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A review by signebrum
Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
5/5 easily. I simply did not dislike a single thing in this book (except maybe Maurice Bridgestock), and honestly, Cassandra Clare has proven once again why she’s my favorite author.
The rest of this review contains MAJOR spoilers for bit this series, but also spoilers for the other series in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. Do NOT read it if you don’t want things spoiled!!!!
First of all. CASSIE HOW COULD YOU! Of all the people, why Christopher? My sweet angel boy.
Anyways now that’s out of the way. What. A. Blast! Chain of Thorns is as stunning as the other shadowhunters a books, and especially the way the relationships between characters unfold is just amazing.
I loved the entire morale of being honest and forgiveness. Forgiving Grace, but also forgiving yourselves (I’m looking at you Matthew), as well as facing your mistakes or things you are ashamed of. The way it is handled is beautiful (as always, it is Cassandra Clare who has written it after all), and I loved every moment.
I loved how every character had a huge development over not just this book but the entire series.
Speaking of, Ari’s character and her name-change was so well-written. No drama, just a person taking a new name and people respecting it.
Now some personal opinions and fangirl-moments, because I may be 22 now, but the 13 year old girl who picked up the mortal instruments in 2014 is SCREAMING about the relationships in this.
First of, Lucie and Jesse!!! I loved everything about these two, and their story! Holy hell. A love story between a girl and a ghost, it was beautiful. The was they fell in love was beautiful and I just really love Jesse Blackthorn okay?
James and Cordelia might have had the most FRUSTRATING love story, but man was it rewarding when Cordelia finally learned the truth after all that LONGING (side note, the fact that Grace told her and Christopher helped? I loved it!)
I also liked how the drama between Matthew, James and Cordelia played out, but honestly, my favorite thing with Matthew in this book was him forgiving himself! The scene where Thomas goes to him and Matthes says, he should stop drinking so much? I CRIED!
Thomas and Alastair are also amazing, and honestly the most chaotically in love people out there. That fire-Message was amazing!
I already spoke about Ari and her development and honestly, the way she and Anna just completed each other and were the reason for each other’s growth was just gorgeous!
Which brings me, at last, to Grace and Christopher. I won’t lie, I wanted them to end up together. I wanted the redemption for Grace (which she got), and Christopher was a huge part of that. Before they could really get far in their relationship, however, Christopher died and I was soooo close to throwing the book across the room. (I didn’t. I retained myself).
The scene in Henry’s lab where Grace finally figures out the fire messages had me balling my eyes out.
And of course, Will Herondale and Magnus Bane, though not main characters in the book, had made me laugh at page 18. And I laughed at many other times reading this book. I also cried, and cursed at the characters and smiled for them and just… Cassandra Clare is an amazing author, which she has proved once again.
How do I then rank this series in the TSC-universe? High, definitely, but TID is still my ultimate favorite. Idk, I do love the Edom-storyline (or Thule in TDA, just generally the other dimensions), but I just find the climax at/in Cadair Idris in TID more satisfying.
All in all, a beautiful book as always, but damn Cassie, did you really have to kill Christopher?
Also side note, I loved the entire ‘wrong family tree thing’ being a canon part of the book. Made me burst out laughing more than once.
The rest of this review contains MAJOR spoilers for bit this series, but also spoilers for the other series in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. Do NOT read it if you don’t want things spoiled!!!!
First of all. CASSIE HOW COULD YOU! Of all the people, why Christopher? My sweet angel boy.
Anyways now that’s out of the way. What. A. Blast! Chain of Thorns is as stunning as the other shadowhunters a books, and especially the way the relationships between characters unfold is just amazing.
I loved the entire morale of being honest and forgiveness. Forgiving Grace, but also forgiving yourselves (I’m looking at you Matthew), as well as facing your mistakes or things you are ashamed of. The way it is handled is beautiful (as always, it is Cassandra Clare who has written it after all), and I loved every moment.
I loved how every character had a huge development over not just this book but the entire series.
Speaking of, Ari’s character and her name-change was so well-written. No drama, just a person taking a new name and people respecting it.
Now some personal opinions and fangirl-moments, because I may be 22 now, but the 13 year old girl who picked up the mortal instruments in 2014 is SCREAMING about the relationships in this.
First of, Lucie and Jesse!!! I loved everything about these two, and their story! Holy hell. A love story between a girl and a ghost, it was beautiful. The was they fell in love was beautiful and I just really love Jesse Blackthorn okay?
James and Cordelia might have had the most FRUSTRATING love story, but man was it rewarding when Cordelia finally learned the truth after all that LONGING (side note, the fact that Grace told her and Christopher helped? I loved it!)
I also liked how the drama between Matthew, James and Cordelia played out, but honestly, my favorite thing with Matthew in this book was him forgiving himself! The scene where Thomas goes to him and Matthes says, he should stop drinking so much? I CRIED!
Thomas and Alastair are also amazing, and honestly the most chaotically in love people out there. That fire-Message was amazing!
I already spoke about Ari and her development and honestly, the way she and Anna just completed each other and were the reason for each other’s growth was just gorgeous!
Which brings me, at last, to Grace and Christopher. I won’t lie, I wanted them to end up together. I wanted the redemption for Grace (which she got), and Christopher was a huge part of that. Before they could really get far in their relationship, however, Christopher died and I was soooo close to throwing the book across the room. (I didn’t. I retained myself).
The scene in Henry’s lab where Grace finally figures out the fire messages had me balling my eyes out.
And of course, Will Herondale and Magnus Bane, though not main characters in the book, had made me laugh at page 18. And I laughed at many other times reading this book. I also cried, and cursed at the characters and smiled for them and just… Cassandra Clare is an amazing author, which she has proved once again.
How do I then rank this series in the TSC-universe? High, definitely, but TID is still my ultimate favorite. Idk, I do love the Edom-storyline (or Thule in TDA, just generally the other dimensions), but I just find the climax at/in Cadair Idris in TID more satisfying.
All in all, a beautiful book as always, but damn Cassie, did you really have to kill Christopher?
Also side note, I loved the entire ‘wrong family tree thing’ being a canon part of the book. Made me burst out laughing more than once.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War