Lady Midnight: The Dark Artifices Book One by Cassandra Clare Review

The enchanting world of the shadowhunters returns with as much powerful storytelling and riveting character development as one might expect from legendary YA author Cassandra Clare in the first in a new trilogy, Lady Midnight. The first in The Dark Artifices trilogy brings readers back into the complicated battle of good versus evil and even more complicated romantic entanglements.

Blending new and returning characters from The Mortal Instruments series, the story follows Emma Carstairs and the Blackthorn family in the Los Angeles Institute. No longer children and grown Shadowhunters, Emma and her parabatai Julian Blackthorn continue to battle demons, keep the peace between downworlders and protect mankind. However, Emma is still investigating the deaths of her parents during the Dark War, and Julian is desperate to hold his family together after his father’s death. When a series of murders resembling the murders of Emma’s parents brings a faerie convoy to the Institute, they see an opportunity to get answers and get Julian’s brother Mark back, after spending years as a prisoner of the Faerie Courts. Their investigation will bring them into the darkest corners of Los Angeles and the secret world full of dark magic, murder and blood, and will slowly uncover more secrets both from outside forces and from within.

The book does a marvelous job of continuing a rich story full of history while keeping it fresh and intriguing with a new setting and complex family dynamic. What is great is that the story seems to mature, as do the characters, which reflects the growth of the audience who has spent years reading the series. The characters get into more adult situations both personally and professionally, and getting to know characters who were born into the shadowhunters world rather than coming into it as a newcomer speaks volumes about the fresh perspective the story takes. This is such a great read that sparks a great new mystery and this reader and writer looks forward to the next book in the Dark Artifices series. Pick up your copy today!