Name: The Last Hours
ISBN: 9781406390988

 Cassandra Clare

Chain of Gold

The Last Hours

Lara 

Salomé GB

“There is joy in being with someone you love, even knowing you can never have them, even knowing they will never love you back." 

But love is not always a lightning bolt, is it? Sometimes it is a creeping vine. It grows slowly until suddenly it is all that there is in the world." 

"You cannot save people who do not want to be saved," said Magnus. "You can only stand by their side and hope that when they wake and realize they need saving, you will be there to help them." 

Franzi

"It's hard to keep secret," James said. "Both for those who do not know the truth, but also those who keep them."

Cordelia Carstairs seems to have everything she ever wanted. She’s engaged to marry James Herondale, the boy she has loved since childhood. She has a new life in London with her best friend Lucie Herondale and James’s charming companions, the Merry Thieves. She is about to be reunited with her beloved father. And she bears the sword Cortana, a legendary hero’s blade.

But the truth is far grimmer. James and Cordelia’s marriage is a lie, arranged to save Cordelia’s reputation. James is in love with the mysterious Grace Blackthorn whose brother, Jesse, died years ago in a terrible accident. Cortana burns Cordelia’s hand when she touches it, while her father has grown bitter and angry. And a serial murderer is targeting the Shadowhunters of London, killing under cover of darkness, then vanishing without a trace.

Together with the Merry Thieves, Cordelia, James, and Lucie must follow the trail of the knife-wielding killer through the city’s most dangerous streets. All the while, each is keeping a shocking secret: Lucie, that she plans to raise Jesse from the dead; Cordelia, that she has sworn a dangerous oath of loyalty to a mysterious power; and James, that he is being drawn further each night into the dark web of his grandfather, the arch-demon Belial. And that he himself may be the killer they seek.

The Last Hours (Book 2)

Chain of Iron

arwen

Ellie M.

** spoiler alert **
           - I loved how James and Cordelia's relationship improved from being friends t actually BEING SOMETHING MORE THAN FRIENDS. Them being domestic was so adorable and painful at the same time. 
- Are they really both this oblivious?? BRO THEY SHARE ONE BRAIN CELL WHAT THE HELL?
- The moment Jem played the violin at the wedding, I knew right then that this book was going to ruin my life. 
- Gracelet is so annoying pls Grace has no more excuse for manipulating James into thinking he's in love with her. Imagine her shackling him into marriage forever only for her to say she doesn't love him? 
- GRACE REALLY HAD THE AUDACITY TO STEAL JAMES FROM CORDELIA TWICE. 
- Matthew Fairchild needs therapy to cure his alcoholism. 
- Jesse and Lucie are so cute pls. That dance in front of The Institute, their banter and such. But I want Lucie to have consequences for commanding Jesse back to life. I want to know what she will do and how they'll get through it. (Since the recent snippet shows that Will and James found them)
- Thomas and Alastair need to get together. MY BOY NEEDS TO FORGIVE HIMSELF AND HIS PAST SO HE CAN FINALLY BE WITH THOMAS. (I'm so scared this will not end well due to another snippet about someone dying)
- ANNA LIGHTWOOD NEEDS TO OVERCOME HER FEAR OF COMMITMENTS. ARIADNE DESERVES SO MUCH MORE THAN WHAT ANNA COULD GIVE HER. 
- Christopher is fine lol go back to blowing things up my boy you are vibin' and you are BEAUTIFUL. 


****

WHAT HAPPENED TO "ENTREAT ME NOT TO LEAVE THEE"??? YALL JUST RAN OFF TO PARIS WITHOUT TALKING. ARE WE NOT ADULTS WHO KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE? I can understand she was fed up but Cordelia is really just as clueless in this marriage as James. And I'm telling the truth but I hate Matthew for running away with her to Paris. Matthew is James's parabatai. He could've talked her out of her idea of running away??? Anyway, I have a list of things James has to apologize for and he better do it right to get her back. This marriage needs to work like HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO OR I'LL LITERALLY THROTTLE THEM BOTH. I'm so the anti-miscommunication trope. It's so fucking painful to deal with and the third book won't even come out till November 2022 due to COVID. The anticipation is killing me and Cassie confirms that the TLH Gang will not be okay at all. 

***

The Family Tree needs to get fixed as hell. It has many mistakes and most of the records are destroyed or missing. I need to know who really married whom. and who ended up with whom. Just for my peace of my mind.

Helena

3.5* only bc i liked the vibes.
i usually enjoy the miscommunication trope but this was… not it. matthew deserves better (i’m free pls pick me choose me) and also i want more of the other characters not a love triangle ugh give me luciejesse now and also thomas, alastair, anna… herongraystairs… i don’t like how this is going at all hmm

I gave it 4.5 stars because I noticed there were some wording mistakes on some dialogues but that’s fine, it bothers me a bit but doesn’t change the whole thing. 

What a mixed up emotions I had throughout reading this book. I thought I liked James, no? Was I? His character had an interesting development in this second book. Also, Matthew… and the other’s too.

This book explains the kids’ situation so much better that I’ve grown fond of them. Now I can’t wait to read the last book; did not put a high expectation but I wish I will be satisfied with its ending. 


//SPOILERS//

I was so mad at James, but that’s because I haven’t reached the part that explained that he was enchanted by Grace’s powers. But I’m delighted to know that he’s actually in love with his Daisy. It must be hard for her, and for Matthew to know that someone he loves is getting hurt by someone he loves… 

and fuck you Tatiana Blackthorn, you’re the one who also leads to whatever the fuck happened on the entire The Dark Artifices.

Tatiana

Chain of Iron: 5/5

“Love is not always a lightning bolt. Sometimes it is a creeping vine. It grows slowly until suddenly it is all that there is in the world.”

I am SCREAMING. I cannot believe I have to wait an entire YEAR for Chain of Thorns. 

In all seriousness, this journey has been incredible. At the beginning of February, I decided to read City of Bones, and I had NO IDEA where it would lead me. Two months, and 19 books, later, I genuinely feel empty. I can't believe I have read every novel. Part of me is kicking myself for not spreading it out longer because the realization is finally dawning that I will need to wait a whole year to find out what happens. 

 "Someone who broke your heart is often not the person who can mend it."

Writing & Plot:
This book is a masterpiece. Cassandra Clare's writing continues to get better and better, and this book is no exception. Chain of Iron takes place a few months after the events in Chain of Gold. A dark force is brewing once more in the form of Shadowhunter murders. The Merry Thieves bands together to investigate and solve these murders, all the while holding deep secrets close to their chests. Once again, the escapism in this book is top-notch. 

Characters:
I ended up hating every character by the end of Chain of Iron (lmao, not really but... maybe?). The ending shattered me, and I'm salty. I care deeply about these characters, and I definitely think they are my favorite in the shadowhunter universe. Along with our old favs: Cordelia, Lucie, and the Merry Thieves, I also found myself loving Alistair, Jesse, Ariadne, and many others. 

I have to say I have never felt more for any characters in any book ever. That is the magic of this series. If CC wrote 100 books in this universe, I would read them all.

"Because," Ariadne said, "when you want something very much, you are willing to accept the shadow of that thing. Even if it is just a shadow."

Conclusion:
I am ruined; I needed Chain of Thorns yesterday. Crying. Ummm... anyways let me know if you've read Chain of Iron so we can chat. I will be dwelling over this series for a whole year. I don't really know what else to say. PLEASE READ IT, ITS WORTH IT.

ps. I AM SUCH A JORDELIA STAN PLSSSS CC HAVE MERCY ON ME. k bye.

Gianna Kristen

i am james herondale still dazed and confused on what the hell just happened that whole evening. besides that, i expanded my love for the gabriel-cecily lightwood family. they have my love and care (yes christopher, i will protect you). plus i do adore jesse and grace.

i don't know what chain of thorns has in store, but i hope mathew forgives himself and others.

Victoria

The ROLLERCOASTER of emotions that I went through while reading this book! I love this book and the series so much. There is so many connections that I made as I was reading and I was freaking out because of the freaking twists. I will always recommend Cassandra Clare's books. I just love the way she writes and her character development. 

Also can I just say how much I love Lucie and Jessie?!

IM SOBBING WTF WAS THAT ENDING????? MY HEART FEEL WOUNDED wow even though i've read 10+ of these books, cc still manages to make me feel absolutely crushed like i just finished reading the ending and i'm crying to too little too late by jojo

"make up your mind" by florence + the machine

"august" and "enchanted" by taylor swift -so herondaisy coded songs

"she’s not afraid" by one direction - cordelia’s song

“dancing with your ghost" by sasha alex sloan

“Well, you certainly aren’t the first generation of young Nephilim to decide saving the world is your responsibility.”

herondaisy my babies MWAH they SERVED marriage of convenience and MORE!! With AMAZING ANGST YEARNING AND JUST DESIRE FOR EACH OTHER! friends to lovers excellence with “its always been you” + she fell, he fell HARDER with boy obsessed HERONDAISY ARE THAT COUPLE

“sweet nothings” by taylor swift - “the sweet, piercing intimacy of ordinary married life”

“you belong to me” by taylor swift - “I meant it, then—you belong to me and not to him—you will never belong to him, James—”

“It was the same thought he[James] had in the study at night, watching the light of the fire pass through Cordelia’s unbound red hair, listening to her laugh, seeing the graceful movements of her hands in the warm lamplight. 

How do I live in this moment forever, and not let it go?

“He [James] found he looked forward to seeing her at breakfast so as to tell her what he’d thought about during the night, and at night to hear what she’d thought about since breakfast. he loved their evenings alone together, when they matched their wits over games, made and lost bets, and talked about anything and everything.”

“If I must fade, I would like to fade remembering this as my last waking dream.” This herondaisy quote is so wessa coded

omg the 80% mark was WILD like what was real?? like not the demons using the shadowhunters as their actual pawns!

mastermind by taylor swift - kinda gives herondaisy x chess but mainly, grace’s song and later, the book’s song CHECKMATE I COULDNT LOSE

I ATE UP ALL THE WESSA AND HERONDALE FAMILY CRUMBLES

"Will’s blue gaze would travel over his wife—tracing every line of her as if he were memorizing her all over again—and then his children, and a look of happiness that was sharp and gentle at the same time would come over his face."

the will and james parrallelisms (father like son)

“I suspect he was having a wander. He likes to walk about when he feels troubled—apparently Uncle Will used to do the same thing,”

"Will smiled at Jem. It was a smile James knew well: the very specific smile Will had only for his parabatai. If it was odd to see someone smile at a Silent Brother like that, the oddness had long since faded for James; this was his father and his uncle Jem, as he had always known them."

IM SOBBING WTF WAS THAT ENDING????? MY HEART FEEL WOUNDED wow even though i've read 10+ of these books, cc still manages to make me feel absolutely crushed like i just finished reading the ending and i'm crying to too little too late by jojo

"make up your mind" by florence + the machine
"august" and "enchanted" by taylor swift -so herondaisy coded songs
“Is it just me?” by emily burns
"she’s not afraid" by one direction - cordelia’s song
“dancing with your ghost" by sasha alex sloan

“Well, you certainly aren’t the first generation of young Nephilim to decide saving the world is your responsibility.”

herondaisy my babies MWAH they SERVED marriage of convenience and MORE!! With AMAZING ANGST YEARNING AND JUST DESIRE FOR EACH OTHER! friends to lovers excellence with “its always been you” + she fell, he fell HARDER with boy obsessed HERONDAISY ARE THAT COUPLE

“sweet nothings” by taylor swift - “the sweet, piercing intimacy of ordinary married life”
“you belong to me” by taylor swift - “I meant it, then—you belong to me and not to him—you will never belong to him, James—”

“It was the same thought he[James] had in the study at night, watching the light of the fire pass through Cordelia’s unbound red hair, listening to her laugh, seeing the graceful movements of her hands in the warm lamplight. How do I live in this moment forever, and not let it go?”

“He [James] found he looked forward to seeing her at breakfast so as to tell her what he’d thought about during the night, and at night to hear what she’d thought about since breakfast. he loved their evenings alone together, when they matched their wits over games, made and lost bets, and talked about anything and everything.”

“If I must fade, I would like to fade remembering this as my last waking dream.” This herondaisy quote is so wessa coded

omg the 80% mark was WILD like what was real?? like not the demons using the shadowhunters as their actual pawns!

mastermind by taylor swift - kinda gives herondaisy x chess but mainly, grace’s song and later, the book’s song CHECKMATE I COULDNT LOSE

I ATE UP ALL THE WESSA AND HERONDALE FAMILY CRUMBLES
"Will’s blue gaze would travel over his wife—tracing every line of her as if he were memorizing her all over again—and then his children, and a look of happiness that was sharp and gentle at the same time would come over his face."

the will and james parrallelisms (father like son)
“I suspect he was having a wander. He likes to walk about when he feels troubled—apparently Uncle Will used to do the same thing,”

A little will and jem moment <3
"Will smiled at Jem. It was a smile James knew well: the very specific smile Will had only for his parabatai. If it was odd to see someone smile at a Silent Brother like that, the oddness had long since faded for James; this was his father and his uncle Jem, as he had always known them."

Ariella

Este debió llamarse "Cadena de secretos", de repente, todos guardaban secretos entre todos lo cual algunos no eran siquiera justificables.
Igual cuatro estrellas. Cassandra you are the best.

“Someone who broke your heart is often not the person who can mend it.”

Como dije en el primero, esta trilogía es más sobre los personajes que de la trama en sí.
Creo que este libro es más sobre conflicto pero entre los personajes, las relaciones de amistades no estan en su mejor momento, Lucie y Cordelia (futuras parabatais) que no se hablan, no se cuentan la verdad por ende me fue dificil verles como "mejores amigas". Lo mismo con James y Matthew, que veo más interés y apego por parte de Math, pero este oculta un secreto que no tuvo problema en contarle a Cordelia y no a su PARABATAI de toda la vida.
Pero creo que ese es el punto de este libro, para dar paso a la conclusión que sería el tercero, donde me imagino que las cosas se van a ir por buen camino.

La trama se presenta con un ritmo bastante lento, la cual se centra en su mayoría con los protagonistas; Cordelia y James, la primera teniendo un problema con Cortana y el segundo su relación con Belial.
Jesse y Lucie; aquí Lucie tuvo más desarrollo e importancia, finalmente se descubre (no del todo) sobre sus abilidades.
Anna y Ariadne, sobre la relación que pensé que iba a atraparme, pero no pasó NADA. 
Y Grace, que es más flashback de su vida temprana (y explicando porqué es como es), igual, ñeh, i don't like u b*tch.
También están Thomas y Alastair que dieron demasiado poco como para hablar de ello y ni mencionar a CRISTOPHER que estaba nomas ahí de repente cuando era necesario. 

PD: Me emocionó bastante la mención de Annabel Blackthron y Malcolm Fade.
En fin, estoy emocionada por leer el tercero, confío en Cassandra y su creativa mente, sé que será mejor y seguro me hará echar una o dos lágrimas. 
Una o dos lágrimas nomas, NO QUIERO LEER LA MUERTE DE NADIE.

Millie Rose

Aislinn 

this ending has broken my heart into a million different pieces

brianna

“to love one another is to come as close as we ever can to being angels ourselves.”
 

chain of iron was my most anticipated read of 2021 and unfortunately... it fell flat for me. i had so many theories for how this series would go, but in reality, it just felt like a rip off of chain of gold.

the problem with the last hours is that there is such a large cast of characters and there is no way that cassandra clare could develop each one properly in 1 book while also trying to carry the plot along. somehow she failed at doing both. the plot was underwhelming and i didn’t care for it till the end of part 1 and even then i was barely invested. james, lucie, cordelia, matthew, and grace got most of the attention in this one, but even then i felt like we didn't get to see any of the characters actually grow. 

the plot reveal felt lazy and at this point, i can confidently predict how chain of thorns could go. i’m disappointed with how underwhelming this one was because i really thought the last hours could become my new favorite series based off of chain of gold alone.

Damn, Cassandra Clare has only gone and done it again. This book was truly amazing and gripping. I couldn’t put it down. Emotional in every way. I cannot wait for more.

taylor alyse pisanie

bye i’m so sad why is everyone sad at the end

Jantien 

This series is quickly becoming on my favourite c.clare novels🗡

The Shadowhunters must catch a killer in Edwardian London in this dangerous and romantic sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling novel Chain of Gold, from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Cassandra Clare. Chain of Iron is a Shadowhunters novel.

Cordelia Carstairs seems to have everything she ever wanted. She’s engaged to marry James Herondale, the boy she has loved since childhood. She has a new life in London with her best friend Lucie Herondale and James’s charming companions, the Merry Thieves. She is about to be reunited with her beloved father. And she bears the sword Cortana, a legendary hero’s blade.

But the truth is far grimmer. James and Cordelia’s marriage is a lie, arranged to save Cordelia’s reputation. James is in love with the mysterious Grace Blackthorn whose brother, Jesse, died years ago in a terrible accident. Cortana burns Cordelia’s hand when she touches it, while her father has grown bitter and angry. And a serial murderer is targeting the Shadowhunters of London, killing under cover of darkness, then vanishing without a trace.

Together with the Merry Thieves, Cordelia, James, and Lucie must follow the trail of the knife-wielding killer through the city’s most dangerous streets. All the while, each is keeping a shocking secret: Lucie, that she plans to raise Jesse from the dead; Cordelia, that she has sworn a dangerous oath of loyalty to a mysterious power; and James, that he is being drawn further each night into the dark web of his grandfather, the arch-demon Belial. And that he himself may be the killer they seek.

Chain of Iron (The Last Hours #2)

i originally began reading the shadowhunter series in 2010, when the first book was translated to bulgarian. at that point, i was already aware of the series, it being 3-years-old at the time. it has now been 12 (15) years and this is, for me personally, the 17th book i am reading in this universe (this is counting the two short story collections and the first malec book).

the issue is that this book does not do anything much different from the other series. it is clearly targeted at the existing fanbase (and at this point, rest assured, only the most persistent readers have remained - thus the high rating of the book, by the way). what this translates into is nearly 700 pages of fanservice fodder of interpersonal relationships of characters barely strong enough to stand on their own and rather relying on the readers' fondness of their parents and/or several generations removed offspring. i simply cannot stress enough how much of this would usually be released as free or bonus content, allowing the reader to engage with it at their own discretion (never mind that clare eventually decided to make all of her bonus content relevant to the main series anyways) - depending on whether they were interested in the characters or not.

gentlest friends, i was not interested in the characters. i am only reading this for completionist purposes and as i do intend to read the kit herondale books.

the book's one saving grace is whenever we get glimpses of some semblance of a plot - though even that soon disintegrates into a ridiculously overpowered plot that reads nearly goofy. i assume this is due to having released more than 15 books in the same universe tends to dry out your ideas for plots with at least some stakes.

that being said, see you all in january when we can finally put this mess behind us and move onto a more promising trilogy. 

i originally began reading the shadowhunter series in 2010, when the first book was translated to bulgarian. at that point, i was already aware of the series, it being 3-years-old at the time. it has now been 12 (15) years and this is, for me personally, the 17th book i am reading in this universe (this is counting the two short story collections and the first malec book).

the issue is that this book does not do anything much different from the other series. it is clearly targeted at the existing fanbase (and at this point, rest assured, only the most persistent readers have remained - thus the high rating of the book, by the way). what this translates into is nearly 700 pages of fanservice fodder of interpersonal relationships of characters barely strong enough to stand on their own and rather relying on the readers' fondness of their parents and/or several generations removed offspring. i simply cannot stress enough how much of this would usually be released as free or bonus content, allowing the reader to engage with it at their own discretion (never mind that clare eventually decided to make all of her bonus content relevant to the main series anyways) - depending on whether they were interested in the characters or not.

gentlest friends, i was not interested in the characters. i am only reading this for completionist purposes and as i do intend to read the kit herondale books.

the book's one saving grace is whenever we get glimpses of some semblance of a plot - though even that soon disintegrates into a ridiculously overpowered plot that reads nearly goofy. i assume this is due to having released more than 15 books in the same universe tends to dry out your ideas for plots with at least some stakes.

that being said, see you all in january when we can finally put this mess behind us and move onto a more promising trilogy. 

giorgia :)

This book has amazing characters that you cannot help but fall in love with. The ending was so well written and had me on the edge of my seat. I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out.

An awesome sequel, showed some good character arcs, but im in a slump so i didnt get to see the full beauty of it.

Vanya de Lang 

A real emotional rollercoaster. Chain of Iron takes you through the love, doubt, fears and sadness of the Shadowhunters of London (and their Downworld companions). It shows how secrets and lies influence all kind of relationships (romantic, platonic, familial, etc.) Heartbreaking this novel will make you laugh, cry and shudder with fear for the characters within. I would definitely recommend a thorough reading.

Alyssa Pick

** spoiler alert **
           Very fun. Honestly preferred the love stories more than the action pieces, skimmed over those parts lol. Also I don’t know who I’m rooting for Matthew or James. I knew that Matthew liked Cordelia the whole time heh heh heh. But I know James is end game and I don’t know I feel about that.

From internationally bestselling author Cassandra Clare comes the first novel in a brand new Shadowhunters trilogy. Evil is hiding in plain sight and the only thing more dangerous than fighting demons is falling in love. First print edition contains special content, including bonus art and a new short story!Cordelia Carstairs is a Shadowhunter, a warrior trained since childhood to battle demons. When her father is accused of a terrible crime, she and her brother travel to Edwardian London in hopes of preventing the family's ruin. Cordelia's mother wants to marry her off, but Cordelia is determined to be a hero rather than a bride. Soon Cordelia encounters childhood friends James and Lucie Herondale and is drawn into their world of glittering ballrooms, secret assignations, and supernatural salons, where vampires and warlocks mingle with mermaids and magicians. All the while, she must hide her secret love for James, who is sworn to marry someone else.But Cordelia's new life is blown apart when a shocking series of demon attacks devastate London. These monsters are nothing like those Shadowhunters have fought before - these demons walk in daylight, strike down the unwary with incurable poison, and seem impossible to kill. London is immediately quarantined. Trapped in the city, Cordelia and her friends discover that their own connection to an dark legacy has gifted them with incredible powers - and force a brutal choice that will reveal the true cruel price of being a hero.

Catarina Freitas

** spoiler alert **
           I have FEELINGS. 
I really liked this and it was such a comfort to come back to this world after a while away. However i absolutely LOATH Grace, even more than Tatiana which is saying a lot. Why just why didn’t anyone put 2 and 2 together and realize that James became different when he was wearing that bracelet?! Not even Mathew realised it even after Grace did what she did. I just want James and Cordelia to be truly happy. And Mathew oh god as if he wasn’t suffering enough he now has feelings for Cordelia as well, this boy deserves so much more. Cassandra Clare really needs to chill with the love triangles please and thank you very much. 
Suffering this book is all about suffering ughhh

Nicole

todas las estrellas son para lucie y jesse

Anastasia 

"Daisy, my daisy"

Cassie just wanted to hurt us cordelia lovers ...thats my biggest take away from this book 

Oh and grace and tatiana ...if I see you in the streets your ass is done

The Last Hours Chain of Gold

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