Reviews with content warning for Self harm - Queen of Air and Darkness

3.5/5 stars

“Grief can be so bad you can’t breathe, but that’s what it means to be human. We lose, we suffer, but we have to keep breathing.”

This, by far, is the longest book I have ever read compared by word count. This tome has been completed and I must applaud myself for that.

I did like some things. I disliked more things. I am sorry to say that I am about to be a bit negative for a while before I get positive. There were pacing issues galore, I don't enjoy how some storylines are tied up in a deus ex machina manner, and

This barely toes the line of being a Young Adult book at this point, by the way. Be Warned.

I cannot think of a way to discuss any of this further without spoilers so, here is that warning if you care

Here is me being Negative. It goes for a while, you've been warned.

Thule was something. I didn't hate it being introduced, but I do think it went on for way too long. It was one of many plot pacing issues involved. It felt like someone didn't take the keyboard away and she just kept going and going and going about things that didn't need to be discussed in so much detail. I figure Thule is going to be important eventually considering the Epilogue of this.

This is also a problem because there are so many POVs that she's juggling that it was hard to sit in the grief/other intense emotions of a character. After all, we were constantly jumping POVs. I love a POV swap book but, maybe Cassie bit off more than could be chewed with this one. All the POVs are IMPORTANT, okay! I am not saying I don't like all of those characters that are included.. but it was a bit much. A lot of unnecessary repetition. I could've done without a lot of it.

On the point of a deus ex machina: we built up this parabatai curse to them to simply... turn into giant glowing Nephilim? Then it's suddenly all okay because that broke their parabatai bond? I have to laugh. It's absurd, frankly. Like it's a fantasy book but, to an extent, the resolution to the conflict you've created has to be believable. When "True Nephelim" are never even alluded to at all, it is an interesting choice to suddenly make it A ThingTM that can happen. I don't like it and it soured the last 100 pages of this for me a bit.

I have nice things to say, I swear. Let's do this thing.

I love all of the "main" characters of this series so much. From Emma to the Blackthorns to even Kieran, Gwyn, Diana, and more. They are all fantastically human, even if they are not mundane. They make horrible choices sometimes *cough* Ty & Julian *cough*, but it made me love them more. They felt very real.

IF KIERARKTINA HAS NO FANS, THEN I AM DEAD. I ship them so hard that it's unhealthy. Herongraystairs, we could've had this. Kierarktina is Cassie's apology for Herongraystairs and you can't change my mind. No idea what Julian/Emma's ship name is, seems the internet can't decide between Jemma or Blackstairs, but I ship them too. Have faith. I just thought that their conclusion to conflict would be handled differently.

I will not end this review without stating... LIGHTWOOD-BANE WEDDING. I kicked and I giggled. I felt that the ending was dragging a bit until that moment. Glad I finally got my Malec wedding. That was exciting. “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.’ ” that made me cry. I had almost gone a whole book of this series without crying. Curses.

We are in the final countdown of Shadowhunter books... 4 books remain for me (unless I choose to read the Codex for some reason). I have come so far. Alissa should be proud.

Content Warnings

val_theburrowofstories's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

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hollymileham's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

officially the biggest book ive ever read. omg i love these characters and this fictional world sm. im absolutely blown away by this story arc especially the forbidden love trope i thought that was done so well, also christina/mark/kieran wasnt something i expected to enjoy as much as i did. so much of this story broke my heart im still recovering i swear. and the action was so good
however in my soul i am nothing if not malec's number 1 fan and so that proposal/wedding scene was my highlight. they are so special to me always, and always will be what helped me through a really turbulent time in my life when i was younger so i think that attachment wont ever go away
also the cliffhanger??

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nadiaherondale's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

So I had this book forever, really, since it was published, 'cause I spent my highschool years being obsessed with Shadowhunters. But at the time I didn't end up reading it, I felt I was not longer vibing with Clare's writing and I am terrified of long books. But lately I had been wanting to read her latest series, The Last Hours, so obviously I had to finally read QoAaD, and I'm glad I did. Emma has since been my favorite Shadowhunter protagonist ever since she was introduced, she's fierce, she's independent but she feels so much emotion and empathy, and Julian... Surpassing the Herondales as my favorite boys is a feat I didn't think anyone would ever do, but he did. And the side characters are amazing, Mark, Cristina and Kieran (whose development along the series I just love, he has grown so much), the little Blackthorns (who I desperately need more about) and obviously our well known Clary and Jace.
There's just something about the way Cassie Clare writes that just entraps you. I declare myself fully back on the Shadowhunter train

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em_davies7019's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

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beckyyreadss's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I wanted to read this book because I absolutely love Cassandra Clare. The infernal devices is my favourite series to date and I loved the mortal instruments series and it’s what got me into reading so of course when this book came out, I wanted to read it. I really enjoyed this series.

The main character is a seventeen-year-old girl who is called Emma Carstairs. We originally met her in the final book of The Mortal Instruments: The Heavenly Fire in the Dark War when she was twelve-year-old. This book is set five years after the Dark War. Emma is no longer a child in mourning but a young woman who has finally avenged her parents. She thought she’d be at peace. But it’s anything but calm. Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the disease that is destroying the race of warlocks.

Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined. Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love. Will they be able to find a cure for the Parabatai curse? Will they be able to save Idris and the Shadowhunters? Will Downworlders and Shadowhunters ever live in peace? Will they This novel is based in Idris and Los Angeles.

My favourite chapter in the book is chapter eighteen this is because you see what would have happened in the first series by Cassandra Clare. What would have happened if Sebastian won? What would have happened if Clary didn’t make it. I loved seeing Livvy all grown up and kicking ass. I loved Ty and Kit’s friendship grow and I hope it’s not the end of that. I just wanted more. This book could have been 2500 and I wouldn’t have cared. I wanted more.

I enjoyed reading this book even though it made me cry and stressed me out at times, but I loved the storyline. It is a strong storyline which I expected from Cassandra Clare, and she didn’t disappoint. But the faeries stressed me out as always. I loved the characters and the fact that she brought back some old times favourites from the previous series (Jace Herondale, Jem Carstairs and Magnus Bane – I am looking at you) but also managed to make me fall in love with some other characters. My personal favourites in this book were Kit and Ty they are so cute and they both really care for each other. I look forward to Cassandra Clare’s next series with this world.

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thereadingchallengechallenge's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

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

"The seeds of this poison tree were planted long ago. We are only now watching it begin to flower."

That was an amazing finale! And that cliffhanger! I had no idea what CC was gonna do with this third book but she took it to absolutely wondrous heights. And I'm just utterly in awe of the fact she included a polyamorous relationship. So much more satisfying and interesting than a drawn-out love triangle. An excellent ending that has bumped the other Shadowhunter novels right to the top of my 2022 TBR!

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