Title – Queen of Air and Darkness (The Dark Artifices #3)
Author – Cassandra Clare
My Rating – 4/5
Genre – Fantasy, Young Adult
GOODREADS BLURB
What if damnation is the price of true love?
Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the disease that is destroying the race of warlocks. Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined. Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love.
MY REVIEW
This is a spoiler free review for Queen of Air and Darkness, the third and last book in The Dark Artifices Series by Cassandra Clare, part of the larger Shadowhunter-verse.
First of all Malec lovers, get in here! You have to read this book for major Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood milestones. Malec happens to be my OTP and I will read ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING that gives me more Malec moments.
That being said, I’m getting kind of tired of the Shadowhunter-verse. That is not to say I don’t love the books – I do. The Infernal Devices was a great series and my love of Magnus and Alec made me love the Bane Chronicles and The Red Scrolls of Magic, both of which center around these two characters. However, there are far too many books now and I’m honestly having trouble keep track of the story. At this point, the only reason I’m reading all the books is because I have closure issues.
Its okay for a couple of follow ups to a series but The Dark Artifices felt unnecessary. I don’t know if its just me but I find it extremely hard to get invested in Emma and Julian’s story. It was extremely reminiscent of the whole Clary-Jace forbidden love fiasco from The Mortal Instruments and hardly felt like new material. There were some major changes to the Shadowhunter-verse towards the end that are relevant to the overall story-line, but besides that, you can pretty much skip this series and be good to go on the rest of the books.
Personally, I did find Emma Carstairs a far more likeable character than Clary. The plot was just fine but did not stand out as extraordinary for me. The writing was rich and beautiful, as all Cassandra Clare books are.
For people already familiar with the Shadowhunter-verse, this series is worth it if you are dying for more information about what happens to the characters from previous series and have the patience to keep track of all the books. For those who aren’t, you might have to read the previous series’ before you start this one. If you are confused about the order to read in, you can find the books arranged chronologically and by publication date here.
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Overall, this book gets 4 (rounded up from 3.5) out of 5 stars from me.
And that’s all for today! Hope this review was helpful. Until next time –
My Mundane Life 