Cassandra Clare Tells What to Expect From Her New Adult Fantasy, Sword Catcher

Avid readers will know Cassandra Clare as the creator of an iconic universe of teenage demon hunters, known as Shadowhunters. Since 2007, her stories have spanned several centuries over 20 books, marking almost two decades of beloved characters and familiar worlds. But Clare’s upcoming Adult Fantasy debut, Sword Catcher, is a clear indication that sometimes, leaving comfort zones can bring great things.

Sword Catcher follows Kel, a boy saved from an orphanage only to be given the most dangerous job of all: the role of Prince Conor Aurelian’s sword catcher, a physical double meant to help keep the prince alive. Now in his early twenties, Kel is navigating the precarious waters of Conor’s looming betrothal, and what that means for the already tenuous nature of Castellane’s alliances and politics. Kel’s entire world shifts one night when he’s almost killed by a blade meant for the prince, causing him to meet Lin, a mysterious young physician and a girl who might contain traces of their world’s disappearing magic.

We got the chance to catch up with Clare herself to learn more about her foray into a new genre—and a new fictional world. With incredibly well-crafted writing, a fresh magic system, and unforgettable characters, this is one you don’t want to miss.

Paste Magazine: What was most exciting for you about diving into the fresh new world of Sword Catcher, after having spent almost two decades building and living in another?

Cassandra Clare: Before I wrote Sword Catcher, I was a little daunted by the idea of creating a whole world from scratch. Part of what I enjoyed about the Shadowhunter Chronicles was bringing magic into our familiar, mundane world. But there were times when our world created constraints, so it was exciting to step out of that setting.

With Sword Catcher, I loved creating a whole new world, one that has echoes of our own history but also a very distinct character and culture of its own. I love to travel, and over the years the trips I’ve taken and new cultures I’ve experienced have informed the world of Castellane. I was always sort of adding little bits of ideas to that growing fantasy world, snatching them here and there like a magpie, and when I finally sat down to write I was pleasantly surprised to realize how much of the setting already existed in my head!

Paste: And speaking of spending so long in another world — did you initially find it difficult not let yourself to slip back into that Shadowhunter world?

Clare: Not at all—I think they occupy very different spaces in my brain. That said, it did take a little while to frame a story that was about older characters. The teenage years are such an intense period of change and so many things that happen to characters that age are for the first time—first love, first loss.

As people in their 20s, Lin and Kel are in very different places in their lives, each having experienced some of life and having already distinguished themselves in their fields, so to speak. But once I got going, it was fun to be writing about people with such different perspectives and problems.

Paste: You’ve written so many characters at this point, and all of them are unique and nuanced individuals. I can’t imagine this is an easy process, to find voices that differ for each character – who was the hardest to write in Sword Catcher?

Clare: In some ways, Kel was the hardest, because he’s surrounded by such intense characters. Prince Conor is such a troublemaker, he walks onto the page and plot just happens. In early drafts, Kel was running around putting out the prince’s fires all the time, and I thought: Who is this guy? Who was he before he was taken into Conor’s service? What does he want out of life? Is he even happy? He spends so much time pretending to be someone he isn’t that I had to push past that to get to know him.

Paste: And, on the flip side, who was the easiest or the most fun to write for?

Clare: I really enjoy writing the banter between the Ragpicker King and his band of ne’er-do-wells, and the ridiculous conversations of Conor’s dissipated friends among the nobility. And I loved writing the scenes with Lin and her grandfather, Mayesh. Their evolving relationship is one of my favorite things about this book!

Paste: Did you do anything, in particular, to immerse yourself into the city of Castellane and beyond, like making a playlist or watching certain films for the ambiance? (And if a playlist, would you mind sharing a song or two?)

Clare: I visited the southwest of France, which is the inspiration for Castellane’s language and culture.

And I do make playlists for each book: this one included Everybody Knows by Leonard Cohen, Broken Crown by Mumford and Sons, and Best Friends by Grandson.

Paste: Your other books contain lots of well-researched literary references (of course, there are the Biblical ones, as well as others). Did you do research on any particular cultures or mythologies for Sword Catcher?

Clare: This book germinated out of my desire to write a fantasy novel with magic inspired by Jewish tradition. As a Jewish person, I grew up absorbing a lot of history and lore, but as part of a living culture rather than an area of study. It was fun to revisit and reread Talmudic wisdom and Jewish folklore and mythology with an eye toward using it as the basis for fiction. I wanted to create something that would resonate with Jewish readers, without being Judaism itself. If you’re interested in a recommendation, the book Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism, by Howard Schwartz, is a particularly fun read.

Paste: I’ve noticed a trend of other YA authors (Victoria Aveyard, Leigh Bardugo) transitioning into the world of writing adult fantasy (and as someone who’s recently made the IRL leap from young adult to adult, I’m here for it). Why did you feel it was time to take the leap into Adult Fantasy now, as opposed to later or earlier in your career?

Clare: I was wrapped up in the world of Shadowhunters for a long time, so there wasn’t much space in my mind (or schedule!) for other stories.

But as I began to think about drawing that series to a close, I started thinking about the other projects I want to do. I’d already written middle grade with Holly Black, the Magisterium series, and I knew I wanted to take on a different challenge. When I first dreamed up Sword Catcher, I knew it would be an adult book, though certainly plenty of young adults enjoy swashbuckling and palace intrigue.

Paste: And in that same vein, do you see yourself remaining with the adult genre for the foreseeable future? Or would you like to explore any other genres apart from fantasy?

Clare: I have plans to write more adult fantasy books, and other YA books as well. I still have to finish the Shadowhunter series!

Fantasy is where my heart is, but maybe someday I’ll be inspired to try something totally different. Sword Catcher is very informed by the mystery genre and also the historical fiction genre so you never know I could try one of those.

Paste: And for one last, non-serious question: where is the weirdest place you ever found yourself writing Sword Catcher?

Clare: On a plane bound for England, passing over the wreck of the Titanic.

Sword Catcher is available on October 10, 2023, wherever books are sold. 

Gillian Bennett is a writer and editor who has been featured in Strike Magazine, Her Campus, and now Paste Magazine. She enjoys watching copious reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and fantasizing about living in London. You can find more of her neverending inner monologue and online diary on her Twitter or her blog.