“Grief as a claw. The claw of a massive monster you couldn’t see, that reached down out of the sky and seized hold of you, punching out your breath, leaving only a pain you couldn’t wriggle away from or avoid. You just had to endure it for as long as the claw had you in its grasp.”
― Emma Carstairs ―

Hello readers! Welcome back to another chapter of the perks of third book series, where i will review and compare this third book to the other previous two of it and see if i like the third book more whether it's because i like the lucky number three, or because it's a finale of the series, or maybe i don't like it at all and prefer the other books in the series instead. Without further ado, let's dive in!

A Quick Flashback

 After the failed attempt to do necromancy to wake (or resurrect should we call it?) his beloved girl, Annabel Blakthorn and assumed died in the sea along with the lost Black Volume of Death, turns out the dark magic give Malcolm Fade strength to still alive and attacking LA institute once again and ask for a Blackthorn blood in order to complete the ritual. Avoiding Malcolm, all the Blackthorn family Portaling to London institute with the help from Magnus Bane. But Julian's uncle decided to sacrifice himself to Malcolm bargaining his life to protect his family and made Malcolm swear that he will never touch the Blackthorn family again.

The ritual successfully raised Annabel from the death but she woke up and killed Malcolm instead, and runaway with the Black Volume of Death. The book turns out has been in demand in lots of people, specially the King of Unselie and the Queen of Selie court. The Queen of Selie court made a deal with Julian to support Shadowhunters to fight King of Unselie court because the king already spread the blight that cause no magic of shadowhunter power can work in his wolrd, no rune not even the witchlight. In return Julian must bring back the Black Volume to the Queen of Selie court for her support.

In other hand, the centurion lead by Zara Dearborn claimed the LA institute and also claimed that she is the one who killed Malcolm, and her father, Horace Dearborn in Idris tried to exclude the Downwolders to be in Indris. He became the Valentine all over again, seeing Downworlder as a lower creature than Nephilim and also trying to get higher position to made it happen. 

The event that happened because Malcolm's dark magic and also the blight that spread by the Unselie Court creates a disease that made Warlocks sicks, even to the mighty High Lord Magnus Bane. Emma and Julian is tight between finding Annabel and the Black Volume, walking in ice relationship with Queen of Selie Court, also in danger from the King of Unselie court who want to hunts down his own child, Kieran the Prince, that live among the Blackthorns family.

Synopsis

 After the scene in the court of Clave, Julian and Emma who has confess of their feeling to Inquisitor and ask for Exile. With the inquisitor replaced to Horace Dearborn, knowing their secret, he threatened Julian and Emma about their parabatai love, he asked them to retrieve the Black Volume which Annabel took to Faerie land and possibly to Unselie court, but they later discover that Dearborn decided to send centurion to tail them and kill them after their retrieve the Black Volume. In other hand we discover the truth behind the tales of the First Heir and also unexpected prince that has been hold in Unselie Court that turn out is a son of Queen of Selie court. 

Julian who suffer by grief after he lost his sister in the last event in Clave and now know about the parabatai curse asked Magnus Bane to erase his ability to love Emma, but of course the spell not only made him unable to love Emma but also shutting off his ability to feel. Julian with no feeling, and his ability to scheme, is just as dangerous as Horace Dearborn who turns out makes ally with King of Unselie court in order to ban Downwolders to interfere more with the law. 

Comparing Each Book In Series

 Before i compare each book, i think it's good to compare this whole series with the other two series before. In TID, Cassandra Clare did a lot of digging in Warlock, Demons and also Nephilim's relationship with Human. In TMI we go dig a lot in Warewolf and Vampire and a bit of Faerie. But In this TDA we dig in deeper in Faerie, not only the Selie Court, but also Unselie, Wild Hunt, and also the Riders of Mannan, complete with their law. 

"You have your laws and we have ours. The difference is only that we do not pretend ours are not cruel"
― Gwyn ap Nudd ―

This book in comparison with the two others just took the adventure to another level. I see how much Cassandra Clare prepared this book, not just talking about the changes that need in Clave, but also how deep down she dig into the Faerie world. 

Plot

At first book we got introduced to a normal book as normal first book as it can be. A mystery to solve, a love tension between the main character, lots of characters included since the Blackthorn family itself consist of lots of members that has their own uniqueness. And of course a betrayal and a plot twist in the end. 

The second book took us to adventure in faerie land, revealed to us the Unselie Court that has been just mentioned couples time in the other series before but now we face the King of Unselie. His appearance himself, the Lord of Shadows might creeps you. And also taking a lot of scene in the book, not to mention his curelty to  Kieran the Prince that has been "sold" to the Wild Hunt by his own father. 

In the last book, we got a lot of adventure, to Selie Court, Unselie Court, back to London Institute again, and also Idris, and the newest part, to Thule. Which the concept of multi universe has been introduced in the last book of TMI, but not with the same character in there because it's more like Demon's world (i believe) at that time, but in Thule, the characters in there are exist but with different plot that happened after the Dark War lead by Sebastian.

Loveline

 When i read the Lord Shadows, i complained about how this pattern always happened in love line in every Cassandra Clare's book. There will be a Girl, loving A man, but it somehow it didn't work out, so she date the B man, but later end up with the A man again eventually. This happened in Tessa falling to Will, then engage to Jem instead, but end up marrying Will Herondale in the end. Clary also love Jace, but turns out they are siblings, so Clary date her best friend Simon who has crush on her for like, forever, and then discover that Jace is not her sibling, end up with Jace again.

In this book, Emma fall in love with Julian, who has secretly loving her since he was twelve (or maybe long before that) but they are parabatai so they are cursed if they love each other, so Emma decided to date Mark instead, Julian's brother who always made Julian jelaous of him. But of course the love is not unavoidable so she end up with Julian agian. I mean... can we not, do this? please no rebound love. 

But, i stll think Cassandra Clare is good at using the love triangle troupe, not to Emma-Julian-Mark, but to Mark-Christina-Kieran. I meaaaaannn!!! How could possibly this cruel prince Kieran can be so sweet at Christina and yet in the end the kind of forbidden love triangle (or threesome in Emma's term for their relationship) just justified as an unique yet pretty love story in the end of this book. I love three of them in the end. Of course it's unacceptable to us as human in real life, but in this book it seems normal or at least acceptable.

“I just don’t understand, I love them both, but it seems as if they cannot understand that. As if it is a torment or an insult.”
― Kieran ―

Also, i think this book is more mature in term of love line in comparison with TID and TMI, since there are lots of make out scene in there and by make out i mean they are not only kissing, but more, so i don't think it's really suitable for a junior high schooler, although it's not explicit like ACOTAR but still the frequency of the make out scene is quite a lot than in the first other two series.

Characters Development

 

I can say lots of things for character development in this part, but i think the most part is how Cassie dig down each character in each book. Emma and her stubbornness, the next best shadowhunter ever next to Jace Herondale. Julian the artist, who loves his family a lot that dare to do anything for them, even scheming behind the Clave. 

But of course them as the main character is not the only part of Cassie's mega project. How the Prologue of the series start with Kit's POV eventually revealed in the end of the book, he even took a bigger part in the end of the series that i believe will become part of the characters in the last series of shadowhunter world by Cassandra Clare along with Ty. 

Ty, the child that has autism in our world, but in Shadowhunter world is a kid with different focus, that need special attention at first. Clinging a lot to Livvy his twin sister for mental support, and then turns to be a good driven boy with one goal, yet again in the end of it probably made a biggest mistakes, but still he did his best in his role. He, just like Julian is a charming character indeed. 

Kieran also become the spotlight, from cruel prince at first, turn out to be such a kind princeling among his people in Unselie Court, and his decision to kill his own father just made him the true owner as the King of Unselie Court. He become able to feel other people pain that caused by him that made him become a better man and yes, he's such a romantic man indeed. That showed from the first book but well, lady of roses is such a sweet nickname.

Some special character also included in this book not only focusing in Blackthorn family, but also the characters that has showed in previous series, like Jem and Tessa, Magnus and Alec, and of course Jace and Clary. Also the surprise character, Ash took the spotlight in the middle of this book.

 But the best among them i think is how Livvy grow up to be such a great shadowhunter, as fierce as Emma. And her story in Thule is just so heartbreaking that made me shed tears for her. I mean i was shocked by her death at second book, but her Thule version is just amazing.

Writing Style

The writing style is not much different in this third book in comparison with other two, but with more POV added in here. Not only Emma and Julian POV, Kit, Dru, Diana and even Zara POV also added in this book and lots more, you name it. One  thing that i really hope is the separation in each change of POV. Because it just separated by another paragraph, it such a hard thing to recheck the quotes that i really want to find because it's hard to find the right POV with this kind of setting.

I was never a big fan of multiple POV in book, but i guess with multiple things that happened in this book not just only Emma and Julian's adventure, i can say i still okay with this kind of setting.

 

In Conclusion

In the end, yes i love this last book better than the other two, I almost give it a woot-woot (read my rating system here if you don't get what it means) if it not because of the stupid war lead by Horace Dearborn and the ending of the book. But i will settle it with the Uh Yeah for now. I believe the last series in shadowhunter world will took Ash, Ty, Kit and Dru in the adventure. Let's hope that i'm right.    

Read Previous Chapter :