Lord of Shadows Review

Sometimes the most ruthless heart speaks the most truth.

---

Title: Lord of Shadows

Author: Cassandra Clare

Series: The Dark Artifices, #2

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Date Published: May 23, 2017

Pages: 701

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

---

---

Goodreads Synopsis:
​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.

---

Review:
Lord of Shadows is one of the best books that I have ever read. It has everything I could have ever wanted and more. The entire book, down to the writing style of it, oozed sophistication. From the new adventures to the lovable characters, Lord of Shadows is truly a remarkable book that is not to be missed!

I am going to start of this review by talking about the Parabatai. The Parabatai bond and the feelings that come along with it are the main focus of The Dark Artifices series. We got a lot of introductory information in Lady Midnight. But Lord of Shadows really delves into the true meaning of a Parabatai and the perks and downsides of it.

If you are planning on reading Lord of Shadows, please be aware that it is an addicting book filled with action and unexpected twist and turns. I advise you to read this when you have a lot of free time because you will not want to put it down, I know I didn’t.

I can’t write a review without mentioning the characters. First I want to touch on Emma and Julian. In Lord of Shadows, we get to see their relationship go through the wear and tear of any relationship. Given, their circumstances are different than a normal person’s relationship, but the basic idea is still the same.

Next, I want to talk about some of the secondary characters. I will mention Christina first. Even though she is not one of main characters (like Emma and Julian), her character is incredibly complex which makes her an amazing, badass sidekick. Then we have Malcolm and Annabel. There really isn’t much to say about them (without spoiling things) other than the fact that I don’t like either of them.

Finally, I want to mention the ending of Lord of Shadows. I am obviously not going to spoil the ending but the last few chapters will rip your heart to shreds. With that being said, reading Lord of Shadows is more than worth the heartbreak that comes along with it. Please do yourself a favor and read this book.

---

Buy Lord of Shadows:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble