Tag: cassandra clare

Book Review

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

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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:

  • YA Urban / Historical fiction Fantasy
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses to closed door scenes
  • Violence: battles, demonic attacks, weaponry
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: alcohlism

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Book Review

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

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Urban Fantasy
Length: 624 pages
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: McElderberry Books
Release Date: March 3rd, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Chain of Gold is the first novel in a new trilogy that stars the Shadowhunters of Edwardian London.

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

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

OH THE TRAGEDY.

Let’s be honest, Cassandra Clare is fantastic at weaving high drama, high tragedy filled love stories. AND I CAN’T HELP BUT BE INVOLVED. So involved. That’s how this book snuck a four star rating out of me. I love how hopeless everything gets, and then how Clare gives me that happy ending I crave by the time the series wraps up. It’s addicting, so here I am again, reading another Shadowhunter series.

James and Cordelia. OH MY GOODNESS YES. I knew Will’s offspring would give me another guy to swoon over. I love the burgeoning sparks and the fact that a new plot/trope was added in that I haven’t seen before in these books? It really brought this up for me. I wanted to see some fresh things and got them.

I liked the plot and how everything flowed. Once again, I felt that things were luckily a bit different than others. This has peaked my interest. The combination of warlock blood, princes of hell, necromancy and ghosts have set up a series that I’m glad I decided to read.

Good news first: I looooove all the main characters: Cordelia, James, Matthew, Lucy, Jesse, Alastair, Thomas, Christopher, Anna…and I know I probably forgot someone because I’m going from memory. Which leads me to my other issue, the vast amount of characters. I had to resort to pulling up a family tree just to keep things kind of straight in my head. I appreciate a story with a great cast, but this is pushing my limits for keeping track of everyone. I can’t wait to learn more back stories and see more ships form!

And I feel inclined to say that there was plenty of Will and Tessa (and Jem) sightings that made my heart so happy. That was my initial inclination to pick up this book because I missed them so much. They were in the background more, of course, but were added in enough to make me smile.

Overall audience notes:

  • Young adult urban fantasy
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses, intense make-outs; one no detail fade to black scene (between Will and Tessa)
  • Violence: demon battles, physical, fires, magic, near drownings

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Top 10 Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Books From My Favorite Genre (Fantasy, of course)

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Okay, I DROPPED THE BALL LAST WEEK AND I AM SO SORRY.

I realized Tuesday afternoon that I never finished my Top Ten Tuesday post, so I am trying my best to get back in it here. I am really ahead of writing reviews (like I have the entire month of June already booked) so remembering to come and write other posts has fallen back a bit.

I’m really excited for this week because FANTASY IS THE BEST GENRE EVERRRR. And in order to try to get some different books added on here I wanted to say:

My top two choices are the A Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. I will forever love them, rave about my love for them, and try to convince everyone I know to at least give them a chance. I didn’t want to add them to the list today because I wanted to show off some other books I love.

If you want to see something funny and have read ACOTAR check out my Instagram where I have a highlight of my sister’s text conversations as she read them for the first time.

I’m also including the entire series if applicable, because YOU SHOULD READ THEM ALL.

Also, if you’ve read this far, know this is so hard because they’re too many good choices here.

Seven Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima

The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson

Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Adren

The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

Caraval Series by Stephanie Garber

Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo

The Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski

The Bird and the Sword Chronicles by Amy Harmon

The Bone Season Series by Samantha Shannon (still in progress)

Arc of a Scythe Trilogy by Neal Shusterman
(a bit dystopian but enough fantasy to count)

BONUS BECAUSE I’M ON A ROLL:

Falling Kingdom Series by Morgan Rhodes

Have you read any of these series? Any on your TBR? If you’re a fantasy fan what’s a favorite series of yours? I felt like I could go on for days!

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Top 10 Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Couples in Books

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Happy Valentine’s Week!

This weeks Top Ten Tuesday is all about couples. I have so many favorites that it was hard to narrow it down! I at least kept myself to only one couple per book series since occasionally I happen to love everyone.

I could rave deeply about these couples, but here’s a highlight of my top choices:

Feyre & Rhysand (ACOTAR)

It is absolutely no surprise this is my favorite couple. My OTP.

Han & Raisa (Seven Realms)

Thinking about them gets me every time. I love how strong they are independently, and how even better they are together.

Elizabeth Bennet & Mr. Darcy

Need I say more? I am still obsessed. And still watch the movie every couple weeks (Kiera Knightly version, of course).

Vin & Elend (Mistborn Trilogy)

While I wish there was a little more couple-ness between them they still make my day. Elend always supporting Vin makes me happy. Note: I have not finished Hero of Ages yet, so NO SPOILERS PLEASE! I have faith they survive.

Cress & Thorne (The Lunar Chronicles)

This a series with multiple couples I adore, but Cress & Thorne are my top favs. I love how protectively sweet he is to her.

Aelin & Rowan (Throne of Glass)

Some people may have mixed feelings towards them, I am not one of those. I absolutely adore these two and their unyielding faith in one another. This is another series where I have multiple favs (Elide & Lorcan) being in that mix.

Kestral & Arin (Winner’s Trilogy)

I have been dying to do a re-read of these books. I don’t remember them well enough anymore. Other than the fact that I LOVED the way Kestral & Arin’s story played out. It made me so angry at times, and then so utterly happy in the end.

Vasya & Morozko (Winternight Trilogy)

Y’all, they care about each other so much but both are so used to not dealing with their feelings they can’t cope. AND IT IS SO CUTE. This was one of my favorite pairings to watch grow over the series. It was completely amazing.

Tess & Will/Jem (The Infernal Devices)

AH. These guys are so great. And the way the love spans decades and time because they all love each other so much they gave each pair an opportunity to be together. I can’t, I just can’t.

Lark & Tiras (The Bird and the Sword Chronicles)

This is such a sweet, slow-burn love. Their relationship evolved over helping each other through personal struggles. And together became a King & Queen worthy of their kingdom.

Lots more love on my shelves, because I love love.

Have you read any of these? Are some of these couples your favorite too? Or do you actually hate them? Let’s talk in the comments!