– The Last Hours: Chain of Gold: From the international bestselling author who defined romantasy: the No. 1 New York Times bestselling Shadowhunter ... demon-hunting, betrayal and forbidden love

Chain of Gold is a dazzling introduction to The Last Hours series, offering everything fans of Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter world could hope for. The characters are vibrant and complex, with their struggles and relationships instantly drawing you in. The new generation of Shadowhunters brings fresh energy while staying rooted in the rich history of the series. Set in a beautifully rendered Edwardian London, the story is steeped in mystery, romance, and danger. The plot unfolds with gripping twists, blending heart-pounding action with moments of emotional intensity. Clare’s signature worldbuilding shines here, making the setting as much a character as the people within it. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the Shadowhunter universe, Chain of Gold is an absolute gem. It’s thrilling, heartfelt, and utterly unputdownable—a fantastic start to what promises to be an unforgettable series!

Chain of Gold, a new Shadowhunters novel, is the first novel in the brand-new trilogy where evil is hiding in plain sight and love cuts deeper than any forged blade. Cordelia Carstairs is a Shadowhunter, a warrior who is trained since her childhood to battle demons. However when her father is accused of a terrible crime, she and her brother will travel to London in the hopes of preventing their families ruin. Cordelia's mother wants to marry her off, but Cordelia is determined to be a hero rather than a bride who would be stuck in her house under her husband's thumb. Soon Cordelia will encounter her childhood friends James and Lucie Herondale and is drawn to the glittery world full of ballrooms, assignations, supernatural salons where vampires and warlocks mingle with mermaids and magicians. In all the time tat she is experiencing this she must hide the love which is building for James and this is made all the more important as he is sworn to marry someone else. But Cordelia's new life is about to be blown apart when a shocking series of demon attacks devastate London and the whole of the UK. These monsters are nothing like those that the Shadowhunters have fought before and these demons can walk in daylight, strike down the unwary with incurable poison, and seem impossible to kill. London is immediately placed in a state of quarantine. This means that Cordelia and her friends are trapped in the city, and they discover their own connection to the dark legacy has gifted them with some incredible powers ... they are then forced with a brutal choice which will reveal the true and cruel price of being a hero. This is one of the most engaging books which i have read in 2020, I love the characters and the new story arc which has been built for them. As always Clare is able to balance the struggles of the time with the angst of the love troupe in a way only she can. I am a sucker for the Victorian London and the comraderies which is always evident.

Cassandra Clare doesn't miss. I was a little scared (as I usually am) when reading a book in a world I love. But I needn't have been scared. It felt like reuniting with an old friend, a friend that likes to hurt me before healing. Shout out to Will Herondale for stealing every scene he was in. Love you boo. The Herondales were Herondaling very much in this. Not much more to say other than I love the Herondales. I loved the characters, each had a distinct voice and the interactions between the characters were great. The Merry Thieves were a good addition to the Shadowhunter universe. I will say though it was little confusing keeping track of which Lightwood was related to who, probably should've re-read The Infernal Devices before I started this but I was too eager. Cordelia was a good main lean, strong and likeable. it was easy to route for her. Seeing the characters from The Infernal Devices as parents was a joy, especially when they attempted to deter their children from seeking trouble. They should know better. The storyline was easy to follow, the plot unravelled at a decent pace. Some elements were predictable but I'm not convinced they weren't written that way, possibly for the audience to figure out and have the characters be unaware. Cassandra Clare does love to frustrate and make us suffer. All in all, a good first book in the trilogy.

This is the first in the sequel series to the Infernal Devices. There are other stories in the short stories, the shadowhunter academy and ghost market etc. So things that happened between TID and TLH are known. If you haven't read them, I would advise doing so as you'll find out the reason Matthew is as he is. I had read this before but it was when the book came out. As always a very good read with Cassie.

Wow! I’m not even sure how to put into words how much I enjoyed this book. I’ve read some previous books by Cassandra Clare before but this is my favourite to date. Chain of Gold is the first book in the Shadowhunter trilogy The Last Hours. It follows Cordelia, who has moved to London after her father was disgraced. She has to try and integrate with her fellow shadowhunters and save him. But there is a new danger in the form of Demons that can appear during the day. Can she stay safe and achieve her goal? This book made me feel so many emotions. I found myself laughing at all the amazing sassy remarks. I found myself with tears in my eyes as the walls that characters had built up started to tumble down. I also experienced such intense frustration that I wanted to climb into the book and physically shake sense into James! The book shifts between differing time points, following the characters’ present and their pasts. It took me a little while to get used to this but once I got to grips with it I absolutely loved it. Cassandra Clare has created such a vivid world with the shadowhunters. I love the intricate details that reappear across the books. I fell completely in love with Cordelia. I love a book with a strong female character but Cordelia seemed to take this even further. She has so much strength, both emotionally and physically. But she also has a deep kindness and love for others. I was also really pleased that one of my favourite characters from past books made an appearance. I absolutely adore Magnus Bane and I definitely think he needs to go and get his cat! This is a story of love, bravery and inheritance. But most of all, it’s a story of friendship. I absolutely recommend this book to any fantasy fans! I’m a new convert to fantasy novels, and this book has made me want to read every fantasy novel I can find right this instant! I want to thank Tandem Collective, Walker Books and Cassandra Clare for allowing me to read this book and give my personal thoughts.

I loved this book.

Perfect

Stories offer a thousand fresh starts " It's no secret that Cassandra Clare is one of my favourite authors. Having said that, it doesn't mean her books aren't sometimes without faults for me. Her previous series, The Dark Artifices was very hit and miss for me so, admittedly, I was a bit nervous going into a new series: especially one primarily centred around the Herondales who I care very little for. Yet Chain Of Gold feels like the reset the Shadowhunter world really needed. Cassandra Clare's ability for storytelling, world building, and her ever improving writing technique is just a fantastic combination for a book. Where I had issues with info dumping in previous books, it felt balanced perfectly here and there was just enough for you to pick up the relationships between new and existing characters without feeling lost an overewhelmed. As always with Clare's books, the first few hundred pages are more about establishing everything and setting the scene before things got going. This worked well when things did start to go down because I had become so relaxed that suddenly all the bad stuff became an even bigger shock. What amazes me about the shadowhunter world is that even with the amount of books out there, Clare is yet to really repeat anything. Each book has another corner turn that was impossible to predict and Chain Of Gold had me pacing the floor several times. It feels more like this is a book someone could use as their first entry to the shadowhunter world compared to those comments made about The Dark Artifices but with these characters I was reminded deeply why I am so fond of returning to the shadowhunter world.