I liked it; it was good
So far I’ve read The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series of Cassandra Clare’s (The Infernal Devices being my favourite), and I’m excited to dive back into her work.
Read: March 18 – March 29, 2024
Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural
Audience: Young Adult
Book contains: dark elements/themes, demons and monsters, murder, necromancy; implied sexual content
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Everyone always says that Emma Carstairs is the next Jace Herondale, but she doesn’t believe it. She doesn’t have any special powers; what she has is drive. Drive to find her parents’ killer. And after five years, she’s finally stumbled upon a proper clue. It’s time to investigate…
This is the first book of the trilogy, and while I already knew that I like Clare’s writing style, I wasn’t too sure about the characters. I never bonded much with Emma or the Blackthorns back when I was reading The Mortal Instruments series, but I was open to the possibility.
It seems Clare favours using third person perspective, and she follows several different characters throughout the book this way—Emma, Julian, Cristina, etc. She also bases a lot of her work heavily on the research she does when writing. This book follows closely with the lines of a poem by Edgar Allen Poe—to be revealed as you read. I will say, though, that all the chapter titles are chosen quite deliberately based on this poem.
For the first time in a while, I didn’t finish this book in a single week. I couldn’t find a decent audiobook to listen along to, so I read on my own, which is much slower. I also didn’t want to rush myself with unneeded stress, and therefore rearranged my schedule, which wasn’t too much of a hassle.
Emma Carstairs seems quite certainly to be the main character of this tale, though the others share a lot of the spotlight as well. She’s highly skilled in all areas of being a Shadowhunter due to her focus and drive, though her stubborn heart and hot head tends to get in her way. Julian, her parabatai, seems to balance her out with his cool demeanour and thoughtfulness. He’s been the caretaker to all of his siblings since he was twelve, so it makes sense that he’s immensely responsible. The rest of the Blackthorn siblings make their own appearances as needed, even if they’re only mentioned, and I was eager to get to know Cristina, whom we haven’t met before in Clare’s prior books.
I love how close knit their whole unit is at the LA Institute. No one could be closer than the Blackthorn siblings, and even Emma is part of the family unit. They’ve adopted Cristina into their inner circle quickly, though Arthur and Diana hang around in the wings, flitting in and out of the story. This fact makes the betrayal at the end all the more devastating.
Clare’s writing continues to be a great fit for YA readers. It’s fast paced and interesting, with emotional moments and vivid description just where it’s needed to soften the edges. There is relationship drama—since they’re still teens—and the inclusivity of her writing is welcoming.
As I said, the pacing is great, even with it being such a long book. So much happens, but you’re never in want of action!
If you loved her other series, I definitely recommend this one! Though you shouldn’t read this series first, as it contains so many spoilers and references to The Mortal Instruments and a bit of The Infernal Devices books.
The Dark Artifices Book 1: Lady Midnight
The Dark Artifices Book 2: Lord of Shadows
The Dark Artifices Book 3: Queen of Air and Darkness
The Mortal Instruments Book 1: City of Bones
The Infernal Devices Book 1: Clockwork Angel
*The Other Side of Daylight by Nicole Chartier*
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