A review by lyderz_
Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare

adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 Alright the “tagline” of this book is literally “You never forget your first betrayal” so I should have been prepared. I should have known I would not make it out of this without feeling… betrayed… but I was in fact not ready (especially for that ending). Without being spoilery, let me just say that the decisions these characters make, the secrets they keep, and the things they choose to suffer alone are so infuriating it literally makes it feel like there is a pit in my stomach. So, naturally I gave this book five stars. For me, if a book is able to incite such intense emotions and visceral reactions, then the author is doing a great job. In all seriousness, I sincerely enjoyed this book but I am so deeply invested in The Shadowhunter Chronicles at this point I'll snatch up every bit of content without a second thought. Jumping back into this universe and these storylines always brings me a nostalgic sense of joy and this book didn’t disappoint. 

We have a dark and moody winter in London. We have Edwardian era fashion (I seriously had to look up what spats are). We have tea. We have a murder mystery. We have literal chess games and metaphorical ones too! What more do you need?

This book in particular felt very character driven, which I typically enjoy. There are obviously dangers driving things along, but it is so focused on the complex interpersonal relationships between the main characters that I found the mysterious murder plot secondary to all that for most of the book. It all did eventually gain momentum but I honestly thought the main showdown was a bit anticlimactic. I wanted more action, it’s strange because the threats in this book are very cosmic and impending, and yet they don’t feel very immediate. With all of that said, I understand that the vibe of this trilogy is focused on the drama, and let's be honest, that is what I am really here for. I love reading about all the social gatherings and the gossip. Every scene with the Merry Thieves all gathered together is so fun to read, I am obsessed with their group dynamics. These characters have such contradictory relationships because they are so closely entwined and care for each other so deeply and yet they can be very closed off from each other when they are struggling the most. Each have their own things going on, and their own juicy secrets as well. We got to see some new sides to these characters and I was surprised by how vastly my opinions of some of them have shifted since Chain of Gold, for better or for worse…

Like many Shadowhunter stories, the themes of this book are intensely centered around love. But in this case, we’re exploring the ways that love can be damaging. Or in the sense that harmful things can be disguised as love. We see time and time again these characters holding back, turning inward and keeping quiet because of their love rather than using it as a driving force for the goodness that they all strive for, which seems to perpetually remain out of reach. There are so many toxic and angsty things going on that it makes me want to scream but I’m looking forward to getting some resolutions in the next book, hopefully. In all honesty I’m sensing tragedy, I have some theories about what's next and I feel like I picked up on some foreshadowing. By the Angel I hope I’m wrong. 



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