Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare Review

Title: Sword Catcher

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Tor

Pages: 624

Release Date: 10 October 2023

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Hello fellow booklovers! Today I'm sharing my review for one of my most anticipated reads of the year, Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare.  A gorgeously rich and utterly immersive new epic fantasy from Cassie—whose signature blend of intrigue, magic and breathtakingly detailed world building takes on a darker, complex (and more mature) edge that adult fantasy lovers will definitely enjoy.

Synopsis

In the vibrant city-state of Castellane, the richest of nobles and the most debauched of criminals have one thing in common: the constant search for wealth, power, and the next hedonistic thrill.

Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword-Catcher—the body-double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He has been raised alongside the prince, trained in every aspect of combat and statecraft. He and Conor are close as brothers, but Kel knows he has one destiny: to die for Conor. No other future is possible.

Lin Caster is one of the Ashkar, a small community who still possess magical abilities. By law, they must live behind walls in the city, but Lin, a physician, ventures out to tend to the sick and dying of Castellane. Despite her skills, she cannot heal her best friend Mariam without access to forbidden knowledge.

After a failed assassination attempt brings Lin and Kel together, they are drawn into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King, the criminal ruler of Castellane’s underworld. He offers them each what they want most; but as they descend into his world of intrigue and shadow, they discover a conspiracy of corruption that reaches from the darkest gutters of Castellane to the highest tower of its palaces. As long-kept secrets begin to unravel, they must ask themselves: Is knowledge worth the price of betrayal? Can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will Lin and Kel’s discoveries plunge their nation into war—and the world into chaos?

Review

As a longtime fan of Clare’s Shadowhunter books, I’ve been eagerly awaiting Sword Catcher since it was first announced, and never thought I’d get my hands on a proof. But by some miracle I did and I’m happy to report that I loved every, deliciously intriguing second of it!

The world building was vividly detailed and the magic system utterly fascinating—I loved delving into the world’s lore, especially surrounding the Ashkari Queen-turned-Goddess, Adassa. But, the character-driven narrative is what really drew me in with its well developed cast of characters and loveably in-depth protagonists I couldn’t help but root for.

Kel, our orphan turned royal body double was an incredibly complex character; still grappling with his own identity and sense of belonging amongst the city’s power hungry, political elite. His emotional journey—which sees him come to the slow realisation that his life and future will never be of his own—was incredibly compulsive, especially once his path intersects with our other MC, Lin (who I absolutely loved!)

Lin has worked tirelessly to become a healer, mostly in an effort save her friend from an illness normal medicine cannot heal. Her strength and continued compassion in the face of adversity, both because she’s a woman and Ashkari (an ethnic-religious group discriminated against due to their ability to craft and heal using magical amulets) was utterly awe-inspiring. And her confidence and drive had me rooting for her from the very start.

Her interactions with Kel were really entertaining but the sparks that fly (and the intensity that develops) between Lin and Prince Conor was spectacular, though incredibly slow-burn. However, the story itself isn’t focused on romance (in fact, familial and platonic relationships get the biggest focus) so don’t go into this expecting a full on, romantasy-esque love story.

Like Kel’s platonic, brotherly bond with Prince Conor which I really enjoyed. Conor, although a rather selfish character (with a laissez faire attitude that was detrimental most of the time), I did end up quite liking him and felt that (thanks to Lin’s no-nonsense approach to handling him) he had the potential to become a more self aware and empathetic person, given the right motivations.

I was also pleased that Cassie’s skill at creating loveable secondary characters continues here, as I adored getting to meet soo many of the supporting cast. A few of my faves being Mariam (Lin’s adorably sweet best friend), The Ragpicker King (a mysterious but surprisingly likeable crime Lord) who we definitely didn’t get to see enough of, and his associates Merren (who gave me Magnus Bane meets Wylan Hendriks vibes) and Ji-An (whose intriguing backstory gets a brief mention and has me desperate to know more.)

There’s not much else I can add without spoiling the plot but, I will say it’s a phenomenal series starter that fans of Samantha Shannon, Ariel Kaplan or Leigh Bardugo are going to absolutely love this!

Also, a massive thank you to Black Crow PR & Pan Macmillan for the gorgeous proof.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

About The Author 

Cassandra Clare is the author of the No. 1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Shadowhunter Chronicles. She is also the co-author of the bestselling fantasy series Magisterium with Holly Black. The Shadowhunter Chronicles have been adapted as both a major motion picture and a television series. Her books have more than fifty million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. Cassandra lives in western Massachusetts with her husband and three fearsome cats

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