Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare was an amazing read. I refused to watch any reviews going into this book so I didn’t know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised that the book was attention grabbing within its first two pages. Right away you get to see a little bit of one of the main characters (Emma Carstairs) personality, which is snarky, sarcastic and even funny.
The plot and setting of this book was unique. This story took place in Los Angeles, California, and the way that Cassandra Clare describes it is just beautiful. Emma is on a quest for revenge for both her parents murders. An opportunity comes up for her to do just that but also for Julian and the rest of the Blackthorn family to get their brother Mark back. I won’t go much into the plot because I truly think if you are interested in this book you should go read it. I also don’t want to give away any spoilers.
The characters in this book were all so unique and different. If you read The Mortal Instruments then you know about the Blackthorn family and how they were affected during the Dark War. The two eldest siblings Helen and Mark were taken away from their family. Therefore, Julian who is another main character ended up having to take care of his younger brothers and sisters since the age of 12. The family dynamic is interesting because Julian is then looked at as the father figure instead of a brother.
I could go on and on and talk about all of the main and minor characters but then this blog post would never end.
One of the things I really wanted to point out about this book was the diversity that was in it. It is unfortunately rare to see Hispanic/Latina women in books and television as one of the main characters. I was so happy to see that there is a character in this book that is from the Mexico Institute. Cristina’s character definitely stood out to me. It made it more relatable to me since I have visited the place that her character is originally from; it just made the story seem more real. She does have some Spanish speaking lines, which were so awesome!
This book is also diverse in the fact that Cassandra Clare included characters with different sexual orientation. I also noticed that mental illness was mentioned with one character. Mental illness is so important and I think that Cassandra Clare did a great job by writing about it. The following quote really stood out to me and I hope more of this is mentioned in her next books.
“It’s amazing that you’re still a Shadowhunter if you have a sickness of the body, but apparently not if you have a sickness of the mind.”
For those wondering if any of the characters from The Mortal Instruments will make an appearance, the answer is yes. They are mentioned throughout the book and there is also a short story at the end about them. Loved it!
At the end of the book some questions are answered and some are not. This is great because it makes reader want to read the next book even more.
I give Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare a 5 out 5 stars. It was such an amazing book. I think anyone that likes reading a book that has revenge, mystery, strong and unique characters, and forbidden romance will love this book.
