I reread Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare yesterday for the first time and I am finding it hard to place it in my preference list for the Shadowhunter Chronicles. I kept thinking throughout the read that it is one of my favourites, that I love it as much as Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess from The Infernal Devices Trilogy, but then there’s The Dark Artifices Trilogy too, and now I’m struggling to know where to put it.

Cordelia Carstairs is a Shadowhunter, a warrior trained since childhood to battle demons. When her father is accused of a terrible crime, she and her brother travel to London in hopes of preventing the family’s ruin. Cordelia’s mother wants to marry her off, but Cordelia is determined to be a hero rather than a bride. Soon Cordelia encounters childhood friends James and Lucie Herondale and is drawn into their world of glittering ballrooms, secret assignations, and supernatural salons, where vampires and warlocks mingle with mermaids and magicians. All the while, she must hide her secret love for James, who is sworn to marry someone else. But Cordelia’s new life is blown apart when a shocking series of demon attacks devastate London. These monsters are nothing like those Shadowhunters have fought before—these demons walk in daylight, strike down the unwary with incurable poison, and seem impossible to kill. London is immediately quarantined. Trapped in the city, Cordelia’s friends discover that a dark legacy has gifted them with incredible powers and forced a brutal choice that will reveal the true cruel price of being a hero.

The world of The Last Hours Trilogy is a beautiful blend of historical fiction and fantasy, set in the 1900s with glimpses of childhood memory spaced through the novel. The beloved characters from The Infernal Devices Trilogy now play the roles of parents with their children the young shadowhunters growing into adults at the eve of this new threat. I love Cordelia Carstairs, not just because of her connection to Jem, but becase she is such a courageous yet naive character. She wants to do good and be good, protecting people and making friends in London even though her father stands accused of horrible things in Idris. She sees the good in so many people and wants the best for them, but that means setting aside her feelings from time to time, a painful thing to witness as a reader.

There are so many characters in Chain of Gold, from the Merry Thieves James, Matthew, Christopher, and Thomas, the older siblings Alister, Charles, Eugenia, Barbara, Ariande, and Anna, to the girls Lucie, Grace, and Cordelia, and the parents Will, Tessa, Cecily, Garbiel, Sophie, Gideon, Charlotte, and Henry. That’s not even everyone, but you can see how Chain of Gold features a large ensemble with many moving parts and perspectives. As a long-time Cassandra Clare reader, this group is both interesting and nostalgic to read about as the plot is riveting and the relationship developments have so much emotional investment in them already. I can see how it could be a bit overwhelming for readers new to the Shadowhunter Chronicles, but this is a series you wouldn’t be hoping into right away, so I feel it is a suitable decision to have all these characters in the mix.

I think Chain of Gold is a brilliant addition to the Shadwhunter Chronicles, and while I’m not sure where it stands individually in my preferences, it certainly sets the The Last Hours Trilogy high on the list. Knowing details that unfold later in the series, though some details are great while others don’t feel as impactful, I think the general rating will be at least a 4/5, if not higher. Chain of Gold though is a wonderful read with so much detail, character development, tension, and conflicts, making it an engrossing, gut-wrenching read. If you are a Cassandra Clare reader and haven’t got around to reading The Last Hours Trilogy, I highly recommend it.