Cassandra Clare Archives

Book Review: Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

Dec 13, 2018

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

Pages: 912
Publish date: 4 December 2018
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9781471116704
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

What if damnation is the price of true love?

Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the blight that is destroying the race of warlocks.

Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined. Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love.

Queen of Air and Darkness:

It’s taken me a while to write this review for a few reasons. The first being, I’m not sure how I fully feel. Queen of Air and Darkness was a hell of a ride and while I adored it, there were so many things that happened that change everything about the shadowhunter world. The second being, I just haven’t had time to get my thoughts down. But here we are now. I don’t even know where to begin with this review.

Just a warning, there will be spoilers from the previous two books in the series and the rest of the shadowhunter world. I have tried, hard not to spoil anything from Queen of Air and Darkness.

Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare starts immediately after the end of Lord of Shadows. So you can guess that I was crying so hard in the first couple of chapters. And with the risks that present themselves throughout the novel, I was totally on high alert. There wasn’t any time for me to breath, because when I thought one bit was over – then a whole new thing began. Queen of Air and Darkness is intense, heartbreaking, but also so addicting. This series is by far my favourite of Clare’s and that is saying something. So many things have been elevated in this series including Clare’s writing and character development. I just keep on falling in love with this series over and over again.

Andrew Neel

Emma has been through a lot before Queen of Air and Darkness starts, and she isn’t really given a break in this one either. Emma is one of those protagonists that I can easily get along with. She is so easy to read and I loved seeing her grow not only through the series but through this book. Emma’s character arc is so well done and I couldn’t get enough of her. What I also love about Emma is that she is different from Cassandra Clare’s other female protagonists. While Tessa and Clary are both very strong characters, Emma has known she was a shadowhunter her whole life – it’s what she has been training for – so it makes her abilities and her sense of the world very different. It’s a nice contrast and I cannot wait to read more about Emma and the life that she takes.

Oh, Julian why do you like to hurt me? Why? Julian is a hurt soul, and while he might fight like a warrior, his heart is very soft. Not only has Julian had to look after himself, but has to grow up and look after his younger siblings. He has to become a father. And I don’t think he minded that too much, because he adores them, but that does play a lot into his character. Julian does some things in Queen of Air and Darkness that ruined me. It literally tore my heart out and stood on it. I understood why, but gosh did it hurt.

On their own Emma and Julian killed me, together they left me for dead. They were hurting already so much in this series, but Queen of Air and Darkness just tore it to pieces. If you thought the decision they make at the end of LoS was hard, the things that do in this one. I love Emma and Julian together so much, and they take forbidden love to a whole new level. There is something about Emma and Julian that make me so happy. They love each other no matter the faults, and they will do literally anything for one another. Even if it means leaving the world that they love behind.

Sweet Ice Cream Photography

There are many ups and downs throughout Queen of Air and Darkness and it isn’t just the relationship between Emma and Julian that is causing mayhem, but the shadowhunter world its self. So much that happens in this last book that plays a massive role is books to follow. There are so many changes coming that I can’t even begin to think what it means. One of my favourite things about Queen of Air and Darkness was that the reader is able to see old favourites. Clary and Jace, play a significant role in events that happen throughout the novel. Magnus and Alec again make their stance in the world.

While the Seelie and Unseelie courts play roles in other books by Cassandra Clare and even in the first two books of this series, they make their selves know in Queen of Air and Darkness. But they aren’t the only villains in this world and that scares me. The whole book the reader doesn’t know who to trust and while that makes it excited, it also makes it scary. The whole time you are waiting for something to explode.

Cassandre Clare does something really excited with Mark, Christian, and Kerien. I don’t want to go too much into here, but I’m intrigued by how she dealt with these three. I love them all. They are all intriguing and are able to stand out on their own. Their relationship is a game changer in YA I think. And I am excited to see what happens, or if I am just reading too much into it.

Amaury Salas

Kit, Ty and Dru, I just love these three. I can’t even begin with how much. Before the book, I knew that they would survive, but I didn’t know how much heartbreak Ty could go through in the meanwhile. He just lost his twin sister, his best friend. The one person that knows him better than anyone. But he can’t stop and grieve, because there is so much else going on. I think that might play into some of the things that he tries to do throughout Queen of Air and Darkness. Kit and Ty together, oh gosh, I am so not ready for the next series with them. Lucky I have a while to wait.

Throughout the novel when major things happen all I could think about is ‘what does this mean for the shadowhunter world.’ I don’t know what to think at the moment, and we won’t know for some time now. But this changes everything. And it’s going to be on hell of a ride. There are also so many more characters that I could talk about, Diego and Jamie in particular.

Overall, I loved Queen of Air and Darkness. I didn’t know what to expect going in. I had to think the worse or else, I would have been even more shattered. Queen of Air and Darkness explores family, friend, love, and loyalty to its core. It explores forbidden love and family heartbreak. But with beautiful writing, fantastic characters and a plot that just keeps you guessing, you won’t be able to put the book down. If you have been thinking about picking up this series, please do. There is so much about that I can praise again and again. Clare is able to intertwine many different storylines, effortlessly, that just adds another layer to both her world and her characters.

I can go on talking about this series and Queen of Air and Darkness in particular, but I am going to stop here. I just love, Emma, the Blackthorne family, Christian, Keirian and so many more characters in this series that I don’t know where to begin or stop. But tell me what you think? Have you read Queen of Air and Darkness yet? Did you love it? Are you planning on reading this series? Which series from Cassandra Clare are you excited for next? Let’s Chat.

Last 5 Books That I Have Read

Jun 23, 2017

Today I thought I would share the last five books that I have read. Reading was a little slow in the month of May. I just finished from uni, starting my new job at a bookstore and needed a good great. I think I read maybe one book in those weeks. But the last couple of weeks I’ve gotten back into the reading groove. So here are the last five books that I have read.

So here are the last five books that I have read. These are in order from the latest read. You can follow me on Goodreads to keep updated with what I am reading.

One Small Step…: A #LoveOzYA Short Story by Amie Kaufman: I’ve started to slowly read Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology. And one story in and I am already loving it. I’ve read a couple of books already by Amie Kaufman and this one just took me right in. I’ll be reviewing the whole anthology soon, so keep your eye on it. What is your favourite story from the anthology?

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare: I am doing a re-read with Ely from Tea and Titles and though we are a little behind, I was finally about to read Clockwork Prince and just feel in love again. Gosh, I seriously forgot how much I love this trilogy. Check out my review with Ely on Clockwork Angel.

Her Outback Cowboy by Annie Seaton: I find that a contemporary novel is always great for getting out of a reading slump and while I didn’t love this one. It did help me get straight back into reading. It was a quick read, and it’s set in Australia so that was a plus | Review.

Into Your Arms by Chelsea M. Cameron: While this was another disappointing read, I pushed through it and like Her Outback Cowboy it started to get me out of a reading slump. It’s was again a quick read that I cruised through in a couple of hours.

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare: This was the source of my reading slump – but not in a bad way. It was just so good that I all I did was think about it. I had so many thoughts going through my head that I couldn’t stop thinking about. And there are still heaps going through my mind, that I just want to talk with everyone about it | Review.

And that is it! What are the books that you last read? Do we share any that is the same? What do you do to get out of a reading slump? What is the book that you are planning to read next? Let’s Chat!

I love talking so talk to me over on my twitter @angel_reads, Facebook, instagram, tumblr and Goodreads. You can also follow Angel Reads on Bloglovin and via email (in the sidebar).

Book Review: Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

Jun 17, 2017

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

Pages: 720
Publish Date: May 23rd, 2017
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1471116654
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

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

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

Lord of Shadows:

This review will contain spoilers from other books in the shadowhunter world including Lady Midnight which was one of my favourite reads last year.

If you know me well, then you would know my love for Cassandra Clare’s shadowhunter world. You would know that yes I talk about it a lot and yes I will try and get as many people reading it. You would also know that Lord of Shadows was one of my most anticipated books of the year – if not my most anticipated. And I was not disappointed.

Wow. Wow. I don’t even know what to say. It’s been over 2 weeks since I finished it and I can only breathe now. Lord of Shadows was intense. Beautiful and captivating, but holy – it kept me on the edge of my seat for most of the book.

Lord of Shadows is set not long after Lady Midnight and continues to follow Emma, Julian and Blackthorn family. Everyone is still reeling with the events and nearly losing more of their family. Emma and Mark are trying to find their way around each other. And Julian is trying to keep everything together. But, when Kieran needs help, Mark cannot stop himself and the Unseelie King isn’t so nice. Can everyone come together to stand against those that want to tear them apart?

It’s so easy falling back into this series, Lady Midnight is one of my favourite Cassandra Clare books and these characters really hit the spot for me. After the events of book one, I knew that my heart wasn’t going to survive this one and well it didn’t. A lot of the tension was due to the fact that we as readers knew about the consequences of parabatai’s falling in love and gosh it hurt.

Emma is one of my favourite protagonists from Clare. She has this presence about her that I just want to keep on reading about. To me, she is a mix of Jace and Clary and it just leaves us with such a great character. I really felt for her in Lord of Shadows. She is living with the fact that she is lying to Julian about her feelings and if they are together what would happen. We really get to see Emma’s vulnerable side and it was both heart-warming and heartbreaking.

Julian really killed me in Lord of Shadows. We already know that he tries to hide his feelings and what he does for his family, but we really see him struggle in this one. Julian feels all this pressure and with more people at the institute, it’s getting harder to keep secrets. One of the main reasons why I love Julian is his vulnerability; it really shows that shadowhunters are still human in many ways.

I loved the connection that we see between Julian and Emma – they fit so well together and I have no idea what is going to happen in book three between them after Lord of Shadows.

Mark is a sweetheart and if anything happens to him, I will not be alright. Again my heart breaks for Mark. He has already gone through so much and can’t decide how he should feel, who he should trust and who to let in.

People have many thoughts on Kieran and although he has done some crap, I really enjoy him as a character and really want to know more of his story. I felt for him throughout Lord of Shadows.

Christian is a badass and I love her. She has been through so much crap and being with the Blackthorns hasn’t really helped. But, I loved her characterisation and arc through both Lady Midnight and Lord of Shadows. We really get to see a change in her and I cannot wait to see where Clare takes her character.

Can we pause for a moment and appreciate Ty, please. He has to be one of my favourite characters. What I love about Clare is how she is able to incorporate, such a ‘mundane’ thing into the shadowhunter world. We really get to explore more into Ty in Lord of Shadows. That one conversation when Kit mentions autisms and Julian has no idea, worked so well. I hope that Clare explores that more.

Where there is Ty there is Livvy, and man I love her. She is strong and fierce and will do anything for her family, especially Ty. I love that we really get to know Livvy in this one, we get to see what makes her tick and the love that she has for family. I feel that Livvy is the glue that sticks this family together, and more importantly, I think that she really understands Ty and what he needs.

Can we also please talk about Kit? He is a Herondale through and through. The reader is able to see Kit fall into a world he doesn’t want to be in, but slowly fall in love. He starts acting more like a Herondale and it was so great to see. All these families have been intertwined for so long, that it’s great to see them together again.

I adore the relationship between Kit and Ty and I am looking forward to seeing where it goes. There are so many ways it could go.

We couldn’t have a Cassandra Clare novel without some special appearances. There is a few scenes with Clary and Jace and gosh, after the ending between them in the short story in Lady Midnight. There were so many things unanswered.

Magnus, Alec and their boys make an appearance in Lord of Shadows and it too damn cute to handle. I love getting to know their family so much and my heart will always break for them with everything that they have to go through.

We also make our way make to the London Institute which I adored. I really loved being back here, seeing some familiar faces and learning some very interesting things. What I really love about going back here is that we are going to find out more soon in The Last Hours trilogy.

They were so many twists and turns in Lord of Shadows that I didn’t know what to think. They were fantastic, but it kept me guessing all the way. We are also introduced to many new characters and gosh there were a few that I wanted to go die. Just, please. If you’ve read it, you probably know who I am talking about here.

Okay, now to talk about the ending. It took me over a week to process what happened. I still don’t want to believe it, but I also know there is no going back. That last chapter was so intense that when I finished the book just fell out of my hands. The ending has changed so much in the shadowhunter world and it’s gotten so much darker. I have no idea what to expect from Queen of Air and Darkness.

In regards to the ending, I suggest you check out Cassie’s Tumblr where she answers a lot of fan questions and does go into detail about certain events across all her books. It’s a great way to get some more insight and she may answer some burning questions.

Overall, I loved Lord of Shadows. I got to fall back into a world that I adore so much, with characters that just make everything right. Lord of Shadows explores the notion of family, friendship, and love. It’s about standing up for what you believe in, being there for the ones that you love. It’s a heartbreaking sequel to Lady Midnight and sets up an intense ending in The Dark Artifices trilogy.

Have you read Lord of Shadows? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? What do you think is going to happen next? How excited are you for Queen of Air and Darkness? Let’s Chat!