Title: Lord of Shadows
Series: The Dark Artifices #2
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: Urban fantasy
Publisher: McElderry Books
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781442468405
Summary: A Shadowhunter’s life is bound by duty. Constrained by honor. The word of a Shadowhunter is a solemn pledge, and no vow is more sacred than the vow that binds parabatai, warrior partners—sworn to fight together, die together, but never to fall in love.
Emma Carstairs has learned that the love she shares with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, isn’t just forbidden—it could destroy them both. She knows she should run from Julian. But how can she when the Blackthorns are threatened by enemies on all sides?
Their only hope is the Black Volume of the Dead, a spell book of terrible power. Everyone wants it. Only the Blackthorns can find it. Spurred on by a dark bargain with the Seelie Queen, Emma; her best friend, Cristina; and Mark and Julian Blackthorn journey into the Courts of Faerie, where glittering revels hide bloody danger and no promise can be trusted. Meanwhile, rising tension between Shadowhunters and Downworlders has produced the Cohort, an extremist group of Shadowhunters dedicated to registering Downworlders and “unsuitable” Nephilim. They’ll do anything in their power to expose Julian’s secrets and take the Los Angeles Institute for their own.
When Downworlders turn against the Clave, a new threat rises in the form of the Lord of Shadows—the Unseelie King, who sends his greatest warriors to slaughter those with Blackthorn blood and seize the Black Volume. As dangers close in, Julian devises a risky scheme that depends on the cooperation of an unpredictable enemy. But success may come with a price he and Emma cannot even imagine, one that will bring with it a reckoning of blood that could have repercussions for everyone and everything they hold dear.
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t read Lady Midnight, beware of spoilers
My review:
Lord of Shadows did not break my heart; it left me shattered in pieces on the floor. If I could weep myself into nonexistence, it wouldn’t be enough.
The entire book was perfect and painful – it offered a reluctant sweetness that left me breathless and empty, wanting to fill the void but barely enough to fill it with. I all but crawled my way into the book, waiting and hoping for things to take a turn for the better.
Everything about the Shadowhunter world reflected real life struggles Mundanes face today: Mental health, Transgender, Relationships, Immigration, Prejudice, War. As I read LOS, I couldn’t help but notice the parallels. The further I went in the book, the more noticeable the issues were, as tensions mounted and eventually, you couldn’t look anywhere in the world without seeing them. In reality, the struggles in the book are the same as what we face.
The ships (relationships) were awesome! Surprisingly, I couldn’t decide where I stood with the Mark-Kieran-Christina thing going on. I kind of liked the idea of Ty and Kit becoming parabatai, considering how close they’re growing. Is it just me? Please say it isn’t just me! As for Julian and Emma, let’s just say they are a prominent reason for my heart screaming in a bloodied heap on the floor.
And don’t even get me started on Diana.
I’ve read enough of Clare’s books to know nothing is gained without effort or pain. The Dark Artifices are no different and I wouldn’t expect it to be. I wouldn’t love her books this much if everything was freely given. But I found myself hoping, despite my better judgment, that Julian and Emma would find a way to be together, to keep their family intact. That this parabatai curse was a conquerable force – and maybe it is, for all we know.
All I know is, once again, Cassandra Clare has left me on the edge of my chair, my heart exploding with dangerous hopes, forbidden longings, and a desperate need for closure. I have two long years to pull myself together before she unravels me again, sewing and ripping my entire world apart with every word.
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