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4.5 stars! This review will be spoiler free, but will have spoilers for Lady Midnight (and potentially TMI and TID).
Synopsis:
Book two in the Dark Artifaces trilogy, Emma has just learned that reciprocated love between parabatai has the potential to give them both immense magic and eventually turn into monsters. What's the answer they seek? Well it's in the black volume. After striking a deal with the Seelie Queen, Emma, Julian, Mark, and Cristina embark on their mission to retrieve it. But now there are enemies from all sides, even sides they didn't expect as the Cohort, an organization that defines Downworlders as less, begins to rise in influence.
Thoughts:
Even more so than book one do you fall in love with the characters in this one. You even fall in love with the new characters and the younger kids. You get to know everyone so much better here, more POV's, more people to keep up with, and it all works so well together. I never once found myself upset to have to switch POV's, I was excited for each and every one of them. The representation has only improved from here on.
Tiberias/Ty was especially a favorite. He's described as someone who experiences the world differently than everyone else and normally you hear that phrasing associated with autistic people. Kit knows this, but the family doesn't have a word for it. Either way, Ty is a beloved character, flushed out, and full of emotion. But no matter what his personality is, Ty is still a badass, an amazing shadowhunter.
Kit was a glorious added bridge between born shadowhunters who know so much about demons and mundanes that know so much more about the real world.
And I don't want to give away any spoilers, but we do find out about a certain transgender character in the list and I was so so so happy with how that whole thing played out. I couldn't be more satisfied with how it was addressed and handled.
The romance was once again, very much at the forefront, obvy because it's one of the plot conflicts, BUT GOODNESS I CAN NEVER GET ENOUGH OF JULIAN AND EMMA. And now even more so Cristina/Mark/Kieran. Cassie Clare is seriously queen of multiple love triangles-hexagons-poly-hetero-homo-every kinda romance right now. I LIVE FOR IT.
The plot, unfortunately, is where I docked some star points. I felt like this book was a little dragging in some points. I remember that I had thought to myself "okay this is a little drawn out and long winded," but it was just a hand full of time. I think this book could have benefitted from maybe 100 less pages where things could have been consolidated and thus not have felt so slow at times.
Otherwise, I really enjoyed everything. There was more magic, more political intrigue, more collaboration not just between the young adults, but also the kids, and even the adults.
THAT ENDING THOUGH. BROKE MY HEART. That's all I can say before tears spring to my eyes again.
Overall:
Onto the next one! Because I seriously can't pause between these books. I promise you won't want to either.