val_theburrowofstories's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Sexual content, Grief, Child death, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Self harm and War
Minor: Suicide, Transphobia, Body shaming, Misogyny, Homophobia, and Pregnancy
nadiaherondale's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
There's just something about the way Cassie Clare writes that just entraps you. I declare myself fully back on the Shadowhunter train
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, War, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Torture, Vomit, and Self harm
Minor: Transphobia and Gun violence
chloe_sherlock_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Misogyny, Transphobia, and Sexual content
em_davies7019's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content, Self harm, Transphobia, Gun violence, War, Homophobia, and Child death
merle_bookdragon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It took me 8 months to finish this book, not because it wasn't good but because it is 893 pages long and I couldn't afford to drown in that many pages because I am a student and if I had let myself to that I would've let many things slide. So instead I read a lot of shorter books and now I finally, finally managed to finish this one.
Honestly, I have by now made my peace with Cassandra Clare books in the sense that I don't expect a perfect fantasy book with the perfect romance and no plot holes because that is seldom what you get (in general as well). I expected quite a few of the solutions and plot twists and while the solution to the big problem felt a little too easy to me I couldn't really mind in the end. I was just so happy that no one else had died and that they could catch a damn break :D
<spoiler > I spent most of the book being mad at Ty for attempting something as stupid as necromancy (although of course I get that he is devasted) and mad at Julian for being another guy that thinks magically making his feelings vanish is going to solve his problems. Poor Magnus really can't catch a break from Shadowhunter boys turning up at his doorstep looking for help. But I think Ty will do well at the Scholomance and Julian also finally got his shit together.
When your twin leaves the earth you live on, it never turns the same way again: the weight of their soul is gone, and everything is off balance. The world rocks under your feet like an unquiet sea. I can't tell you it gets easier. But it does get steadier; you learn how to live with the new rocking of the new earth, the way sailors gain sea legs. You learn. I promise.
Anyways, I friggin loved Christina and her relationship with Mark and Kieran (who I expected would become king) and I'm so happy they found a solution that will make it possible for them to spend time with each other but they also all have their own path to take now. I'm happy for Diana and Gwyn, for Helen and Aline, for Emma and Julian, for Jace and Clary, for Simon and Isabelle and most of all for Magnus and Alec. Because god damn if those last few chapters didn't make me yell into my pillow out of pure happiness. I don't care if it was kitsch (which usually I do) it was absolutely beautiful with Alec's spontaneous proposal because he gets to make the rules now as Consul, everyone preparing the beach and wearing their marriage runes and warlock blue, the runes, the rings just ... ugh sometimes you just gotta be a sap about it okay? Leave me be.
“And when one day people look back on me and what my life meant, I don’t want them to say, ‘Alec Lightwood fought in the Dark War’ or even ‘Alec Lightwood was Consul once.’ I want them to think, ‘Alec Lightwood loved one man so much he changed the world for him.’ ”
“We will stay as close to you as the tide to the shore,” said Kieran. “Neither of us wishes for anything else.” He reached out a hand. “Please believe us, Lady of Roses.”
Of course the epilogue had to give us the hook for the next books and I think it wasn't hard to guess that the Queen of Faerie would stay peaceful for long. I am interested to see where this will continue to go.
Graphic: Grief, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Blood and Xenophobia
Minor: Body shaming, Transphobia, and Homophobia
saskiarachel's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Transphobia
thecourtofreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"faith isn't never having any doubts, it's having what you need to overcome them."
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content, Gore, and Transphobia
Minor: Homophobia and Body shaming
fromjuliereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Basically all I took away from this book was that I adore the Blackthorns, and Alec Lightwood is the BEST and no one can convince me otherwise.
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, and Violence
typedtruths's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Xenophobia and Violence
Moderate: Blood and Transphobia
Minor: Ableism and Body shaming
humanmosquito's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
The characters were flat and one dimensional, the plot was nearly non-existent and crawled along at a pace so slow a snail could not see it move. I had hope for several characters but as usual Clare failed to follow through. As per usual Clare's treatment of minorities is stereotypical and tokenist.
The plot revolves around one super-special white girl whose motivations and aspirations disappeared somewhere in the beginning of the previous book. Emma's entire purpose in this story is to prop up her forbidden lover/adoptive brother. (who is extremely unlikeable and grows even more so throughout the novel,) Their shared plot comes down to drawn out angst over their relationship, lusting over each other and having the blandest sex I'm sure is humanly possible.
The resolution of both the main plot and the novel made no sense and contradicted the rest of the book. and its characters.
Drawing focus away from the main plot, subplots include; a trip to an alternate universe that was copy and pasted straight from ao3, Clare's only trans character getting outed, a fanservice almost-romance, and rushed polyamory. (note: I did feel that Mark, Kieran and Cristina had a lot of potential but Clare stripped all of them down to sexy mannequins to get them together, especially Cristina whose entire character revolves down to providing emotional labour for and lusting over her love interests.)
A huge part of this book was Clare trying to get back at critics of her books and counterintuitively proving their point. (common criticisms of her original series include the use of incest as a romantic subplot and lack of relevance to the plotline her
This
Graphic: Violence and Racism
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Ableism, Transphobia, and Incest
I counted around 4-5 sex scenes (nearly all cut-to-blacks),a very badly done and pedestrian feeling allegory of racism/"politics" and the writer's ableist, lesbophobic and transphobic biases are clear in the text.