Book Review: Chain of Iron

Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. Elderberry Books
Publication Date: March 2, 2021
Pages: 592 pages
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Rating: 5/5

 

*SPOILERS FOR CHAIN OF GOLD*

 

Synopsis:

Cordelia Carstairs seems to have everything she ever wanted. She’s engaged to marry James Herondale, the boy she has loved since childhood. She has a new life in London with her best friend Lucie Herondale and James’s charming companions, the Merry Thieves. She is about to be reunited with her beloved father. And she bears the sword Cortana, a legendary hero’s blade.

But the truth is far grimmer. James and Cordelia’s marriage is a lie, arranged to save Cordelia’s reputation. James is in love with the mysterious Grace Blackthorn whose brother, Jesse, died years ago in a terrible accident. Cortana burns Cordelia’s hand when she touches it, while her father has grown bitter and angry. And a serial murderer is targeting the Shadowhunters of London, killing under cover of darkness, then vanishing without a trace.

Together with the Merry Thieves, Cordelia, James, and Lucie must follow the trail of the knife-wielding killer through the city’s most dangerous streets. All the while, each is keeping a shocking secret: Lucie, that she plans to raise Jesse from the dead; Cordelia, that she has sworn a dangerous oath of loyalty to a mysterious power; and James, that he is being drawn further each night into the dark web of his grandfather, the arch-demon Belial. And that he himself may be the killer they seek.

 

Review:

If someone had told me years ago that Cassandra Clare would be writing another masterpiece during a pandemic, I would have batted an eye. Who would have thought that a year ago, we would have been in this position? Yet here we are, and again Cassandra Clare has once again proven her mastery over her craft.

I have been a long fan of Clare's work since her release of City of Bones. I've read all her books and short stories, and after delving into the plethora of content within the world of Shadowhunters, I still think that her historical fiction books are the best (The Infernal Devices will always be near and dear to my heart). Chain of Iron is no exception to this.

Clare starts this novel off a few months after the events of Chain of Gold, but it really doesn't feel like the time jump is that jarring. She hits the ground running right from the start of book. It's truly a perfect blend of drama, plot intrigue, and excellent character development. Like Clockwork Prince, Chain of Iron does not suffer from middle book syndrome, something I was worried about. It's a stand alone novel in it's own way, while also truly propelling the series forward. Clare picks up the pieces of where the plot somewhat ended with Belial in Chain of Gold. Though it's a continuation of the previous book, the main story feels distinctly different from her other novels, which I appreciate. I found myself unable to put the book down at times because of how sucked into the plot I found myself.

And of course, the characters. I don't even know who's my favorite. Matthew Fairchild? Cordelia Carstairs? James Herondale? Lucie Herondale? Jesse Blackthorn? Anna Lightwood? Alastair Carstairs? Even Grace Blackthorn? In the first book, we were introduced to all these characters sort of at once and it was almost overwhelming since there were so many of them. However, in Chain of Iron, each and every character had their time and place to shine. Even characters that I was previously indifferent to (James) or didn't like at all (Grace), I ended up warming up to by the end of the novel. I was already a fan of Cordelia and Matthew. Honestly, Cordelia may be the best female character that Clare has written. I also grew to really love Lucie in this book, so I don't know where she fits on my own spectrum of heroines. Clare always does an excellent job explaining character motives later on in her books, especially with her changing perspectives and point of views.

I know this is book 2, but I'm seriously a fan of these historical Shadowhunter novels. Between this and The Infernal Devices, Clare really has a knack for writing in these time periods. Her prose is so beautiful - it feels Edwardian/Victorian, but at the same time it reads so easily. She also pays special attention to make sure that the characters and actions fit the time period without over-stereotyping everything. The amount of diversity in her books is also quite admirable. Between racial and LGBTQ characters, it's great to see just that. 

I honestly have SO much feelings during and after finishing this book. I want to write so much more, but I really need to keep this spoiler-free. I don't know how I'm going to possibly wait a whole year for Chain of Thorns to come out... it seems almost unbearable. But hey I made it this far. Anyways, if you're a fan of melodrama, historical fiction, fantasy, strong female leads, and so much more this is 1000% the series for you. This book was so worth the wait and can't wait for the next one.