Book Review: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

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Lady Midnight
Dark Artifices #1
Author: Cassandra Clare
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Released: March 8th 2016
Review Source: Margaret K. McElderry Books

The Shadowhunters of Los Angeles star in the first novel in Cassandra Clare’s newest series, The Dark Artifices, a sequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series. Lady Midnight is a Shadowhunters novel.

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?

Glitz, glamours, and Shadowhunters abound in this heartrending opening to Cassandra Clare’s Dark Artifices series.

Nothing makes me happier than getting to write a review for Lady Midnight, but nothing is harder than attempting to gather all my thoughts on Lady Midnight. When I started seeing all the bloggers getting that beautiful package I just crossed all my fingers and toes hoping Yara was on the receiving end of that mailing list. And low and behold she got the package and told me she forwarded it to me right away.

*cue*

So while the anticipation is building I literally cannot pick up another book, no way was I going to be halfway through a book once that package arrived.

 

Every time the mailman showed up I sat at the window waiting till he left so I can see what kind of goodies he may have dropped off, I was like a dog waiting for a bone.

And then this gorgeous package arrived and my life was MADE. 

So back to the actual book. it was perfect. The End. No really though, this is where it gets tough, like how can I even begin to tell you how much I loved this book, I just can't. But I shall attempt. Lady Midnight picks up five years after City of Heavenly Fire ends and Emma Carstairs is hell bent on finding out what really happened to her parents to avenge their deaths. While investigating their deaths random murders around Los Angeles begin to pop up and there's consistencies with the current murders and the murder of her parents, so of course Emma begins to investigate. And first off the bat we meet Cristina, a new Shadowhunter from Mexico, who I can't wait to get more of. I have so many questions for you Cristina, so many... And then we have Julian Blackthorn , Emma's parabatai, who I am completely swooned over. I know he wasn't a Carstairs but the passion he had for his art reminded me so much of Jem and his love for his violin. Then we had the rest of the Blackthorn clan, including the strings attached return of Mark, which is ever so scandalous and gives us the worry hives.
But seriously this book will remind you why you fell in love with the Shadowhunter world and if you haven't dived into this perfect universe Lady Midnight is a good place to start.
You don't need to have read the previous books to understand this one, but our favorite characters in previous books do show up which had me all sorts of happy. Cassie is great at breaking our heart and let me tell you all I can see is a great deal of pain in our future, BUT I usually feel like that pain is mended eventually and we thank her later on. And boy do I pray for that to happen cause that last line has me in a ball of nervous mess.


All and all I was extremely pleased with how utterly beautiful this book was. It was fast paced filled with action, angst, mystery, humor (Emma is hoot), and everything in between. Cassie I thank you for the Shadowhunter world I am having a blast with every series you come out with.

"Their touch stays on your skin and their voice stays in your ears and their thoughts stay in your mind. You know their dreams because their nightmares pierce your heart and their good dreams are your dreams too. And you don't think they're perfect, but you know their flaws, the deep -down truth of them , and the shadows of all their secrets, and they don't frighten you away; in fact you love them more for it, because you don't want perfect. You want them. You want— " Arc Pg 100-101