Feedback
While this world is one of my favorites, and this book was one of my most anticipated books of the whole year, I went in with an open mind. City of Ashes is my least favorite book of the whole series and barely gets a 3 star rating from me, which shows that even though I love this whole series, I don't have to like every book. However, this book went above and beyond my expectations and was such a fresh air for the series. Shadowhunters fight demons. That's their main purpose for existing. Protect the humans and fight demons, while making sure Downworlders are behaving as well. This book really emphasizes this mandate. Most of the other books revolve around other Shadowhunters (and some humans) making bad mistakes, with a little bit of demon hunting. However, there isn't a whole lot of demon influence in the other books. Chain of Gold reminds us that Shadowhunters are here to fight off these demons and the chaos they can really inflict on the world. I love that Clare went this route and focused more on this issue. The pacing was fast and intense, especially towards the end. She creates these amazing and vivid scenes where the words really take hold and lets the reader imagine what is actually happening. And I loved the way the plot developed. I wasn't sure what exactly was going to happen, and I was still blown away with how she twists her plots around. And her endings... I can't believe we have to wait so long for the next book.
"They need a muse," said Anna. "Someone to be inspired by. Someone to know their secrets. Would you like to be a muse?"
"No," said Cordelia. "I would like to be a hero."
As always, Clare creates the most amazing characters. I love how she writes from multiple point of views and still makes the whole book cohesive. While I was really excited to see more of Tessa, Will, Jem, and the whole crew she sticks true to her form and focusing more on the new characters. Each book focuses on a main group while still giving us characters we have grown to love. This new group of Shadowhunters is everything I wanted. James and Lucie are honestly fantastic. The twist that is done because of Tessa's blood was brilliant. This really added an extra element to the story. Christopher and Thomas were a great combination. I love that Christopher is another Henry and Thomas is still discovering himself which is a great development. I will die for Matthew Fairchild and anyone who wants to hurt him. And then there is Cordelia. I knew she was going to be a fierce character but honestly, and not surprisingly , she is one of my favorites. Oh, and I really dislike Grace - ever since the beginning. Each of these characters fit so well together and honestly make the story that much better. There were a lot at first and it was hard to keep them straight, more so the Lightwood family, but honestly it works. I can't wait to see what adventures lie for these Shadowhunters and I am excited to read more of their story.
"How much is love meant to hurt?" James had asked his father once.
"Oh, terribly," his father had said with a smile. "But we suffer for love because love is worth it."
Final Thoughts
Overall, Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare is the perfect entry for this new series. While I love all of the books (well most), this one really hits the mark on what Shadowhunters are meant for. This book was a much needed one for the series with the focus on Demon attacks rather than a different enemy. I loved the way the story went and the plot twists. Each character really brought something to the story. They each are fantastic in their own ways and I love the relationships they have with each other. I cannot wait to continue this story and see what happens. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the books.
"Together she and Cortana were a poem written in fire and blood."