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jeconpointe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
kaulhilo's review
4.0
ahh, it's been long enough, i'm gonna bring down the rating. in my head. i physically cannot do it, actually, because the absolute and total hold this universe has on me should be studied in a biology lab. i rated chain of gold & chain of iron 5 stars each, when looking back (and probably at the moment i was rating them, too) i knew they were far from books i loved, and told a story i did not like as much as i'd wished i had. chain of thorns, sadly then, is much of the same - except there were 2 years in the making of this, the book borrowed very heavily from the mortal instruments, with a microdose of the dark artifices, (and naturally, the infernal devices) to the point where i don't know where nostalgia and my personal enthusiasm for the other series' ended and the merit of this book itself started.
the plot was considerably well-adjusted for what the precursors had set it out to be - i was expecting more rabid fantasy, illogical sequences, and while there's still a lot of suspending contempt, this book wrapped the plot arc in quite literally the "cleanest" way possible. was this what i wanted out of the series? no. did it live up to exactly a decade of background grail and anticipation? a bigger no. it's a letdown, all things considered, and i don't know if i'm someone who can be objective about it: how much is it my expectations being thwarted, and how much is it the book just being plain bad?
i wasn't a fan of the jamescordeliamatthew love triangle. simply put (and i said this with the last book), i don't understand the need for another love triangle when grace had already been a part of their story. is that not enough? i don't understand what cassie was trying to pull with this, save that she hadn't thought of a plot for matthew aside his alcoholism, and she needed whatever flimsy excuse to keep jamescordelia apart for just that bit longer. which i understand, but god, what happened to good old-fashioned kidnapping? (or something. just saying!)
i do think this trilogy would've benefited from a more distinct, demarcated cast list. 11 main characters is too much for any author to do well, and it comes off as almost ridiculously inadequate in a series as plot-centered as this. a more focused approach on james, cordelia, matthew, lucie, and grace, with the other 6 as supporting characters might have fleshed out the book more, in my opinion. as it is, i felt like we barely touched upon characters i've spent more than 3 years reading about, obsessing over. i wish there had been more about grace, she's easily one of the most interesting characters i've read from cassie; same with matthew, while there was a lot of suffering and customary self-loathing involved, i feel like this series left him almost exactly where we found him, when the original novella started. i would've really liked reading him finding his happy ending too, whatever that may be.
the lore of the family tree, of course, is another ridiculous, messy retcon of a set-up. years of foreshadowing and baiting, and for barely two characters. imagine thinking i'd care. i feel like overall, this novel has left a very nicely built space for yet another novella series; and i wish i could say it's very telling, and annoying, and i hate it! but i don't. if true, i am unbelievably excited, and want it in my life, and cannot wait at all.
now for the good stuff: i adored, ADORED luciejesse here. i started the book a little hesitant about them, i didn't know where they were going, and if the first two books had been worth what this book was going to cement. but, they were written so well, so beautifully, that i fell in love with them from the very first scene. jesse quickly escalated up my list of favorite tsc characters, same with grace and cordelia; while the others affirmed an already adoring affection. i liked how jamescordelia were written together, finally saved from everything else, and while they won't be a couple on top of any list for me, i really see and value what cassie was trying to do with them. if the execution had just been slightly more well-written, i do think they could've easily toppled some of my favorite ships. i loved anna/ari, and thomas/alastair (they were so cute!!) and i'm so very glad to see alastair's character come to a close like this. i adored christopher and grace, even more so, and i wish i'd had more of them before. before. well, ever see something written in just for the useless sake of it. no reason, no point, just sure, whatever. i did love how this novel ended on a happy note though; i know a lot of people were looking forward to "heartbreaking" which is... not something achievable in my opinion, as this book was obviously a second closer to the overarching series. i loved jem's talks with grace, i loved how everything in this book was written with so much care and almost reverence - it's not a lot, but it's more than i'd expect from a young adult novel, but almost every story was touched with so much respect, it took me back to the start of shadowhunter chronicles, and how much this same writing had scoped almost all my teenages, and a very major part of my life. i adored the relevance malcolm fade had in this book, which is something i feel would've worked even better had tlh alternated with tda as intended. there were so many will (and sometimes, even with tessa) parts! i learned he likes ship's biscuits (whatever that is), he snores (no one is perfect), and he has grey hair now!!!! (see when you're perfect?). i loved the minor herongraystairs mentions, and all of them being so much in love with each other after all this time. now i'm thinking about how james and lucie will never know about their younger siblings, kit and mina, and i'm absolutely heartbroken. i really hope twp has tessa telling stories about them!
god, i thought i wouldn't have much to say, but apparently i did. this is probably going to be the last of cassie's full historical novels/trilogies, and i know i should be missing it already, but i just don't. i'm extremely glad it's over, even as i'm slightly sad i won't have to them to look forward to anymore. this story was not written in a way that i could stand behind or vouch for, and nostalgia is doing a lot of the work keeping it running. my real rating would be somewhere near 2.5 stars, but well, for sentimentality's sake. 4 stars.
the plot was considerably well-adjusted for what the precursors had set it out to be - i was expecting more rabid fantasy, illogical sequences, and while there's still a lot of suspending contempt, this book wrapped the plot arc in quite literally the "cleanest" way possible. was this what i wanted out of the series? no. did it live up to exactly a decade of background grail and anticipation? a bigger no. it's a letdown, all things considered, and i don't know if i'm someone who can be objective about it: how much is it my expectations being thwarted, and how much is it the book just being plain bad?
i wasn't a fan of the jamescordeliamatthew love triangle. simply put (and i said this with the last book), i don't understand the need for another love triangle when grace had already been a part of their story. is that not enough? i don't understand what cassie was trying to pull with this, save that she hadn't thought of a plot for matthew aside his alcoholism, and she needed whatever flimsy excuse to keep jamescordelia apart for just that bit longer. which i understand, but god, what happened to good old-fashioned kidnapping? (or something. just saying!)
i do think this trilogy would've benefited from a more distinct, demarcated cast list. 11 main characters is too much for any author to do well, and it comes off as almost ridiculously inadequate in a series as plot-centered as this. a more focused approach on james, cordelia, matthew, lucie, and grace, with the other 6 as supporting characters might have fleshed out the book more, in my opinion. as it is, i felt like we barely touched upon characters i've spent more than 3 years reading about, obsessing over. i wish there had been more about grace, she's easily one of the most interesting characters i've read from cassie; same with matthew, while there was a lot of suffering and customary self-loathing involved, i feel like this series left him almost exactly where we found him, when the original novella started. i would've really liked reading him finding his happy ending too, whatever that may be.
the lore of the family tree, of course, is another ridiculous, messy retcon of a set-up. years of foreshadowing and baiting, and for barely two characters. imagine thinking i'd care. i feel like overall, this novel has left a very nicely built space for yet another novella series; and i wish i could say it's very telling, and annoying, and i hate it! but i don't. if true, i am unbelievably excited, and want it in my life, and cannot wait at all.
now for the good stuff: i adored, ADORED luciejesse here. i started the book a little hesitant about them, i didn't know where they were going, and if the first two books had been worth what this book was going to cement. but, they were written so well, so beautifully, that i fell in love with them from the very first scene. jesse quickly escalated up my list of favorite tsc characters, same with grace and cordelia; while the others affirmed an already adoring affection. i liked how jamescordelia were written together, finally saved from everything else, and while they won't be a couple on top of any list for me, i really see and value what cassie was trying to do with them. if the execution had just been slightly more well-written, i do think they could've easily toppled some of my favorite ships. i loved anna/ari, and thomas/alastair (they were so cute!!) and i'm so very glad to see alastair's character come to a close like this. i adored christopher and grace, even more so, and i wish i'd had more of them before. before. well, ever see something written in just for the useless sake of it. no reason, no point, just sure, whatever. i did love how this novel ended on a happy note though; i know a lot of people were looking forward to "heartbreaking" which is... not something achievable in my opinion, as this book was obviously a second closer to the overarching series. i loved jem's talks with grace, i loved how everything in this book was written with so much care and almost reverence - it's not a lot, but it's more than i'd expect from a young adult novel, but almost every story was touched with so much respect, it took me back to the start of shadowhunter chronicles, and how much this same writing had scoped almost all my teenages, and a very major part of my life. i adored the relevance malcolm fade had in this book, which is something i feel would've worked even better had tlh alternated with tda as intended. there were so many will (and sometimes, even with tessa) parts! i learned he likes ship's biscuits (whatever that is), he snores (no one is perfect), and he has grey hair now!!!! (see when you're perfect?). i loved the minor herongraystairs mentions, and all of them being so much in love with each other after all this time. now i'm thinking about how james and lucie will never know about their younger siblings, kit and mina, and i'm absolutely heartbroken. i really hope twp has tessa telling stories about them!
god, i thought i wouldn't have much to say, but apparently i did. this is probably going to be the last of cassie's full historical novels/trilogies, and i know i should be missing it already, but i just don't. i'm extremely glad it's over, even as i'm slightly sad i won't have to them to look forward to anymore. this story was not written in a way that i could stand behind or vouch for, and nostalgia is doing a lot of the work keeping it running. my real rating would be somewhere near 2.5 stars, but well, for sentimentality's sake. 4 stars.
makiichin's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is the best set of characters so far in any CC book (i haven’t read the dark artifices yet though). I loved them all and loved the relationships and how it all developed.
I’ll say, I fully expected Matthew to die, and Christopher and Grace to be together. I was so shocked when Christopher got killed off. I am part glad CC surprised me, part glad Matthew lived as he’s one my favourites and part sad and confused by Christopher’s fate
edit: after thinking a bit more, I am bumping it down fro 3.5 to 3 because I keep remembering details that were resolved too fast in the ending, such aseveryone now knowing who Jesse is, but no discussion whatsoever of any repruccusions to him, Lucie, or the Herondales
edit: after thinking a bit more, I am bumping it down fro 3.5 to 3 because I keep remembering details that were resolved too fast in the ending, such as
einaselesnia's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know what I expected, though for sure I wouldn't have fit in their time. I'm still sad for Matthew wishing he and James and Cordelia could work it out together. Though I'm more frustrated about Grace and her role still in these books. To final battle was predictable, the few things leading up had more surprises. Happy to have read it all.
thayscosta's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
maddiemoiselle's review
4.0
To be honest, I am kind of disappointed in Chain of Thorns. The word that comes to mind is underwhelming. Especially the last 200 pages or so, I had to force myself to finish. I still loved the book, and I did enjoy reading it. I just have some big thoughts about what happened.
To begin with, Edom was so unnecessary. I understand the logic behind Cassie including it, but literally if you break it down it’s just a couple chapters of James/Matthew and Cordelia/Lucie being forced together. Literally Cordelia and Lucie trek across Edom and for what? To find Matthew and immediately go right back to London? It just really disrupted the pacing for me and the “tension” it introduced felt cheap and weak.
I also hated James’s excuse behind not telling Cordelia what happened with the bracelet. It was so frustrating, especially because we know the only reason he didn’t was to increase tension and slow the burn between Cordelia and James. I wish Cassie presented a legitimate reason why Cordelia and James couldn’t make up, because I DO like that they didn’t immediately make up, but it felt so unbelievable and childish that James wouldn’t tell anyone what happened to him.
I did enjoy when James and Cordelia finally reconciled, and I’m glad Cassie gave us a substantial amount of Jordelia content and the payoff did really work for me. Unfortunately, as soon as they got together (randomly mid-book
To begin with, Edom was so unnecessary. I understand the logic behind Cassie including it, but literally if you break it down it’s just a couple chapters of James/Matthew and Cordelia/Lucie being forced together. Literally Cordelia and Lucie trek across Edom and for what? To find Matthew and immediately go right back to London? It just really disrupted the pacing for me and the “tension” it introduced felt cheap and weak.
I also hated James’s excuse behind not telling Cordelia what happened with the bracelet. It was so frustrating, especially because we know the only reason he didn’t was to increase tension and slow the burn between Cordelia and James. I wish Cassie presented a legitimate reason why Cordelia and James couldn’t make up, because I DO like that they didn’t immediately make up, but it felt so unbelievable and childish that James wouldn’t tell anyone what happened to him.
I did enjoy when James and Cordelia finally reconciled, and I’m glad Cassie gave us a substantial amount of Jordelia content and the payoff did really work for me. Unfortunately, as soon as they got together (randomly mid-book
gracethesnail's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
maaike96's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
kierstenevenson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0