The Dark Artifices: Book One
Written by Cassandra Clare
Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Published March 8th 2016
720 pages
Thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia
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★★★★★
It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.
Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…
Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark, who was captured by the faeries five years ago, has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind, and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?
Together I and Kelly tackled the beast of a book that is Lady Midnight (no seriously, the paperback could probably be used as a doorstop) so I figured why not do a buddy review? Needless to say, I was never the hugest fan of Cassandra Clare. I read The Mortal Instruments way back in grade seven (like six years ago, give or take). It was when The Mortal Instruments was supposed to end with City of Glass. I'd forgotten about it until 2011 and to my shock I saw a fourth book on the shelves. I never ventured down that road. I read The Clockwork Angel and didn't go beyond book one.
So when I heard about Lady Midnight, I had my doubts I would EVER read this. I think it was initially boredom that coaxed me to get it and peek into the depths of a new Shadowhunter series.
Kelly, I know you had your own doubts. What initially made you want to read Lady Midnight?
Kelly
I think it was mostly curiosity. I'd read five of The Mortal Instruments releases and couldn't finish book six due to so much filler. I'd read book one of The Infernal Devices and also tried reading The Magnus Bane Chronicles and Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, but after the first three books in The Mortal Instruments, I lost interest and each book seemed to blur into the next. The same characters or versions thereof, it was the same storyline over and over and to be honest, when Lady Midnight was announced I groaned and thought, here we go again.
But I'm eating my words now. It was fucking incredible! Yes, it's still set in the world of Shadowhunters, but it had a completely different feel. Even not having fully finished any of her previous series, I had no problems fully immersing myself back into the Shadowhunting world.
Having not completed her previous series, did you have issues picking up the storyline?
Kynndra
Ha! You're not the only one. I too was one of those people who scoffed when I saw another Shadowhunter series coming out. I didn't think it showed promise, and quite honestly I thought it was going to be shit. I was so so wrong though. Despite claims that you MUST read all the Shadowhunter books before picking up Lady Midnight, I don't find that to be true. I've only read four books out all of the books Cassie's written, and I understood and followed along just fine.
To be fair I'm sure it would have been fun to get all the little nods towards the other series but no, I would say you'd only need a basic understanding of the past books in order to read Lady Midnight. If you don't want to read TMI, TID or SA beforehand just look up the basics so you understand the occasional appearance of characters from other series.
Kelly, what do you think was so different about Lady Midnight as compared to its sister series?
Kelly
It honestly felt as though as it was written by an entirely different author. I feel Cassie Clare's books are aimed at a specific audience, young teens or readers who don't mind the usual young adult tropes. Either I was enjoying it too much to notice, but I found none of those aspects that Clare is usually known for. I was surprised by the warm, likable but most importantly, flawed characters. They weren't the usual ridiculously good looking beings that everyone wants to bed. In fact, I didn't feel the character aesthetics played any major role in their description either.
How did you feel about the Blackthorn clan, Emma and Christina?
Kynndra
Oh man, I loved them all. The characters were what made the story for me. Specifically the Blackthorn clan. I adored Emma and Christina though, they had this amazing chemistry and a much needed girl power bond going on. At first I was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of characters we were dealing with as I do not do well with a huge cast. But I quickly found that Cassie had this way of making each person distinct so that they stood out. Without a doubt I'd have to say that Mark and Ty were my favorite out of the Blackthorn batch. Mark was the most hilarious character I have probably ever read, the scenes with him and his faerie folk speech made me ridiculously happy. I'm also so excited to see what goes on with Ty, I think he's going to a have a huge prevalence in the upcoming books.
Who out of all the characters was you favorite?
Kelly
I loved Mark and couldn't agree more. His character had a lovable and naive charm, as though he'd lost all semblance of what era he was in. But for all the lighthearted moments he provided, I thought he was a well thought out and multilayered character who also introduced diversity into the storyline too, which pleasantly surprised me. Julian was absolutely lovely. Having taken on the role as a father figure to his younger siblings after his brother and sister were taken and banished. He carries around so much and it's made clear early on that he has feelings for Emma.
What did you think of the romances?
Kynndra
Honestly, at first I felt really uncomfortable with Julian. I didn't know what to think of him at first because of how he was acting. At first I thought he was a bit... Odd. But then we delved further into the book and I discovered that Julian and Emma have such an amazing chemistry. They've been friends for quite awhile - not to mention parabatai so I was intrigued to see how their relationship would go from that to lovers. Plus the fact that it's a forbidden romance really added a nice flare to it.
I think my favorite bit about the romance is that it's not all cut and dry. I can't begin to predict how this will turn out by the end of this series (I love having that unpredictableness. I am a complete Blackstairs shipper - is that the ship name?) Idk. I love them, I love their scenes and I cannot wait to experience the angst in the upcoming books.
Do you see Julian and Emma being endgame, or do you think that their relationship was doomed from the start?
Kelly
I don't know actually. Knowing Cassandra Clare, she'll have the young couple fight to change the accords so they can be together but seeing that this feels so different from all her previous Shadowhunter books, I'm excited to find out whether she'll take the plunge and shake it up. I can hear fangirls shrieking as we speak.
What did you think of the writing?
Kynndra
I found the writing to be far different than my previous Cassandra Clare experiences. It almost didn't feel like her. I'm not a huge fan of Cassandra Clare or her previous books as I've mentioned and that was in part due to her writing. But Lady Midnight was above and beyond what I expected. I couldn't stop reading. Whatever Cassandra did this time around, she needs to keep doing it because the writing was engaging, kick ass and made me want more.
I know there's a lot of skeptics out there, so Kelly - why do you think people should take a chance on Lady Midnight?
Kelly
Without causing offense, mainly because it's so different from all her previous Shadowhunter novels. The writing is crisp and the humour brings such a sense of fun throughout the storyline. The characters are all likable and well developed, which I must admit I was surprised. But most of all, it's because all her previous tropes seem to have been omitted. There is no gruff male love interest, no female damsel in distress and no instant romance between characters.
What do you think is the biggest difference is between Lady Midnight and her previous works?
Kynndra
It definitely has to be the characters for me. I was never a huge fan of Jace / Clary or even Tessa / Will / Jem. I'll be the black sheep and say that I found them to be sober and boring. I adored the way the characters in Lady Midnight were a breath of fresh air. There was humor, and just something entirely new this time around that snuffed out my previous dislike towards the Shadowhunter world. I think it's safe to say that Lady Midnight is probably Cassandra Clare's best work to date. For any of you who are unsure if you should read it, I highly encourage you to do so. It's unlike anything Cassie's done over and over in her past series.
Yassss. I haven't read my copy yet, but you ladies just gave me the push I needed. Honestly, it makes me raging mad when I look up C. Clare's books on Goodreads to find people who insist that she stops this money train. I mean, don't they know she's not writing these books for them? Don't they know she's writing these books for us, heathens? Anyway, it looks like another winner. And suck it, haters!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean Joy. She wouldn't keep writing them if the demand wasn't there and you can't fault her for giving her fans what they're asking for.
DeleteSuck it haters. Suck it indeed.
Yay! I'm glad I don't have to suffer through the rest of TMI just to read Lady Midnight - in all honesty, I enjoyed TID more than TMI, but TMI just fell short (I haven't read any beyond the second book). I'm so glad you guys enjoyed this despite the fact your past experiences weren't as enjoyable - it means there's hope for me yet. ;)
ReplyDelete~Sophia @ Bookwyrming Thoughts and In Wonderland
I felt the opposite, where I enjoyed The Mortal Instruments but didn't enjoy The Infernal Devices. Which one did you read first? It gives you more than enough to dive right in regardless. It was such an incredible read and can't wait to see what you think of it.
DeleteEverybody is going crazy about this book and I haven't even gone into book two of the mortal instruments... This makes me want to binge read them all! Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeletehttp://girlheartsbook.blogspot.pt/
That's the great thing about Lady Midnight Elisa, you don't need to have read them all. Kynndra hasn't and still loved it. Well worth grabbing a copy.
DeleteI'm so pumped to read this book! I loved 1,2 & 3 of The Mortal Instruments, but 4 pissed me off (so much filler), I skipped 5, read the first two hundred pages and last two hundred pages of 6 (loved the last two hundred pages, but was bored and had to skip the bit in-between).
ReplyDeleteI haven't read The Infernal Devices and after reading reviews on the series I do not intend to. BUT!! am so excited about Lady Midnight. So many positive reviews! I'm looking forward to seeing Emma grown up. I enjoyed her chapters in TMI6.
Did that mess of babble make sense?
I haven't read book six, I tried but lost interest after the third book where t felt as though the series wrapped up actually. I tried book one in The Infernal Devices, but that just wasn't my thing. But Lady Midnight? WOW! You need this book Sarah and I can't wait to see what you think of it too!
DeleteTo be honest, I'm at a complete and utter loss when it comes to the Shadowhunters' Universe. I haven't really heard or read much about the series, other than a close friend of mine who has read the entire Mortal Instruments, but it's a series that never really piqued my interest. I have to say the film played a huge role in my approval to pick up the series too; yeah, that was a big mistake :/
ReplyDeleteSame thing happened with Twilight. I saw the movies first before reading the books and I was like, "Yeah, no." My friend (same girl who read TMI) keeps imploring I read the books; I don't know, perhaps when I'm 80? Ha!
On another note, I recently read an article somewhere that said author Sherrilyn Kenyon filed a lawsuit against Cassandra Clare alleging “trademark infringement, copyright infringement, unfair competition, false advertising, and trade dress infringement.” I don't know if the statements are true or not since I haven't read TMI, but having read a couple of Sherrilyn Kenyon's books, I do see the parallels. It's a difficult topic though because authors seem to glean from one another anyway y'know? All that to say, this whole ordeal made me draw back from Cassandra Clare even more :/
In any case, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed Lady Midnight heaps though! :D
I seen that too Claudia and the statements she put fourth to support her argument. The likeness from her examples is really similar, but some of the elements she mentioned can be seen in so many other young adult books as well. The usage of adding magical properties to ordinary items such as a cup. I think one statement was also because she felt she'd stolen the idea of her main character being blonde and muscled. Ridiculous really. The symbolism could be a concern but most of her claims could be against a whole hoard of authors really and sadly it looks more like a money grab than anything sadly.
DeleteMaybe give Cassandra Clare a try Claudia. I think you might really enjoy it. Lady Midnight is an incredible read and pretty clean as well.
I was like you both, and was thinking PASS on more Shadowhunters. But now you have my mind all confused. I mean, it does sound good. And since especially Kelly shares my thoughts on the series (book 6 was actually painful to read, I skimmed mostly because UGH), and you both say how different it is. And different would be the only way I'd read this ;) But 720 pages?! For the first book!? How long is this series? Because if it's 6 books like TMI, it'll be over 2000 pages by book 6 hahha. Goodreads says just 3 books, so I guess maybe 1500 is more accurate ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat review, ladies! Now I have to put this BACK on my consideration list!
I didn't even finish book six Shannon, even though I've bought two copies of it. You HAVE to read this. We both insist. It's incredible and so unlike all the previous Shadowhunters books. I think it's three books as far as I know, but even being a hefty read, we both flew through it. It was just THAT good.
DeleteYou turds! I read this review and went to one-click it on B&N. That was $13! *cries*
ReplyDeleteI'm honestly surprised by how different this one sounds writing wise to her other series. I read the first 3 books of the Shadowhunters series and have been meaning to pick up more from her, so I'm excited to read this.
I need to obviously meet Mark as well because he sounds like a lot of fun! I'm curious to see what I'll think of the romance too.
I can't wait now. I hope I can get to it soon!
Wonderful review, turds!
Ha! Nick I think it'll be worth the thirteen bucks (if not it's big enough to use as a doorstop or to burn as kindle for a fire) (unless of course you got the ebook... In that case I apologize to your bank account) but LM was a serious upgrade from TMI/TID. I too have only read the first three but man they cannot contest with my love for LM.
DeleteMark was wondering and fucking hilarious. Omg he was the best, I'll garentee you'll fall in love with him. Such a unique character, I cannot wait to see more of him. I hope you enjoy the book. Thank you, Bitter Turd! c;
Hmm, I may definitely have to check Lady Midnight out. I heard there's good autistic representation and to be honest, I haven't picked up Clare because one of my IRL friends strongly recommended against her TMI (?) series. But if you say her writing has changed this much, I may have to reconsider that stance. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteYes! Ty is the one autistic character in the story. Clare does an amazing job with the representation. He's actually one of the characters I most look forward to seeing in the upcoming books! I can contest that TDA (so far) outshines TMI by miles in just about every aspect. I hope you do reconsider giving LM a shot! No problem, Alyssa c:
DeleteI have been hugely tempted to pick this up at the bookstores because the cover is so eyecatching. I am glad to hear that it improves on Cassie Clare's previous work, because I love the sound of the premise (forbidden love between parabatai <3) but I've had doubts about her writing - since I could not make it past CoB and TCA in the past. I'll have to check this out when I get more time to read this giant doorstopper. Love the layout of this review, too - the joys of coblogging <3
ReplyDeleteGahhh! The cover is absolutely eyegasmic isn't it? Makes me so excited to see what the next covers will look like. The premise and plot are definitely what made this book so enjoyable. Not to mention the much improved writing that Clare does. Trust me, by no means am I a Clare fan based on TMI or TID, but she did something right with TDA thus far. Ahh, thanks Aentee! Coblogging really does have many joys c:
DeleteI always had that character problem with the TMI books, I never cared for Clary or Jace or any one really! I've been thinking about giving this one a chance though, but I'm just scared I'll hate it or something. We'll see!
ReplyDeleteLikewise! I could invest myself in any of the characters from Clare's previous series. But there is honestly something so so different when it came to Lady Midnight. I do hope you give LM a chance! And if you end up hating it, you end up hating it! No harm in disliking a book, bub.
DeleteMe either Mica. I liked the first three books well enough, but they weren't worth the hype for me. We both went into Lady Midnight as skeptics and really expecting not to have enjoyed it and both loved it. It's nothing like her previous series so well worth taking the chance. Id love to see what you think of it.
DeleteI had to skim part of the discussion when you guys go into the finer plot points but I really enjoyed your discussion on the book. I've only read 2 TMI books before calling it quits but it sounds like this one is worth reading, particularly for the characters alone. Great discussion ladies!
ReplyDeleteIt really is worth reading! It far outweighs TMI c; thanks Jeann!
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