#ONLY character who came out unscathed was izzy. LOVE what they did with him

[thirtyskeletons]

damn. ofmd season 2 kind of completely sucked compared to season 1

[bookshelfbaby]

LORD OF SHADOWS by Cassandra Clare

I remember starting on Lady Midnight, Book 1 of The Dark Artifices, with a lot of hesitation, because back then I was already getting Shadowhunter fatigue. I came in with very little expectations.

Well, let me tell you, I just finished the second book, Lord of Shadows, and I am shaking with anger, devastation, grief.. I think this series may well top the emotional scars that The Infernal Devices left me (believe me, those were numerous and deep).

Spoilers after the cuts. Also, I may have gotten too carried away, sorry for the essay.

My fave character in this book is definitely KIT. Such growth! I wasn’t sure what to make of “Woohoo, another Herondale!” in the story, and the clueless-newbie-in-the-Shadow-World trope gets tiring (after Clary and Tessa) but wow, I love this kid. I love that at last, we finally get someone educated by mundanes who can SLAP these archaic Shadowhunters out of their stupidity and all the things they can actually learn from mundanes.. He knew immediately that Ty is on the spectrum and I appreciated it that he knew how to deal with him and he understood how he feels. It’s beautiful. Also mundane history?!? SLAP THEM, KIT! It’s bittersweet now but I loved his dynamics with Ty and Livvy. I know we all shipped #KitTy after LM ended but I love how their relationship developed here.. It was deep, touching and sad. I laughed at all the Sherlock Holmes references.

I’m happy that Livvy, Kit, and Ty got a bigger slice of the action this time. I hope we get more of Dru in Book 3, her POV was so heartbreaking. I also loved the new team we have with Cristina, Kieran and Mark. I echo Emma in approving of this weird friendship. 

While I liked Kit in this book, my fave character in this series so far will probably be Julian. If I wasn’t already waxing lyrical about my admiration for him after LM.. well, let me control myself. It’s not that he’s perfect, he’s just so well-written. Julian is very different from the many Shadowhunters we’ve met through the centuries. I looked forward to his POVs, because they were very poetic and emotional, but THEY ALSO TORE MY HEART APART. His love for family and Emma, and how willing he is to let the world burn as long as they are safe. His selflessness, how his brain works and how much of a masterclass tactician he is. It’s great that the book tore his plans apart, though, or else he’d be too scary. After what happened here, I am so looking forward to how changed he will be and what his next actions would be. Knowing Julian, I’ll probably end up shattered into many tiny pieces, but it’s ok.

While I was eager to know what would happen to Emma and Julian’s forbidden love, I’m glad it wasn’t that central to the story. I cried over their few happy moments. It was so sweet and sad at the same time, I could feel how much they loved each other. Sometimes I even pity them. I really have no clue what will happen-- I have a feeling the curse may take over..

(Was that the reason why Emma was able to kill the Rider and break the Mortal Sword?! I have a feeling it’s not just because of Cortana.)

That Nephilim meeting in Idris broke me. It just broke me on a different level. I had that familiar feeling of everything going well, with actually-reasonable solutions to everyone's problems, and everyone praising Julian for his cunning, and I JUST KNEW something very terrible will happen. I knew it.

I definitely did not see Robert Lightwood, and freaking Livvy, to be fatalities in this book. I should've known, I should've, but I didn't. It broke me. I thought Magnus would die, but no, freaking Robert?!? With his painting of Alec in his office and we all knew the massive ups and downs their relationship has had through the years, and now he finally found acceptance and his life is going well and he even has grandchildren, and I am just so, so sad.

And wtf, Livvy! LIVVY! I was so so certain all the Blackthorn children would escape this book unscathed. I was keeping my fears for Book 3. BUT NO. Oh God. I feel so horrible like I'm part of the family. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO TY?! AND KIT DOESN'T KNOW!! And of course, poor Julian, this would break him. I knew that Julian's scheming and planning would go wayward in the end, but oh god, not like this.

Those shocking deaths aside, I wanted to freaking SLAP EVERY SHADOWHUNTER in that room. It reflects so much of what's happening now and urgh, KIT GO AND SHOW THEM SOME WWII DOCUS. Downworlders helped them against Valentine and Sebastian. How could they do this. How could they reject even Helen and Mark who ARE Shadowhunters, and Magnus who has saved them all a million times?? It’s so frustrating that I’m starting to think it’s a negative point for the writing, haha.

Zara and her gang of mean Centurions, the Dearborns, and the Cohorts are such cliche cookie-cutter YA villains. But I hate them still and I want to skin them all alive! Seriously, they’re very caricature-ish at times that I can’t help but roll my eyes at them. I mean, WILL HUMANS EVER LEARN?! I guess I only have to look around to know WE HUMANS WON’T but it is so frustrating, urgh. 

So for Book 3, A Queen of Air and Darkness aka ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE! I want to know mostly how the Blackthorns will deal with their loss. I know they will never be the same again. What would happen with Emma and Julian’s little problem (do you think they will truly resort to ending all parabatai?!) What’s up with the warlocks? Also, the Unseelie King has Annabelle and the Book, right? (Is that title referring to the Seelie Queen, because I don’t trust her one bit.) 

I want to see the Shadowhunters pay for their stupidity, but it sucks that people like the Blackthorns, Emma, Clary, Jace, Magnus, Alec, Simon and Izzy would probably suffer too. 

I have a feeling Clary will indeed die. I am sad because I don’t know how Jace and Simon will take it, and I feel like this is an afterthought since this isn’t her series anymore, but I know if she does die, she’ll probably die a hero. (And hopefully no angelic back-from-the-dead intervention please, side-eyeing you Feyre and Rhysand) 

There will be a war, and Shadowhunters would be without magic.. Urgh, it will not end well.

Anyway, now I am throwing all my hesitations out the window and can I say, I am excited to meet the gang from The Last Hours. Sorry for the long rant!

PS: NO JEM AND TESSA, I AM NOT OK.

ETA: So many feels, I forgot about Diana’s reveal and AAAAH I AM SO PROUD OF HER <3 I know Gwyn of all people will not judge. I want her to be happy forever and away from the mean Shadowhunters. Go, ride with the Hunt bb.