Every time I read a Cassandra Clare novel I get caught up in the family trees of all the characters that pop in and out of the storyline and find myself sidetracked. At the beginning of this novel it was no different however, the story soon became so gripping and the nuances of the relationships between each character so emotional that I didn’t give a hoot who was related to whom and just enjoyed this story in what I believe to be Cassandra Clare’s best novel yet. I’m sure some of you will disagree that Clary and Jace’s storyline in the Mortal Instruments surpasses Emma and Julian’s but I really don’t see how. Lord of Shadows is a deeply moving romance between Emma and Julian, but also between Mark and Kieran, Mark and Christina, Diana and Gwyn, and Kit and Ty. Not to mention the other characters who pop in and out of this novel who add depth to the feelings between the above characters. This was the most adult novel yet, dealing with the themes of love of family and love between friends and lovers.

It’s not unexpected in Ms. Clare’s books to deal with LGBT romances. Magnus and Alec being the most prolificly written, and the two of them become part of the shocking climax in this novel, so their story is not over. These relationship scenes are written with such normalcy and the reader caught up in the romance and emotion being written is completely immersed in the story. Which is how it should be. There was only one moment in this book where I gasped for breathe, taken out of the moment to re-read that unveiling, but that was done on purpose and with finesse. I applauded the skill of the writer and the wonder of the words written. They still resonate, a week later.

Even though Emma and Julian are the main protagonists and the storyline revolves around their illicit love, there were so many other plotlines that fascinated me just as much. One I hope to delve more into is the budding friendship/love that Kit and Ty are exploring. The shocking ending to the book will shake up their storyline and theirs is the relationship I am looking the most forward to reading about in the next book.

There are so many books in this world and I would recommend starting with the Mortal Instruments series, if you haven’t read any of them. You can read The Dark Artifices books on their own, but I think you’ll miss the nuances of some of the language and world building. You can read the Infernal Devices later, it’s a flashback series and while relevant in some scenes you won’t miss as much as you would if you haven’t read the Mortal Instruments. Invest the time, these books are fun, fabulous, and just keep getting better.  ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click link to purchase! Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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