Review: Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2) by Cassandra Clare

Title: Lord of Shadows

Series: The Dark Artifices #2
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published: May 23, 2017
Pages: 701
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Romance
Source: Audiobook, Ebook
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Would you trade your soul mate for your soul?

A Shadowhunter’s life is bound by duty. Constrained by honor. The word of a Shadowhunter is a solemn pledge, and no vow is more sacred than the vow that binds parabatai, warrior partners—sworn to fight together, die together, but never to fall in love.

Emma Carstairs has learned that the love she shares with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, isn’t just forbidden—it could destroy them both. She knows she should run from Julian. But how can she when the Blackthorns are threatened by enemies on all sides?

Their only hope is the Black Volume of the Dead, a spell book of terrible power. Everyone wants it. Only the Blackthorns can find it. Spurred on by a dark bargain with the Seelie Queen, Emma; her best friend, Cristina; and Mark and Julian Blackthorn journey into the Courts of Faerie, where glittering revels hide bloody danger and no promise can be trusted. Meanwhile, rising tension between Shadowhunters and Downworlders has produced the Cohort, an extremist group of Shadowhunters dedicated to registering Downworlders and “unsuitable” Nephilim. They’ll do anything in their power to expose Julian’s secrets and take the Los Angeles Institute for their own.

When Downworlders turn against the Clave, a new threat rises in the form of the Lord of Shadows—the Unseelie King, who sends his greatest warriors to slaughter those with Blackthorn blood and seize the Black Volume. As dangers close in, Julian devises a risky scheme that depends on the cooperation of an unpredictable enemy. But success may come with a price he and Emma cannot even imagine, one that will bring with it a reckoning of blood that could have repercussions for everyone and everything they hold dear.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

Disclaimer: This review MAY contain spoilers.

My soul aches in such a way right now that I can scarcely breathe. Time has stopped and all thought has become transcendent. I am a bloody mess right now. This book, this story, these characters...OMG, send help. I feel like my chest has been mauled. I feel savagely broken. I thought that Lady Midnight broke me, but Lord of Shadows has gone beyond that. I never feel quite so happy to be so shattered inside as I do when I read a Cassandra Clare book. And her books get better and better with each passing title in the Shadowhunters universe. 

Clare's books are full of so many emotions. The well-written characters play an important role in her books. Her characters have incredible growth and fascinating story arcs. They are so vivid that they are completely believable. You will feel like you are in the same room with these characters living alongside them. Clare is extremely talented in crafting strong relationships between her characters. Their every interaction will evoke emotions in you. And what I like about Clare's books is that no character is unimportant. The side characters are equally as moving as the main characters. Sometimes even more so. Her characters become ingrained in every part of you until you are breathing them like air. I urge you to let these characters become your oxygen. Experiencing a Cassandra Clare book is like making new lifelong friends. Her characters are special. I don't know how else to put it. 

The other thing that pulls emotion into her stories is the masterful way she plots them. Everything happens for a reason and everything is linked in one way or another. Her plotting is clever, purposeful, and  I can't even fathom her brilliance in crafting stories. She is an unparalleled storyteller. She can truly plot her heart out and do it better than most authors out there. The details, the foreshadowing, the wonder woven into her books, all of it! 

I enjoyed the world building in this one. We've all read at least one Shadowhunter book before Lord of Shadows so we know that aspect of the world building already. It's there, it's awesome. What I liked more about the world building in this book is the way that Clare brought the political issues of the Clave to the forefront of the story. Prejudice and bigotry are powerful themes in this series, and Clare has shown that the Shadowhunter world is not just about slaying demons. These people are real. Just because they are Nephilim does not mean that they don't experience the same things that mundanes do. There are a lot of political ideas expressed in the book. This part of the world building is done extremely well and it sets the tone for the book marvelously. 

I loved the transgender representation. I thought that the character's story was told very well. I liked that it had a purpose and wasn't just thrown in for shock value. It also shines a light on more Shadowhunter rules and laws that are unjust and outdated, which ties into the already pressing issues with the hate surrounding Downworlders and the Cold Peace. 

The romance in this book will mar your heart so thoroughly. I love Julian and Emma's tragic love story. It has brought me so many feels. And I adore the strange relationship between Mark, Cristina, and Kieran. The way that the three of them are coming together is so beautiful and I can only hope that it will end with a polyamorous relationship. I would LOVE to see that representation in Clare's books. I also adore the growing relationship between Ty and Kit, though I am unsure what type of relationship it is becoming. I kind of like that I don't know yet, and honestly, I don't care if it is romance or friendship because it is beautiful to the core. And I don't know if Jaime is going to pan out for Dru, but I can only hope so. I love that girl.

And that ending shook me to the core. I just...oh god. December can't come fast enough for me so that I can read the final book of this series. 

Overall, I urge you to put this book on the top of your TBR list! Clare's books are so good that they could be a religion. I gladly worship her genius. Her stories stay with you long after you finish reading. If you enjoy books that make you feel something then Clare is the author for you. Being tortured by her books is a privilege. I will always volunteer as tribute!

Check out my review for the first book in this series!

Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1)

Find my review here.

As sequels go, this one was like a golden egg in a field of brown ones. Sequels can be tricky and a lot of them suck, but not this one. Cassandra Clare pushes the envelope with every book in her Shadowhunters universe. Each book is better than the last. Which sequels blew your mind? What books have you been reading lately?