REVIEW: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

The Shadowhunters of Los Angeles star in the first novel in Cassandra Clare’s newest series, The Dark Artifices, a sequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series. Lady Midnight is a Shadowhunters novel.

It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.

Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…

Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?

Glitz, glamours, and Shadowhunters abound in this heartrending opening to Cassandra Clare’s Dark Artifices series.

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MY THOUGHTS
I've been waiting to read this book for more than 3 years, so of course I was excited to read it when it finally came out. I had extremely high expectations, due to the fact that I adore both the Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices. This book has gotten so many raving reviews, claiming that this book is better than the other Shadowhunter novels. I do not agree at all. I enjoyed this book, but it's definitely not as good as the other two series.

This book takes place in 2012 Los Angeles, five years after the events in the Mortal Instruments. Strange killing have been happening around the city and Emma Carstairs is convinced that they're related to the deaths of her parents, many years ago.  All the while she's fighting feelings for her parabati, Julian Backthorn. The faeries are looking for a source of the killings as well, and are willing to use Julian's older brother, who was taken by faeries years ago, as a bargaining chip.

I love all of the previous Shadowhunter novels, I really liked coming back to this world. Emma and Julian were introduced to us in City of Heavenly Fire. A lot has changed for them, and the Shadowhunter world since then. The world was familiar, but also very different than what I'm used to, so I had to wrap my head around the new world. One main thing that's different is the fact that the faeries have been outcasted and it's now illegal for Shadowhunters to help them, the faeries also play a much bigger role in this series. I also liked the plot, I thought it was interesting. I did have issues, though, due to the pacing. This book is HUGE, and it takes forever for the plot to get anywhere. It eventually gets very very interesting, but it takes awhile for the book to get there.

I loved the Blackthorns! I loved how different each of the members were, all of their personalities, and just how they were together! Though, I had a harder time loving Julian and Emma. Mostly because they're both so serious, understandable, but still. I'm just so used to the main characters in these books having lots of snark and sarcasm! I miss that!

Now, for a mini rant. There are cameos in this book, but I really really didn't like that. I'm fine if we only get a few brief mentions, to give us an update, but almost all of the characters in Mortal Instruments and a few from Infernal Devices are in this book. When I read City of Heavenly Fire, I was upset that we kept following Emma and Julian because that was not their book. It's the same case here. I love Tessa, Jem, Magnus, Alec, Clary, Jace, Simon, Izzy, and all them folks, but I felt like they were taking over the book. The pacing of this book was slow because of all of these cameos! Also, it made it almost impossible to understand things without reading ALL OF THE BOOKS! Yeah, I mean all of them, even the novellas. I'm currently listening to the Simon novellas and I am so upset by the fact that this book spoiled important parts in the novellas that I haven't gotten to yet!! Okay, so I'm getting a bit ranty. I love these characters, but I really felt it was unnecessary for them to be included in this series so often.

Now, onto romance. The major romance is obviously between Emma and Julian. I like their friendship and I do want them to be together, but it's forbidden! Of course it's forbidden. Forbidden romances always annoy me because there's so much drama involves and, ugh, let's just see how this will work out. And of course since there's so many characters, there are other side romances. I'm starting to ship some of them, but we'll see...


IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I did like this book, despite my very long rant and the cameos. I don't think it's as great as the Mortal Instruments or Infernal Devices. The pacing is too slow, there are too many unnecessary characters, and just not enough snark for me to give it 5 stars. I do think it's a great start to a new series. Emphasis on the new. Sorry, but I really hope that the next book isn't loaded up with cameos, I really just want to enjoy a new series! Still, I loved reading another series in the Shadowhunter world and plan on continuing the series.

I hereby give this book

4 Stars!

Meaning: It was amazing!