Review of ‘Lord of Shadows’

Lord of Shadows Cassandra Clare
Margaret K. McElderry Books

Lord of Shadows is the second novel in her young adult Dark Artifices series that offers readers a sophisticated plot coupled with charismatic, complex characters.

It’s so strange to think that this series spawned from the Mortal Instruments series because the writing, the style of the story has grown so much and become so much more than it used to. The story has evolved so much to incorporate some serious aspects of reality to make the novel more impactful for the reader.

Many of the topics of the novel focus on hate-mongering and challenging that fear, to prevent it from becoming something dangerous, something that would result in taking away the rights of people and registering them. Clare has evolved the story beyond just the romance between two characters, she has changed the story to be something more than just about a paranormal fantasy.

There is depth in the story. There is something to learn from the story, a lesson, a warning, to take from it. It’s powerful in that way and highlights just how much Clare has grown as a writer.

And it extends to the characters as well. They have all gone through so many different things that have influenced them in powerful ways. They are confused about so many things, nothing is sure for them, but they still don’t let themselves drown in their sorrows, they fight. That already adds so much to the characters and makes them much more impactful than the previous series.

These characters continue to face challenges, but they each have their light that they refuse to lose, to let it go, and with everything being thrown at them, that’s such an empowering aspect of them. Their light is so important to the story, and who they are because it makes them so unique in the world they are set in. They are more than just warriors, they are lights in the darkness.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Lord of Shadows is a fantastic novel with compelling writing and amazing characters. There’s such a simplicity to it, but it’s not simple in the least. Everything is complex, offering shades of gray to the story, challenging the ideas of what is wrong and what is right. Everything all together makes this such a compelling and powerful novel. It’s simply a must-read, hands down.