ALC/ARC Book Review: Better in Black (Shadowhunter Chronicles) by Cassandra Clare

December 4, 2025November 24, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance Novella Collection
Length: 464 pages
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Knopf Books
Release Date: December 2nd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Ten original love stories by the reigning queen of romantasy, featuring fan-favorite couples from her #1 New York Times bestselling Shadowhunter Chronicles—one of the most popular series of all time, with more than 50 million copies in print worldwide!

Ten couples. United by love. Divided by danger.

Jace and Clary, seeking out an exiled Shadowhunter and learning that love can save the world—or destroy it. Will and Tessa, honeymooning in Paris when a séance sends them down an unexpected path. Simon and Izzy, observing increased demonic activity around New York, on a hilarious urban romp.

These are just a few of the beloved couples whose romantic escapades will have you on the edge of your seat across time and storylines from Cassandra Clare’s expansive Shadowhunters series. Don’t miss a chance to reunite with:

• Anna and Ari
• Emma and Julian
• Kieran, Mark, and Cristina
• James and Cordelia
• Thomas and Alastair
• Sebastian and the Seelie Queen
• Jocelyn and Luke

A love letter to every fan of the Shadowhunter Chronicles, this riveting story collection also includes a sneak peek at The Wicked Powers, the majestic trilogy that will be the grand finale of the entire series!

Thank you PRH Audio and Get Underlined for the gifted audiobook and physical copy.

I LIKED IT.

I feel like I haven’t read a Shadowhunter book in a hot minute and it was fun to be back in this world with so many of my favorite characters.

Each novella felt like a mini story and brought a swoony edge each time. I think even some of them might be hinting at future things to come? [There’s another series coming right??]

I’m not sure I’d say this is 100% a necessary book to read but I do think you’ll enjoy it if you’ve been a fan of the Shadowhunters over the years.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy Romance Collection
Language: low
Romance: closed door
Violence: moderate

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Book Review: Sword Catcher (Sword Catcher #1) by Cassandra Clare

November 29, 2024November 2, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy
Length: 604 pages
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: October 10th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the vibrant city-state of Castellane, the richest of nobles and the most debauched of criminals have one thing in common: the constant search for wealth, power, and the next hedonistic thrill.

Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword Catcher—the body double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He has been raised alongside the prince, trained in every aspect of combat and statecraft. He and Conor are as close as brothers, but Kel knows that his destiny is to die for Conor. No other future is possible.

Lin Caster is one of the Ashkar, a small community whose members still possess magical abilities. By law, they must live behind walls within the city, but Lin, a physician, ventures out to tend to the sick and dying of Castellane. Despite her skills, she cannot heal her best friend without access to forbidden knowledge.

After a failed assassination attempt brings Lin and Kel together, they are drawn into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King, the criminal ruler of Castellane’s underworld. He offers them each what they want most; but as they descend into his world of intrigue and shadow, they discover a conspiracy of corruption that reaches from the darkest gutters of Castellane to the highest tower of its palaces.

As long-kept secrets begin to unravel, they must ask themselves: Is knowledge worth the price of betrayal? Can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will their discoveries plunge their nation into war—and the world into chaos?

WHY SO LONG.

Initially upon starting this I was very interested, I loved the general plot bones and the characters were great. I didn’t have any major complaints until around 60% when I started to feel like nothing was truly happening. There were a lot of tiny things going on, but no big plot movement until the very end.

I just didn’t see it needing to be 600 pages long. And the romance lost me too. I thought it was going one way, then it went another, and then ANOTHER, and I think one more time too? Which is fine and all, but it made the whole idea feel shallow. I loved how morally gray the entire book felt with each character making some questionable decisions in the name of what they believed to be the greater good. There will be awesome fallout from that in the future books I’m sure.

There were some good twists and like I said previously, the bones of the book are good. I’m not sure this was enough for me to keep going with the series though? We’ll see.

Overall audience notes:

NA Fantasy
Language: some strong
Romance: moderate innuendo; fade to black
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: abuse (whipping), blood/gore depiction, loss of loved ones, near death experiences

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Book Review: Chain of Thorns (The Last Hours #3) by Cassandra Clare

March 8, 2024February 28, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Urban Fantasy Romance
Length: 800 pages
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Walker Books
Release Date: January 31st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

James and Cordelia must save London—and their marriage—in this conclusion to the Last Hours series from author Cassandra Clare.
Chain of Thorns is a Shadowhunters novel.

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

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

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

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

FINISHED.

This was a good book. It was a lot more romantic than I feel like previous ones have been (which was a slight detriment to the large plot, that I’ll get into in a second) but I do love romance and there were a lot of great couples here. Still forever obsessed with Cordelia and James, EVEN IF I WANTED TO SHAKE THE CHARACTERS AROUND A BIT. But, I digress.

This is my fourth completed Shadowhunter series and I kind of feel like…if you’ve read one series, you’ve read them all? Maybe blasphemous but there’s just not anything new. A bad shadowhunter pairs up with a demon, a portal to hell is open and there’s a few action scenes. Rinse and repeat for each dang series. I just wish it would have evolved in someway.

I enjoy the characters and stories that go along. I’m happy that I went with the audiobook because I didn’t feel like physically picking this up (audio was great by the way). I think I might just be finished with Shadowhunter books for now.

Overall audience notes:

YA Urban Fantasy Romance
Language: some
Romance: one vague open + closed door
Violence: medium
Trigger/Content Warnings: light blood/gore depiction, loss of life, possession, near death experiences, magical, physical and weapons violence

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

November 26, 2021March 13, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆ 1/2
Audience: YA Urban / Historical Fantasy
Length: 592 pages
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Walker Books
Release Date: March 2nd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

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

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

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

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

BUT WHY.

I kept hearing about this *emotional ending*. I imaginged something catastrophic happening, tears being shed, etc. All I actually felt was RAGE. I know and expect a cliffhanger in Shadowhunter books. It’s fine, but sometimes they don’t match up well for me. This one seemed like it’s going to cause a lot more damage and I am not okay.

COI took a long time to pick up. It was hundreds of pages before I felt really connected to the story. Even with loving a character driven novel, I guess with some many switches between POVs I wasn’t feeling attached to anyone until later down the line.

Granted, once things got going, they got moving quickly. I really liked the second half. And I especially appreciate that this feels like more of a fresh take in the Shadowhunter world. It’s no secret that I’m slowly fading out of wanting to read this series. It’s a lot of books in one world, ya know?

For now, I’m continuing on. Definitely invested enough to read book three and see what happens next. There’s many ships I’m hoping set sail (or for that matter, REMAIN SAILING). I do adore this cast and the whole group of Merry Thieves.

Overall audience notes: