Chain of Gold Review | Cassandra Clare

It’s time to return to the world of Shadowhunters with today’s post. Keep reading to check out my review of Chain of Gold.

Publisher: Walker Books | Date: 2020 | Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult | Buy it here*

Plot: 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.

Chain of Gold Review

I picked up Chain of Gold because I felt like I should. The Infernal Devices remains my favourite series, and with the links between the series, I had to read it. Given the disappoint of the recent books, I didn’t have high hopes.

This is hard to write. I’m trying to consider it on its own terms, but it’s difficult when I’ve read everything else.

I love the representation present in all of the Shadowhunter books, and there is always an element of finding your true self. However, I feel we’ve had that story every time. It’s important in each series, but it’s repetitive. If you binged these books, you’d have the same story turning up three times.

The same is true with the love triangle. That’s always been a theme in Cassandra Clare’s books. Again, this may work if you take this book out of context. But this is a world we’ve invested in: we’re never going to see it independently, and as soon as certain characters were introduced, I knew where it was going. It undermines the entire book.

But still, Chain of Gold was an enjoyable read. I liked the characters: James Herondale is certainly his father’s son, and a fun protagonist. Like every Herondale, he cares so deeply you know you’re going to be in for a heck of a ride.

Cordelia and Lucie have a lot of potential, but I think there’s more to come from the girls. I’m excited to see where they go – especially as they grow closer with their upcoming parabatai ceremony.

He glanced at James. “Do you have any talents, besides standing there looking good and saying nothing?”

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

Talking of which, I liked Matthew, but wish we’d connected to him more. There’re hints about things he’s hiding (again, a familiar story in this world), so that’s obviously going to take centre stage at some point.

I did want to see more of the bond between Matthew and James though; the parabatai bond is my favourite in this world, and it’s taken a backseat recently, with the predictable love triangle taking its place. I’d love to see these characters when they’re embracing that bond.

I enjoyed the majority of this plot. There’s a mystery to unravel and a demon to defeat – what’s not to love? However, I did find the secondary plot annoying. It was forgotten about for vast parts of the book, and then comes into play just as the characters develop, and resets everything that’s grown throughout the book, which was annoying.

This is hard to review: I enjoyed the book, truly, I did. It had a lot of the elements we love from the Shadowhunter world. But there’s a predictability to them now, and it undermines the potential. With a shift of focus into something different, this could be really strong, but I worry the rest of the series won’t take that direction.

If you’re a fan, it won’t let you down. If you’re on the fence, it won’t surprise you. And if you’re new to this world, it could be a fun and engaging read.

Grab your own copy!

Are you a Shadowhunter fan? Will you read this series?

You may also like:

• Book Review: Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare
• Book Review: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

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