#please cassie clare do you think you could do this for us?

[whatsnotinaname]

going to put this out there, please don't come @ me for it, but i think i need jem and will to finally meet in the epilogue of twp (wherein jem dies a few decades after the events of twp). for jem to cross over to the other side of the river and for them to be together in a way they were never able to bc of will's curse and jem's illness & silent brotherhood when they lived. for them to have their time together in eternal shadowhunter heaven as two people who have loved each other and understood each other more then anyone else has, with the exception of one who came into their lives later on, since they were 12.

will and tessa got to be together.

jem and tessa got to be together. after 130 years.

jem and will need to be together. 130 years after will died? with jem dying in 2067? and we need to be able to see it.

(by this calculation will and tessa got to be together for 58 years and jem and tessa could also be together for 58 years)

@cassandraclare

[incorrectlasthours]

Chain of Iron Cover/Synopsis Breakdown + Theories

Hello my lovely followers, let’s do this.

As always, these posts may contain spoilers for everything released in the Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare; this post in particular has spoilers for Chain of Gold and The Bane Chronicles. You have been warned. 

Cover Breakdown: 

It’s Lucie!! I love her!!

Tbh, I don’t have too many theories about the cover. I really love how the cover matches the aesthetics of the old fairy tales Lucie loves; her dress is reminiscent of Belle’s, and the woods are a great motif for both the fairy tales she loves to read (remember when she talked to Jesse about them in ChoG?) and the one she’s currently writing about in The Beautiful Cordelia (Princess Lucretia x Sir Jerrod for the win). Overall, I think the woods are just a great motif for Lucie and Jesse’s whole relationship; it’s where they first met, and they’re mysterious yet alluring... kind of like how they feel about each other!

The Rune: I think the fact that the Voyance rune is glowing is simply symbolic of the fact the Lucie can see more than other Shadowhunters. In a way, more of the Shadow world is visible to her than others.

The Death’s-Head Hawkmoths: Cassie said these moths were symbolic of Lucie’s ability to control the dead. They’ve appeared frequently in literature (Dracula, The Silence of the Lambs, “Ode to Melancholy”) and used to be considered a bad omen.

Synopsis:

I loved it and I’m terrified

The two big questions I have are 1. What oath did Cordelia swear, and to what “mysterious power?” and 2. Who is the killer? 

I’m going to address the killer here, but I might make a separate post about about Cordelia!

So, the killer. I have two theories, and I don’t like either of them because they’re my two favorite characters: I think it’s either Lucie or Jesse (but I really, really hope not). 

Lucie: I was thinking of her before, and once it was revealed that she was on the cover I got even more nervous. Think about it: Belial told James in ChoG that he could always approach Lucie and ask to possess her instead. What if he does in Chain of Iron, and she agrees as long as he swears to bring Jesse back? If this is the case, I don’t think Lucie would agree if she knew what Belial was going to do while possessing her (use her as the killer), but what if she “blacks out” and can’t remember afterwards? Lucie is smart though, and I feel like a certain ghost who she has been hanging out with all the time would notice if she goes missing for long periods of time in the middle of the night...

Jesse: In the epilogue of Chain of Gold, Belial said something along the lines of “what Jesse carried was too important” to let something bad happen to him. I know Belial said he can really only possess people of his own blood, but what if because Jesse is in this weird state between life and death Belial could also possess him? It could be why he/the warlock helped with dark magic to preserve his body...

However, why are these killings happening in the first place? In The Bane Chronicles, Tatiana asked Magnus to kill five Shadowhunters to help her bring Jesse back. Could this be related to that? In that case, I feel like the killer wouldn’t be Jesse or Lucie, but maybe someone else loyal to Tatiana? 

Other suspects:

Grace: I really hope not. Someone please, please give this girl a break.

James: If Belial is involved, I think he wants to trick to James into thinking he’s the one behind the attacks, but I don’t really think it’s him.

The new Italian character? Elias? Charles? I don’t even know at this point...

As always, feel free to send me your thoughts and theories! I love hearing from you all, and my ask box/messages/replies are always open! I know I haven’t been great about getting back to asks these past few months, but I will do my best to get through all of them, both new and old. Thank you all for reading, and check out my other theories here!

[solli]

From what I can see Seblaine fans make very valid arguments for their ship to happen, plus it’s canon that Sebastian wanted in Blaine’s pants. Kurtbastian shippers just come up with made up crap that their ship could be enemies to lovers and the main reason they hate Klaine is because Blaine is the spawn of Satan and Kurt is some kind of god. Which is just a lot of crap.

i mean, in all fairness i'm sure there's a whole lot of people shipping seblaine because they find it hot and have little to no interest in all the ranting some of us like to partake into. but that's a given.

speaking solely of the argumentative side of shipping, with these two it all comes down to: do you enjoy this very peculiar alternative version of g me and a large portion of fandom made up and partake in, or are you watching the actual show? it's like draco in leather pants. my archnemesis cassie clare made it up and then suddenly it was so popular in fandom that if you didn't believe the syltherin dorm was a bdsm club, then you were In Fact Wrong. in this case, if you actually thought st. k of lima could, in fact, do wrong, and all faults weren't on blevil baderson, then you were probably homophobic, and also Wrong.

(disclaimer: i'm pro-shipping i'm just talking about me, if you ship two dudes because you think they're hot together please go, i ship tina and dani who am i to judge, I just have opinions when it comes to Argumentative Shipping)

[khaleesiofalicante]

The problem with CC: her latest book was presumably "stolen", as in, a fan got the book for free in a contest and uploaded it online. She ranted on twitter (presumably the person in cause was a minor) and then she shared a video with someone making fun of the situation (a 14yo girl) and attacked her. The girl in cause received death threats and such due to Cassandra's followers. You should check in on twitter. Its the reason people on tumblr went on an URL changing spree. Check the anti cc tag.

Hi!

I went through the the whole thing right now and I agree that Cassandra’s reaction could have been better.

As a writer, I understand her pain (yes she is famous and ‘probably won’t be affected’ financially) and anger and frustration - but the aftermath of the leaking and that retweet of that meme could have been avoided. 

I feel horrible for that kid who got bullied (I am pretty sure she was just being a teenage kid making memes about a bad situation and that does not call for death threats - NOTHING calls for death threats)

But we also need to think about this - WHO are these people sending these death threats? I am NOT taking the blame away from Cassandra by any means - but my point is who are these people who are sending hate asks on Tumblr to people who support Cassandra (who are anti cc) and who are these people sending death threats to children (who are pro cc)

As I mentioned, what feels like hundred times, before - this is escalating unnecessarily. Please do react to controversy and drama - but be reasonable about your reaction. There is so much bullying going on right now (ON BOTH SIDES - it is not okay and it must stop)

If you support CC - then stfu and support her. If you don't support CC - then stfu and unfollow her. Why can’t people understand this? I don’t get why everyone is attacking each other!!

I just want to make one thing VERY CLEAR - 

Please stop sending me asks about CC (anti or pro). I am NOT a spokesperson for CC. I am NOT a spokesperson for this fandom. 

People who keep wanting to know what she has done wrong, please do your own research. People who keep sending me asks about all the wrong things Cassie has done, please stop because I don’t care. I don’t want having discussions about this (again pro or anti) on my blog.

This is a PSA that I will be deleting every ask about CC (not because I support her or don’t support her) simply because it is not my fucking job to answer these asks and be the adult here. I am making it VERY clear that I do not want to be a part of this discussion and that is within my right to do so. 

I had to read up on this whole issue (instead of reading qoaad - which is what I was doing until I saw these asks)

I shouldn’t have to answer these asks and questions and be a part of this discussion for one VERY SIMPLE REASON - I do not want to be a part of it. 

So please respect my privacy and consent - and stop sending asks about Cassandra Clare (again pro or anti)

This is blog about CC’s books - not her herself. So stop asking her about me because I don’t know jack shit. I prefer not to talk about things I know nothing about. 

Now if you will excuse me I will peacefully and stressfully continue to read the dark artifices and find out what lunacy those idiots are up into the faerie courts. 

PS - Annie, this is not an attack on you. Just using this ask to answer to all the other similar ones I got. Thank you for taking the time to explain what is going on. Take care x. 

[grxceblqckthxrn]

hi @chocolatecarstairs came up with these post-CHOG questions and i really want to answer them because im sad that im finished reading it :((

MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW

what was your favorite part, 1 or 2?

Honestly I loved both parts, but I’d say I loved part two just a little bit more for the time that James wasn’t under the curse anymore and LOVED Cordelia

which scene in the book was your favorite?

EVERY scene that had Matthew and James being wholesome parabatai in it!!! my favourite chapter in this book was Blue Ruin, the one after Grace takes the bracelet back from James  (aside from the whispering room ofc).

what scene (or scenes) made you cry the most?

ok ngl i didnt spend much of this book crying, but the only scene that actually made me tear up was when james was dying and matthew could feel it and jesse (WHO I FUCKING LOVED MORE THAN I THOUGHT I WOULD) gave him his last breath :(((((

what scenes were unsatisfactory?

there were not enough Christopher scenes (but to be fair, even if the entire book was just Christopher it still wouldnt be enough for me)

but fr, i cant think of any off the top of my head but i’ll edit this if i do later

what made you laugh the most?

matthew!! james!! thomas!! christopher!! also some of the things Jesse said

what bored you?

this wasn’t boring, but the whole charles/alastair plot line didn’t have me very invested. I did love the alastair/ cordelia scenes tho, so it was just charles that was the problem

also no offense to james bc he was my first actual fictional crush after reading TMH/NBS but like whenever he talked about being in grace i would literally zone out lol the bracelet curse makes him so boring but whenever he isnt in the curse/ is with someone who is NOT grace i just!! love him!!

what disappointed you?

cassie honestly had me kinda shipping matthew/cordelia for a solid FIVE SECONDS there when he stepped in to dance with her after james left her standing there, but that was one of the only scenes that made me feel like they had natural chemistry (along with the scene where he drops her off at her house). I felt like the during the rest of their interactions in the book, cordelia was kind of uncomfortable, which made me really sad because even tho she has every right to feel that way, i felt bad for matthew. I kind of want him to fall for someone else completely and for it to be reciprocated. also, i just really want for matthew and cordelia to become good friends because i feel like they could have such great natural chemistry if matthew didnt love her.

what is the top thing you wish had been done differently?

see above.

what things did you predict that came true?

JAMES BURNING DOWN BLACKTHORN MANOR I FUCKING SAID HE WOULD DO IT TWO FUCKING YEARS AGO IF YALL WANT ME TO LINK THE THEORY LMK

what are some things that were really unexpected?

ok there’s quite a few things here so bear w me babes:

- James genuinely loving cordelia from the start. I wasn’t expecting him to naturally feel nothing for grace at all, so i was expecting a slow burn jordelia, but finding out that he actually loves her makes me so happy but the end where cordelia thinks he was just pretending breaks my heart :(((

-matthew liking cordelia lol definitely was not expecting another parabatai love triangle but i hope it doesnt last. i do think it adds to the plot and i love it, it just hurts to see matthew so emo :(((

-I was expecting to like cordelia as a character, but i ended up LOVING her so fucking much???? she’s so three dimensional to me, and it’s interesting to see how her personality adapts around different characters as people adapt around different social circles irl

-liking jesse as much as i did

-ok so james’ entire character was a surprise to me. it’s so fascinating to see how the bracelet actually affected his personality.If you recall him in The Midnight Heir from TBC. he’s like an entirely different person. i still loved him in TMH but i went into CHOG thinking that if he was gonna be like that the entire time i’d probably get over him really quickly. i was pleasantly surprised by how much i ended up loving him even more tho

-i didn’t expect oliver hayward to die and im going to stay emo about it

- Christopher is so much more clear headed than he was made out to be prior?? like there were so many scenes where he was fully there and when he defended anna to alastair i just kfdsnfkld i love him

are there characters that you didn’t like before that you like now?

yikes umm... Alastair, maybe? he’s somewhat okay to me now, I dont dislike him as much as I used to. ooh and Hypatia Vex. the only scene i remember liking her in QOAAD was when she helped out kit, ty and dru (me, going a whole TSC post without somehow mentioning kit? not possible)

are there characters that you liked before that you don’t like now?

I started CHOG ready to give Grace the benefit of the doubt, and I was surprised by how timid and shy she seemed at the start, but it was interesting to see how it was all an act and how she doesn’t have an actual personality yet. one could argue that she actually does love james, but i doubt it at this point. i dont hate her yet, even tho she IS fucking up james’ life, but she’s on thin fucking ice.

who was your favorite new character?

does new character mean completely new or just never been in a novella new? because for the first, it would be Cordelia (i LOVE her sm!!) and other wise it would be james, matthew and co. also!!! jesse!!

what places in the book would you like to visit?

that hell dimension sounds pretty lit ngl

did you like the ending?

ok so. we KNOW that jordelia is gonna be endgame. cassandra clare always takes the hardest path to get there, but when has she not delivered? it’s just a matter of waiting. so, yes, i did like the ending in sense of the plot because it was a great twist, but i also feel really bad for all of them even tho ik they’re eventually gonna be together :(((

what did you think of the epilogue?

i wasnt surprised, since we alr know that Tatiana is shady asf, but i just really wanna know how she partnered up with a GREATER demon like lol wtf. again, im really happy in terms of plot with this

what are your thoughts on the engagement?

i feel so. fucking bad. for cordelia. and james too, even tho he’s under the bracelet’s curse so he doesnt even KNOW he’s being manipulated. but i love how even through the curse, james still loves cordelia in his own way.

what did you want to see that didn’t happen?

matthew getting therapy periodt

umm honestly i just want more “merry thieves” content like i just love. all of them.

what do you wish had been resolved that wasn’t?

i really want matthew to tell james or cordelia what happened because i just need him to be loved and supported lol i want to give him a hug. 

what is your favorite pairing as of now?

jordelia!!! and lucie and jesse are kind cute rn, and i like them if theyre gonna be pining after eachother but i feel like if they actually get together i wont like the relationship as much.

which characters would you like to see more of in the next book?

CHRISTOPHER CHRISTOPHER CHRISTOPHER 

ANNA!!! i lovED reading about her she’s so badass

matthew!! jesse!! also i wanna see more of those bitchy girls lol just so we can see anna or cordelia tell them to stfu

what is one character whose death you would undo if you could?

ok i know that jesse is still very much a conscious character despite being dead but like,,, i want him to be the way he was before and also i want him to come back to life

and barbara!! she seemed so sweet 

which characters got bad/unsatisfactory endings?

ummm barbara? i cant really say much on this yet bc its still only the first book and when has the first book ever ended up with anyone being happy.

oh but also can we sign a petition to make cassie let matthew actually survive the series because my heart aches just at the THOUGHT of eventually having to read a scene where he dies

which characters got what they deserved?

literally. none of them yet. :(

who should have died but didn’t?

Tatiana lol also lowkey charles but i also feel pity him to an extent 

what plotline are you most excited to see in the next book?

okay the entire jesse plot has me hooked because i LOVE his character. also i love the bracelet plot but its making me MAD because i just want james to be happy but

what is one scene that you wish hadn’t happened, but you know was unavoidable?

THE ONE WHERE GRACE PUTS THE BRACELET BACK ON JAMES. i mean obv there was no way he was completely done with grace, but i literally got so sad at that part like why HIM of all people smfh let him be happy

which pairing do you like the least?

alastair x charles, grace x james, lucie x matthew bc neither of them actually like either imo lol

what are some theories you have for chain of iron?

- not necessarily for COI but i think matthew is gonna get exiled and turned into made into a mundane

- the bracelet will break (?)

- jesse will come back to life (like actual life) at the end of the book

-grace is gonna do something to help the main characters, making it hard for us to hate her.

what characters do you think should have gotten more plot time?

lol are yall gonna hate me if i say christopher again (also anna)

anyways this was really fun!!!!! PLEASE ASK ME STUFF ABOUT MY OPINIONS AND STUFF OR JUST SAY ANYTHING ABT THE BOOK BC IM DESPERATE TO TALK TO PPL ABOUT IT

[colescorner]

The Mid-Year Book Freak-out Tag

The middle of the year is here and its time to reflect on the how my reading year has gone so far...and what better way to do that than with a tag. I found this tag courtesy of emmabooks on YouTube. There are 13 questions in this tag and I’ll answer each question with the cover of the book and a small description as to why I picked the book. 

1. The best book you have read in 2020?

[source: goodreads]

So far, I’m going to have to say The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu. This story centers around power couple Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood and their adventures while on their European vacation. Alec and Magnus are two of my favorite characters from The Shadowhunter Chronicles and when Cassie announced they were going to have their own series I almost screamed! Alec’s character development throughout the series has been one of my favorites to read because I use to be closeted and scared and being able to read about a gay character who was terrified to be who he really was to take a leap of faith and get everything he had always wanted and dreamed about has been a complete privilege and blessing to read. 

2. The best sequel you’ve read in 2020?

[source: goodreads]

Even though this isn’t technically a sequel, Ghosts of the Shadow Market is a companion collection of short stories that take place in the same world as her other Shadowhunter books. These stories take place at different places and in different periods. The collection of short stories gives readers insight into other characters and even sets up some things we’ll see in the coming future installments of Cassie’s books. 

3. 2020 release you need to read?

[source: goodreads]

I attribute a good chunk my love of reading to Cassandra Clare and the magical and intricate world, well-developed and multi-faceted characters, and all the action, comedy, and romance a reader could ask for. I’ve been devoutly reading every installment and new series set in the shadowhunter world and I am not about to stop now! Chain of Gold takes place after The Infernal Devices and follows the children of Will and Tessa as well as some other characters too. I am excited to finally start this series.

4. Most anticipated releases for the rest of the year?

[source: goodreads]

I have not really been following a lot of newer releases this year, so the only really anticipated release I have at the moment is The Lost Book of the White by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu. This is the sequel to The Red Scrolls of Magic and continues following Magnus Bane, Alec Lightwood and their friends as they travel to Shanghai where the Crimson Hand are located. I loved the first book and can’t wait to read the next one.

5. Biggest disappointment?

[source: goodreads]

I’ve been wanting to try and eat more plant-based and I bought this book with the hopes that it would contain new information about veganism that would be useful during my time of exploring veganism. It had some good information, but a lot of the information just seemed like you could find it just by doing a couple google searches on veganism. 

6. Biggest surprise of the year?

[source: goodreads]

As an avid reader, I’ve been wanting to expand my reading pallet and I’ve been wanting to read more classics and one day when I was browsing at Barnes and Noble, I gravitated towards this book and I was quite surprised how much I liked it! I am always a little apprehensive when reading a book that was published awhile ago because I may not be able to relate to it, but thankfully it has a good flow and I believe it still holds up and is relatable to readers today.

7. Favorite new (to you) author?

[source: goodreads]

I’d have to give credit to multiple BookTubers that I follow for picking up this book. I’ve seen it mentioned on several channels that I subscribe to and I really liked the cover and after reading the synopsis, I decided to give it a try and I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed how fast-paced it was and I loved the characters and their arcs and how it had a flare of mystery to it and I was shocked with the ending. If you like a good book that will keep you on your toes and has some twists and turns, I’d recommend you check this one out. 

8. New fictional crush?

[source: goodreads]

One of the things I am loving about current YA is that more and more LGBTQ+ characters are either the main character, part of an ensemble of characters or featured in a way that they have not been featured in the past. What If Its Us? is told from two perspectives, Arthur and Ben, and I really fell in love with both of them as this is one of the first books I’ve read where the story centers around a gay romance. I love the fact that their sexuality isn’t the main part of the book or the characters, but just a facet of them and that any kind of relationship regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity will have its ups and downs as it is part of any relationship. 

9. Favorite new character?

[source: goodreads]

One of my favorite new characters from this anthology would have to be Anna Lightwood! I applaud Clare for being so inclusive for the kinds of Shadowhunters she introduces in these later installments. Anna is a female shadowhunter but she hates wearing female clothes and feels more comfortable in male clothes and seeing character develop throughout the story was so amazing and I’m so happy to have Trans representation in literature. 

10. A book that made you cry?

[source: goodreads]

Cassandra Clare knows how to pull on my heart strings and one of the stories that made me tear-up was the once about Kit’s mom, Rosemary, and how she had to keep herself separate from her son and her lover. It hit me right in the feels. 

11. A book that made you happy?

[source: goodreads]

Like I stated previously, this book made me so happy. To be a gay guy and being able to read a romance where the characters happen to be gay just fills me with so much joy. I also really enjoyed that the main characters ended up not being together because they realized they weren’t good for each other and I think it is so cool that the authors did this because I don’t know if I’ve recently read a YA romance where the love interests don’t end up together. 

12. Most beautiful book that you bought/received this year?

[source: goodreads]

Cassie’s book cover’s never disappoint! I love the colors of this cover, I love light blue colors or hues and the contrast of Cordelia’s red hair. It’s just so pretty, I love it!

13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

[source: goodreads]  [source: goodreads]

Is it even a question that the books I need to read before this year is over are Cassie’s books? I am so invested in the characters and the world that Cassie has created, her first book, literally got me interested into reading for fun and its been a wild wide and my fascination and love for books exploded simply by finding the right book at the right time. 

This tag has been really fun to participate in and what fun is a tag if I don’t tag other book bloggers to join in the fun?? If I did not tag you and still want to participate, please do because I was not tagged, but I wanted to do it anyway!

Tag your it:

 @cinnasbooks​ @lizziethereader​ @bookaddict24-7​ @biblioshark​

[the-dark-swan]

Top 10 female characters rules: name your top 10 favourite female characters from 10 different fandoms and then tag 10 people

thanks for the tag @fireheartswestfall :)

i’m giving explanations for each because why not i love them and i’m gonna talk about them

aelin - throne of glass (i truly could write an entire thesis about what aelin has meant to me in my life. she’s in the number one spot for a reason.)

minerva mcgonagall - harry potter (there are so many wonderful women in this series, but mcgonagall takes the cake. have a biscuit, potter)

leslie knope - parks and rec (she is the perfect example of how slytherin personality traits can be used for good. also please don’t tell me you think she’s not a slyth my heart can’t take it)

emma swan - once upon a time (my very first internet fandom was ouat and it will always hold a special place in my heart.)

feyre - acotar (the character development is *chef’s kiss* and she helped me learn that sometimes we outgrow relationships and only we decide what breaks us.)

tessa gray - the infernal devices (one third of the greastest love triangle ever written and loves the heck out of books. she feels like an old friend when i read about her)

isabelle lightwood - the mortal instruments (this probably cheating because it’s another cassie clare character but i absorbed 50% of isabelle into my personality when i was 14 so she’s gotta be here too)

violet baudelaire - the series of unfortunate events (she taught me that is was cool to be smart and to always have something to pull your hair back)

kestrel - winner’s curse (this is such an underrated series and kestrel is such a badass. that’s all.)

sam baker - sixteen candles (i forking love this movie, and yes, it has not stood the test of time, but everything about sam as a character is so achingly familiar to my own 16 year old experience i can’t not include her)

i’m tagging : @queenofgreenbriar @courtofmaasdestruction @aknymph @fangirltrash74 and literally whoever want to do this it’s so fun tag me in your answers!

[blurrypetals]

Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare - blurrypetals review

originally posted dec. 9, 2018 - ★★★★★

A-T. L-A-S-T.

I am so absolutely overwhelmed by everything that I've experienced in the last few days while listening to this. As Cassandra Clare's longest book to date, a whole dang fuckin' lot happens in this book. To sort my way through this review, the following paragraphs are gonna be chock full of a whole dang fuckin' lot of untagged spoilers, so continue at your own risk. I do think you're doing yourself a huge disservice if you do read this review before you've read the book, though. It's also incredibly likely I'll drop a spoiler or two on every Shadowhunters book so, if you're here and you have not, for some reason, read The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, the other two books in The Dark Artifices trilogy, and all of the short stories in The Bane Chronicles, Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, and Ghosts of the Shadow Market, I implore you to amend that, to go and read those fourteen books and this fifteenth book before reading this review, just in case I ruin anything for you by accident. Okay, now that's out of the way, let's talk about sequels and how to finish a grand, epic fantasy story. It was difficult for me to not compare this book to three other books. The first two are, of course, Cassandra Clare's other finales, City of Heavenly Fire and Clockwork Princess. This handily bowls City of Heavenly Fire straight under the table because, even though City of Heavenly Fire is still a 5-star book, it's the weakest of The Mortal Instruments hexalogy and, other than perhaps The Bane Chronicles, it's also maybe the weakest in The Shadowhunter Chronicles in its current entirety. Clockwork Princess, by contrast, however, is, in my opinion, the best of the entire series. As a finale, Queen of Air and Darkness here sits comfortably as the second best Shadowhunters finale yet. So much happens in this book. It's split into three different parts which could have easily been split into three shorter books with near-perfect three act structures in place for each of them, making this book a nine act book with two "false" climaxes that would have made for quite the cliffhangers if they had been split up for any reason. The first act deals with the aftermath of Livia's death and, because it has a lot of rising action, it's actually a little frustrating in some ways, even if it was frustrating in an incredibly enjoyable way. One of my absolute favorite scenes in the whole book is Julian running to Magnus for help in the middle of the night because it so perfectly mirrors the scene in Clockwork Prince when another blue eyed boy named Will Herondale was at the end of his rope, desperate not to love a girl he was cursed not to be with. I loved the contrast between a Herondale's plea for salvation and a Blackthorn's last hope to avoid damnation, separated by a hundred years yet tied by the same plight and the same warlock's magic. Emotionless-Julian was a really compelling read, even if I was almost as angry and frustrated with him and Magnus as Emma was. I loved to hate how cold and calculating he became without his love and compassion around to guide his moral compass. I hated his betrayal of Emma so fucking much it hurt but I've always loved Julian's ruses, schemes, and plans, and his dealings with the Seelie Queen, the Black Volume, and a skilled calligrapher and wizard called OfficeMax. Damn. So fucking good. Also, speaking of Julian's plans and schemes, his war council and Livia's Watch is one of the most satisfying scenes in The Shadowhunter Chronicles as it currently exists; I'm so proud of my son. He is so great. Hot diggity. Speaking of reminders from past stories, we get the entire cast of The Mortal Instruments during a lot of this book. I was really excited anytime we ran into anyone from The Mortal Instruments, especially the part when Julian and Emma ended up being thrown in the same Unseelie prison as Jace and Clary were and that was Jace and Clary's first appearance in the whole novel. It could have easily gotten overwhelming; I was, in fact, rather worried that Jace and Clary would steal the spotlight for a good spell in the final act of the book, but they didn't, since Emma and Julian were, eh...too big to ignore, and the book even ends with the long-awaited Bane-Lightwood wedding of the centuries, but the story proper closes on Julian and Emma on the beach together. Even though The Wicked Powers is still yet to come, this book felt like a huge culmination of all fourteen of the prior books in a huge way. We had Jem and Tessa from The Infernal Devices, we had Jace, Clary, Simon, Isabelle, Alec, and Magnus from The Mortal Instruments, and we had Emma, the Blackthorns, and all their friends and allies from this series and it felt huge. I also felt the weight of what's to come in a super hardcore manner when it came to Kit and Ty, Dru and Jaime, and, of course, Ash. I genuinely feel as though I can't wait any longer to see how Kit and Ty's stories turn out. I'm especially pleased by the fact that Jem and Tessa decided to adopt Kit and that Kit will have the family he's longed for his whole life and, not only will he have two capable people parenting him through the rest of his adolescence, but he'll also have that younger sibling he's been longing for, someone he can teach and take care of in the way he wasn't when he was small. I really hope at least one of the two forthcoming Ghosts of the Shadow Market stories focuses on Kit and his new life and new home with Jem, Tessa, and hopefully their new precious tiny one. Thoughts of the future of The Shadowhunter Chronicles in Drusilla, Kit, Ty, and, specifically, Ash, bring me back around to the second section of the book, which is the most absolutely bananas thing Cassandra Clare has ever written but is also actually incredibly compelling. I fucking loved the alternate universe stuff, everything to do with the exciting return of not-Jace, the introduction of alterna-Livia, other-Cameron, and living-Raphael (especially the part where he begged Emma and Julian to tell Magnus and Alec to rename Rafael; I was in tears laughing about all of that biz), and the temporary absence of emotionless-Julian and how he and Emma ended up healing so much of their relationship there. I also am so totally down with not-Jace being the main villain of The Wicked Powers, or at least a main villain. I am really impressed with Cassie—which, when am I not, honestly?—in the way that second section of the book was written. It felt like a huge love letter to me as a longtime and dedicated fan of The Shadowhunter Chronicles in general because we got to see these, for lack of a better term, a fanfiction AU turned canon that doesn't read like a fanfiction in the least bit because it remains relevant, interesting, tense, and important the whole way through, even though it's literally a gigantic non-sequitur that some could argue is "pointless." I am not one who would argue that, though, because I loved it so damn much. It gave me what is probably my favorite Emma and Julian scene in all of The Dark Artifices, just after they return to the resistance stronghold. You know the scene. Okay, rapid fire because I could honestly go on forever about this book; I pinned 108 different clips throughout this book, which is the most pins or post-its I've ever put in one single book before. I adored the fact that Simon gave Julian his iron Lord Montgomery figurine before he and Emma left Idris. Michael Wayland's ghost showing up for Robert Lightwood's funeral fucked me up in a super hardcore way and the fact that Kit was the only one who could see him or even sense his presence really got to me and I really teared up because Bitter of Tongue from Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy absolutely wrecked me and this poked at that wound. Everything in regards to Mark, Cristina, and Kieran was incredibly sweet, sex positive, loving, trusting, and healthy and I just...gah they are perfect. A most excellent thruple, one for the ages. A great many of my pins have something to do with Kit growing into his inborn Herondale talent of being a master in snark (think candy gram and "Alas, poor Yorick,"). Everyone in the alternate realm being grossed out by endarkened-Emma's and endarkened-Julian's PDA was hilarious. Julian realizing art requires pain and morality about snapped my sad tiny bird heart clean in half. Feline death on a massive scale. Anytime Jace's more playful, youthful side showed because he's a happy boi now was delightful, especially the parts where he wanted to get to hold the mortal sword and when he declared, "We're the bait!" Magnus hallucinating was great, but my favorite hallucination was when he was flirting with a vase like it was Alec and then very seriously offering to buy it from the Institute. I also loved it when Magnus called Clary "biscuit". It made my heart all soft and nostalgic. Julian's smile at Emma when he got his emotions back tot me emotional, dammit! Caterina meeting Kit for the first time made my heart feel like it was too large for my body. Jace using finger guns, because finger guns are always hilarious. Dru realizing she was looking at the face of a parent when she looked at Julian. Kit responding to being called "Herondale," when Magnus said, "Stay away from my children, Herondale." Emma telling Diana that she showed her the kind of woman she wanted to be. Emma's terrible pun about Manuel being tied up. "Ragnor Lives." An old lady accidentally complimenting Julian on being tall. Emma and Julian deciding to go to the other at the exact same time. Alec would look better on the money. Mark trying (and failing) to make balloon animals and accidentally making them all snakes. That's not even a third of them all. Near the beginning of the review, I said I was having a difficult time avoiding comparing this book to three other books, two of which were past Shadowhunters books. The third book, however, is Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas, which is another very long final book in a series, one that somehow managed to get voted as the best YA fantasy of 2018 and, because of that slap in the face, I couldn't help but wonder how this book, technically the fifteenth in a series, managed to feel fresh, new, fun, and lovable from minute one to hour thirty of the audiobook even though this is the fifteenth time I've experienced a book in The Shadowhunter Chronicles for the first time and I've never come close to feeling the same sort of apathy or anger as I do for Sarah J. Maas and Throne of Glass. This is how you end a series. This is how you end one part of your series. This is how it's done. Take notes, everyone else. Get on Cassie's level.

[beclynn-herondale]

Clace Week Day 4 - hurt/comfort

( the characters and world belong to cassie clare ) (the writing is mine ) and the pictures I from the internet that I found along with the quotes and I edited and made a moodboard)

Warning there is mention of abuse so if you think you will triggered be careful.

Jace had noticed over the years that he has been happier, sleeping better, and living his life to the fullest you can as a shadowhunter, and it was not only because he has started healing from his childhood trauma but also the wars he had fought along side Clary and his family and friends, it takes a toll he thought to himself even though him and Clary made a promise to always come to each other when the bad days come and have found coping skills some days are still so hard but he knew he can do it with Clary by his side, his Clary always helping others and shouldering her her own problems at the same time, always there to give compassion and forgiveness but not always for herself, always there to be a good friend, a good sister and a good girlfriend but never feeling like she's doing a good enough job even with everything she achieves she doesn't always think she helped enough or got through but she does by the angel she does, after all she saved and got through to him which no one had been able to do before. She loves a man who others would say is unlovable and broken, the son of Valentine Morgenstern or at least Raised by, often he thought about Valentine not cause he wanted to it just kinda happens but when he thinks about the way Valentine raised him he realizes how wrong it all was and he has more trauma but now he can handle it better well with Clary being the to his shield heart and protecting him even though she doesn't have to but he doesn't mind he loves her for it even more, this woman was all he ever wanted but didn't know he did until he met her.

Jace had been laying in bed awake for hours now his mind wouldn't rest although he was starting to dose off and fell asleep.

A couple hours later he woke up screaming because of a nightmare about Valentine and him as a child waking Clary up who was next to him asleep.

-

Clary woke up to Jace tossing a turning in his sleep, she was saying his name softly though he didn't hear her she supposed, and then he jolted awake with a scream and she got startled Jace doesn't do that often she could only think of a couple times and it hadn't happened for a while, her heart started to break a little it must have been one of the really bad dreams he sometimes has and she can't understand why the angel does this to him he doesn't deserve to be tortured by Valentine anymore hasn't he suffered from that piece of shit enough,she had to calm herself before she got angry she often does when it comes to the things Valentine did to Jace.

She touched his cheek gently and he let her recognizing her touch and put his arms around her and held tight like he would lose her, he put his head on her chest and started crying and her heart broke more and she noticed a tear falling down her face for him because it had to have been bad so very bad, he was shaking as she tightened her arms around him.

Jace... she said softly do you want to talk about it? I don't know he said. You don't have to if you don't want but I'll listen to every word and do what I can to help she said. Give me..a minute he said just let me stay like this for a bit. Okay she said.

They stayed like they were him hugging her tightly while sobbing and her shirt started to feel damp where his face was snuggled into her chest and she wanted to wrap her arms so tight around him and shield him from any of this ever again, and wants to give the people who have ever said Jace doesn't have feelings or is a bad person or he doesn't have it in him to be kind or how they keep mentioning his actions as a teenager, it makes her angry because he has grown and changed and has become an amazing person so amazing and she would probably slap them if he didn't stop her, how could they say that about her Jace, the Jace who saved them and fought bravely in the wars that have had to fight, the Jace who has sacrificed so much and giving so much of himself to these people, it makes her laugh how messed up they are, they say "well remember his mother was crazy the woman probably passed her crazy on to him and he's probably crazy to let's be honest" how can people be like this, why can't they see that mental illness isn't a joke and it doesn't make anyone crazy and for people like them she is surprised there aren't more cases or maybe there are but in secret, in fear they will be shamed for it, it sets a fire of rage in her and she wants to speak out but how can you? when so many don't think that way, she won't stop though she'll find a way to make it better, though with Alec being Consul now things are gonna change that being one but it won't be easy.

Clary Jace said and she snapped out of it, yeah? And he lifted his head to look at her, I'll tell you now if you want? Of course I do why wouldn't I? And she put her hand to his cheek again.

Well he said the nightcore his voice shaking, was about my fath- Valentine and I was back with him when I was six and.. i was reliving something he did and it still hurts in my heart for some reason because I thought he was my dad and I thought that was how dads were but i I realized he never actually loved me did he? Jace... Clary said, No let me finish before you say anything please or I won't be able to. Clary sat in silence for a minute waiting for him to continue.

-

Jace was trying to think how to explain it how do you tell the person you love more then anything something that is going to break their heart, Well you see there was a day my father was particular Angry and I bumped into some books and they fell, he noticed I was still up and not in bed... he had been on edge all day, but I couldn't sleep and wanted a book to read and I would get ahead on work I thought, I should have been more careful but wasn't, well he approached me and well he did the usual beating saying I needed a lesson and that it will make me stronger like he always did. But there was something else he decided, he sat me down and took one of my fingers and broke it, I shrieked in pain and he said if I made another noise or moved again it would be worse, so I didn't and he broke every finger and would heal them with an Iratze and when they did he would break them again and then after he was finally done, he said "Jonathan you're to gentle and you'll never be anything I know that but I suppose I will keep trying and maybe one day but you keep disappointing me every day, and it's getting tiring so go do your work and do not bother me and do better! You hear me do better! Or it will be worse next time and I will give up on you!", and so I didn't do that again and I decided to try to be perfect at everything and ge left still he left, I didn't do good enough I know but I thought I was doing good but it wasn't good enough, I was never good enough for him, I was never what he wanted. And the worst part was in the dream he had you Clare and he.... killed you, slit your throat and threw your body away like it was just trash and said I warned you Jonathan I did and you didn't listen and I ran to you and you were gone it didn't matter how many iratzes I used you were dead and I couldn't do anything and he said come with me come and be what I always wanted and I said no! And he killed me to but I didn't care you..... were gone, it didn't matter anymore. It felt so real Clary like it actually was happening, I thought I lost you.....

Jace Clary said as her heart was breaking and tears falling again, I am here right here it wasn't real baby it wasn't real i promise and i wouldn't leave you okay. I will always be right here always. And he broke down and started crying again and she wrapped her arms around him and whispered I love you I love you I love and I will never be anywhere but with you over and over again as he was sobbing uncontrollably into her chest and she was crying now to god she hated that man so much for what he did to her Jace, she kissed his forehead and laid her on the top of his head and started rubbing his back something that calmed him when he wasn't and he relaxed and eventually cried himself back to sleep in her arms and they had laid down she didn't remember when but they had and she feel asleep with her arms around Jace and she swore she will protect him always and if anyone ever hurts him like this again she'll kill them, please angel don't let him have to go through anything else please.... she thought before she did fall asleep.

Guess got something written for today.

(Tags @sarcasticmalecfan @tsc-clave @thomaslightwoodx @rednailpolishqueen @theheavenlybooks @daisyherxndale @sorta-a-perfectionist @itsjustjace )

[tlhnetwork]

the last hours by cassandra clare : a complete compilation of snippets released as of 19 feb 19

reminder that snippets are tentative and can be misleading, it’s all up to interpretation. i have ordered the snippets, some are all from chain of gold as far as i guessed / can tell from cassie’s tags and have some sort of sequence, others are most likely from chain of gold too. some are from cassie’s pinterest so they might just be ideas. i will update this post at least once a month, also depending on whether new snippets have been released. 

WILL, JEM, TESSA & JAMES ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

Will had been sitting on the floor, the rug bunched up under his feet, with his back against Tessa’s legs. He looked up when Jem came in, and Jem, in his Silent Brother robes, went over to Will and sat down beside him. He drew Will’s head against his shoulder, and Will held the front of Jem’s robes in his fists and he cried. It was the first time it had ever occurred to James that his father might cry about anything.

SHADOWHUNTERS FOUR

They were inseperable.

MATTHEW

"What's that little smile of yours?" Matthew inquired. "You look as if you're about to laugh."

UNKNOWN BOY & MATTHEW

He yanked him downward, and in a moment they were rolling on the carpet like puppies, Matthew laughing uncontrollably...

SEMI-UNIDENTIFIED SNIPPET ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

He took a deep breath, and crossed the floor of blades and constellations to the other boy’s side. He stood at the foot of the stairs, looking down.

“But of course,” he said, very softly, “your sentiments are reciprocated.”

He stooped over him, tilting his chin up. Their lips met. The other boy made a soft sound, almost like surrender, stretching under his body. He slid an arm around his neck and pulled him down onto the stairs.

TESSA & WILL

"Will." Tessa sank down beside him on the bed. "There is no war."

MATTHEW

"A lapidary phrase is one that is worth carving into stone," said Matthew, "and preserving forever — a wise saying such as we are dust and shadows, or alternately, any words that come out of my mouth."

JAMES

"That's because you’re drunk," said James. They were both sprawled at the same round table in an upper room of the Devil Tavern on Fleet Street.

MATTHEW

"I think too much and I drink too much," said Matthew, "that's my problem."

MATTHEW talking to JAMES

"Please recall that I am the pale neurasthenic one and you are the dark brooding one. It is tedious when you mix up our roles."

MATTHEW & JAMES

Matthew held out his hands. “Pax,” he said, wheedlingly. “Let it be peace between us. You can pour the rest of the port* on my head.”

James’ mouth curved up into a smile. It was impossible to stay angry with Matthew. It was almost impossible to get angry at Matthew.

* as it turns out, a definition of ‘port’ is a strong, sweet dark red (occasionally brown or white) fortified wine, originally from Portugal, typically drunk as a dessert wine. that’s how I made the connection between these snippets and arranged them so. it’s not confirmed.

WILL & LUCIE ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

“What if Cordelia has changed her mind, and says she will not have a minx like you?”

“She would never!” Lucie was outraged.

“No,” Will agreed. “She would not. As far as I am concerned, you shall perform the ceremony as soon as you please. All I want is for you and Cordelia to live a long and happy life, and never be parted.”

CECILY ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

"I am pleased - it is high time I think more girls became parabatai with each other," said Cecily.

WILL & CORDELIA ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

“Cordelia Carstairs,” Will said, after greeting her mother. “How pretty you’ve become.”

Cordelia beamed. If Will thought she was pretty, perhaps his son thought so, too. Of course Will was entirely prejudiced toward all things Carstairs. He even thought Alastair was perfect (and, possibly, also pretty.)

LUCIE

The Beautiful Cordelia was a novel that Lucie had begun when she was twelve.

“THE BEAUTIFUL CORDELIA” LUCIE & CORDELIA ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

Cordelia glanced over her shoulder. “Is it — I mean, I wish to chat alone with you, too, but are we being dreadfully rude asking your brother to walk behind us?”

“Not a bit,” Lucie assured her. “Look at him. He’s quite distracted, reading.”

And he was. James had a book out and was calmly reading while he walked. Though he seemed entirely caught up in whatever he was perusing, he nevertheless skirted oncoming passers-by, the occasional rock or fallen branch, and once even a small boy holding a hoop, with admirable grace. Cordelia suspected that if she had tried such a stunt, she would have crashed into a tree.

“You’re so lucky,” Cordelia said, wistfully, still looking over her shoulder at James.

“Goodness me, why?” Lucie looked at her with wide eyes. Where James’ eyes were amber, Lucie’s were a pretty pale blue, a shade lighter than her father’s. The famous dark blue Herondale eyes had gone to Will’s sister’s children.

Cordelia’s head snapped back around. “Oh, because —“ Because you get to spend time with James every day? She doubted Lucie thought that was any special gift; one didn’t, when it was one’s family. “He’s such a good older brother. If I’d asked Alastair to walk ten paces behind me in a park he would have made sure to stick by my side the entire time just to be annoying.”

“Pfft!” Lucie exhaled. “Of course I adore Jamie but he’s been dreadful lately, ever since he fell in love.”

She might as well have dropped an incendiary device on Cordelia’s head. Everything seemed to fly apart around her. “He’s what?”

“Fallen in love,” Lucie repeated, with the look of someone enjoying imparting a bit of gossip. “Oh, he won’t say with who, of course, because it’s Jamie and he never tells us anything. But Father’s diagnosed him and he says it’s definitely love.”

“You make it sound like consumption.” Cordelia’s head was whirling with dismay. James in love? With who? The look he had given her when she stepped down from the carriage, perhaps she had imagined that?

“Well, it is a bit, isn’t it? He gets all pale and moody and stares off out of windows like Keats.”

“Did Keats stare out of windows? I don’t recall hearing that.”

Lucie plowed on, undeterred by the question of whether England’s foremost romantic poet did or did not stare out of windows. “He won’t say anything to anyone but Matthew, and Matthew is a tomb where James is concerned. I heard a bit of their conversation once by accident, though —“

“Accident?” Cordelia raised an eyebrow.

“I may have been hiding beneath a table,” said Lucie, with dignity. “But it was only because I had lost an earring and was looking for it.”

Cordelia suppressed a smile. “Go on.”

“He is definitely in love, and Matthew definitely thinks he is being foolish. He does not like her.“

CORDELIA, LUCIE & MATTHEW ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

Cordelia clutched Lucie’s hand as they jolted through the streets in the Carstairs’ carriage, surrounded by the blurred traffic of omnibuses, motorcars, and pedestrians. Advertisements whirled past. THE HORSESHOE HOTEL. THREE GUINEA STOUT. NEW PALACE STEAMERS. Signs advertising tailors and fishmongers, hair tonic and cheap printing.

Matthew, sitting across from them on the upholstered carriage seat, was muttering and swearing to himself, his hair sticking out madly.

“Hidebound,” he muttered. “Weasels.”

“What?” said Lucie.

“I think he said hidebound weasels,” said Cordelia. “But who do you mean, Matthew? Are you angry at us?”

Matthew flung himself sideways so his long legs were pulled up on the bench seat in front of him, and his profile was presented to Lucie and Cordelia. It was a fine profile: he was much more delicate-featured than his brother, who had a broad, strong face. Matthew had a face that looked as if it had been meant to be painted on china.

“Of course not,” he said. “It’s just appalling how they all treat James.” He glanced at Cordelia, and then at Lucie. “She knows, doesn’t she?”

JAMES, TESSA & WILL ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

James could see his mother moving like an anxious pale star among the guests in her lilac dress, greeting each of them warmly, welcoming them to her home. She had not glamoured herself to look her husband’s age for the evening, and she appeared enormously young, though her hair was done up like a gracious older woman’s, not a girl’s. When Will materialized out of the crowd and came to put his arm around Tessa, smiling down at her, the gray at his temples flashed like silver. James looked away; he loved his parents for being extraordinary, but sometimes he also hated them for the same thing.

JAMES & CORDELIA ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

James and Matthew separated, Matthew to dance with Lucie, and James to speak to his parents. Cordelia saw them glance over toward her and looked away quickly; still, she was not at all surprised when James appeared a moment later in front of her, flashing a smile at his aunt and uncle.

“Miss Carstairs,” he said, with a slight bow in Cordelia’s direction. “Would you favor me with this dance?”

“It’s a waltz,” said Cordelia’s mother, before Cordelia could speak. “My daughter does not know how to waltz.”

Cordelia bit her lip. She certainly knew how to dance: her mother had engaged an expert instructor to teach her the quadrille and the lancer, the stately minuet and the cotilion. But the waltz was a seductive dance, one where you could feel your partner’s body against yours, scandalous when it had first become popular.

She very much wanted to waltz with James.

JAMES & CORDELIA ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

"Who's the boy tripping over his own feet?" Cordelia asked as the boy in question, a slender, ink-stained young man with spectacles and tousled brown curls, nearly careened into Lucie and Matthew.

"That's Christopher Lightwood. My cousin. Alas, Christopher is far more at home with beakers and test tubes than he is with female company. Let's just hope he doesn’t pitch poor Rosamund Townsend into the refreshment table."

"Is he in love with her?"

"Lord, no, barely knows her," said James. "Charles and Ariadne* are engaged, and Barbara Lightwood has an understanding with George** Hayward. Beyond that, I'm not sure I can think of any romances brewing in our set. Though having you and Alastair here might bring us some excitement, Daisy."

Her heart leaped. "I didn't realize you remembered that old nickname."

"What, Daisy?” He was holding her close as they danced: she could feel the heat of him all up and down her front, making her prickle all over. "Of course I remember it. I gave it to you. I hope you don't intend me to stop using it."

"Of course not. I like it." She forced herself not to move her gaze from his. Goodness, his eyes were startling up close. They were the color of golden syrup, almost shocking against the black of his pupils. She had heard the whispers, knew people found his eyes odd and alien, a sign of his difference. She thought they were lovely: the color of fire and gold, the way she imagined the heart of the sun. "Though I don't think it suits me. Daisy sounds like a pretty little girl in hair ribbons."

"Well," he said. "You are at least -"

He broke off. She heard the click as he swallowed: he was looking past her, at someone who had just come into the room. Cordelia followed his glance, and saw a tall woman, thin as a scarecrow and dressed in the black of mourning, with gray-streaked auburn hair done in the style of decades ago piled on her head. Tessa was hurrying toward her, a concerned look on her face. Will was following, and goodness, what did they both look so worried about?

As Tessa reached her, the woman stepped aside, revealing the girl who had been standing behind her. A girl, dressed all in ivory, with a soft waterfall of white-gold curls gathered back from her face. The girl moved forward gracefully to greet Tessa and Will, and as she did so, James dropped Cordelia's hands.

They were no longer dancing. Cordelia stood, frozen in confusion, as James turned away from her without a word and strode across the room toward the girl.

* in the original snippet, her name was Daphne, it’s been changed to Ariadne, confirmed.

** see next snippet

BARBARA & THOMAS ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

Barbara patted Thomas, as if his brawny arm was a small boy’s head. “I was merely anxious about you, Tommy. Surely you are not vexed.”

Thomas’s brows were drawn sharply together, making his amiable countenance dark for the briefest interval. Then he sighed, drew his sister toward him in the circle of his arm, and stooped to press a kiss upon her brow.

“No, Babs,” he said. “Of course I am not vexed. Can you spare your brother a dance, though I know Oliver** will be loath to part with you? I will take care not to be clumsy.”  

** unsure if George’s name has been changed to Oliver or if they are even the same person.

THOMAS, CHRISTOPHER & GRACE ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

“Christopher,” said Thomas. “Would you take James away immediately and show him an interesting scientific experiment?”

Christopher frowned. “Which one?”

“Any one at all!” said Thomas. “I will escort the ladies home.”

Christopher’s brow cleared. “Ah, I understand perfectly. This is what Matthew said we were to do, about not letting James out of our sight and above all else keeping him away from…”

He trailed off, gazing at Grace with distant alarm.

GRACE

Be careful what you say to me, Grace told him. There is nothing I cannot make you do.

[ popularly assumed to be JAMES talking to GRACE ]

"That was vile, what you made me do, and vile that you made me do it."

THOMAS & LUCIE ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

Apprehension stole across Thomas’s face. “Lucie, you must not challenge Grace to a duel.”

“We shall see where the night takes us,” Lucie declared.

“Oh good,” said Thomas. “I see you intend to Herondale to the fullest.”

JAMES

Make a wish, Jamie

JAMES

"Stop!" James cried. He felt as if he were drowning. He had always been shy...

JAMES & BARBARA

The world had gone monochrome. James saw broken, black walls, a splintered floor, and dust that glittered like dull jewels scattered across the place where Barbara had fallen.

SHADOWHUNTERS FOUR ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

James cried out. Lightning seemed to fork behind his vision, and suddenly he was back in Regent’s Park, kneeling on the grass. There was a firm grip on his shoulders. “Jamie, Jamie, Jamie,” said an urgent voice, and James — his breath tearing in and out of his chest — tried to focus on what was in front of him.

Matthew.

Everything was blurred in that moment but Matthew’s face, his green eyes wide and dark and steady. Behind him moved other figures; they seemed in that moment like the shapes James had been finding in the clouds — inchoate and untouchable.

“Jamie, breathe,” Matthew said, and his voice was the only steady thing in a world turning upside down. It had been years since this had happened. Years. The horror of it happening in front of a crowd of people —

“Did they see me?” he said in a cracked voice. “Did they see me turn?”

“You didn’t,” Matthew said, “or at least, only a very little bit — perhaps just a bit fuzzy round the edges —“

“It’s not funny,” James said through his teeth, but Matthew’s humor acted like a slap of cold water; he opened his eyes fully, saw Thomas and Christopher looking down at him. They had positioned themselves so as to block him from the crowd at the lake’s edge.

“Get up,” Thomas said. “It’s the best thing you can do, James, we’ll tell them you tripped or fell.” His hazel eyes were anxious but his tone was reassuring. “Honestly all the attention was on Ariadne — “

Matthew’s hands on James’ shoulders turned into a grip on his arms, and James was hauled upright by his three best friends. Christopher produced a handkerchief from somewhere and began to dust his lapels.

“Chris,” said Matthew. He was the only person who ever used that nickname for Christopher besides Anna. “Stop. Who cares if he’s dusty? He was just invisible.”

“But he isn’t any more,” Christopher pointed out.

“We need to get you back to the Institute,” said Matthew to James in a low voice. “If you’re going to start suddenly going all — shadowy — for no reason, then the Silent Brothers —“

“Not the Silent Brothers,” said Thomas. “Just Zachariah.”

JAMES & MATTHEW

The whole way to the Fairchilds’ James had felt as if he were choking, and now he could breathe, the pressure on his chest easing. He couldn’t find words now, couldn’t do anything but clutch on to the front of Matthew’s shirt and put his head down on his shoulder.

JAMES & CORDELIA ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

Cordelia was alone in the hallway. Squaring her shoulders, she pushed open the door to James’ room.

She had never been in a boy’s bedroom before, and it was quite a scandalous action to enter now, but the significance of it seemed small, swallowed up by her worry. James was half under the covers of the bed, moving restlessly from side to side, his face flushed with fever. His nightclothes clung to him, wet with sweat. It was a bright day outside and sunlight speared through the room, illuminating the bowls of burning herbs that Enoch had left behind.

James rolled toward her. His eyes, the color of sunlight, blinked open slowly. “Matthew?” he said. “Matthew, is that you?”

CORDELIA

A betraying hope swelled in her heart and for a moment she allowed herself to imagine being engaged to James, being welcomed into Lucie's family.

JAMES

The moonlight softened the harsh gold of James' eyes to a dark umber. How changed would his life have been if his eyes had not been a sign of his difference?

JAMES & CORDELIA

Cordelia blinked, bewildered. "James?"

"I suffered every thorn for you," he said. "I would again."

JAMES & UNKNOWN GIRL

"Hold my hand, James," she said.

WILL & JAMES ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

“Matthew told me what happened at the park,” Will muttered in a voice no one but James could hear. James shot a betrayed look at Matthew, who shrugged and gave him a half-smile. Matthew could be relied on to tattle on James if he thought it was for his own good. “Thank the Angel for Matthew and Thomas and Christopher.” He touched James’ face. “I regret ever having said that your generation was wasting its time with parties and boating and dancing. All I wish for you is to be able to amuse yourself in a pointless fashion during peace and never, ever be in danger.”  

ANNA & CORDELIA ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

"To take tea with Anna Lightwood," said Cordelia. "She invited me."

CORDELIA

Cordelia felt her back stiffen. "I accepted the invitation," she said. "I will go."

ANNA & CORDELIA ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

Anna Lightwood lived on Percy Street, a small byway near Tottenham Court Road. It was made up of long rows of houses of red brick that all looked very much the same. Each had sash windows, white-painted doors, brick chimneys, a shallow set of steps and a fence about the servants’ entrance made of black wrought iron.

On the stairs in front of No. 30, a girl sat crying. She was a very fashionable girl, in a walking-dress of blue foulard with lace trimmings and acres of flounces about the skirt. She wore a head-band trimmed with silk roses, and they wobbled as she cried.

Cordelia checked the address she had written down again, hoping it would have changed. No, definitely Number 30. She sighed, squared her shoulders, and approached.

“Pardon me,” she said, as she reached the steps. The girl was blocking them completely; there was no way to politely edge past. “I’m here to see Anna Lightwood?”

The girl’s head jerked up. She was very pretty: blond and rosy-cheeked, though she’d been crying. She gave Cordelia a deeply wary look. “Who are you, then?”

“I, ah…” Cordelia peered more closely at the girl. Definitely a mundane: no marks, no glamour. “I’m her cousin?”

“Oh.” Some of the suspicion went out of the girl’s face. “I — I am here because —“ She went off in a fresh spate of tears.

“Might I enquire as to the problem? Is there something I can do?” Cordelia asked, though she rather dreaded finding out why as it seemed the sort of thing where she might have to come up with a solution.

“Anna,” the girl wept. “I loved her — I love her still! I would have given it all up for her, all of it, polite society and all its rules, just to be with her, but she has thrown me out like a dog on the street!”

“Now, Emmeline,” drawled a voice, and Cordelia looked up to see Anna leaning out of an upstairs window. She was wearing a man’s dressing gown in rich purple and gold brocade, and her hair was a cap of loose, short waves. “You can’t say you’ve been thrown out like a dog when you’ve got your mama, two butlers, and a footman coming for you.” She waved. “Hello, Cordelia.”

“Oh, dear,” said Cordelia, and patted Emmeline gently on the shoulder.

“Besides, Emmeline,” said Anna. “You’re to be married Wednesday. To a baronet.”

“I don’t want him!” Emmeline sprang to her feet. “I want you!”

“No,” said Anna. “You want a baronet.”

LUCIE & ALASTAIR ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

He might be Cordelia’s brother, but she did not like him above half.

Moreover, at the present moment, he presented the appearance of a lunatic. Beneath his unbuttoned coat his waistcoat was disarranged, and one side of his high wingtip collar was dreadfully askew. His improbably light hair was out of its usual careful shape, pomaded strands going wildly in all directions and glittering electric bright under an arc lamp. On Percy Street, the street lights were older and less reliable, their fierce yellow burn stripping them all down to harsh lines.

“You’ve lost your hat, Alastair,” said Lucie.

Alastair said: “I have lost my sister!”

Lucie went cold. “What do you mean? Has something happened to Cordelia?”

UNKNOWN GIRL

Does love mean anything to you, she said. Or is it just something people give you easily, the way you give toys to a child?

ANNA & GRACE

“I respect a heartbreaker,” said Anna. “People are better off without hearts anyway. But you don’t leave people better off. You’re not a heartbreaker, Grace Blackthorn. You’re a life destroyer.”

MATTHEW & ANNA

"Anna can seduce anyone," said Matthew.

ANNA

"Preferably not boys," said Anna, without looking up. "Then I have to pretend to be interested."

JAMES & ANNA

Anna raised her eyebrow at James as he turned away, but James ignored it. Anna had been raising her eyebrows at him all his life.

ANNA & COUSINS ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

Anna’s deep-blue eyes narrowed as she studied him. James was sitting on the edge of his chair, hands clasped together and leaning forward in Anna’s direction. These cousins looked more like brother and sister than James and Lucie, or Anna and Christopher. James’s face was chiseled and serious, while Anna’s features were sharp and roguish, but they shared the same coloring of crow-black hair and snow-white skin. More than that, both had an air of cleverness that seemed thrown up as a defense against sensitivity, sharp minds that shut away hearts too easily broken. Seeing the similarity made Cordelia wonder what had happened to Anna, and fear what might happen to James.

Anna flicked an eyebrow upward, a scratch of ink dashed across a page. “Ah yes, about that. Let me be perfectly clear what you are asking: you want me to seduce a pretty warlock in order to procure you an [item redacted for spoilers!]?”

Anna surveyed the room, and when she was answered with cautious nods she threw her hands into the air.

“You are off your heads, every one of you.”

“Can you not do it?” Thomas asked apprehensively.

Anna toyed with her watch chain so the chain caught the light and glittered. “Oh, I daresay I could.”

There was a collective moan lamenting Thomas’s stupidity in asking such a question. Lucie told Thomas he was a dolt. Thomas begged Anna’s pardon.

“Not at all, Thomas, I know you’re an innocent soul. That said,” Anna drawled, “I take many issues with your request. For a start, it is against my strict policy to seduce anybody twice.”

“Every outlaw must have a code,” James said.

ANNA

"No one ever just wants to have tea," said Anna. "Tea is always an excuse for a clandestine agenda."

ANNA

"Do you think he's in love?" Anna said. "People can be rather awful when they're in love."

MATTHEW

"But is it wise to prove James isn't a lunatic?" said Matthew.

ANNA

"You might leave that to me," said Anna.

LUCIE & GRACE

And there beside her was Grace. Lucie remembered Grace as a determinedly poised twelve-year-old but she was quite different now. Cold and lovely and statuesque.

TATIANA, GRACE, JAMES, LUCIE & CORDELIA ( CHAIN OF GOLD )

From where they were, they had a perfect view of James, standing straight and polite as Tatiana Blackthorn, wearing a faded fuschia dresses stained with dark spots, advanced on him, a witchlight torch in her hand.

“How dare you come here, Will Herondale,” she said, a savage tone to her voice. “What is left for you to destroy? You murdered my husband and my father —“

Lucie made a small whimpering noise. Cordelia clutched at her cold hand, squeezing it for comfort.

“That’s James.” It was Grace, dressed all in a long white nightgown with a white dressing-gown over it. White slippers covered her feet and her blonde hair was loose, falling over her shoulders. “It isn’t Mr. Herondale, Mama. It’s his son.”

LUCIE & JESSE*

He really did have a most arresting face, Lucie thought. She firmly believed it was all right to stare at people when you were a writer. Writers needed to gather material. That was all there was to it.

* not confirmed, but popularly assumed and not without good reason.

LUCIE & UNKNOWN PERSON

"Miss Herondale?" said a soft voice behind her.

[ most likely JESSE & LUCIE ]

But Lucie was staring at the boy who had come in with them. The boy who she had last seen in Brocelind Forest. Lucie was ten when she met the boy in the forest. Lucie looked for him in the forest after that, but she never saw him again. It would be ten years before she saw him again.

[ these snippets are actually separated but they flow well so I put them together. ]

JESSE

Jesse sighed and looked up at the chandelier. "I have two ages," he said. "I am twenty-four. And I am sixteen."

[ popularly assumed to be JESSE & LUCIE ]

"Can no one else see you?"

JAMES & LUCIE

James went white. "Lucie?"

CORDELIA & JAMES

Not tie him to the bed, Cordelia thought. Not cut his beautiful hair. She loved his hair: it was black like his father's, black as night, dark as a place you could tell secrets in.

ALASTAIR, CORDELIA & MRS BRIDGESTOCK

“Disgraceful,” said Mrs Bridgestock. “I know your face. You are that Persian boy. Are you not ashamed to be running around corrupting nice young people? I suppose you are only following your father’s example, but considering what happened to him, you should really know better.”

Cordelia wished to rush to her brother’s defense, but she did not dare move.

Alastair bared his teeth at Mrs Bridgestock. “I should, shouldn’t I?”

LUCIE & MATTHEW

A coat settled on Lucie’s shoulders, bottle green superfine and warm from the heat of Matthew’s body, smelling of expensive cologne. Lucie glanced up to see Matthew’s face above hers, limned by sunlight and the gold of his hair, serious for once as he carefully buttoned the coat closed. His hands were usually swift and bright with rings, flying through the air when he talked or to the curving hilt of his rapier when he fought, but now they were moving with great deliberation over such a small task. She heard him draw in a slow breath.

JAMES

James' heart lurched in his chest. "We were childhood friends."

UNKNOWN GIRL

"You lied to me," she said.

UNKNOWN BOY ( the person in the pin was a guy )

"You carry my life in those careless hands"

ANNA ( SHADOWHUNTERS FOUR, the pin was four boys )

"Delicate boys must be protected," said Anna.

UNKNOWN BOY

The house has all fallen down into ruins, he said.

UNKNOWN BOY AND GIRL ( in the pin, they both had dark/brown hair )

We could get married, she said.

JAMES & CORDELIA

To the last hour.

[ according to Cassandra Clare’s The Last Hours Pinterest board. The picture was a girl with red hair and a guy with black hair. Cordelia and James fit the description best. ]

UNKNOWN BOY AND GIRL

Death is not the end.

UNKNOWN BOY AND GIRL

The shadows of our own desires stand between us and our better angels, and thus their brightness is eclipsed.

SHADOWHUNTERS FOUR

One for all and all for one.

TWO UNKNOWN BOYS

We had grown as gods, as the gods in heaven, souls fair to look upon, goodly to greet, one splendid spirit, your soul and mine.

SHADOWHUNTERS FOUR

All together, or not at all.

TWO UNKNOWN GIRLS

Thank you angels for ensuring she’s a good dancer, loves to dance and takes me out dancing.

[ unsure if the last five are actually snippets, it’s not in the Shadowhunters’ Wikia but it’s on Cassandra Clare’s The Last Hours Pinterest board so I just added them in. ]

[icywhitescar]

QoAaD and theories based on the chapter titles

Today, Cassandra Clare released the chapter titles of QoAaD and as a faithful literature student, I decided to analyse the poem they are based on.'The City in the Sea' by Edgar Allan Poe (1845) is the poem they are inspired from so I will be analysing the poem and theorising any possible events. The chapter titles aren't chronological to the linear structure of the poem so this will go according to the poem and not the sequence of the titles.   I'll be mostly blurting out random thoughts so this is just some general points of interest and maybe they're far-fetched but let's just get into it. 

The poem was initially published under the titles of  'The Doomed City', and 'The City of Sin' and tells the story of a city ruled by the personification of Death, perhaps alluding to many deaths in the upcoming novel. The city resides near "melancholy waters" (title of chapter 2) and the water element has been a theme throughout 'The Dark Artifices' and is a key aspect of all three book covers. The poem ends with the city sinking, which many argue is symbolic of the descent to Hell - most likely caused by mortal sin. One interpretation of this is the downfall of the Shadowhunter race by the sin of some - an idea the Cohort have already undertaken as they strive to restore the Nephilim to the old 'golden age'. The submersion of the city could allude to the downfall of the Cohort that is brought about by their own ideology, or the downfall of individual Shadowhunters due to unspeakable deeds they have committed (perhaps Julian's punishment for his willingness to transgress morals and laws for the benefit of his loved ones, seen when he was open to the idea of severing all parabatai bonds so he could be with Emma whilst also keeping his family). 

The city is located "far down within the dim West", which is the direction of the setting sun and could symbolise the descent from light to darkness as night-time prevails in the poem. Downfall is a key theme and as "everything changes" in  QoAaD, it's quite obvious that dark and sinister forces will arise. "Holy heaven come down" and "Hell, rising", convey a feeling of good forces being defeated or supressed by the villainous opposition. The most powerful villain yet is said make an appearance so the allusions are probably spot on as the Shadowhunters will struggle against a powerful enemy. 

A chilling rhyming couplet goes: "Where the good and the bad and the worst and the best / Have gone to their eternal rest", suggesting that people from both the 'good' (Livvia's Watch etc) and from the 'bad' (Cohort, Unseelie King) side will die. Cassandra Clare hasn't revealed a precise death count which supports the idea that many will be lost. Death's city is described as elaborate and impressive with "kingly halls" and "marvellous" shrines, but the magnificence is juxtaposed because the architecture is "long forgotten" and "shadowy". There is an overwhelming absence of life and it reminds me of Edom's history from CoHF, a reality where Shadowhunters perished because they lacked certain equipment such as seraph blades, but ultimately because they were too prideful to accept the help of Downworlders in order to fight demons. This is a chilling parallel to the current situation in Idris, where a blight caused by the Unseelie King is not only present in large parts of Faerie, but it has also spread into parts of Brocelind Forest. Shadowhunters would be unable to use their tools in the case of an invasion, and if the Cohort's ideology spreads and Downworlders are alienated, the Nephilim could perish exactly as they did in Edom. The presence of ruins is also in the cover of QoAaD where the ruins of a city are seen in the background.

"Babylon" is the title of chapter 3, and I believe will focus on the Cohort. The term 'Babylon' is used by Rastafarians (a religious movement in Jamaica) to refer to oppressive colonial institutions as Jamaica was a British colony. There is an inextricable link between the Cohort's fascist ideology and the ideology shared by colonial powers who saw non-white races as inherently inferior, and the Cohort represents the rise of extremism in contemporary US politics.  Perhaps Downwolders will rally up in opposition to the Cohort (maybe ally themselves with Livvia's Watch) the same way the Rastafarians do with Britain's oppressive establishments that are still present in Jamaica to this day. The title of chapter 15 is "Turrets and Shadows" which likely alludes to Julian's dark nature as he is further isolated from others by his secrets. There are plenty of theories on Julian's downfall and he is an anti-hero so this isn't surprising. Similarly to the tower covered by thorns on his bedroom wall, Julian is metaphorically trapped by his own darkness (his lies and deceitful nature). Cassie has revealed that Julian will be more isolated in QoAaD than Emma will be because he has no one to talk to, to share his burden with, and this isolation reflects the entrapment of a tower. Julian is a Blackthorn and his fairy tale is Sleeping Beauty where he is Beauty that lies in the tower so this imagery is very familiar with his character. 

Another terrifying chapter title is that of 31: "A redder glow." In Poe's poem, this is about the water's colour right before Death's city begins sinking, but in the context of TSC, this is frighteningly close to the glow of the demon tower's in Alicante during a demon invasion. A war is certainly coming and will likely take place in Alicante like it did in TMI. 

Lastly, "Hell Rising" of chapter 18 reminds me of Sebastian's quote, "If I cannot move  Heaven, I will raise Hell", something that Satan said in Paradise Lost by John Milton. Sebastian's known legacy right now is Ash who is generally accepted by the fandom to be his son which makes me question if Ash will follow his father's footsteps.  

I might add more later but I'm too tired at the moment, let me know what you guys think of this! I finally put my literature skills into use for this fandom since I don't draw or write fanfiction and doing this was really fun (and time-consuming). I'm posting this on the 10th of November 2018 and please tag me if you want to use any of these points so I can read your theories!

[booksandtea]

Browsing Bloggers Bookhselves | Browsing For Books

So you may remember that last month I did a similarly titled post with Sarah which I really enjoyed. This is the second time I’ve been able to do a post like this and I love it! Today I’m feauturing Cerys’ bookshelves! Don’t forget to stop by her blog to browse my books.

Do you want to know the creation of this collab? Shortly after I broke my wrist I put out a call to guest post with other bloggers more and one of the lovely people who reached out was Sarah @BookHookedNook. After a bit of talking we decided upon a collab kind of post, which is this creation.

We shared photographs of our (main) bookshelves with each other so the other person could “browse” them and pick out books they’d recommend, books they suggest to avoid, or books they’d love to read.

As I really enjoyed this process if anyone would like to partner up with me and do these posts together please contact me. I’m best replying via Twitter DMs or emails. I hadn’t anticipated having a queue of these posts ready but I do and I’m still thrilled to do more so this will become a somewhat regular feature.

Cerys’ Bookshelves

As I mentioned today I’ll be browsing Cerys’ bookshelves. First of all I want to say I love her lil decorations; plants, badges, funkos, and a coaster.

I’ll use these emoji’s as a code: 📚 – books to add to my tbr | 📖 – read and recommend | 💔 – do not recommend

📖Everless by Sara Holland [purchase] I really enjoyed this book as it was one of two that got me out of a reading slump. Also the fact its only part of a duology really makes it better imo. No more waiting for book #2349!

📚 The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo [purchase] & Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett [purchase] & Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl [purchase] Yes sorry I am the Trash Queen who owns all of Leigh’s work and still hasn’t read any, and I also have Onyx & Ivory from a past FL that I really should read. However, Neverworld Wake is a totally new to me book that I’ve seen the cover of and its so pretty I gotta give it a try, right?

💔The Fault in Our Stars by John Green I really tried with this book but it just kind of fell very flat for me. I had barely any interest in it and mostly wish it had followed suit of the book they were reading (that had no ending) as I think that would’ve been a much more interesting concept.

📖The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black [purchase] & Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan [purchase] I love these three books so gorram much! I even convinved LGBT+ Book Club to read GoPaF this month so I’m excited to hear what they think.

📚Nevernight by Jay Kristoff [purchase] & Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody [purchase] I finally got a copy of Nevernight so yes I know I need to read ASAP and I promise I’ll at the very least read it this year – yes I know you’re very surprised I haven’t read it. DotBC is also one that I’ve been looking at for a while and I’ll be getting a copy in two weeks!

📖The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater [purchase] & The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon [purchase] The Raven Cycle was the first read-along that I hosted with Books and Tea so it holds a special place in my heart, and The Raven King was the first book I ever tabbed! I loved it. Okay, its kind of cheating that I included Priory but what I have read I love.

💔So many books by Cassie Clare I think 2019 is the year that I’ve finally accepted I wont be reading Cassie’s books. I’ve never tried, its simply just theres so many and I do not have the room for them. Sorry love.

📚The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton [purchase] & This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada [purchase] & 📚Shadow of the Fox by Julia Kagawa [purchase] & The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff [purchase] *sweats in a great big panic* Look at all these fabulous books I really want to read, plus a whole lot more of these shelves but listing everything was getting embarressing. Which should I prioritise?

📖Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao [purchase] & Caraval by Stephanie Garber [purchase] Forest was another BnT readalong we did and I really enjoyed this, the whole experience was one I loved. Whilst I’m not a super fan of Caraval I did really enjoy it when I read it & its what made me meet and be friends with Amy & Beth!

📖Every single book by V.E Schwab [purchase] & Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer [purchase] I have my own Schwab shelf (though its not in the pictures Cerys has because I recently moved it). I love her work so much, it does everything I want amazing books to do. Then in contrast we have Twilight which is not great writing but I’m gonna recommend it because its the series that got me back into reading during high school.

📚📖📚📖📚📖📚

Gosh this post ended up much longer than my first, or it feels that way when I’m writing it at 1am ahha. I tried to keep it to the point as I realised there was a good handful of books that I wanted to include. The books that I’ve reviewed I placed the reviews as the book titles instead of the Goodreads page so you could further read my thoughts on why I liked them.

Did I skip over any of your favourite books?

Which of these books would you recommend?

If you enjoyed this post consider supporting Northern Plunder Ko-fi | Twitter | Book Club | Blogs & Tea | RedBubble

Browsing Bloggers Bookshelves | Cerys @ Browsing For Books @mcgonagalI #BooksandTeaBC Browsing Bloggers Bookhselves | Browsing For Books So you may remember that last month I did a similarly titled post with…

[incorrectlasthours]

#CrackpotTheoryTuesday: Chain of Iron Edition - Lucie Herondale’s Power

Hello again my lovely followers! I hope you all are enjoying some time indoors and staying safe! If you’re like me (and our favorite sneaking-out-of-windows heroine Lucie Herondale) and starting to go a little stir crazy, I hope this week’s #CrackpotTheoryTuesday will entertain you for a bit!

As always, these posts contain spoilers for everything released in the Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare; this post in particular has spoilers for Chain of Gold and The Last Hours Flash Fiction. You have been warned.

Okay, so here’s what we know: Lucie Herondale, an impetuous, dreamy, axe-throwing badass who spends her free time writing self-insert fanfiction, and apparently has the power to, in Cassie’s words, “command the dead.” We have seen this over and over again; in the TLH flash fiction about Lucie, she tells the ghost woman to stop and, to her surprise, the ghost obliges. Lucie also commands several ghosts throughout Chain of Gold, including Emmanuel Gast, the ghosts who drowned in the river Thames and, in probably my favorite scene, Jesse Blackthorn. The question is, how far can Lucie’s powers go? Is there anything she can’t make ghosts do, and is she limited to only ghosts as we understand them in the TSC world?

In the scene where Lucie speaks to the ghost of Emmanuel Gast, there are several things that give hints to Lucie’s powers; first, I believe Lucie has the ability to make anybody come back as a ghost, at least temporarily, even if they aren’t a traditional ghost in the TSC world. Lucie describes Gast as “no Jessamine, or Jesse Blackthorn, who looked solid and human. There was an awful shimmer in the air around it, as if with his violent end a space had been torn in the world. It - he - was ragged at the edges...” In addition, Gast himself says several things that support this theory, including, “why have you dragged me back to this place of agony?” and “You drag me back from the brink? What is this monstrous power...?” The repeated use of “dragging” someone back suggests Gast wasn’t a ghost to begin with; therefore, I think Lucie can speak to anyone who has died, as long as she commands them to come back. 

The question then is how far this power goes. Can Lucie bring someone all the way back from the dead (*cough* Jesse Blackthorn *cough*), or only as a ghost? How many people can she bring back at a time? Could she raise an entire army of the undead? (Cause that would be pretty badass, ngl).

I also find it extremely fascinating how Lucie’s powers parallel Grace’s; they can both “command” others to do whatever they please, only Grace can control the living and Lucie can control the dead. This is super interesting to me, and it makes me more curious to learn about the origins of Grace’s powers (Belial as well, maybe?) and super excited to see them both work together in the next book. 

There you have it! What do you think about Lucie’s powers? Let me know by replying to this post or sending a message to my ask box! Thanks for reading, and check out my other theories below!

Check out my other Crackpot Theories!

The Last Hours:

Lucie/Jesse in TLH -> Another necromancy theory (plus OTP-level romance, *insert heart eyes*) -> CONFIRMED (ChOG)

The “Villain Being a Force” in TLH -> THE PLAGUE?!? (This one puts demon pox to shame. Sorry Will!) -> Kind of right? (ChOG)

The Jordelia Marriage!! -> …Kind of right…? (ChOG)

Sona Carstairs -> So it turns out the quote isn’t by her, but there’s still something sketchy about her past!

The Dark Artifices:

Necromancy in QoAaD -> Is the whole gang coming back? (Hopefully, cause I miss my boyfriend Will Herondale!) -> My new theory for TWP tbh

Malcolm Fade/Matthew Fairchild -> Are they secretly the same person? (probs not, but you can still check it out if you want!) -> Confirmed incorrect

[emmieroxuniverse]

Groggily picking up on things 💙💛💚💜❤

I havent had much to do the last few days, i have epilepsy and i had a pretty bad seizure so im kind of on bed rest from a concussion. So of course i decided to get lost in some reading and since Queen of Air and Darkness will be out before you know it, i decided to re read The Dark Artifices and a few of my other favorite Shadowhunter books.

So this time around ive decided to keep my eyes peeled for anything strange happening, anything weird that could give us any inkling as to the events that are soon to take place in QoAAD and just in Lady Midnight ive caught a few things.

First id like to start by saying this. It all started when i read this page...

Okay this page is the scene where Emma heals Julian with that iratze in the back of the Toyota. So as i was reading, something occured to me. What happened in the car, the she may have never admitted it to herself but its always been there. They werent working for a bit until she started really thinking about what he meant to her. About how much she loved him.

Thats when her stele started moving and the miracle happened.

Because truth be told he shouldve died. Those arrowheads were poisoned and he shouldve died and Jules was on the brink of death. Emmas love practically saved his life.

What im gonna say is going to sound nuts okay.

So marks given by your Parabatai are stronger. They are supposed to work better and all. They are even pleasant to most. Just keep that in the back of your mind please.

Do you remember when this was released on Cassandra Clares sight and she said that it had alot to do with the plot of QoAaD?

So yeah Jules and Ems flying over the pier. This was released a while back and Cassandra is all about metaphors but TDA has been different in that sense at least in my belief. Alot of it has been literal. I have a new theory that may be a little crazy lol

Please read this....

Is it not odd that Emma is sore between her shoulder blades after everything that happened the night before. When she healed Jules she said she felt as if something were splitting at her chest. She had all those memories everything that happened, happened in a moment of sheer need. He needed her and she saved him. That will always happen because they are bound. One soul. Ever since, shes sensed him practically heard his voiced in her head when he needed her. He threw up water she breathed. She felt the lashes he took. All after She healed him.

I think that in the picture released on Cassies site, something terrible will happen and one of them will almost die again. The other will heal them and thats when they will become Angels. This time the power will be so strong the bond will transform them but not in the way the Clave has told people, but in a more beautiful way.

I think this because of the fact that after she healed Julian, between her shoulder blades she was sore, in pain. It burned. Why? its normally pleasant. Its already starting. Wings. I still think its happened before and the Clave covered it up. They dont want Parabatai becoming Angels, they dont want anyone having more power than themselves.

So they spread rumors, or they tell the right people lies disguised as truths about how its a curse and how it will destroy you instead. They make sure that its understood that Parabatai are not to fall in love. They keep it a secret. Nobody knows, no chance their power will be challenged.

In Emma and Julians case it will be too late to stop it though. With what happened in the car. Its already happening i think. Shes starting to because she saved his life. He is too now that he saved her from drowning. They are physically intimate as well as emotionally now so in QoAaD it will happen because they wont be separated. I believe that picture is literally a scene in the book, its something that takes place from where they have become angelic beings and are escaping the fire.

Another bit of info, Emma killed a Rider. No one, no one who is mortal, no ordinary being is supposed to be able to kill a Rider.

But Emma was able to. Funny how she was capable of killing one.

Even armed with one of the "Great Swords" they had said.

I just think things are getting more that just curious. I suppose i should just read more but theories are fun 😊 anyway im probably a little wacko

Im also a little medicated, concussion and all 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Have a great day!

[clockworkopera]

#ficwritersweek

This week I’m participating in @ficwritersweek 2017.  More info here.

Interested in joining us for a week-long celebration of fic writers? Fic Writers Week runs from November 26th to December 2nd!

The goal of Fic Writers Week is to share the love for all of the wonderful writers in all of our fandoms. That means we’ll be highlighting the work they’ve already shared with us and encouraging writers to share the parts of their work they’re most proud of!

THE PROMPTS

·         Day 1: Words Of Validation - Fic Readers, take some time to leave new comments / Fic Writers, share some of the comments that stuck with you the most.

Hitting the post button on Ao3 is rather terrifying. That’s why when I got some of these comments back it meant so much. Especially since I only have two fics posted. A post Lord of Shadows: Rise From the Ashes and a TID To Hold Jem Between Us 

This is beautiful. I want to buy books written by you. Your work deserves to have pretty covers and special collectors editions and bonus material and fan fiction of its own. Do you have original characters and universes and stuff like that lying around? Get on with it, soon! But first, write this one, please, I'm not ready for it to be over yet. I'm currently avoiding reading it in order to always have a few chapters to spare. I find it easy to just disappear into your writing, so it's very comforting to know that I have some left in case I've had a rough day. Thank you for being you! Well, I don't know you at all, sure, but I'm fairly certain it is impossible for anyone to be a bad enough person that their flaws wouldn't have been compensated in excess with this level of talent.

I seem to be spiraling into the nonsense territory with my comment :D But what I'm trying to communicate here is that you, my dear internet stranger, are amazing, and I wish to someday share my reading enjoyment with the whole world. At least print this one out and send it (or have your children or grandchildren send it, I'm not familiar with how long these things take) to a publisher once the trademark protection on the original story and characters is over. You know, to be sold sort of like those Jane Austen variations books.

I've been putting off writing a comment for this exact reason. I wanted to say something sweet and clever and specific, but end up rambling all over the place like a deranged fan girl :')

I cried. And I printed it up to put above my desk.Then I had to work that much harder to make my fics worthy. I was also lucky enough to have regular readers who commented after every chapter:

OMGOMGOMG! I'm shocked. And in love. and... Wow. Just wow. I've never thought I'd love a fic more than a book. You managed to...wow. just... please post more. like...all chapters please. I can't wayt to see what will happen! I love Jemma and can't wayt to get more. You're a wonderful writer. Thanks for giving us more Jemma! Please post more soon.

Talk about making me want to write more!

Then there was this interview with Cassandra Clare. According to @TMI_Source, Cassie’s favorite fan theory is: Church is actually Jonathan Shadowhunter… Church/Jonathan will rise up during the final battle and save everybody. “It’s such a good theory, I kind of want to use it.” 

I don’t know if I was the only one with this theory, but I did a posting about it here, before LoS came out, laying out all my reasoning and how it could happen. I think she might have read it and liked it!

[axelsagewrites]

Omg can I request a Matthew Daddario imagine please? Reader and Matthew used to be a couple but broke up and when Matt is being interviewed, he sees her in the crowd?

Totally! Here you go:

Matthew Daddario-Interviewer Ex

You have loved shadowhunters for years. You read the books and had saw the movie and loved it. You liked the TV show too but your ex, Matthew Daddario was in it. Its not like you hated him but seeing him made you remember the time you spent together and the worst moment of your relationship. Your break up. It wasn’t a screaming match, though you wish it was, it was a normal conversation. That made it worse. However you weren’t not going to watch shadowhunters because of it. Besides you still have the books and the movie. You remember he had auditioned for Alec then. You were dating and he thought it would be funny if he got it since you loved it. You’re kind of glad he didn’t now. You worked as an online personality and did interviews and wrote articles/got photo’s of famous people. Its how you two met. You were setting up the camera for an interview with the author of the shadowhunters chronicles, Cassandra Clare, and didn’t notice Matt’s eyes burning on you.

Matt’s POVGod I miss them. We broke up a year ago but that’s a year too long. I cant believe their here. Luckily ever since our first interview we haven’t had one since, I don’t think I could handle it. The cast are all doing interviews today. Me and Harry have one now with some guy named Jake and all I  can do is stare at them. (Y/N). I cant forget.“Earth to Matt!” Harry snapped me from my trance. ‘Mm’ I hummed. “He asked you about your obsessions with plants?”“I am not obsessed!”He didn’t relise he had caught your attention with that exclamation.

Third Person POVThe shadowhunters cast continued their interviews for another hour or so. (Y/N) had interviewed Cassie, Kat and Dom, and Em and Alberto. Matt and Harry had been interviewed twice so far, once together, once separately. Luckily, or maybe not, Matt and (Y/N) didn’t have to do one together. In one interview however Matt had been asked a question about his ex’s. People had found some old pictures of you two and he had to tell them the truth. He only briefly answered with a ‘we used to date but not now. I don’t think we’ve talked since’ before moving on to the next question.Now they were doing a panel with the whole cast. Kat, Dom, Alberto, Matt, Harry, Em, Alisha and Isaiah were all sat at a table in front of a hundred fan’s. (Y/N) was allowed to go into the crowd to watch since their colleagues had known about their obsession and their and Matt’s past.Matt had just been asked if he had a crush on any other famous actors/actresses. “No, not an actress.”“So there is someone?” The fan asked slyly.“Possibly.” He caught your eye as he said it and your skin started getting warm. You decided to ask your question so you waited in line for the mic.“Hey I’m (Y/N)” You started with the cast all saying a quick ‘hi’. “I was wondering what your favourite ship is from the show?” After a the cast answered, except Matt which Kat pointed out.“What about you Matt? Malec all the way?” She laughed.“Yeah…Hey long time no see huh?” The cast looked slightly confused although a couple of fans knew.“Yeah. Something like that.” You scratched the back of your neck. “We should probably catch up huh?”“Totally.” Matt grinned happily. He didn’t think you would ever want to talk to him after you two broke up.“Looks like we know his crush then.” Dom whispered into the mic. You passed the mic on to the next fan and went back into the crowd which swallowed you up. Matt couldn’t wait to talk to you again but dreaded it at the same time. Why did he have to mess your relationship up?