In which we catch up with the Blackthorn gang, various love triangles ensue, there is a lot of smoldering, and a various kind of boring quests to find the recently resurrected Annabel black thorn. Also, rising Shadowhunter-supremacism and xenophobia that smacked a bit too close to home for me.

Overall, this middle book was meh for me. I finished it, but not at the rapid, devouring pace I normally do with a Clare book. I thought the Emma/Mark relationship would play a bit differently and honestly was a bit disappointed in how quickly she returned to wanting to bonk Julian. Give the hot fairy a chance!

Also, I just don't give a fart about Annabel or Malcolm and their tortured love story. I think we are going to veer more towards the Shadowhunters becoming totalitarian/racist/xenophobe rulers who want to register all the down-worlders and I am also not super looking forward to reading about it, um, because reality. That said, I did finish the book, there were some sweet moments, and I will read the next one because I do want to see where everyone ends up.

Basically, this felt like an indulgent throw eveyrhting I want to in the pot because I'm Cassandra Clare and I can. For instance, can we stop having to include poor Magnus in everything? Give the poor warlock a rest! And I really don't need to have every character from every Clare book ever brought back in every book. Let Jace and Clary rest too!

Spoilers ahead:

I appreciated the handling of Diana's secret revelation and why she could not hold the Mortal Sword and become the head of an institute, and also her new relationship with Erlath. Super sweet, and more that please.
The whole time I was kind of hoping for a hot fairy/shadowhunter threesome between Mark, his boyfriend, and Christina because one, I don't really buy the whole just Mark/Christina thing, and two, why not?! I really think Mark holds her on a pedestal as a perfect princess, and I hope she shatters that. Go girl.
I liked Kit's character, but am not sure where Clare is heading with his relationship with Ty. Friends? Parabatai? Lovers? Who knows. I kind of felt the teens' storyline was a bit too bloated and is Clare trying to set up the next trilogy.