
Sword Catcher (The Chronicles of Castellane #1) by Cassandra Clare
Genre:
Romantasy, Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Magic, High Fantasy, Adult Fantasy
Publication Date:
October 10, 2023
Page Numbers:
624
Read/Finished Date:
September 16th, 2025 - September 17th, 2025
Rating:
DNF'e # 40%
Premise:
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 as close as brothers, but Kel knows that his destiny is to die for Conor. No other future is possible.
Lin Caster is one of the Ashkar, a small community whose members still possess magical abilities. By law, they must live behind walls within 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 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 their discoveries plunge their nation into war—and the world into chaos?
Review:
Honestly, I don't know where to begin this review. First, I am sad that I didn't get a chance to read this novel because I wanted to allow Clare to draw me into a world outside of the Shadowhunters universe, especially since I was around during her time of plagiarism in the HP universe. Something new. Something fresh. This was supposed to be that book. Unfortunately, the length of the novel carried so much information that it was easy to get bored and care less about what was going on.
The characters were just as bad—one-dimensional. No development. And far too many to get attached to. I found not a single one I liked. Don't get me wrong: the characters had a ton of potential (as did the story itself), but it wasn't there to bring any shine to any of the characters.
The world-building. Interesting, but the execution was lacking. I felt something was missing, and maybe it was just me.
I am so glad I picked this book (as well as book two) from the library instead of buying them. I would probably be disappointed.