After buddy reading many books, Christina of Booklover's Teaparty and I decided to do something different and do a co-review.
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Dark Artifices #1
Publication: March 8th 2016 by Simon & Schuster Children's UK
Genre: Young Adult ~ Urban Fantasy
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo
Rating: 5/5
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.
Was there anything that stood out with the storyline to you?
Christina: Well honestly I was a bit scared to read it. After the big love affair with both The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices I couldn’t help, but be a little scared that Lady Midnight wouldn’t be as good, HOWEVER turns out my worry was for nothing. Because of course it turned out pretty damn amazing! Just great plot and characters and twists you don’t see coming.
Stephanie: I was surprised by how much I loved the book and plot. I mean, I had expected it to be good, but I honestly hadn't expected it to be this good, you know? And there were a lot of unexpected twists that I hadn't seen coming. Typical Cassandra Clare! ;)
What are your thoughts on Emma and Julian?
Christina: Oh they are just so cute! Adorable. Their love is also really interesting both because of the whole forbidden element, but also since there seems to something about their parabatai bond that hopefully we get more answers to later.
Stephanie: I don't know what to say except that I absolutely loved them! And of course the forbidden love element is always a winner with me.
Which other romances in the book did you like?
Christina: Mark and Cristina for sure. And Kieran I guess. Eventually Diego. Definitely becomes complicated, but that’s what is so great, right. As it looks now though I am rooting for Mark and Cristina.
Stephanie: I adored Mark and Cristina. I shipped them pretty early on and continue to root for them. I also gotta say I did like Mark with Kieran but in the end my heart goes to Mark and Cristina together.
Favorite secondary characters and why?
Christina: I loved all the siblings they all had their little quirks and different personalities. Mark did turn out to be one of my favorites, just because of the way he acts and says some things. Cute and odd.
Stephanie: Mark, without a doubt! He was just freaking adorable and a little odd. I just love that in a guy. But I also have a lot of love for the other Blackthorn siblings.
How would you describe Lady Midnight in one or two words?
Christina: Unexpected & amazing
Stephanie: Unexpectedly awesome!
What did you think of the writing in the book?
Christina: Well that I didn’t worry about, it’s Cassie so it was amazing like all the others. Gets better and better really.
Stephanie: Amazing as I'm used to with a book by Cassandra Clare. In fact, I think her writing just gets better and better with each book she writes.
Favorite quote.
Christina: Okay so there’s a lot of great quotes out there, really hard to choose!
“We're late," she said, "The show is supposed to start in ten minutes. If some people hadn't decided that 'semiformal' meant 'seminaked'-" "Why are you calling me 'some people'?" Mark inquired. "I am only one person.”
Stephanie: “He bumped into a pay phone and said, 'Excuse me, miss,' on our way in," said Julian.
"It's polite to apologize," said Mark with the same small voice.
"Not to inanimate objects.”
How was it different or similar to The Mortal instruments or Infernal Devices?
Christina: Similar I guess since it’s in the same world and all- I’d say in the places it matter like story wise with the Shadowhunters it’s similar as it’s supposed to be, but characters, storyline and everything else is definitely different. Of course it’s awesome that some of the old characters show up or is mentioned which just brings out all the feels.
Stephanie: This is a tough question. It's both pretty similar to The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices but it's also a complete different book with different characters in the lead. We do see a lot of familiar characters, though... so that is awesome too.
What are your overall thoughts?
Christina: Overall, I loved it! Like I said I was a bit worried, but it was really amazing. It was filled with all the great Shadowhunter action, forbidden romance and humor. Now it’s just waiting for the next one.
Cassandra Clare is the author of the #1 New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Mortal Instruments series and the Infernal Devices trilogy, and coauthor of the Bane Chronicles with Sarah Rees Brennan and Maureen Johnson. She also wrote The Shadowhunter's Codex with her husband, Joshua Lewis. Her books have more than 36 million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. Cassandra lives in western Massachusetts. Visit her at CassandraClare.com. Learn more about the world of the Shadowhunters at Shadowhunters.com.
I recently got this book myself! I am a massive Clare fan so I am nervous but also so excited to try this one out soon! I am glad you could both really love this one and it seems like all the characters are done amazingly well too :D
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