Hello Readers,
Slight break in the Halloween Spirt today as it is the
publication day for Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare. Thank you, Jamie, and
Black Crow PR for giving me a physical ARC of Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare
for free in exchange for an honest review.
Happy Publication Day
Title: Sword Catcher
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: Fantasy Fiction, High
fantasy, Adventure fiction, Coming-of-age story
Pages: 597
Cover Image:
Synopsis: In the vibrant city-state of Castellane, the
richest of nobles and the most debauched of criminals have one thing in common:
the constant search for wealth, power, and the next hedonistic thrill.
Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword-Catcher—the
body-double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He has been raised
alongside the prince, trained in every aspect of combat and statecraft. He and
Conor are close as brothers, but Kel knows he has one destiny: to die for
Conor. No other future is possible.
Lin Caster is one of the Ashkar, a small community who still possess magical
abilities. By law, they must live behind walls in the city, but Lin, a
physician, ventures out to tend to the sick and dying of Castellane. Despite
her skills, she cannot heal her best friend Mariam without access to forbidden
knowledge.
After a failed assassination attempt brings Lin and Kel together, they are
drawn into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King, the criminal ruler of
Castellane’s underworld. He offers them each what they want most; but as they
descend into his world of intrigue and shadow, they discover a conspiracy of
corruption that reaches from the darkest gutters of Castellane to the highest
tower of its palaces. As long-kept secrets begin to unravel, they must ask
themselves: Is knowledge worth the price of betrayal? Can forbidden love bring
down a kingdom? And will Lin and Kel’s discoveries plunge their nation into
war—and the world into chaos?
Miniature Review
I was happy enough just helping with the cover reveal for this
book and I was squealing like a giddy toddler on the phone to Mother Goose when
I told her. Imagine the sound when Jamie messaged saying that an ARC was in the
post. It was a thing dear Reader. Anyway, onto the review as its publication
don’t worry there is no spoilers.
When I was a teenager, I read The Mortal Instruments series so
knew Cassies writing style. It was enjoyable seeing Cassie write a completely
different story as I’ve seen some murmurs about this book possibly being too
similar to The Mortal Instruments series. This book feels quite different in
case that was a little niggle you had before reading this book.
The first hundred pages of this book are mostly world
building but in a way that does not feel information dumpy and overwhelming. The
world building is vividly detailed and the magic system utterly fascinating. I
also found myself becoming invested with the politics within the kingdom and I
loved delving into the world’s lore. I appreciated
seeing how each of the different nations were diverse in character and
political situations. I was also pleased to discover Cassie’s skill at creating
the perfect backing characters continues here, as I adored getting to meet so
many of the supporting cast.
There was a lot packed into the pages of this book its full
of secrets, schemes, and corruption. Without giving too much away I liked the
mysterious element within this book, and I thought they mixed nicely with more
everyday elements. There is a little sprinkle of romance in this book, but I quite
liked that it wasn't the overwhelming focus. This book is a great start to a
new series, and I can’t wait to delve headfirst into the next book.
L x
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