Lord of Shadows Review

Major Spoilers Ahead! (Read only after finishing book)

When to read: After Lady Midnight. If you are reading TSC for the first time, check out my Shadowhunters Guide & Reading Order under the “more” tab.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 (these special stars means it’s one of best! – even out of 5 star books)

After finishing Lord of Shadows, I was destroyed! 😭  This is not only one of the best written books by Cassandra Clare, but it also is follows a different format and takes risks. 

Firstly, it’s unlike any of her other books I’ve read, there’s no one big bad or one big mission. There’s so many antagonists with no clear main one, and so many small goals but it works so well. 

Secondly, the deaths. Oh how we all hate it when characters we love die, but if no one we care about ever dies we start to think them invincible. No protagonists ever seem to die in TSC (spoilers for TMI end TID ahead), the closest would be Max but we didn’t see that much of him before his death. Even in TID, I thought they would finally kill someone important either with Jem (though I had doubt) or Henry, but no. Arthur’s death, while noble, was not surprising and still safe. But Robert Lightwood’s death hit hard right after telling Alec to call if he needed him and after his offer to help Jemma. AND THEN LIVVY, I couldn’t believe it. As much as I wanted it, I always thought it would be unrealistic  if all the Blackthorn siblings survived TDA, so as much as it hurts, I think it was a good choice. 

Other points I enjoyed were: Diana’s reveal (not only am I happy to see a trans character, but it also really fits), the surprising amount of Malec we got, and how all the romance plots were handled. 

My few issues are:

I love the Edgar Allan Poe poems and I was really hoping about some explanation of  why he was so involved in the shadowworld and what exactly Dreamland was supposed to be about (in the context of TSC). 

I’m a bit confused by Annabel- but maybe QoA&D will clear it up. At first Magnus said she’s likely mad from being dead for so long, then she seems normal and they are talking about reinstating her as a shadowhunter, and then she goes crazy – so which is it? Is she mad from being brought back or did the ending just happen because of her trauma and having to hold the sword? If it’s the latter, I don’t understand how she could stab Livvy- her kin. 

These books just keep getting better!

If you are a Shadowhunters fan, also check out my Shadowhunters Stories Chronological Timeline!