By: Cait Marie
Blurb
Chain of Gold, a Shadowhunters novel, is the first novel in a brand-new trilogy where evil hides in plain sight and love cuts deeper than any blade.
Cordelia Carstairs is a Shadowhunter, a warrior trained since childhood to battle demons. When her father is accused of a terrible crime, she and her brother travel to London in hopes of preventing the family’s ruin. Cordelia’s mother wants to marry her off, but Cordelia is determined to be a hero rather than a bride. Soon Cordelia encounters childhood friends James and Lucie Herondale and is drawn into their world of glittering ballrooms, secret assignations, and supernatural salons, where vampires and warlocks mingle with mermaids and magicians. All the while, she must hide her secret love for James, who is sworn to marry someone else.
But Cordelia’s new life is blown apart when a shocking series of demon attacks devastate London. These monsters are nothing like those Shadowhunters have fought before—these demons walk in daylight, strike down the unwary with incurable poison, and seem impossible to kill. London is immediately quarantined. Trapped in the city, Cordelia and her friends discover that their own connection to a dark legacy has gifted them with incredible powers—and forced a brutal choice that will reveal the true cruel price of being a hero.
Review
Everyone who knows me knows that Shadowhunters is my thing. I don’t just have all the books. I have several copies of many of them, as well as things like the graphic novels and coloring books, jewelry, candles.
That being said, I had mixed feelings about this series going in.
I have loved The Infernal Devices for a decade. Tessa, Will, and Jem hold such big piece of my heart, and I knew reading these new books would break my heart. Again. But I was so excited for a new story at the same time.
So, I started this book, and to be honest, it took me a minute to get into. There were so many new names, and it was hard remembering who was whose children, who was related, etc. I hadn’t read Ghosts of the Shadow Market yet, so most of these were all new characters for me.
I kept reading because they intrigued me, and because I love the world so much. And then, I couldn’t stop reading. The plot, the characters, everything fit so well, and it made me remember why I love the Shadowhunter books so much. It was like reading about the shadow world for the first time again.
Yes, there are a lot of characters to keep track of, but I adore each and every one of them. And it’s so fun seeing the characters from TID as parents now (trying not to spoil things in case someone hasn’t read those yet). Everyone is unique, all of them have relatable qualities, and I cannot believe I hesitated to read this series.
James, Cordelia, Matthew, and Lucie are everything. As are their friends. The camaraderie in this group is so fun and genuine. It reminds me of the Blackthorns in The Dark Artifices a bit. They all care so much for one another. They all feel well-developed too; no one fell flat, in my opinion.
The story kept me wanting more. There are a lot of little puzzle pieces shifting around, trying to fit together, and I can’t wait to see the full picture.
I absolutely loved this book. As soon as I finished, I jumped into the second. Highly recommend!
And because I get asked frequently about the order of the Shadowhunter books, here is my recommended order of reading (not everyone agrees, but this is my preference):
- City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)
- City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2)
- City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3)
- Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1)
- Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2)
- Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3)
- City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments #4)
- City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5)
- City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6)
- The Bane Chronicles
- The Red Scrolls of Magic (The Eldest Scrolls #1)
- Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy
- The Lost Book of the White (The Eldest Scrolls #2)
- Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1)
- Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2)
- Queen of Air and Darkness (The Dark Artifices #3)
- Ghosts of the Shadow Market
- Chain of Gold (The Last Hours #1)
- Chain of Iron (The Last Hours #2)
Functionally Fictional 