First up, the cover and blurb for Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1)
In a secret world where half-angel warriors are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word.
A parabatai is your partner in battle. A parabatai is your best friend. Parabatai can be everything to each other—but they can never fall in love.
Emma Carstairs is a warrior, a Shadowhunter, and the best in her generation. She lives for battle. Shoulder to shoulder with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Los Angeles, where vampires party on the Sunset Strip, and faeries—the most powerful of supernatural creatures—teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters.
When the bodies of humans and faeries turn up murdered in the same way Emma’s parents were when she was a child, an uneasy alliance is formed. This is Emma’s chance for revenge—and Julian’s chance to get back his brother Mark, who is being held prisoner by the faerie Courts. All Emma, Mark, and Julian have to do is solve the murders within two weeks…and before the murderer targets them.
Their search takes Emma from sea caves full of sorcery to a dark lottery where death is dispensed. And each clue she unravels uncovers more secrets. What has Julian been hiding from her all these years? Why does Shadowhunter Law forbid parabatai to fall in love? Who really killed her parents—and can she bear to know the truth?
The darkly magical world of Shadowhunters has captured the imaginations of millions of readers across the globe. Join the adventure in Lady Midnight, the long-awaited first volume of a new trilogy from Cassandra Clare.
My Review
This is a follow-up series to the bestselling Mortal Instruments (MI) books and follows a new set of characters which we were introduced to towards the end of the MI series. It's in the same Shadowhunter universe of course and, say what you will about authors writing loads of books based in the same 'world', but I think it's more than fine if you have a good story to tell.
To be honest, I don't see why Ms. Clare has been criticised for setting her novels in the same universe ~ don't crime writers write about the same detective over and over? Don't authors of contemporary fiction set their books in the real world over and over? So why can't Cassandra Clare write as many books as she wants exploring the Shadowhunter world, since it's such a massive and rich world and has so much potential?
Shadowhunter fans went crazy for Lady Midnight so I was really looking forward to this book.
My Rating: 4-stars
I really enjoyed this book and it answered a lot of the questions I had about a certain Shadowhunter law and I was glad we got to explore this concept in detail. The lead characters are likeable and the dynamics of their relationships with the secondary characters are very interesting.
The story unravelled slowly (it's a very big book!) but in a way that kept you glued to the pages. It was really nice that some of our favourite characters from previous books made cameo appearances and exciting to see how their lives have panned out since we finished their story arc.
It's not a quick read by any means, but I didn't find it a struggle to get through like I did with some of the other books based in this Universe. In fact, it was a pleasure getting to know these new sets of characters, and as usual with Ms. Clare's books, there were a lot of heartbreaking moments that drew you closer to them and their lives.
You do have to read all... 9 books that preceded Lady Midnight, or else you'll be a little lost at times and be spoiled for the previous two series if you decide to read them after Lady Midnight. The author suggests (in a BookTube interview) that you should read her books in the order they were published, so start with the first trilogy in the MI series, rather than The Infernal Devices series, even though that's set in an earlier time period (the 1870's).
Check out this book here.
Next up, my review for Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2)
My Rating for Lord of Shadows: 5-stars (my best book of 2017)
So, this was only the third book in 2017 that I rated 5-stars, and boy did this book deserve it. If I could give it 6 out of 5, I would. Or 7, or 8. It had everything, and I loved it.
Lady Midnight was great, but Lord of Shadows was better. I don't know how the length of this book compares to its predecessor ~ I read Lady Midnight in hardback form, and Lord of Shadows in e-book format, but whereas Lady Midnight was a big long book and felt that way, and I found that it started off slowly, Lord of Shadows felt too short, like I should have dragged it out longer. It wasn't rushed or anything, actually the pacing was perfect.
I got more invested with the characters in this book and I liked how they developed and matured. And the added focus on the secondary characters, especially Ty and Kit, I really liked.
I should have guessed I'd like this book more than Book 1, as I've noticed a pattern with me and Cassandra Clare books: I always seem to like the second book in her series more than the rest. City of Ashes was my favourite from the Mortal Instruments series, Clockwork Prince was the one I enjoyed most of the Infernal Devices series, and now Lord of Shadows.
Check out this book here.
Thank you very much for reading this post. My books are available on:
Apple Books, B&N, Kobo, Smashwords, and Amazon. My new book, Heir to the Throne (the first book in a new epic royalty fantasy trilogy), is out now, as is the sequel. More details here.
