Review: Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1) by Cassandra Clare

Title: Lady Midnight

Series: The Dark Artifices #1
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published: March 8, 2016
Pages: 720
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Romance
Source: Audiobook, Ebook
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In a kingdom by the sea…

In a secret world where half-angel warriors are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word.

A parabatai is your partner in battle. A parabatai is your best friend. Parabatai can be everything to each other—but they can never fall in love.

Emma Carstairs is a warrior, a Shadowhunter, and the best in her generation. She lives for battle. Shoulder to shoulder with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Los Angeles, where vampires party on the Sunset Strip, and faeries—the most powerful of supernatural creatures—teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters. When the bodies of humans and faeries turn up murdered in the same way Emma’s parents were when she was a child, an uneasy alliance is formed. This is Emma’s chance for revenge—and Julian’s chance to get back his brother Mark, who is being held prisoner by the faerie Courts. All Emma, Mark, and Julian have to do is solve the murders within two weeks…and before the murderer targets them.

Their search takes Emma from sea caves full of sorcery to a dark lottery where death is dispensed. And each clue she unravels uncovers more secrets. What has Julian been hiding from her all these years? Why does Shadowhunter Law forbid parabatai to fall in love? Who really killed her parents—and can she bear to know the truth?

The darkly magical world of Shadowhunters has captured the imaginations of millions of readers across the globe. Join the adventure in Lady Midnight, the long-awaited first volume of a new trilogy from Cassandra Clare.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

Disclaimer: This review MAY contain spoilers.

I am a bloody mess right now. A complete mess. A sobbing mess that has been perusing the interwebs for fanart of these beloved characters for the past hour and a half just to soothe my torn up soul. A part of me is glad that I waited to read Lady Midnight until Queen of Air and Darkness was almost ready to release because I don't think that I could have survived several years of not knowing what happens in this moving story. Another part of me is baffled why I waited so long to read it when I've owned this book since it was released, simply because this book destroyed me so thoroughly. I am talking TORE ME TO PIECES. The first series that I read by Cassandra Clare was The Mortal Instruments and I thought that nothing could compare to my love of the characters and the magical world within the pages. Then I read The Infernal Devices and my heart was shattered all over again. But it also grew. The Infernal Devices blew me away just as The Mortal Instruments had and left me with new character loves that shaped and defined my heart. I didn't think that it would be possible to love something more than those series but I was wrong. Cassandra Clare surpassed every expectation I had and then some with Lady Midnight. This book is by far the strongest Shadowhunter book to date. Granted I haven't read Lord of Shadows yet and Queen of Air and Darkness will be released in December, but I can only imagine that the last two books of this series will outmatch Lady Midnight. It seems that each Shadowhunter book that Clare writes surpassed the last. I can only be grateful for that. 

So what about this book is so glorious? Well, everything. Most importantly are the characters. The characters are strong and moving. These characters evoke such emotion in me that I feel I can hardly breathe just thinking about them. They are written so beautifully. The characters have real struggles that will touch your heart. This book has a strong theme of family and loyalty. Most importantly is that these characters are three-dimensional. They have so much depth and are so vivid that you feel like you are living alongside them. When these characters are in pain, you are as well. When these characters are overjoyed, you feel happiness also. The very art of these characters emotions is so skillful that it is almost intimidating. 

The next thing that I must praise is the masterful plot. I don't think that it could be called anything less. The plot of this book was set up in The Mortal Instruments, but this plot is so deep-rooted that it is mind-blowing. This plot is engaging, compelling, and so very flawless. All of the pieces fall together like a magic jigsaw puzzle. The foreshadowing is instrumented so phenomenally. One of the best words that I can think of to describe the plot is complex because there are so many components. 

The world-building is just as strong as in other Shadowhunter books. I like getting a sense for the Shadowhunter world in other parts of the world. 

The romance in this book will have you on the floor crying your eyes out. It will devastate you so completely. The romance is well written and full of so much emotion. It will pull on your heartstrings until you question everything about the Shadowhunter world. Apart from the main romance of the book, there are other love stories. One such love story is a tragic one that will make you question morality in the face of love and loss. Another love story is encompassed by betrayal and brings into question the lengths someone will go to in order to protect those they love. 

Overall, this is the kind of book that you shout out your love for from the rooftops. This book will make you feel every single feeling you could imagine and then more. This book will gut you and leave you in limbo. There is a quote from Harry Potter that I think best describes the way this book will make you feel. [Queue Ron Weasley's voice.] "You're gonna suffer... but you're gonna be happy about it..." And that's the truth. I have never been more happy to feel destroyed and shattered. I recommend all of Cassandra Clare's books. ALL OF THEM! If you haven't experienced her genius then you are missing out on something truly special. 

Cassandra Clare writes books that blow my ever loving mind. Always. She is a go-to auto-buy author for me. Which authors do you stalk? Which book series are your favorite to reread? Tell me your favorite new addition to your TBR.