Series: The Dark Artifices #1
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Publication Date: March 8, 2016
Source: Bought
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.
Find Lady Midnight online
If you've been following this blog for a bit of time, you'll know I adore Cassandra Clare's first series, The Mortal Instruments, and her second series, The Infernal Devices, even more. But going into this new series, I have to admit, I was really nervous. I've heard a lot of controversy surrounding this book but I can honestly say that I genuinely enjoyed it. After having read and reread all of her old works, it was amazing being able to jump into the same world but with a brand new cast of characters dealing with new conflicts.
One aspect I particularly enjoyed was the character, Julian. I was a bit slow to warm up to him and even know, I'm slightly wary of what he's going to do and how he'll react to things but I admired the fact that Cassie Clare went in a different direction for this dude. With Jace and Will, the leading men in her other series, there were remarkable similarities in the way the acted and talked. Julian is completely different. He has a much older and more responsible air than the other two guys, while also holding on to a bit of vulnerability. Even still, he's funny and unpredictable and sort of dangerous, which I love. I'm excited to see where Julian is taken as a character.
Emma, our MC, was a total badass. I loved how tough and strong she was, though her impulsivity made me have like, three heart attacks while reading. She was completely able to take care of herself, especially in a fight. But she also was able to show her vulnerability, especially with Julian. Them together was just . . . so sparky for lack of better word. I loved the whole forbidden romance this and learning more about the parabatai bond through the eyes of these two was so interesting. Fun fact: I had no idea that when one parabatai died, so did the other. I thought the surviving parabatai only felt an immense amount of emotional pain. From what we experienced in this book, it made it seem more like a physical reaction.
ALSO. This villain . . . I love them so much. The conflicts we deal with in this book are in such a gray area and there's a lot of different perspectives to view them from which make it all the better and more intense. I'm so, so, SO looking forward to seeing how the main conflict progresses in the next few books. It's shaping up to be so epic.
Side note, I loved the chapter titles in this book. I don't want to give anything away (though I wouldn't really count it as a spoiler, but better safe than sorry) but they were all excerpts from my favorite poem. I screamed for so many minutes when I realized it.
I'm incredibly pleased with the way this book turned out. There's so much I want to talk about in it but I don't want to drag this review on forever. Either way, I would definitely recommend picking this book up, especially if you've read and enjoyed any of Cassandra Clare's other books. This is a great addition to an already wonderful world.
“That's not the spirit of the law, Emma. Remember? The Law is hard, but it is the Law."
"I thought it was 'the Law is annoying, but it is also flexible.”
Five Teapots
Emma, our MC, was a total badass. I loved how tough and strong she was, though her impulsivity made me have like, three heart attacks while reading. She was completely able to take care of herself, especially in a fight. But she also was able to show her vulnerability, especially with Julian. Them together was just . . . so sparky for lack of better word. I loved the whole forbidden romance this and learning more about the parabatai bond through the eyes of these two was so interesting. Fun fact: I had no idea that when one parabatai died, so did the other. I thought the surviving parabatai only felt an immense amount of emotional pain. From what we experienced in this book, it made it seem more like a physical reaction.
ALSO. This villain . . . I love them so much. The conflicts we deal with in this book are in such a gray area and there's a lot of different perspectives to view them from which make it all the better and more intense. I'm so, so, SO looking forward to seeing how the main conflict progresses in the next few books. It's shaping up to be so epic.
Side note, I loved the chapter titles in this book. I don't want to give anything away (though I wouldn't really count it as a spoiler, but better safe than sorry) but they were all excerpts from my favorite poem. I screamed for so many minutes when I realized it.
I'm incredibly pleased with the way this book turned out. There's so much I want to talk about in it but I don't want to drag this review on forever. Either way, I would definitely recommend picking this book up, especially if you've read and enjoyed any of Cassandra Clare's other books. This is a great addition to an already wonderful world.
“That's not the spirit of the law, Emma. Remember? The Law is hard, but it is the Law."
"I thought it was 'the Law is annoying, but it is also flexible.”
You know as often as I've been seeing this book, I have yet to realize this is a new series. I'm glad you liked it. It's so lengthy so I'm more than likely going to skip this one--even if it does sound good.
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