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Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I overall really enjoyed this book! Definitely has the typical Cassie style, though I will say this book was particularly romance-focused (which isn’t a bad thing for me!). I love the romance—particularly all the pairings in this story—but I would have liked to see more demon battles. I also found the end a little predictable, with James stabbing himself with Cortana and Cordelia healing him immediately after. Because of that, I didn’t really feel the magnitude of tension that I would have expected to feel for a final battle. Overall though, I think Cassie did a great job developing some of the couples that I was DYING to get more content of (Thomas and Alastair my beloveds, plus Anna and Ari). I also think Grace’s story was handled well—I think the reactions to the truth of her and James’ “relationship” were realistic for each character. God I just love these characters so much, Cassie has such a way of making us fall in love with her characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Alcohol
Moderate: Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Pregnancy
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
5/5 easily. I simply did not dislike a single thing in this book (except maybe Maurice Bridgestock), and honestly, Cassandra Clare has proven once again why she’s my favorite author.
The rest of this review contains MAJOR spoilers for bit this series, but also spoilers for the other series in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. Do NOT read it if you don’t want things spoiled!!!!
First of all. CASSIE HOW COULD YOU! Of all the people, why Christopher? My sweet angel boy.
Anyways now that’s out of the way. What. A. Blast! Chain of Thorns is as stunning as the other shadowhunters a books, and especially the way the relationships between characters unfold is just amazing.
I loved the entire morale of being honest and forgiveness. Forgiving Grace, but also forgiving yourselves (I’m looking at you Matthew), as well as facing your mistakes or things you are ashamed of. The way it is handled is beautiful (as always, it is Cassandra Clare who has written it after all), and I loved every moment.
I loved how every character had a huge development over not just this book but the entire series.
Speaking of, Ari’s character and her name-change was so well-written. No drama, just a person taking a new name and people respecting it.
Now some personal opinions and fangirl-moments, because I may be 22 now, but the 13 year old girl who picked up the mortal instruments in 2014 is SCREAMING about the relationships in this.
First of, Lucie and Jesse!!! I loved everything about these two, and their story! Holy hell. A love story between a girl and a ghost, it was beautiful. The was they fell in love was beautiful and I just really love Jesse Blackthorn okay?
James and Cordelia might have had the most FRUSTRATING love story, but man was it rewarding when Cordelia finally learned the truth after all that LONGING (side note, the fact that Grace told her and Christopher helped? I loved it!)
I also liked how the drama between Matthew, James and Cordelia played out, but honestly, my favorite thing with Matthew in this book was him forgiving himself! The scene where Thomas goes to him and Matthes says, he should stop drinking so much? I CRIED!
Thomas and Alastair are also amazing, and honestly the most chaotically in love people out there. That fire-Message was amazing!
I already spoke about Ari and her development and honestly, the way she and Anna just completed each other and were the reason for each other’s growth was just gorgeous!
Which brings me, at last, to Grace and Christopher. I won’t lie, I wanted them to end up together. I wanted the redemption for Grace (which she got), and Christopher was a huge part of that. Before they could really get far in their relationship, however, Christopher died and I was soooo close to throwing the book across the room. (I didn’t. I retained myself).
The scene in Henry’s lab where Grace finally figures out the fire messages had me balling my eyes out.
And of course, Will Herondale and Magnus Bane, though not main characters in the book, had made me laugh at page 18. And I laughed at many other times reading this book. I also cried, and cursed at the characters and smiled for them and just… Cassandra Clare is an amazing author, which she has proved once again.
How do I then rank this series in the TSC-universe? High, definitely, but TID is still my ultimate favorite. Idk, I do love the Edom-storyline (or Thule in TDA, just generally the other dimensions), but I just find the climax at/in Cadair Idris in TID more satisfying.
All in all, a beautiful book as always, but damn Cassie, did you really have to kill Christopher?
Also side note, I loved the entire ‘wrong family tree thing’ being a canon part of the book. Made me burst out laughing more than once.
The rest of this review contains MAJOR spoilers for bit this series, but also spoilers for the other series in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. Do NOT read it if you don’t want things spoiled!!!!
First of all. CASSIE HOW COULD YOU! Of all the people, why Christopher? My sweet angel boy.
Anyways now that’s out of the way. What. A. Blast! Chain of Thorns is as stunning as the other shadowhunters a books, and especially the way the relationships between characters unfold is just amazing.
I loved the entire morale of being honest and forgiveness. Forgiving Grace, but also forgiving yourselves (I’m looking at you Matthew), as well as facing your mistakes or things you are ashamed of. The way it is handled is beautiful (as always, it is Cassandra Clare who has written it after all), and I loved every moment.
I loved how every character had a huge development over not just this book but the entire series.
Speaking of, Ari’s character and her name-change was so well-written. No drama, just a person taking a new name and people respecting it.
Now some personal opinions and fangirl-moments, because I may be 22 now, but the 13 year old girl who picked up the mortal instruments in 2014 is SCREAMING about the relationships in this.
First of, Lucie and Jesse!!! I loved everything about these two, and their story! Holy hell. A love story between a girl and a ghost, it was beautiful. The was they fell in love was beautiful and I just really love Jesse Blackthorn okay?
James and Cordelia might have had the most FRUSTRATING love story, but man was it rewarding when Cordelia finally learned the truth after all that LONGING (side note, the fact that Grace told her and Christopher helped? I loved it!)
I also liked how the drama between Matthew, James and Cordelia played out, but honestly, my favorite thing with Matthew in this book was him forgiving himself! The scene where Thomas goes to him and Matthes says, he should stop drinking so much? I CRIED!
Thomas and Alastair are also amazing, and honestly the most chaotically in love people out there. That fire-Message was amazing!
I already spoke about Ari and her development and honestly, the way she and Anna just completed each other and were the reason for each other’s growth was just gorgeous!
Which brings me, at last, to Grace and Christopher. I won’t lie, I wanted them to end up together. I wanted the redemption for Grace (which she got), and Christopher was a huge part of that. Before they could really get far in their relationship, however, Christopher died and I was soooo close to throwing the book across the room. (I didn’t. I retained myself).
The scene in Henry’s lab where Grace finally figures out the fire messages had me balling my eyes out.
And of course, Will Herondale and Magnus Bane, though not main characters in the book, had made me laugh at page 18. And I laughed at many other times reading this book. I also cried, and cursed at the characters and smiled for them and just… Cassandra Clare is an amazing author, which she has proved once again.
How do I then rank this series in the TSC-universe? High, definitely, but TID is still my ultimate favorite. Idk, I do love the Edom-storyline (or Thule in TDA, just generally the other dimensions), but I just find the climax at/in Cadair Idris in TID more satisfying.
All in all, a beautiful book as always, but damn Cassie, did you really have to kill Christopher?
Also side note, I loved the entire ‘wrong family tree thing’ being a canon part of the book. Made me burst out laughing more than once.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Alcohol, War
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I’m conflicted. I don’t know if this is a 4.5 or a 5⭐️ but I do know that I am mentally drained and immensely upset that this is the last book we get to see the last hours crew.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Alcohol, War
Minor: Addiction, Sexual content, Blood
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia
Minor: Gore
william shakespeare could NEVER