Tag Archives: Shadowhunters

Lord of Shadows

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“Everyone is afraid of something. We fear things because we value them. We fear losing people because we love them. We fear dying because we value being alive. Don’t wish you didn’t fear anything. All that would mean is that you didn’t feel anything.”

Title: Lord of Shadows

Author: Cassandra Clare

Series: The Dark Artifices # 2

Publication: May 23rd 2017 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Pages: 701

Source: Purchased

Summary from Goodreads:

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.

A Brief Explanation of All the Feels:

“Lex malla, lex nulla,” said Julian with a regretful wave of his hand. It was the Blackthorn family motto: A bad law is no law.

This was me when reading this massive and beautiful mess of pain, suffering, and giggles:

(Just in case)

 

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Lady Midnight

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“When you love someone, they become a part of who you are. They’re in everything you do. They’re in the air you breathe and the water you drink and the blood in your veins. 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.”

Title: Lady Midnight

Author: Cassandra Clare

Series: The Dark Artifices # 1

Publication: March 8th 2016 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Pages: 720

Source: Purchased at launch event

Summary from Goodreads:

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?

My Thoughts:

Reading this was a very surreal experience. Not only did I get to dive back into the amazing world of Shadowhunters, the book itself takes place very close to home – in fact, there were several places mentioned that I’ve been to before. Lady Midnight, the first book in Cassandra Clare’s new Dark Artifices series, is a book that will knock your socks off (Yes, I put that in there on purpose. If you’ve read the book, you know why). Filled with adventure, action, blazing and swoon worthy romance – not to mention a cast of characters that will both make you want to rip your hair out and bow down and kiss some feet at the same time – Lady Midnight is everything I could have wished for and so much more.

I can’t really say anything about this book without spoiling practically everything from The Mortal Instruments – even the Shadowhunters Academy and The Infernal Devices. Every story plays a part in what leads up to this, The Mortal Instruments most of all. I can say this, Lady Midnight sets itself apart from her other books for two main reasons. One: our protagonist is not only fully aware of the shadow world and what it contains at the start of the book, she is also a Shadowhunter born and bred. Two: While there is romance, this book is centered completely around family – specifically, the Blackthorns whom I adore immensely. A nice little tidbit – you’re actually introduced to all of these characters in City of Heavenly Fire, so it was really awesome seeing them again in their own story.

Like I said, I cannot say anything without spoiling everything for you guys. So, much like my review of Glass Sword, this review will now transform itself into gif central.

Remembering everything that happened to Emma and the Blackthorns in the conclusion of the TMI series:

The Characters (Especially Mark and Tavvy):

 

All the feels:

Me at the end:

That just about sums it all up. If you haven’t yet, READ IT! If you don’t plan to, READ IT ANYWAY! Get on the Shadowhunter train ya’ll, it’s one hell of a wild ride.

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Waiting On Wednesday # 6

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Waiting on Wednesday is hosted each week by Breaking the Spine and lets us spotlight a book that we are eagerly waiting to be released.

This weeks Waiting On Wednesday is Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare!

Publication: March 8th 2016 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Summary from Goodreads:

Los Angeles. It’s been five years since the events of the Mortal Instruments when Nephilim stood poised on the brink of oblivion and Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs lost her parents. After the blood and violence she witnessed as a child, Emma has dedicated her life to to discovering exactly what it was that killed her parents and getting her revenge.

Raised in the Los Angeles Institute with the Blackthorn family, Emma is paired as a parabatai with her best friend, Julian Blackthorn. A series of murders in the city catch her attention — they seem to have the same characteristics as the deaths of her parents. Could the murderer be the same person? And her attention isn’t the only one caught: someone has been murdering Downworlders as well. The Fair Folk make a deal with the Institute: if the Blackthorns and Emma will investigate the killings, they’ll return Mark Blackthorn to his home. The catch: they have only two weeks to find the killers. Otherwise it’s open war between faeries and Nephilim.

The Shadowhunters of the Institute must race against time to catch the killers, even as they begin to suspect the involvement of those closest to them. At the same time, Emma is falling in love with the one person in the world she’s absolutely forbidden by Shadowhunter Law to love. Set against the glittering backdrop of present-day Los Angeles, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica.

OH MY GOODNESS! Okay, I know this book isn’t coming out for a looonng time, but I chose this one for two reasons. One, they just revealed the cover this past weekend at NY Comic Con ( Isn’t it pretty?). Two, I love Cassandra Clare. I love, love, love, love, love her. Get it yet? I cannot wait for this book to come out!! Not only is it the next part of the Shadowhunters universe, but it takes place in my home state/city! Well, I’m from Orange County which is smack dab in the middle of Los Angeles and San Diego, but I know where everything is and I have been to most of them. So.. I’m excited. Actually, I think excited might be a little bit of an understatement.

*Creepy Gollum voice* My precious…….

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Shadowhunters Footage

Posted in Movies and TV by

OH MY GOOOOOOODDDDDNNESSSSSS! ARGGSHSLBEGFAGGSPSSHHH!

Okay, now that is out of the way.

Once again, I have woken up to the Shadowhunter fandom in uproar over something new. And trust me when I tell you this, this time – it is so worth it. Remember my post about the full trailer yesterday? I was so worried, so upset with the interpretation I saw. This footage just blew all of my worries away and replaced them with a startlingly strong sense of hope. Sure, there are still changes and the dialogue is a bit weird at times –  but adaptations are rarely perfect. In my opinion, this comes pretty damn close.

I loved everything about it. Jace was glorious. Isabelle was a goddess. Alec…. God, don’t get me started on how much I wish Alec was straight.

 

What do you guys think? Are you as excited as I am? Don’t be shy, I don’t bite – I promise : )

 

 

Shadowhunters Full Trailer

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As you guys know, yesterday they released a small teaser trailer for Shadowhunters (you can see my post about that here)

This morning I woke up to my phone blowing up with news that a full trailer had dropped down on our heads, so imagine my excitement as I hunted it down on my phone and started blasting it at six this morning. I have to say, I am both disappointed and very excited. It’s a strange feeling, seeing something you love so much look entirely different yet still have the same feel to it. We still get Clary, her missing mother, brooding/sarcastic Jace, and a whole bunch of other badassness – but things also look so out there. What the hell is with Clary’s mom dropping info? Since when does Clary teleport? Why is she holding a Seraph blade in the club and kills the demon? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BABY!

Okay, mini rant over. Regardless of the changes present in the trailer, it still looks like a decent show. I know I am going to watch it no matter what simply because of what it is. How about you? After watching the trailer (included below), do you still want to watch it? What do you think about the changes so far?

Also, Jace is perfect. I don’t know about you, but Jace, Alec, and Isabelle look like absolute perfection – and so does Clary. The story might be a bit wack, but the characters look as if they were yanked out of the book and put in front of a camera.