Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release: 8th March 2016
Genre: Paranormal, YA
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Synopsis:
"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?"
Review
Lady Midnight is the highly anticipated first book in a brand new series set in the beloved Shadowhunter world. This book takes place a few years after the events in City of Heavenly Fire and follows the adventures of Emma Carstairs and the Blackthorn family in Los Angeles.
A lot has changed in the Shadowhunter world since the Dark War. One of the biggest changes is the Cold Peace – a new treaty between Shadowhunters and Faeries after the Seelie Queen sided with Sebastian Morgenstern against the Shadowhunters. The fae no longer have the Shadowhunters protection and their relationship with one another is uneasy.
Still seeking the truth behind what happened to her murdered parents in the Dark War, Emma Carstairs’ investigation leads to a series of new murders targeting faeries. Despite Shadowhunters being forbidden to get tangled up in affairs of the fae, Emma will stop at nothing to avenge her parents and find out who killed them – even if it means risking her own life and those she loves.
Lady Midnight felt like a very different read compared to Cassandra Clare’s previous books set in this world. This book had a lot less action and was more mystery driven. Because Lady Midnight is a massive book it did get slow in the middle and there was a lot of info dumping about what had happened in the other nine books set in this world, which although necessary for new readers, was quite tedious for this old fan.
My favourite thing about Cassie’s books are her extremely likeable and vibrant characters and Lady Midnight was no exception. There are so many brilliant new characters to get to know and fall in love with. My personal favourites are Julian, Ty, Cristina and beautiful precious Mark. We also get to catch up with some familiar faces from both The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices and see where their lives are at now which I absolutely loved reading about.
I’ve always had a lot of respect for Cassandra Clare’s casually diverse characters and that aspect is still present in Lady Midnight. This time Cassie takes a look at Shadowhunters living with autism and mental illness and how they’re treated in the Shadowhunter world. I thought that Cassandra Clare represented both conditions incredibly well and it was so interesting to read about how these characters are treated and how it echoes real world preconceptions.
As can be expected, Lady Midnight is packed full of great romances with something to offer everyone. There is so much ship potential to play around and have fun with as Cassandra offers up a plate full of the forbidden romances and LGBT relationships that she’s famous for.
Lady Midnight ends on a massive high note with shocking revelations and a stunning epilogue that makes you wonder at what’s in store for the rest of the series. With a strong cast of characters, and a plot that hints at so much more to come, I’m looking forward to joining Cassandra Clare on another adventure into the Shadowhunter world.
