I was in need of a nice, long fantasy to get lost in after a rough week, and at 604 pages, this seemed like the perfect thing. While I was familiar with Cassandra Clare because of her well-known Mortal Instruments/Shadowhunters series, I hadn't personally read any of her work before now.
I'm pleased to report that I was not disappointed.
“All that is good comes from the gods. All that is evil comes from men.”
The story follows Kel, a young orphan whose life is uprooted when he is seized from the Orfelinat by order of the king. He is brought to Marivent Castle, where he is promised a life beyond his wildest dreams, with only one condition: become the the prince's Sword Catcher.
As is top-secret tradition for Castellane royalty, every royal has a body double. Each Sword Catcher is expertly trained in combat and protection, as well as how to mimic the movements, mannerisms, and vocalisms of the royal that they are sworn to protect. As Kel already bears a striking resemblance to Prince Conor, this shouldn't be a problem. He agrees.
From then on, Kel and the prince are raised side by side as brothers, sharing every aspect of their lives with one another.
Kel knows that his life is risky, and he never knows where the next threat may be, but that's the price he's willing to pay to protect Conor—to protect Castellane.
“I am the Prince's shield. I am his unbreakable armor. I bleed that he might not bleed. I suffer that he might never suffer. I die that he might live forever.”
Lin is the first and only female physician among the Ashkar—those that study and perform magic.
After the Sundering wiped almost all evidence of magic from the earth, removing magical creatures from existence and erasing magical words from the very pages of the books they were written in, the Ashkar's knowledge and abilities are mostly limited to talismans and herbal remedies.
The Ashkar are viewed as outcasts by the rest of society, and are required to remain within the walls of the Sault, a sort of city of its own within the city of Castellane.
However, since Lin is a physician, she is able to come and go as needed in order to meet the needs of her patients.
Her favorite patient, her best friend Mariam, seems to grow sicker by the day, and Lin has exhausted her expertise and abilities in finding a cure. She seeks answers, but many still disapprove of a female physician; they refuse to share their knowledge and resources with Lin, some even calling it forbidden.
As always, Lin is on her own.
“'I think', said Lin, trying to control her temper, 'that for a religion that purports to worship a Goddess, who was once a powerful Queen, there are a great many men making decisions about what I, a woman, can read and do.'”
After not being taken seriously for the entirety of her career and struggling to find patients, you can imagine Lin's surprise when she is summoned to Castle Marivent by the prince's orders. His patient? None other than Kel, who has been attacked after being mistaken for Prince Conor.
Kel's true purpose as Sword Catcher is known only to the royal family, and he is introduced to Lin as the prince's cousin, but she begins to piece the real story together as she treats his wounds.
After Kel's recovery, their paths continue to cross as they're both recruited by the Ragpicker King, Castellane's criminal overlord who operates out of the notorious Black Mansion. He has a job for each of them, and in return, he offers them what they both need most: knowledge.
As Kel and Lin spend more time in the Black Mansion, many of Castellane's dark secrets are exposed.
The two begin to realize that while he may be a criminal, the Ragpicker King might not be the one in the wrong.
"'When I was younger, I thought the Ashkar must be very dangerous, to be kept within walls.' 'When I was young,' Lin said, reaching for bandages, 'I thought the malbushim must be very dangerous, for us to have to keep them out with walls.' 'Ah. Perspective is everything, isn't it?'”
I was so glad to learn that Clare is already working on a sequel (entitled The Ragpicker King, due to release in 2025) because there were quite a few things left unresolved.
The story drags in a few places, but honestly, I loved the worldbuilding and the setting so much that I really didn't mind.
Kel, Lin, and Prince Conor are all wonderful and engaging characters, but I hope we get to learn more about King Markus and Queen Lilibet in the next book. I'd love to learn more about the Ragpicker King as well, but considering the title of the next installment, I'm assuming that's the plan.
I would recommend this to any fantasy lovers out there, especially if you're looking for a fully immersive world that will keep you occupied for a while.
Please join me on Discord and let me know if you've read Sword Catcher or if you plan to. I'd really love to chat about it with you! Especially the romantic pairings, because I have some mixed feelings on a few of them.
As always, thank you for being here, and happy reading!
'•.¸♡ Until next time! ♡¸.•'