With Sword Catcher, Cassandra Clare Finally Steps Out of the Shadow of Shadowhunters 

Though many internet old-timers remember her Very Secret Diaries of the Lord of the Rings series, most people are familiar with author Cassandra Clare because of her Shadowhunters books. A sprawling YA urban fantasy series about a race of human-angel hybrids who must protect the “mundane world” from both demons and Downworlders—mythical beings like vampires, warlocks, and werewolves—the Shadowhunter Chronicles spans six separate series of novels and three short-story collections. The interconnected books take place in periods ranging from Victorian London to 2015 when the as-yet-unpublished final trilogy is reportedly going to be set. The series is so popular that its first group of novels—The Mortal Instruments—has been adapted as a not-very-good feature film and a fairly decent television show that ran for two seasons. The whole thing can feel like a whole lot, is what I’m saying. But this is a big part of the reason that Clare’s adult fantasy debut Sword Catcher feels like such a breath of fresh air—at long last, it’s a chance to watch her finally do something else. 

No matter how you might feel about the Shadowhunters franchise, Clare’s controversial fandom history, or her well-known series of Harry Potter fanfics, it’s hard to argue that she’s an excellent storyteller. Her wildly detailed worldbuilding is a big part of her appeal as a writer, as is her ability to weave in what often feels like a dozen main characters at any given moment. Sword Catcher, which clocks in at nearly 600 pages, is—like many of Clare’s other books—just a shade too long, but the detail with which the world of Castellane is built, from its history and political system to the rivalries between the powerful families who control the trading charters and the lords of the criminal underworld, is such that the story’s setting often feels like a sentient character in its own right. The end result is a world that feels fully immersive and fleshed out, and it’s one that can—and likely will—support many adventures in the sequels and years to come. 

Sword Catcher follows the story of Kel,  an orphan who was taken by the royal family of Castellane to serve as a special guardian to Prince Conor Aurelian. The “Sword Catcher” of the book’s title, Kel becomes the prince’s ultimate protector: A bodyguard trained in the art of sword fighting, a politician able to take Conor’s place at public events—thanks to a magical amulet—that are deemed to risky to his safety, and a friend, to stay by his side when he needs one most. But when Conor’s reckless behavior puts him in danger and threatens the ongoing negotiations for the prince’s marriage, Kel will have to dig into maze of the city’s underworld—and seek the help of the infamous Ragpicker King—for answers. 

Elsewhere, we meet Lin Caster, a young woman who is a member of the Ashkari, a small community of people who are forbidden from living outside a walled enclave because they can still use magic. (Magic was lost in an event known as the Sundering, which iimpactedboth Ashkari and Castellanian culture in different ways.) Lin is a physician, who has worked hard to learn medicine and is desperate to find a way to use her magic to help heal others, particularly her friend Mariam, who suffers from a debilitating illness she can’t seem to treat.

But the Ashkari leaders disapprove of her desire to be a healer, because she is a woman and refuse her access to their temple’s most secret texts, and the residents of the city outside shun her even as they demand access to her specialized skills. As she wonders whether the answer to her problems lies in the study of forbidden magic, she is summoned to the palace to treat an injured Kel, and subsequently drawn into shadowy plots and political maneuvering she doesn’t entirely understand. As their paths cross again and again, schemes upon schemes unravel, until it becomes clear that there’s something much darker than anyone expected at work in Castellane, and Conor might not be the only person under threat. 

Intriguing supporting characters abound throughout the story, from Conor and Kel’s childhood playmate Antoinetta to a handsome young poisoner named Merren, Lin’s grandfather Mayesh, the Ashkari counselor who serves the Aurelian throne, and of course, the mysterious Ragpicker King himself, the sort of all-knowing, fascinating criminal overlord who is more of a pragmatist than his reputation might initially lead you to believe. (And as the next book in the series is titled The Ragpicker King, one has to assume we’ll be learning a lot more about him and his larger role in the world of Castellane.) 

Unlike Clare’s other books, there is surprisingly little romance in Sword Catcher. The angsty seeds for multiple relationships are firmly planted—choose your ships wisely, kids—but love stories take a backseat to politics and double-dealing, and almost every character appears to be holding on to dark secrets that will only be fully explained later in the series. This is probably the book’s greatest weakness, in fact, that quite so much of its hefty length is dedicated to set-up when so little payoff actually arrives within its pages. But, if nothing else, it will surely leave readers hungry for the sequel. 

Sword Catcher is available now.

Lacy Baugher Milas is the Books Editor at Paste Magazine, but loves nerding out about all sorts of pop culture. You can find her on Twitter @LacyMB