My fave in the series by far. Omigod!! This was AMAZING! But that ENDING! Whyyyyy? Is it legal for Cassandra Clare to torture me like this??? I think not!

Anyway.

Each character had their moment to shine, which made me so happy. I absolutely adore Ty and Kit, and they have gone through such a prominent transformation since we first met them both. From Thule onward was my favorite section of the book because I found the exploration of what ifs and then the aftermath of finding the answers so fascinating. All the characters have this level of maturity that I really appreciate. There were some awesome twists, and there was a good balance of tension here. And I really enjoyed the focus on mature themes like mental health, grief, and trauma.

Lastly, I would like to point out that Cassandra Clare took a risk with this trilogy. There is not a consistent antagonistic force. No big villain shouting “You shall fear me” from the rooftops. In her other series, there has always been one villain the characters are fighting. Even though they are fighting other forces as well, they are all connected to “the big man” in some way. But here, the antagonist was unclear at times and not the same from beginning to end. I loved it. It added a layer of authenticity and believability to the world and story.

This author and trilogy deserves to be appreciated for what it is. Is it a bridge trilogy? Yes, certainly. But it also great on its own, and brings something new and sophisticated to the Shadowhunter Chronicles.

This concludes my lecture.

P.S. Just kidding. My one gripe with this book was the Hot Faerie Threesome. It kinda creeped me out and any scenes involving Mark-Cristina-Kieran made me supremely uncomfortable.

That’s it.

For real this time.