Book Synopsis:
One was raised to rule. One was trained to die. Welcome to the Chronicles of Castellane.
In the vibrant city-state of Castellane, a young orphan named Kel is stolen from his old life to enter a new one of luxury and peril. He’s to become Prince Conor Aurelian’s body-double, shielding the Prince from all dangers. As his ‘Sword Catcher,’ he and Conor become close as brothers – yet Kel lives for one purpose: to die for Conor.
Lin Caster is an Ashkar physician, part of a community ostracised for its rare magical abilities. But events pull her and Kel together and into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King who rules Castellane’s criminal underworld.
Together, they’ll discover an extraordinary conspiracy. But can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will their discoveries plunge their nation into war and the world into chaos?
Lose yourself in a vibrant world of power, intrigue and magic in this spellbinding epic from an internationally bestselling sensation.
My Review:
The Sword Catcher is a gripping, immersive and hugely enjoyable read. It’s the first book in what promises to be a fantastic fantasy series.
Firstly the author has created a fascinating world in this book and I enjoyed exploring it alongside the characters. It’s a world that seems set somewhere in the past with an interesting class system and harsh punishments to anyone caught breaking the rules. The reader learns a little bit about the country’s complicated history as the book goes on, finding out more about who the country’s enemies are and an event which made most of the magic disappear from the world.
My favourite character in this book was Kel who I felt had a difficult job trying to protect the prince while not really fitting in his world. His relationship with Connor was wonderful to read about and I loved reading about how close the two where. Despite their positions they are like brothers and obviously care a great deal for each other. Lin was another fascinating character and I loved how strong minded and clever she was in a world which didn’t appreciate this trait in women. The daily injustices she faces because of her genre made my blood boil and I found I was completely behind her, wanting her to succeed.
The book does start off a bit slowly as the author sets the scene but soon becomes very gripping indeed. The story is told from Lin and Kel’s point of view which was really interesting and I enjoyed following both character’s equally. The plot was quite fast paced at times and there always seemed to be something happening to keep me interested. Even in the slightly slower moments I was just happy hanging out with the characters. There were a few twists that took me by surprise and I loved the ending which points to a very intriguing sequel which I can’t wait to read.
Huge thanks to Tandem Collective for inviting me onto the read-along and the publisher for my copy of this book. If you are looking for a brilliant new fantasy series I highly recommend this book.
About The Author:
Cassandra Clare is the author of the #1 New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Mortal Instruments series and the Infernal Devices trilogy, and coauthor of the Bane Chronicles with Sarah Rees Brennan and Maureen Johnson. She also wrote The Shadowhunter’s Codex with her husband, Joshua Lewis. Her books have more than 36 million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. Cassandra lives in western Massachusetts. Visit her at CassandraClare.com. Learn more about the world of the Shadowhunters at Shadowhunters.com.
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