Lady Midnight: Dark Artifices #1

I was a child and she was a child, 

   In this kingdom by the sea, 

But we loved with a love that was more than love— 

   I and my Annabel Lee— 

With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven 

   Coveted her and me.                 

                                                                                                                             - Edgar Allan Poe

             I thought of replacing 'Annabel Lee' with some other word that highlights my obsession with Cassandra Clare's books, but I didn't want to spoil such a wonderful piece of poetry(also I didn't get anything witty). So, I'll just go with telling why they are so awesome. She is one of the few female authors who can pen romantic scenes without describing the guy's collarbone. Ok, she does do a bit of that but they are so little that I can easily skip and also, her books are not just the gooey mess of romance, they are a lot more than that. So without further ado, I'll go on to describe this specific book.

                 I'll try to keep this review as spoiler free as possible but pardon the occasional slip-ups.

                   The plot summary of this book is as follows: Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn,(the descendants of Tessa one way or the other) are parabatai (refer the Tales from Shadowhunter Academy). One fine day, Emma gets a clue about a series of murders which are similar to the death of her own parents, who everyone except Emma and Julian thought had been killed by Sebastian during the last war. But this is just the beginning. Soon they have to solve the case as soon as possible, because the stakes are very high and to make matters worse, the Fair Folk are involved and they as crafty as ever due to the Cold Peace. 

             That was very difficult to write without any spoilers. Trust me, the book might seem a bit too long with around 600 and odd pages but it's worth it, definitely worth it. There are somethings that seem to be repeated from Mortal Instruments, but they are so well disguised that they can easily be neglected. The thing that I love about this book is the mature way in which it deals with the responsible characters. Julian is like a father to his siblings what with Mark and Helen gone, but there is no illusion that he enjoys it. He is not resentful but he has lost a great part of his youth caring for them and so he isn't glad that he got a chance to have to father his siblings. He doesn't shirk away from his duties, but he wants to grab any opportunity he can get to hand them over to some other person just as responsible as him. 

                        The anger against the stupidity of the Clave is again one of the main points in this story. And I love that too. There is the humour that's always present and the romances here there and everywhere and new friendships as we get to know what the world has become after the Dark War, how much things have gone worse with the Fair Folk and how many lives have been damaged and are still being damaged even 5 years after the war. Another thing that I love about Cassandra Clare's books are the old warlocks who appear young  and have all the experience of hundreds of years. The warlocks are all wonderful: Tessa, Magnus and Catarina - the ones that are the most important to the entire Shadowhunter Chronicles. A new one Malcolm Fade is introduced in this book. He is an interesting character. 

                         There are a few incredible reveals in this book that make it a must read. For more details about the reveals go through Tales from Shadowhunter Academy. This book ties up some of the loose ends in that series of short stories. If Mortal Instruments and the Infernal Devices were awesome this book just takes it to the next level. There are new characters and you'll love them all. 

                       A few quotes before the rating:

“When you love someone, they become a part of who you are. They’re in everything you do. They’re in the air you breathe and the water you drink and the blood in your  veins. Their touch stays on your skin and their voice stays in your ears and their thoughts stay in your mind." 

The quote is actually much longer but I thought I'll let it be and no prizes for figuring out who said this.

“Yes.” For the first time since she’d come into the hallway, Diana looked directly at Emma. “You must be pleased,” she said. “You got exactly what you wanted. We’ve got no choice now. We’ll have to investigate these killings, and we’ll have to do it without the knowledge of the Clave.”

Jules'  breath was coming in harsh pants. "Because when someone - shoots you with an arrow -", he gasped, "your immediate response is not-'Thanks for the arrow, I think I'll keep it for a while.'" "Good to know your sense of humour is intact." 

Julian never went without shaving, ever since the first time he'd shown up with stubble and Ty had told him, without a preamble, "I don't like it".

"Oh, if we could end love just by willing it, life would be very different!" Tessa laughed. "It's easier to end someone else's love for you than kill your love for them. Convince them that you don't love them, or that you are someone they cannot respect - ideally both." Her eyes were wide and grey and youthful; it was hard to believe she was older than nineteen. "To change your own heart, that's nearly impossible."

The final rating:

10/10 - Awesome!

Note: I have left a veritable highway of breadcrumbs that may not be obvious unless you've read the book. Enjoy decoding them when you do!