A review by angie_rbls
Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

there’s a reason why i keep coming back to this series, regardless of how many years have passed. reading this book and starting this sequel trilogy to TID put all of those reasons forward for me. what i love about the idea of shadowhunters, especially in this particular time period, is that missmaam c. clare always takes this concept of love and explores its different facets. yes, this is a ya fantasy and they’re fighting this big bad left and right, but at its core, its an exploration of relationships - familial, (potential) romantic, platonic, even relationships greater than the previous three (as seen with the parabatai relationship), and relationships that we, as a society, probably dont have a clear name for its nature. its actually insane that these relationships are further elevated because of the societal rules where this trilogy and its predecessor takes place.

(basically im a hoe for period dramas and its honestly the best setting for shadowhunter stories,, it makes it even more effective, i’ve confirmed it now)

i dont want to say much because i want these characters and their intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts and relationships to swim in my mind even more. but its a fascinating thing, growing up with these books. when i started reading the shadowhunter series, i didnt know yet that i was queer. magnus bane and alec lightwood were probably the first official gay characters i’ve been exposed to. as a young preteen, i didnt think much of it, but im grateful that even in this year 2023, cassandra clare continues to write characters that feels lived in, with people they actually care about and would die for, and values they would continue to uphold up until the very end. this matters to me, not only because the queer characters are given the spotlight from time to time, but because even in the heterosexual relationships, the characters feel so much and do so much for love that the author might as well have captured the nuances of queer love and/or what it means to be human.

i may not have the attention span anymore to read these books in one sitting or in just a matter of days, but i could honestly say that this is still my comfort ya fantasy world. HANDS DOWN.