City of Deja

At the start of this year, I decided that it was finally time to read Cassandra Clare’s fifth Shadowhunter’s series, The Last Hours. The Last Hours trilogy—which includes Chain of Gold, Chain of Iron, and Chain of Thorns—is Clare’s second historical fiction series set in the wider urban fantasy world of the Shadowhunter Chronicles. I do have quite the soft spot for Clare’s shadowhunter books, so I was excited to dive back in a world of demon hunting, fun melodrama, and expansive magical lore. In this review, I’ll be sharing my holistic thoughts on the series without spoilers.

Before we dive in, I believe that a little background on my history with the Shadowhunter Chronicles is necessary. As of this post, Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunters world currently spans over 15 novels and countless novellas; as of writing this, I’ve read about 13 of them. There are also various recommended reading orders that you can find online, though Clare states that you can use any of her series as an entry point into the world. From my perspective, however, her first two series, The Mortal Instruments (six books), and it’s prequel trilogy, The Infernal Devices are the best places to start. Both series follow protagonists that are new to the Shadowhunter world, and that green point of view can be helpful to new readers. I’ve read of each these, and I think having that background knowledge on the world really enhanced my reading experience of The Last Hours. Let’s dive in.

Chain of Gold

Chain of Gold cuts zero corners. In this first book, Cassie Clare pulls out all the stops when introducing us to a wide cast of characters. Seriously, while buddy reading this one with a friend, I made my own family tree so we could keep track of who was related to who.

At first, this was quite overwhelming. But once I put in a greater effort to understand all the family connections and relationships, Chain of Gold became a really fun read. It’s dramatic and full of angst which is always what I want out of a Shadowhunters book. There’s also a mystery that pulses throughout the novel that I found intriguing which kept me reading. The nostalgic nods toward The Infernal Devices were also a plus as this trilogy follows the children of the TID protagonists.

I throughly enjoyed my time with Chain of Gold and found it to be a solid start to the series.

Chain of Iron

Chain of Iron is where the drama really kicks in. Think of the golden age of CW television shows; that’s what Chain of Iron was. Characters not communicating, running away from their problems, allowing societal expectations to keep them apart. It was angst and drama to the max and I ate it right up.

Chain of Iron does feel like a “middle book” in that lots of the drama is set up and expanded—and absolutely none of it is solved. This tactic was successful in getting me to reach for Chain of Thorns almost immediately, I can’t really complain in that regard. While I did find an issue with how long and drawn out this sequel felt, it didn’t hinder my reading experience too much.

Chain of Thorns

Chain of Thorns was another long installment. It comes in at a whopping 800 pages and I definitely felt the length of this one as I was reading (off the record—I set this book down for about six months).

It sometimes felt like Clare wasn’t entirely sure where to go with the plot in Chain of Thorns. As the finale of the trilogy, the character drama that I enjoyed so much early on could no longer be the sole factor that moved the central plot along. Now, it was finally time to answer the big questions that had been plaguing the London Shadowhunters over the course of the trilogy.

Clare’s method of answering these overarching questions was done in quite an abrupt fashion. It was almost as if a switch was flipped at the 75% mark of the novel: once all the couples were established and strong, and the broken family connections were mended, then Clare picked up the pacing with multiple action sequences. Toward the end of Chain of Thorns, we get the obligatory large battle scene, as well as an unfortunate character death, which had me hooked for the final 300 pages.

In some ways, my drawn out reading period of over six months worked in favor of the book. I read a good 500 pages before setting the book down until I was in a better reading mood for it. Once I picked it back up, it was at a point in the novel where the action kicked into gear which made the final stretch of the book smooth sailing. Make of that what you will.

Final Recommendation

So, should you read The Last Hours? If you’re a Shadowhunters fan, then my answer is yes. What I enjoy most about Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunters Chronicles is that her urban fantasy world feels so familiar to me, even with a new cast of characters. I also love how each of the Shadowhunter families feels so distinct, as there are characteristics that readers can pick up on from meeting certain family members in previous novels. In The Last Hours, she also utilizes the setting of London in a way that is so transporting the location almost feels like a character itself, which made me want to return after finishing each book. Clare’s world of Shadowhunters is intricate and fun to read, and The Last Hours was truly no exception. While I did have issues with the pacing and sheer length of the final two books, the characters, Shadowhunter lore, and the drama of it all kept me reading on.

For new readers, though I wouldn’t recommend starting with The Last Hours as an introduction to her expansive world, if you find yourself hooked after reading some of her earlier works, then prepare for an enjoyable (albeit lengthy) reading experience.