Lord of Shadows and me didn’t have an instant-love relationship. In fact, I DNFed it twice and then (somehow) dragged myself through each page like I was fighting for my sanity. Perhaps it was because I vaguely remember this being in 2020 and I was not thriving – a common sentiment shared, I am sure.

Now, June 2023, I have completed my reread in three days. It took three because I had to sleep and other commitments had precedence. If I had the opportunity – which I admit I often considered taking up – I would’ve finished it in a day and a half max.

I love this book. The intricacies of each pairing, trio, group and the wider Blackthorn troop had me falling in love with all the characters. The inside jokes and quips regarding other beloved characters had me almost crying with joy. The layers to each character – their internal strifes and the external situations impacted their decisions, the ways in which love and acceptance and pain and understanding are shown through these characters, and the moments between them that highlight a family bond both blood and found – are so strong and pure and heartbreaking to bear witness to. Their pain was my pain. Their grief my grief. I couldn’t put this book down and couldn’t look away.

I am a sucker for returning characters, I will admit that, but that’s not why I love this book so much. There are details surrounding relationships and circumstances in this book especially that I think are handled so brilliantly, so seamlessly, and the way in which the responding characters deal with these things are so authentic to their characters while being incredibly sensible and a testament to how we all should respond. Tiberius’s autism. Diana’s transgender identity and the transitioning she went through. Mark and Kieran’s relationship norms and how they adapt with Cristina in the picture. I haven’t seen another author handle topics like this the way Cassandra Clare does.

What this book, and Cassandra Clare’s writing as a whole, reminds me of is the reason why I became such a fan of hers. When up against so many kinds of fantasy and so many tropes that are overwhelming the genre, Cassandra Clare’s writing feels familiar and refreshing. It feels authentic and real to the story she started over fifteen years ago, City of Bones, and the themes and characters she includes in her books don’t feel forced for likes and boosts in popularity. There’s depth and realism to all her characters, human emotions in an otherwise other than human landscape, and the issues both personal and communal are such we see in everyday life. This may just be a me thing, but I like it when fantasy reflects on and critiques very real issues in society and globally. I find it to be a very nice way to bring awareness to these topics, taboos and problems while still providing a fun escape for lovers of fantasy and reading.