Oh wow. We're here. You see, a year and a half ago I was screaming that we had to wait until the end of 2018 for QOAAD...but now...it's out...and I've read it...and wow.

Okay. 

I'd like to first say that this book made me cry both happy and sad tears. Thank you, Cassandra Clare, for evoking not one, but TWO emotional reactions out of me, a heartless monster.

I'd like to secondly say that the last one hundred pages were complete fan-service, but I was also 100% here for it. No negatives there! That's the part that made me cry! I'll do a spoiler section later soooo

I think there were two issues here with Queen of Air and Darkness: plot complexity and finale-but-not-really syndrome (I just made that up). The Dark Artifices has the most complex plot of any of her series and not only that, but it has the longest list of characters, and most of them have their own side-plots. In Lady Midnight and Lord of Shadows, I was not overwhelmed by it all, mostly because the major plot parts hadn't been brought up yet, and we were still focussing so intensely on Julian and Emma. In QOAAD, however, it became a little...too much. Usually, I find every piece of her stories captivating, but with so much going on, I had parts I didn't enjoy, which made the POV-switching...a little annoying. This is the first time I've read a Cassie Clare book and didn't enjoy every POV. So that was disappointing. Not to say that she didn't pull off the complex plot, but maybe with such a complex plot, adding a million characters didn't...help.

The other issue is the ending, which yeah, was great, but also...not? I'm still struggling with how I feel about the ending considering how good it was in nearly every way, yet how disappointing it was when I got to the last pages. There really isn't a conclusion because The Wicked Powers are intended to come later, but given how far away that is, this ending doesn't seem right. It didn't feel like a finale (and maybe this is my emotions getting to me). Even though the characters in TMI continue on, City of Heavenly Fire felt very much like a finale.

Anyway, I suppose I have to have a lot of positives because this is a five star review. What made it a five star review? Well, for starters, I have such a deep attachment to the characters and the writing and the world and everything that rating it any lower would feel like a betrayal of both my current self and the version of me that read City of Bones in seventh grade. (I'm in twelfth now.)

But in actuality, this book was amazing. Cassandra Clare's writing has improved so much since her first few books, her plot has improved, her characters have improved. And man, does she still have some of the finest diversity in all of the land. (The land has very little, though, so I suppose that might not be saying much.)

I laughed, I cried, I wanted to throw the book at the wall in anger. I'm still in shock that this series is over—it does feel a little important that I started off high school with Lady Midnight and I'm ending it with Queen of Air and Darkness. It's the end of an era.

My favorite piece above all is the characters, even if some of them I cared about less than others (like I said, there were TOO MANY). Kit and Ty ended up being my favorite part to read about in QOAAD, but I still adore Emma and Julian. Fun fact, though, I actually like Cristina now! And I adore her with Mark and Kieran. I also love Dru, but I cared a little less about her storyline, and the same goes for Tavvy (a very small child still). I enjoyed seeing Aline and Helen come back, though, and it was interesting to see Helen and Julian switch roles in the house. 

Of course, I loved the persistent ones, like Magnus, Alec, Clary, and Jace, even if Clary and Jace make me want to vomit sometimes. (At least Magnus and Alec exist.)

The development of Emma and Julian's relationship was remarkable. Julian made some not-so-great decisions (and the pacing of it was a little awkward—it lasted for a good third of the book and then became a non-problem?), but above all, he still loved Emma. And I very much loved that quote about how he never treated Emma lesser for being female; they were equals. Don't I love a man who meets the very, very low bar? Unfortunately, yes.

I could probably go on for days, but the non-spoiler section is paining me. I JUST WANT TO HAVE FEELINGs.

1. I am angry that Kit and Ty did not get together. Why do I have to wait until 2022? I'll be a senior in college then? Not fair.
2. I cried during Magnus and Alec's wedding, mostly because they have come so far. It's beautiful to see Alec having gone from a closeted 18 year-old to a married father of two who is HAPPY. Life doesn't suck forever.
3. I didn't need the Clary and Jace greenhouse scene no. 2 and I shouldn't be surprised I got it.
4. The whole Thule scene was my favorite part of the entire book (aside from the Malec wedding). I want an entire novel on this alternate universe. Post-apocalyptic with Shadowhunters and demons? Yesssss. Okay, I will admit it was sad, but sTILL.
5. I love you, I love you, I love you. I don't need these FEELINGS.
6. Livvy. Just Livvy. I'm so sad. ALSO TY WHAT THE HECK WAS HE DOING? I wanted to shake him so hard the entire book because yes, it was in character to try to bring her back, but buddy why? THE DEAD SHOULD STAY DEAD. And Kit, my poor sweet child, don't let him do this. I am glad, though, that she came back as a ghost...although, I'm wondering what the consequence might be. It was alluded that there will be one, so...TWP comes too late.
7. Every time Kit commented on "hmm, my heart keeps RACING whenever TY is in the ROOM, I wonder WHY" I wanted to slap him. 
8. Zara did not get the ending she deserved. I am sad.
9. Idris and Alicante being no more makes me terribly angsty.
10. I think that will come back.
11. JEM. Need I say anymore? JEM AND TESSA. WITH CHILD. My fourteen year-old dreams are coming true!!! I have happiness again!!! 
12. I would like a companion series purely about Jem and Tessa living now with their child and their teen-child Kit. Thank you and goodnight.
13. Seriously, though? Another Herondale with a last name crisis? Deja vu.
14. I love Kit.
15. I love Ty.
16. I love Jem.
17. I love Magnus and Alec.
18. I should finish this review and go eat breakfast.
Thank you for coming to my spoiler and non-spoiler review! Happy reading!

-Book Hugger

This is so late. But I finally wrote this. And it's hella long, so enjoy ;)

“'There is truth in stories,' said Arthur. 'There is truth in one of your paintings, boy or in a sunset or a couplet from Homer. Fiction is truth, even if it is not a fact. If you believe only in facts and forget stories, your brain will live, but your heart will die.'"

Lord of Shadows is so far my favorite book of 2017, as though I expected any less since Lady Midnight, its predecessor, was my favorite of 2016. Cassandra Clare has never disappointed me and even with my high-anticipation of LoS, I loved every second of it (correction: almost). Not one bit was underwhelming, even if I do have a few issues (specifically, with the ending, but I'll get to that later)--there's always room for improvement.

Romance takes the center of The Dark Artifices, which is different for Clare because The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices were more about general character development and plot movement. While there are many side plots in The Dark Artifices, it's obvious that the forbidden love story between Emma and Julian is the most important here. As someone who usually prefers romance to take a side in the plot, despite being a hopeless romantic, I love that Emma and Julian take center stage. Their story has been told many times before, in "Romeo and Juliet", even in her the early parts of The Mortal Instruments with Magnus and Alec, but there's something fresh about this and there's more at stake than a broken heart and the threat of others dislike. The best part of this all, though, is that even if the romance doesn't hook you, there's so much more to the book than that. It may be "more important", but the side-action is riveting and the other characters each have their own paths.

“Everyone is afraid of something. We fear things because we value them. We fear losing people because we love them. We fear dying because we value being alive. Don't wish you didn't fear anything. All that would mean is that you didn't feel anything.”

It's apparent that Clare has written many, many books because this is by far her most complex series. Each book is heavy (not just in pages!) with depth. The plot is more composite, with each part very separate, but still connected to the center of the story and the main characters in some way. I can't say I was attached to the parts with Dru, but hopefully in Queen of Air and Darkness, I will care about her more. I was, however, strongly invested in not only the Emma/Julian plot-line, but the Kit/Ty/Livvy plot and the Christina/Kieran/Mark lines. I'm 100% positive that Kitty will become canon next book, just you wait!!! Though, I'm not sure how Kierark or the other names there will be resolved, and I'm still not sold on Christina and Mark, they just don't seem right together. 

Also, my blood was actually boiling whenever Zara started talking. KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT, GIRL, WHAT YOU SAY DOES NOT MATTER. I have a lot of opinions, okay? She has a lot too, but at least mine are decent and nice. Not to mention, there's Perfect Diego, who's actually NOT perfect (newsflash) and instead is a J-E-R-K.

Can we also just applaud Clare for the diversity in this book? It was such, such a breath of fresh air to see this much diversity in one book. She's always represented so many different types of people in her books, but The Dark Artifices has taken it to the next level and I love that. She's never made it seem like she was trying to reach a quota either, which makes it more authentic. 

Anyway. It took me maybe three days to get through this book and it's huge. I never wanted to put it down. Invested, I say, invested. And now, I'm broken because it's a TWO YEAR long wait for Queen of Air and Darkness, which I need more than I need air, pun somewhat intended. It's still a little unnerving to realize that I'm going to be almost graduating high school when that book comes out. Yikes. 

I'm in so much pain.

So much.

“Sometimes the most ruthless heart speaks the most truth”

Okay, but my ONE complaint here is the ending. I don't care as much that it was a cliffhanger as I do about how abrupt it was. I felt like she had reached the amount of words she was supposed to have in the book and just stopped writing. I'm okay with cliffhangers (hahahaha who actually is??), but this took it too far. It ended right at the end of an action scene (I'll just say that much), which goes against almost every story arc I've ever seen. Here's a basic run-over of the necessities for plot.

1-Exposition. Check.

2-Rising Action. Check.

3-Climax. CHECK.

4-Falling Action. Um.

5-Resolution. ¿Dónde está? 

Maybe things are different with series, but WHERE WAS THE FALLING ACTION?? Does one page of the characters realizing what had just gone down count as both falling action and resolution? Not in my book...

I can't drop the rating for this, however, because I loved the rest of it too much to do that. But I think it is quite important to acknowledge every part of a book, even the ugly, no matter what rating you give it. 

I cannot tell you how much I recommend this series. Clare is an architect of masterpieces, and even if you were disappointed in her other series, you are bound to like this one.

“There's something about a place you've been with someone you love. It takes on a meaning in your mind. It becomes more than a place. It becomes a distillation of what you felt for each other. The moments you spend in a place with someone... they become part of its bricks and mortar. Part of its soul.” 

-Book Hugger

Check out my blog for more reviews like this!!! http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com thanks!!! (if you can't tell, I love exclamation points!)

Just as magnificent the third time through <3


----

if you've never read Wonder before, then you better go pick it up now.

It took me five months to read this book. I think that says something about how awful it was.

I feel heartless for not crying. Someone comfort me and tell me they didn't really cry either.

-Book Hugger

Check out my blog at http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com

Not perfect, but better than TATBILB

review to come!

-Book Hugger

Only a Goodreads review because I have little time for full ones at the moment:

This book is heavy. REALLY heavy. That's honestly the main reason for the four star rating because it had some topics that are...triggering for me and like the idiot I am, I ignored them, thinking, "nah, it won't be that bad!" It's bad. Massive trigger warnings for suicide and self-harm. I think if I read this when I was in a better headspace, it would have been okay, but at the same time, while realistic, I don't think there's a reason for a book to be this dark.

Besides that though, my other main issue was that I didn't completely understand the alien part and it was never truly explained. The ending felt both open and incomplete. I wanted more and not necessarily in a good way. I love open endings as much as the next person, but this was more than open; it was lacking.

As for the things I loved though, well, the important conversations about love and relationships and mental health. It's an incredibly important book if you're in the right headspace for it. The characters felt real and raw, like I could touch them. While I didn't completely mesh with the writing initially, the writing felt incredibly right for the story.

And wow, this is more the length of a full review, whoops. We're done here.

-Book Hugger

For full reviews, check out my blog at bookhuggerreviews.com

I really need to write reviews, ugh...

This was super cute and I really enjoyed it. It depicts grief so well and I'm thankful for that.

-Book Hugger

Until I get my crap together and write a review, visit by blog at http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com