Title: Lord of Shadows
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Dark Artifices (book #2)
Genres: Young adult, fantasy, paranormal, romance
Published: May 23rd 2017, by Margaret K. McElderry Books
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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.

I almost hate to admit it but, I was looking forward to Lord of Shadows. Lady Midnight definitely gave me a new-found excitement for Cassandra Clare's books, one I didn't have for a long time. So I found myself anticipating Lord of Shadows and buying it almost as soon as it hit shelves, and I'm so glad to say I wasn't disappointed.

I have to say, there is something almost comforting opening a Shadowhunters Chronicles novel. You know what you're getting. You know the world, the characters, the writing style. You know what to expect. Which sometimes can let her writing down, but mostly it makes Cassandra Clare's novels so easy to slip inside of and enjoy, and so far The Dark Artifices series is her most enjoyable.

Most importantly, the characters are likeable. It's so hard to enjoy a novel, to feel things for characters; to feel their joy and their sadness, when they are unlikeable or unrelatable. I missed Emma and Cristina, Ty, Mark, even Julian so much since Lady Midnight. The way the characters interact, their relationships, the dynamic of the Blackthorn family is such an important part of this series, it's almost impossible not to feel like you know every character so well, and to love them, and to root for them too.

Lord of Shadows was set significantly in the fae world and in London, and it was both exciting and relaxing to be in new and familiar ground. There were nods to other storylines and characters in the series, making me excited for The Last Hours, and I enjoyed the little references to The Infernal Devices. The fae world was portrayed well as intoxicating and enticing and a dangerous world, I loved the chapters set there.

I feel like the one thing that lets this series down even slightly is the main romance between characters Emma and Julian. I find it relatively hard to invest in them, the side characters and relationships are so much more interesting. Some new dynamics evolved in this sequel that I loved. Primarily, a possible polamory relationship (thank you for not keeping this a love triangle) which I'm so excited to see develop. Kit and Ty's relationship (one of my favourites) is growing and I loved to see their interactions and watching them grow into themselves.

One of my absolute favourite parts of this novel is the introduction to a transgender character. Her narrative is surprisingly well done and interesting. Her involvement goes beyond her identity as being a trans woman, she is given a family, a romantic interest, a plot line, and character depth. I'm really excited for where her story goes. I also appreciated Cassandra Clare acknowledging Ty as having Autism, this series is turning out to be a lot more diverse than her others.

The ending was... Intense. I'm both excited and nervous for the last instalment. I have fallen so in love with the characters and dynamics, and now that is dangerous, because none of them are safe. I just hope Cassandra Clare knows well enough to give our LGBT characters happy endings.