Book Review - Chain of Gold (The Last Hours, #1) by Cassandra Clare

Title: Chain of Gold (The Last Hours, #1)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Release Date: March 3'rd, 2020

Rating: ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️

Page Length: 624

Blurb: 

Chain of Gold is the first novel in a new trilogy that stars the Shadowhunters of Edwardian London.

Welcome to Edwardian London, a time of electric lights and long shadows, the celebration of artistic beauty and the wild pursuit of pleasure, with demons waiting in the dark. For years there has been peace in the Shadowhunter world. James and Lucie Herondale, children of the famous Will and Tessa, have grown up in an idyll with their loving friends and family, listening to stories of good defeating evil and love conquering all. But everything changes when the Blackthorn and Carstairs families come to London…and so does a remorseless and inescapable plague.

James Herondale longs for a great love, and thinks he has found it in the beautiful, mysterious Grace Blackthorn. Cordelia Carstairs is desperate to become a hero, save her family from ruin, and keep her secret love for James hidden. When disaster strikes the Shadowhunters, James, Cordelia and their friends are plunged into a wild adventure which will reveal dark and incredible powers, and the true cruel price of being a hero…and falling in love. 

Review:

It felt so good to be back in the Shadowhunters world. I always forget how much I love this world Cassie has created until we get another book to dive into. 

Now, I will admit, it took me a minute to get into Chain of Gold. I love action and the beginning of COG doesn't have a whole lot of it, in my opinion. But I love the characters and they more then made up for the lack of action in the beginning.

I obviously loved the story and the plot. Cassie always manages to throw me for a loop, and the way that she weaves her books and series together and connects them, still amazes me. She has said that you can read this book as a standalone, but I feel like the reading experience is much better if you have at least read the infernal devices and maybe some of the novella's in Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy and Ghosts of the Shadow Market. Like getting to truly enjoy seeing Will and Tessa as parents. Especially Will. ❤️

"Do not let those who cannot see the truth tell you who you are. You are the flame that cannot be put out. You are the star that cannot be lost. You are who you have always been, and that is enough and more than enough. Anyone who looks at you and sees darkness is blind."

I don't usually enjoy multiple points of view, but somehow Cassie pulls it off perfectly. All of their pov's lend something important to the story. Obviously James and Cordelia are our main characters in this book, and I love them so much. But getting some of the other characters pov, Mathew, Lucie, etc, really lent something to the story. I never wanted to skim. Which happens to me a lot when I read books that have more that two pov's. 

Cassie's books are always a different kind of reading experience for me. I have loved this world from the beginning in The Mortal Instruments, and Chain of Gold was no different for me. Her writing only get's better with each book. I love so much that I am able to completely disappear into her words and forget reality while reading. Not many books can accomplish that for me anymore. 

"But at least we can always pick up a book and read it anew. Stories offer a thousand fresh starts."

I pretty much loved every character in this book Except 

Grace and Tatiana Blackthorne. They can promptly go away. Mann, these two got on my nerves so much in this book. 

I really hope they both get what they deserve in Chain of Iron,  though probably not because it's Cassandra, but a girl can wish. 

It took me so much longer to finish this book than I thought it would. I was savoring every page. I loved being back in this historical era as well. Cassandra does such a good job of describing this era, the fashion, and how life and society was in that time. It's all so well described without being overly detailed. 

This book was a lot less crushing than I was expecting it to be, so I have a feeling we're in for it with the next two. But I'm always happy to let Cassandra rip my heart out of my chest. 😂

"We do not get to choose when in our lives we feel pain," Said Mathew. "It comes when it comes, and we try to remember, even though we cannot imagine a day when it will release its hold on us, that all pain fades. All misery passes. Humanity is drawn to light, not darkness."

If you have loved her previous Shadowhunter books you are more than likely going to love Chain of Gold. 

Five star read for me. 

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- Danielle