel like they each added so much to this book. the blackthorns, to me, feel a little bit like the weasleys. you just can't help getting attached to every single one of them.
with that said, i hope cassie doesn't hurt them in lord of shadows. the thought of the blackthorns being safe and happy? #blessed #healed #content #glowing #complete
❥buddy read with marami
January 4, 2021
JUST AS WONDERFUL AS THE FIRST TIME!!!
The first time I read this, I read it in one sitting the night it was released. Yes, it was that good! All 700-ish pages!!!
This time, I took DAYS to complete it because it’s the last month of uni. But that doesn’t mean it was any less amazing!
#Jemma rivals some of my favourite ships in the Shadowhunter universe. Seriously, Emma is so badarse and Julian is so precious. They deserve ALL THE HAPPINESS in the world!
Also, Mark is hilarious. And the Blackthorn siblings were just too cute. I absolutely love this world (I believe this is the 13th Shadowhunter book I've read???) and the characters within it, including the cameos from the other series!!!
The first time I read this, I read it in one sitting the night it was released. Yes, it was that good! All 700-ish pages!!!
This time, I took DAYS to complete it because it’s the last month of uni. But that doesn’t mean it was any less amazing!
#Jemma rivals some of my favourite ships in the Shadowhunter universe. Seriously, Emma is so badarse and Julian is so precious. They deserve ALL THE HAPPINESS in the world!
Also, Mark is hilarious. And the Blackthorn siblings were just too cute. I absolutely love this world (I believe this is the 13th Shadowhunter book I've read???) and the characters within it, including the cameos from the other series!!!
June 6, 2020
1.) City of Bones ★★★★
2.) City of Ashes ★★★★
3.) City of Glass ★★★★
4.) City of Fallen Angels ★★★
5.) City of Lost Souls ★★★.5
6.) City of Heavenly Fire ★★★★
1.) Clockwork Angel ★★★★★
2.) Clockwork Prince ★★★★★
3.) Clockwork Princess ★★★★★
1.) Lady Midnight [TBA]
2.) Lord of Shadows [TBA]
3.) Queen of Air and Darkness [TBA]
1.) The Red Scrolls of Magic ★★★★.5
1.) Chain of Gold ★★★★★
*.) The Bane Chronicles ★★★★
*.) Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy [TBA]
*.) Ghosts of the Shadow Market ★★★★
-----------------------------------------------
2018 - I still hate the ending so much.
2016 -
Around The Year in 52 Books Challenge Notes:
52. A book that was published in 2016
2.) City of Ashes ★★★★
3.) City of Glass ★★★★
4.) City of Fallen Angels ★★★
5.) City of Lost Souls ★★★.5
6.) City of Heavenly Fire ★★★★
1.) Clockwork Angel ★★★★★
2.) Clockwork Prince ★★★★★
3.) Clockwork Princess ★★★★★
1.) Lady Midnight [TBA]
2.) Lord of Shadows [TBA]
3.) Queen of Air and Darkness [TBA]
1.) The Red Scrolls of Magic ★★★★.5
1.) Chain of Gold ★★★★★
*.) The Bane Chronicles ★★★★
*.) Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy [TBA]
*.) Ghosts of the Shadow Market ★★★★
-----------------------------------------------
2018 - I still hate the ending so much.
2016 -
Around The Year in 52 Books Challenge Notes:
52. A book that was published in 2016
December 28, 2018
Everyone knows that 4 is the perfect amount of reads, so don't judge me. Or was it 5? Maybe just to be sure I'll reread for the fifth time sometime :)
-------------------------------
Now I want to watch Notting Hill 😂
-------------------------------
I…
*Breaths in*
don’t…
*Breaths out*
know…
*Breaths in*
what’s…
*Breaths out*
happening…
*Breaths in*
Why am I so emotionally drained?
Why am I so emotionally invested in these characters?
Why do I feel so sad that they do not exist? And why do I want to cry because of that? And why had I cried because of that? And why, just why do they not exist?
I don’t know what’s happening to me ☹ I really don't know and so I’m going to reread just one day after I finished.
---
The reread is done and I understand more and less at the same time.
It’s so confusing that I love this book and there are things I don’t want to love, things that honestly I’m kind of scared to be liking, things like the love triangle and the “lowkey” cheating. There’s always some of that in Cassandra’s books and it’s something that always bothered me but not in this book, I don’t think I’d go as far as saying I enjoyed them but I didn’t mind them as much as I did before, I loved the characters too much to hate them for that, Is that a bad thing? That I love these characters so much I’m ready to ignore something I believe to be wrong.
The other thing is the romance, this may not be as big of an issue as the love triangle and the cheating, maybe some of you will see it as no issue at all, but for someone like me who always saw it as a secondary thing, the plot first romance second, it’s weird to fall for this book, it is weird to daydream about it and it is weird to feel so much… *sigh*.
I never mind the romance, I enjoy it but I don’t see it as the driving force for a book, or at least I thought so, now I’m not sure. I used to skip such scenes, blushing and mortified that maybe someone noticed what I just read even when I completely alone 😂. And now after reading this and rereading it, I love it? I’m not sure, as I said I’m so confused. I’m not saying it’s not okay to love it, I just don’t understand why this book of all made me feel this way? Why do I… *sigh again*
There’s a knot over my chest and I don’t know how to get rid of it and I think I’m slumping.
I don’t think this is the kind of reviews you guys signed up for, I’m sorry I’m not sure how to go on about it honestly.
I think there are 3 questions that need answering about this book for you to know my experience reading this book and I’ll try and answer them.
What did you love about this book?
What did you hate about this book?
What did you find unique about this book?
Octavian Blackthorn
“Tavvy was standing by a whiteboard with a blue dry-erase marker, making possibly helpful notations, if they could ever be translated out of seven-year-old.”
You can’t hate Tavvy, you just can’t.
There are no words in this world to tell you how I feel about him, at least not words that I know of. This is terrible because I want to say so much about him but I don’t know how, so here are almost all of Tavvy’s scenes in the book, there are no spoilers but I tagged them just in case you wanted to know him reading the book.
Julian Blackthorn
Every time his uncle calls him Andrew my heart shatters.
I have a place I go to, a special place, it’s not a secret or a hidden place but I think of it as my place, I go to it when I need to think, when I need to make sense of things, I go to it almost every day, not because I need to make sense of things every day but because it’s a common place, it only becomes special when I need it to be. I guess it’s not a special place exactly but a place for special things, it’s a place only made special by me and the thoughts I have while I’m in there.
I shared my place with only two book characters, only two characters made me want to spend an afternoon, just me alone with my thoughts, just me alone with them, thinking.
Only two book characters made me love them so much I hated them for being fictional.
Julian Blackthorn is one of them.
Julian is whom I wish to be, I relate to him in some ways and that was more than enough for me. I want him to be happy, I want him to be hugged and be told that he’s loved, I want him to see himself as I see him. He makes me want to be better, he cares for his family, he’ll do anything for them and expects nothing in return.
Julian is the guardian angel for the people he loves, and his love for them makes him go out of his way, he’ll do wrong things to keep this family together and you can tell he hates it because he’s just the purest soul.
I don’t know if I’m lucky or not, if you ever felt what I’m feeling you know what I’m talking about. Have you ever loved a character so much, in one hand you’re happy that you know them and in the other hand what does your life mean if you can’t protect them? if you can only wait to see what happens to them and you can’t do anything about it, what's the point if you're going to be absolutely helpless?
Maybe I’m just being overdramatic and I won’t feel the same tomorrow but I don’t want to read anything now, not that I can anyway.
Okay so this is what I wrote about Mark while I was reading, it’s unedited and I should say that Mark made me feel more confusion than hate, I think this shows as you read these unedited notes.
Mark is what I hate about this book he’s generally what I hate about most of Casandra Clare’s books.
He is all over the place with his feelings and I hate it when a character’s feelings for another comes before his family and unfortunately that is Mark.
I feel sorry for what he has been through but he blames Julian for not trying to find him , Julian was 12. And no one, NO ONE has the right to say anything to Julian.
“He seemed like someone who had woken up after a hundred years of sleep, shaking the dust of a century’s dreams from his feet. He had been terrified...”
Mark has suffered, he’s hurt body and soul and I hate what happened to him, he makes me so confused, I don’t want to hate him but.
Granted this is not a perfect situation but everyone seems to be trying except him.
“I am Julian’s parabatai,” she said. “And Julian needs you to stay.”
“Julian is strong,” he said.
“Julian is strong,” she agreed. “But you are his brother. And if you go—I don’t know if I can pick up those pieces.”
His eyes flicked back to her closet. “We survive losses,” he whispered.
We do survive but that doesn’t mean we should inflict them voluntarily on the ones we love, and Julian already lost way too much, why is he the only one that needs to survive the losses while everyone else finds their escape.
Where the plot is going.
This is more of a guess but the way I’m seeing the story is going is not something I like then again what do I know, I thought I won’t like this and look at me now.
The way I see the story is Julian having to make hard choices between Emma and his family, I don’t like that, it’s what I hate about most characters, that they sacrifice their family for the one they love, not only do I hate it but also I don’t see Julian doing that and if he does I’d be so disappointed, it’ll make all the feels he had for his siblings seem fake and that will break my heart.
And the love shapes, I always hate those and it seems there are going to be more of those.
I have to say though that both of those problems didn’t bother me much as I fell head over heels for the characters.
Also I think I hated perfect Diego but I haven’t seen much of him to be sure.
Also why is there no female characters like Julian or Jem from TID? I always like the male characters in these books more, if there was a female Julian, my life would be perfect.
This book took me by surprise, I didn’t expect at all to fall in love with it this much probably because of the previous experiences with Shadowhunters, so my expectations weren’t high but to feel this much for a book you thought so little of, it’s overwhelming.
How I didn’t mind the plot
Let me be honest for a second here, Cassandra Clare’s book are less about the fantasy element and more about YA and that’s not a bad thing except that I always go into them with a fantasy mindset, that makes me focus on the plot and less about the other things and when the plot becomes predictable I lose interest but that didn’t happen with this one, this book actually restored my faith in contemporaries, recently I wasn’t in the mood for them but now I want them more and I love it more for that.
I just love some characters beyond what I thought possible, that made me ignore a lot of things just the happiness of my beloved characters, that’s all I wanted.
How I loved the romance.
As I said in the beginning, I love the romance in this book, I don’t know how to approach this and I'm blushing just thinking about it so umm I'll leave it at that.
How much I cried
It’s not that much but it happened more than I expected and this isn’t the most heartbreaking book ever. I don’t know why exactly this happened and I asked myself that so many times, at one point I believed something is wrong with me.
Emma
Emma is ruthless, she doesn’t go in roundabout ways, she’s a straightforward rip off the band-aid kind of girl.
“Half the scars Emma had on her body she’d put there herself, teaching herself to fall from the highest rafters, training herself to fight through pain by practicing barefoot—on broken glass.”
“This is about me, not you,” she said into the phone. Cristina gave her an encouraging thumbs-up. “I am sick of you.” She smiled brightly as Cristina dropped her face into her hands. “So maybe we could go back to being friends?”
There was a click as he hung up.
That was funny, I laughed at that until Christina pointed out that in two months Emma forgot three dates with him, skipped his birthday and dumped him because it was a slow patrol night.
This what makes me conflicted about her, she’s strong and can do what others can’t but she can be cruel and harsh too.
She loves her best friend Cristina.
She’s rebellious and hates some of the laws the Clave made and when those laws stand on her way to discover what happened to her parents she doesn’t hesitate to break them. That makes me excited to see what she’ll do when the laws stand between her and love.
Cristina
She has a past and she’s trying to forget it.
As Emma said about her “… she’d always had the air of someone running from something.”
She loves Emma, I think they even could’ve been parabatai if Emma wasn’t with Julian.
She brushed her hands through Emma’s hair, looking at her worriedly. “You sure you’re not hurt?”
“Julian’s blood,” Emma whispered, and Cristina made a murmuring noise and pulled Emma into a hug. She patted Emma’s back and Emma hung on to her for dear life and decided there and then that if anyone ever tried to hurt Cristina she would grind them to a pulp and make amusing sand castles out of the remains.
Dru
“Dru loves horror movies,” said Emma. “Anything with the word ‘blood’ or ‘terror’ or ‘prom’ in it.
Dru of all the Blackthorns I want to befriend, they all have someone that can be considered their other half except for her and that’s unacceptable because she’s the best, THE BEST.
Livvy
“Books about computers and programming languages were stacked in careful rows by her bed.”
I thought of Kady from Illuminae right after I read that. Livvy is my girl I just wish we had more of her, I think she would’ve been my favorite.
Ty
“On the bedside table were his most beloved books: Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories.”
I think Ty is a combination of me and my sister, and I can’t not love him. He and Livvy both have a half of my heart, they are both so precious.
“Livvy, who knew better than anyone the anxiety that imprecise language could cause her brother, scrambled to her feet and went over to him. She put her arms around him, her chin against his shoulder. Ty leaned against her, his eyes half-lidded...”
The writing
The writing was beautiful, there are moments when I stopped reading and just closed my eyes and started dreaming. That’s not always the case though, I found that some parts of the book are better written than others.
That is not to say that it was bad, just some part like the prologue and such were more beautiful than others. Maybe this is just me and how I swoon over descriptive writing (if it doesn’t drag for long which it didn’t) I think what I’m trying to say is the writing was okay with some beautiful moments
This is all I have, I'm actually tired 😂 and this was embarrassing.
-------------------------------
Now I want to watch Notting Hill 😂
-------------------------------
I…
*Breaths in*
don’t…
*Breaths out*
know…
*Breaths in*
what’s…
*Breaths out*
happening…
*Breaths in*
Why am I so emotionally drained?
Why am I so emotionally invested in these characters?
Why do I feel so sad that they do not exist? And why do I want to cry because of that? And why had I cried because of that? And why, just why do they not exist?
I don’t know what’s happening to me ☹ I really don't know and so I’m going to reread just one day after I finished.
---
The reread is done and I understand more and less at the same time.
It’s so confusing that I love this book and there are things I don’t want to love, things that honestly I’m kind of scared to be liking, things like the love triangle and the “lowkey” cheating. There’s always some of that in Cassandra’s books and it’s something that always bothered me but not in this book, I don’t think I’d go as far as saying I enjoyed them but I didn’t mind them as much as I did before, I loved the characters too much to hate them for that, Is that a bad thing? That I love these characters so much I’m ready to ignore something I believe to be wrong.
The other thing is the romance, this may not be as big of an issue as the love triangle and the cheating, maybe some of you will see it as no issue at all, but for someone like me who always saw it as a secondary thing, the plot first romance second, it’s weird to fall for this book, it is weird to daydream about it and it is weird to feel so much… *sigh*.
I never mind the romance, I enjoy it but I don’t see it as the driving force for a book, or at least I thought so, now I’m not sure. I used to skip such scenes, blushing and mortified that maybe someone noticed what I just read even when I completely alone 😂. And now after reading this and rereading it, I love it? I’m not sure, as I said I’m so confused. I’m not saying it’s not okay to love it, I just don’t understand why this book of all made me feel this way? Why do I… *sigh again*
There’s a knot over my chest and I don’t know how to get rid of it and I think I’m slumping.
I don’t think this is the kind of reviews you guys signed up for, I’m sorry I’m not sure how to go on about it honestly.
I think there are 3 questions that need answering about this book for you to know my experience reading this book and I’ll try and answer them.
What did you love about this book?
What did you hate about this book?
What did you find unique about this book?
What do you love about this book?Two characters. While I do love all the character in various degrees, these two are love and joy and life, they are heartbreak and tears and death. They are my heart.
Octavian Blackthorn
“Tavvy was standing by a whiteboard with a blue dry-erase marker, making possibly helpful notations, if they could ever be translated out of seven-year-old.”
You can’t hate Tavvy, you just can’t.
There are no words in this world to tell you how I feel about him, at least not words that I know of. This is terrible because I want to say so much about him but I don’t know how, so here are almost all of Tavvy’s scenes in the book, there are no spoilers but I tagged them just in case you wanted to know him reading the book.
Julian Blackthorn
Every time his uncle calls him Andrew my heart shatters.
I have a place I go to, a special place, it’s not a secret or a hidden place but I think of it as my place, I go to it when I need to think, when I need to make sense of things, I go to it almost every day, not because I need to make sense of things every day but because it’s a common place, it only becomes special when I need it to be. I guess it’s not a special place exactly but a place for special things, it’s a place only made special by me and the thoughts I have while I’m in there.
I shared my place with only two book characters, only two characters made me want to spend an afternoon, just me alone with my thoughts, just me alone with them, thinking.
Only two book characters made me love them so much I hated them for being fictional.
Julian Blackthorn is one of them.
Julian is whom I wish to be, I relate to him in some ways and that was more than enough for me. I want him to be happy, I want him to be hugged and be told that he’s loved, I want him to see himself as I see him. He makes me want to be better, he cares for his family, he’ll do anything for them and expects nothing in return.
Julian is the guardian angel for the people he loves, and his love for them makes him go out of his way, he’ll do wrong things to keep this family together and you can tell he hates it because he’s just the purest soul.
I don’t know if I’m lucky or not, if you ever felt what I’m feeling you know what I’m talking about. Have you ever loved a character so much, in one hand you’re happy that you know them and in the other hand what does your life mean if you can’t protect them? if you can only wait to see what happens to them and you can’t do anything about it, what's the point if you're going to be absolutely helpless?
Maybe I’m just being overdramatic and I won’t feel the same tomorrow but I don’t want to read anything now, not that I can anyway.
What did you hate about this book?Mark
Okay so this is what I wrote about Mark while I was reading, it’s unedited and I should say that Mark made me feel more confusion than hate, I think this shows as you read these unedited notes.
Mark is what I hate about this book he’s generally what I hate about most of Casandra Clare’s books.
He is all over the place with his feelings and I hate it when a character’s feelings for another comes before his family and unfortunately that is Mark.
I feel sorry for what he has been through but he blames Julian for not trying to find him , Julian was 12. And no one, NO ONE has the right to say anything to Julian.
“He seemed like someone who had woken up after a hundred years of sleep, shaking the dust of a century’s dreams from his feet. He had been terrified...”
Mark has suffered, he’s hurt body and soul and I hate what happened to him, he makes me so confused, I don’t want to hate him but.
Granted this is not a perfect situation but everyone seems to be trying except him.
“I am Julian’s parabatai,” she said. “And Julian needs you to stay.”
“Julian is strong,” he said.
“Julian is strong,” she agreed. “But you are his brother. And if you go—I don’t know if I can pick up those pieces.”
His eyes flicked back to her closet. “We survive losses,” he whispered.
We do survive but that doesn’t mean we should inflict them voluntarily on the ones we love, and Julian already lost way too much, why is he the only one that needs to survive the losses while everyone else finds their escape.
Where the plot is going.
This is more of a guess but the way I’m seeing the story is going is not something I like then again what do I know, I thought I won’t like this and look at me now.
The way I see the story is Julian having to make hard choices between Emma and his family, I don’t like that, it’s what I hate about most characters, that they sacrifice their family for the one they love, not only do I hate it but also I don’t see Julian doing that and if he does I’d be so disappointed, it’ll make all the feels he had for his siblings seem fake and that will break my heart.
And the love shapes, I always hate those and it seems there are going to be more of those.
I have to say though that both of those problems didn’t bother me much as I fell head over heels for the characters.
Also I think I hated perfect Diego but I haven’t seen much of him to be sure.
Also why is there no female characters like Julian or Jem from TID? I always like the male characters in these books more, if there was a female Julian, my life would be perfect.
What did you find unique about this book?Unique doesn’t necessarily mean good.
This book took me by surprise, I didn’t expect at all to fall in love with it this much probably because of the previous experiences with Shadowhunters, so my expectations weren’t high but to feel this much for a book you thought so little of, it’s overwhelming.
How I didn’t mind the plot
Let me be honest for a second here, Cassandra Clare’s book are less about the fantasy element and more about YA and that’s not a bad thing except that I always go into them with a fantasy mindset, that makes me focus on the plot and less about the other things and when the plot becomes predictable I lose interest but that didn’t happen with this one, this book actually restored my faith in contemporaries, recently I wasn’t in the mood for them but now I want them more and I love it more for that.
I just love some characters beyond what I thought possible, that made me ignore a lot of things just the happiness of my beloved characters, that’s all I wanted.
How I loved the romance.
As I said in the beginning, I love the romance in this book, I don’t know how to approach this and I'm blushing just thinking about it so umm I'll leave it at that.
How much I cried
It’s not that much but it happened more than I expected and this isn’t the most heartbreaking book ever. I don’t know why exactly this happened and I asked myself that so many times, at one point I believed something is wrong with me.
Other thingsHere are things that added to the entire experience.
Emma
Emma is ruthless, she doesn’t go in roundabout ways, she’s a straightforward rip off the band-aid kind of girl.
“Half the scars Emma had on her body she’d put there herself, teaching herself to fall from the highest rafters, training herself to fight through pain by practicing barefoot—on broken glass.”
“This is about me, not you,” she said into the phone. Cristina gave her an encouraging thumbs-up. “I am sick of you.” She smiled brightly as Cristina dropped her face into her hands. “So maybe we could go back to being friends?”
There was a click as he hung up.
That was funny, I laughed at that until Christina pointed out that in two months Emma forgot three dates with him, skipped his birthday and dumped him because it was a slow patrol night.
This what makes me conflicted about her, she’s strong and can do what others can’t but she can be cruel and harsh too.
She loves her best friend Cristina.
She’s rebellious and hates some of the laws the Clave made and when those laws stand on her way to discover what happened to her parents she doesn’t hesitate to break them. That makes me excited to see what she’ll do when the laws stand between her and love.
Cristina
She has a past and she’s trying to forget it.
As Emma said about her “… she’d always had the air of someone running from something.”
She loves Emma, I think they even could’ve been parabatai if Emma wasn’t with Julian.
She brushed her hands through Emma’s hair, looking at her worriedly. “You sure you’re not hurt?”
“Julian’s blood,” Emma whispered, and Cristina made a murmuring noise and pulled Emma into a hug. She patted Emma’s back and Emma hung on to her for dear life and decided there and then that if anyone ever tried to hurt Cristina she would grind them to a pulp and make amusing sand castles out of the remains.
Dru
“Dru loves horror movies,” said Emma. “Anything with the word ‘blood’ or ‘terror’ or ‘prom’ in it.
Dru of all the Blackthorns I want to befriend, they all have someone that can be considered their other half except for her and that’s unacceptable because she’s the best, THE BEST.
Livvy
“Books about computers and programming languages were stacked in careful rows by her bed.”
I thought of Kady from Illuminae right after I read that. Livvy is my girl I just wish we had more of her, I think she would’ve been my favorite.
Ty
“On the bedside table were his most beloved books: Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories.”
I think Ty is a combination of me and my sister, and I can’t not love him. He and Livvy both have a half of my heart, they are both so precious.
“Livvy, who knew better than anyone the anxiety that imprecise language could cause her brother, scrambled to her feet and went over to him. She put her arms around him, her chin against his shoulder. Ty leaned against her, his eyes half-lidded...”
The writing
The writing was beautiful, there are moments when I stopped reading and just closed my eyes and started dreaming. That’s not always the case though, I found that some parts of the book are better written than others.
That is not to say that it was bad, just some part like the prologue and such were more beautiful than others. Maybe this is just me and how I swoon over descriptive writing (if it doesn’t drag for long which it didn’t) I think what I’m trying to say is the writing was okay with some beautiful moments
This is all I have, I'm actually tired 😂 and this was embarrassing.
The End.
April 20, 2018
im here to submit my application to be adopted by the blackthorn family, thank you and please protect tavvy and send all my love to julian
March 6, 2023
I'm sticking with the 5 stars for Lady Midnight!
There's nothing more important than love
So my review is going to be a mix of when I first read it and my re-read with Jasmine
Anyway here we go...
This book. Oh my. So once again Cassandra Clare has just messed with all of my emotions.
THE FEELS! ALL THE FEELS!
The parabatai scene really got me as I knew the references to my favourite shadowhunter ever. I personally think that anything Will/Jem/Tessa related always makes me feel something. Out of all of the series I've read, The Infernal Devices will always be something very special to me.
Okay, where do I begin with this?
The Blackthorns, my god. What a wonderful family. Each sibling brought something different to the Shadow Hunter world. The more I read the more I felt part of the family and desperately wanted to be there to protect them. I can't explain my love towards them. I have honestly liked so many characters in this world, but they really stood out for me. Each member of the Blackthorns/Carstairs brought something a little bit different to this world.
How many other characters from the shadowhunter world can we get in one book?! I LOVED IT! I mean, We got Jem, Tessa, Magnus, Alec, Jace and Clary. With the mention of Simon and Izzy. I still wish they'd been part of this series as well.
Emma and Julian. Oh good lord! There was so much of a build up, and I can honestly say that I loved nearly every moment of this. I loved the fact that Emma was just such a powerful woman, she didn't need anyone to protect her and she can do things on her own. However, sometimes I wish she'd just ask for help. I feel like we've had snippets of this from previous Shadow Hunter women, but none like Emma Carstairs. Julian. I don't even know where to begin with him without this containing any form of Spoilers, but my god, I just want to have him for myself. I have never ever empathised with a character so much in my life and just wanted to take them out of their world just for one day with no worries. The things he does for the children and the fact that he calls them his own children. OH THE FEELS!
Christina and Mark. Oh good lord,I ship this so hard. I want them to be, and I just don't even know. Re-read Beth disagrees with this shipping. Mark and Kieran, Christina and perfect Diego For me Christina is the person who you would love to have as a best friend. Overall she is just such a lovely character, I know the word "lovely" doesn't sound particularly interesting, but she has so much to offer, and I can't wait to see more of her in the next book and grow as a character. What can I even say about Mark? I don't even know. Now the amount of emotion I felt towards this character, sometimes I honestly felt like he was just such a lead character for me. He had everything you want in a character. He made me feel so much towards him. He made me laugh with his seriousness, and the way he sometimes thought things were normal but to others obviously not. When he had his moments with Christina and Emma in thoughtful times in the book, it broke my heart.
The Blackthorn siblings... to be honest I want to know more, I think a lot of the focus was on Ty, and I want to know more about the others. I'm not necessarily saying that I didn't enjoy his moments. I mean, with his surprise appearance I laughed so much. But I look forward to knowing more of this family.
What I liked?
- My emotions were constantly up and down, one moment I'd be laughing the next and I'd be crying, I'd have my mouth hanging open in shock and other times I'd be screaming with absolute joy. Something that makes you feel like that is always a plus in my case.
- The characters aren't perfect. There's something different about each and every one.
- The topic of mental disorders and showing that it's okay to be different.
- I really liked the fact that Mark was bisexual, I haven't come across a book with a character who is bisexual.
- That ending though!
- The relationship between Emma and Julian... IT BREAKS ME!
- In fact just Julian in general, he's just the most lovable person ever!
- As previously mentioned SO MANY CHARACTERS!
- I kinda liked Rook... dodgey characters are always the one!
What I didn't like?
- The book is soooooooo long. I understand it's to get a feel for the characters, and build the story. But yeah.
- The chapters were also really really long.
- When I re-read this things were oh so very obvious
Once again Cassandra Clare shattered my heart, pieced it back together and shattered it again. I will have to cope until the next book. But until then I will be trying to think what happens next. What a wonderful book, and it brought me such happiness being able to read a book from my favourite author!
I also can't wait to find out what happens with Kit, and I want to know how Ty is going to treat him.
KITTY <3
Re-Read 06.03.2023
WOW. I haven't re-read this series in six years, and let me tell you, I loved every single minute of it! I don't know how, but I remembered like the plot as a whole, but I forgot just what lengths Julian will go to, to protect "his children" (stop it I DIED)
I'm re-reading this review and I have no idea what I'm trying to say about a love square, so not going off what I know, I will say that I probably shipped Christina and Mark, Mark is like a solid fave in this series. When he's looking after the children and there's so much chaos hahahaha. He really did try though!
Can't wait to re-read Lord of Shadows, because I honestly don't really remember that much of it other than the ending (so much distress) but not really the start to finish, so fingers crossed I'll enjoy it.
All Cassandra Clare Reviews:
The Infernal Devices
Clockwork Angel - 5 Stars
Clockwork Prince - 5 Stars
Clockwork Princess - 5 Stars
The Infernal Devices (Manga) Reviews:
Clockwork Angel - 5 Stars
Clockwork Prince - 5 Stars
Clockwork Princess - 5 Stars
The Last Hours
Chain of Gold - 4 Stars
Chain of Iron - 5 Stars
Chain of Thorns - 4 Stars
The Mortal Instruments
City of Bones - 5 Stars
City of Ashes - 4 Stars
City of Glass - 4 Stars
City of Fallen Angels - 2 Stars
City of Lost Souls - 3 Stars
City of Heavenly Fire - 4 Stars
The Eldest Curses
The Red Scrolls of Magic - 3 Stars
The Dark Artifices
Lady Midnight - 5 Stars
Lord of Shadows - 5 Stars
Queen of Air and Darkness - 5 Stars
There's nothing more important than love
So my review is going to be a mix of when I first read it and my re-read with Jasmine
Anyway here we go...
This book. Oh my. So once again Cassandra Clare has just messed with all of my emotions.
THE FEELS! ALL THE FEELS!
The parabatai scene really got me as I knew the references to my favourite shadowhunter ever. I personally think that anything Will/Jem/Tessa related always makes me feel something. Out of all of the series I've read, The Infernal Devices will always be something very special to me.
Okay, where do I begin with this?
The Blackthorns, my god. What a wonderful family. Each sibling brought something different to the Shadow Hunter world. The more I read the more I felt part of the family and desperately wanted to be there to protect them. I can't explain my love towards them. I have honestly liked so many characters in this world, but they really stood out for me. Each member of the Blackthorns/Carstairs brought something a little bit different to this world.
How many other characters from the shadowhunter world can we get in one book?! I LOVED IT! I mean, We got Jem, Tessa, Magnus, Alec, Jace and Clary. With the mention of Simon and Izzy. I still wish they'd been part of this series as well.
Emma and Julian. Oh good lord! There was so much of a build up, and I can honestly say that I loved nearly every moment of this. I loved the fact that Emma was just such a powerful woman, she didn't need anyone to protect her and she can do things on her own. However, sometimes I wish she'd just ask for help. I feel like we've had snippets of this from previous Shadow Hunter women, but none like Emma Carstairs. Julian. I don't even know where to begin with him without this containing any form of Spoilers, but my god, I just want to have him for myself. I have never ever empathised with a character so much in my life and just wanted to take them out of their world just for one day with no worries. The things he does for the children and the fact that he calls them his own children. OH THE FEELS!
Christina and Mark. Oh good lord,
The Blackthorn siblings... to be honest I want to know more, I think a lot of the focus was on Ty, and I want to know more about the others. I'm not necessarily saying that I didn't enjoy his moments. I mean, with his surprise appearance I laughed so much. But I look forward to knowing more of this family.
What I liked?
- My emotions were constantly up and down, one moment I'd be laughing the next and I'd be crying, I'd have my mouth hanging open in shock and other times I'd be screaming with absolute joy. Something that makes you feel like that is always a plus in my case.
- The characters aren't perfect. There's something different about each and every one.
- The topic of mental disorders and showing that it's okay to be different.
- I really liked the fact that Mark was bisexual, I haven't come across a book with a character who is bisexual.
- That ending though!
- The relationship between Emma and Julian... IT BREAKS ME!
- In fact just Julian in general, he's just the most lovable person ever!
- As previously mentioned SO MANY CHARACTERS!
- I kinda liked Rook... dodgey characters are always the one!
What I didn't like?
- The book is soooooooo long. I understand it's to get a feel for the characters, and build the story. But yeah.
- The chapters were also really really long.
- When I re-read this things were oh so very obvious
Once again Cassandra Clare shattered my heart, pieced it back together and shattered it again. I will have to cope until the next book. But until then I will be trying to think what happens next. What a wonderful book, and it brought me such happiness being able to read a book from my favourite author!
I also can't wait to find out what happens with Kit, and I want to know how Ty is going to treat him.
KITTY <3
Re-Read 06.03.2023
WOW. I haven't re-read this series in six years, and let me tell you, I loved every single minute of it! I don't know how, but I remembered like the plot as a whole, but I forgot just what lengths Julian will go to, to protect "his children" (stop it I DIED)
I'm re-reading this review and I have no idea what I'm trying to say about a love square, so not going off what I know, I will say that I probably shipped Christina and Mark, Mark is like a solid fave in this series. When he's looking after the children and there's so much chaos hahahaha. He really did try though!
Can't wait to re-read Lord of Shadows, because I honestly don't really remember that much of it other than the ending (so much distress) but not really the start to finish, so fingers crossed I'll enjoy it.
All Cassandra Clare Reviews:
The Infernal Devices
Clockwork Angel - 5 Stars
Clockwork Prince - 5 Stars
Clockwork Princess - 5 Stars
The Infernal Devices (Manga) Reviews:
Clockwork Angel - 5 Stars
Clockwork Prince - 5 Stars
Clockwork Princess - 5 Stars
The Last Hours
Chain of Gold - 4 Stars
Chain of Iron - 5 Stars
Chain of Thorns - 4 Stars
The Mortal Instruments
City of Bones - 5 Stars
City of Ashes - 4 Stars
City of Glass - 4 Stars
City of Fallen Angels - 2 Stars
City of Lost Souls - 3 Stars
City of Heavenly Fire - 4 Stars
The Eldest Curses
The Red Scrolls of Magic - 3 Stars
The Dark Artifices
Lady Midnight - 5 Stars
Lord of Shadows - 5 Stars
Queen of Air and Darkness - 5 Stars
Want to read
March 8, 2016Let me guess: this "Julian" fellow is going to be snarky and sarcastic just like every other love interest CC has written about.
I mean, really, where do they get it from?
Sure, I LOVE when the main guy in a story is sarcastic and witty, but seriously...try something new.
And just by experience, I can already predict things that are going to happen:
1) There is going to be another love triangle in which I can predict the ending FROM the first sentence.
2) CC is going to over-use certain adjectives explaining Julian's eyes/hair/body, etc.
3) They'll end up together. But then there's going to be three MORE books after it.
And thats not all.
I wanted to bang my head on a table when I read the "only shadowhunter she is forbidden to love". Geez. I definitely didn't predict THAT.
And then the next thing you know, she's doing a Harry Potter/Sherlock Holmes/Star Wars/Lord of the Rings spin off.
Oh wait. That's already happened...
Hmm.
I mean, really, where do they get it from?
Sure, I LOVE when the main guy in a story is sarcastic and witty, but seriously...try something new.
And just by experience, I can already predict things that are going to happen:
1) There is going to be another love triangle in which I can predict the ending FROM the first sentence.
2) CC is going to over-use certain adjectives explaining Julian's eyes/hair/body, etc.
3) They'll end up together. But then there's going to be three MORE books after it.
And thats not all.
I wanted to bang my head on a table when I read the "only shadowhunter she is forbidden to love". Geez. I definitely didn't predict THAT.
And then the next thing you know, she's doing a Harry Potter/Sherlock Holmes/Star Wars/Lord of the Rings spin off.
Oh wait. That's already happened...
Hmm.
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