Sword Catcher

elisabeth pearson

I couldn’t put it down!

"**MILD SPOILERS** Cassandra Clare has brought me hours of reading pleasure with the Mortal Instruments and the Infernal Devices series, but dare I say I have never loved one of her books more (with the possible exception of Clockwork Princess). I LOVED everything about Sword Catcher. I couldn’t put it down and spent 3 nights, up until 4 a.m. finishing it. The world building is spectacular. As are the characters. Although it is labeled as fantasy, and there is mild magic use (for now), it does not have true fantasy elements, yet. Labeled as YA, I would say it is more new adult. The characters are in their early 20s. There are elements of spice, but there is nothing overt. The descriptions of any sexual encounters are of an almost voyeuristic nature, but there is no blatant sex. I would call it more steamy than spicy. And the sexuality that is described is often extremely fluid. But the lack of spice (there are most assuredly hints of romances) DID NOT DETRACT FROM IT ONE BIT! What I adored was the story being told through the third-person points of view of 2 characters, both living in the grey space between culture, destiny, and duty. Our sword catcher, Kel, lives to protect his Prince. This is his duty, his life. Not royalty, yet no longer a peasant orphan, he finds himself in a lonely but unique position to straddle both worlds. He is there, but not quite there, at all times. Our FMC, Lin, has been raised in a religious community (I felt shades of Amish and Orthodox Judaism. Clare herself says in her Author Note that some of the High Language used Lin’s community is Hebrew) which is kept separate from the City at large by literal walls. Lin steps out from the strict rules that surround her to become a physician. She is loyal and strong, caught between her community, duty, and desires. Her path crosses with Kel and Prince Conor and all of their lives take a turn. The characters are so well written that I was confused by other reviewers thinking otherwise. I held my breath countless times and was sucked in by all of them, even the secondary ones, because that is Clare’s great strength. Her characters are iconic. (Jace and Clary, Tessa and Will/Jem are unforgettable). In the plot, which is 95% world building and 5% action, not much happens, but everything happens…something I can’t explain, you need to read it for yourself. One of my favorite reads of 2023 to be sure. I will wait with anticipation for Book 2. Bravo! ["

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October 14, 2023 Verified Purchase

Brittani Farrell

Lovely writing and slow, but interesting!

"I don’t think I’ve ever been able to stick with a plot this slow, and that’s due to the excellent writing! I also think I’m used to more spicy novels, so this was a nice change of pace. I’m excited to see what book 2 holds! ["

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April 24, 2026 Verified Purchase

Delta High School Library

Absolutely compelling!

"10yo Kel and Cas are playing outside at the orphanage when the leader of the Arrow soldiers visits on the King’s orders. Kel is taken to the Castellane palace to attend dinner as a deception in place of Prince Conor, who is supposedly ill. Kel meets Conor after dinner and realizes that the prince wasn’t ill at all but dinner was a test to see if Kel could become the Sword Catcher for Prince Conor. After speaking with the prince, Kel chooses the life of being the prince’s closest companion, bodyguard and replacement if needed. Now, 23yo Kel accompanies Conor almost everywhere but he soon discovers they both have secrets they’re keeping from each other, secrets that might become dangerously fatal. Likes/dislikes: I absolutely love the character development. The complex world building flowed perfectly and the political intrigue created a dangerous and mysterious environment. The four main characters have completely different personalities with each one being interesting and having depth. Language: R for 31 swears and 9 f-words. Mature content: PG-13 for implied sex. Violence: R for bloody deaths. Ethnicity: Cas and the King are white. Kel and Conor have light brown skin and the Queen has russet-brown skin. Lin is pale skinned. ["

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November 28, 2023 Verified Purchase

dragonmermaid

Slow… painfully slow!

"I love Cassandra Clare. I’ve read all her Shadowhunter books and I get so lost in those books, I can’t put them down. People complain that those books are too long but I absolutely love them because everything works so well together and I love the characters so much. This book frustrated the heck out of me. I found myself asking, “Was this part necessary?” Too many frilly descriptions of unnecessary scenes, too many interruptions of dialogue with pointless memories or observations, there’s a lot of sexy scenes but it almost feels like it was added to prove that this is a series for adults as opposed to being integral for the plot. I also don’t really care about any of these characters the way I absolutely fell in love with Shadowhunter characters. I don’t know if these characters haven’t been fleshed out in ways that would make me love them more or if they’re just not interesting enough for me. If this weren’t a Cassandra Clare book, I’m not sure I would’ve been able to finish it. Thankfully, it did start getting more interesting towards the end and I will definitely give the sequel a chance to change my mind about this series. I was just really surprised at how slow the pacing was. Cass is usually excellent at her pacing and there’s a perfect balance between comedy, drama, fight scenes, and romance in her Shadowhunter books. I’m not pining for the sequel as I usually do when I’ve finished a Shadowhunter book. I’m also a little irritated that in this world where LGBTQ+ relationships are accepted as the norm and some of the best warriors are women, the female characters are virgins while male counterparts are sluts. It would’ve been nice to do away with that double-standard in an adult fantasy book for 2023! C’mon, Cass! You always showcase your female characters as being as strong as the men, often saving the day, and yet you can’t seem to allow them to be fully sexual beings as the boys are! ["

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February 3, 2024 Verified Purchase

Sandra Iler Kirkland

The First In The Castellane Series

"Kel's life changes forever when he is plucked from an orphanage at age ten and taken to the Castellane castle to become the body double for Prince Conor Aurelian. He is also his bodyguard, sworn to give his life to save Conor's. The boys grow up together, sharing a room, lessons, fighting readiness and playing. Now that the two are grown, Kel's tasks have changed but his mission remains the same, to do anything to protect Conor. Lin Caster is a member of a cultural group that is forbidden from leaving their compound after dusk. They are both valued for their knowledge and hated for their magic. Lin's grandfather is the King's Counselor. Lin has fought against tradition her entire life for her desire has always been to become a physician which she has against all obstacles. She meets Kel when he is injured and later also treats Conor. There is an attraction between Lin and Conor but nothing can come of it. Marrying someone from her culture is not something that could ever happen and Conor must marry for political alliance. Both Kel and Lin become involved with the ruler of the underground in Castellane, the Ragpicker King. He lures Kel in with news of danger to Conor. Lin is brought into his orbit when the Ragpicker King agrees to let her use his extensive library and his laboratory, both things forbidden to Lin in her culture. What they don't know is if the Ragpicker King is for or against the ruling class. Cassandra Clare is known as a star in the fantasy world. She has written several very successful fantasy series. This is her latest series and I fell into it head over heels. The characters are well drawn with many subplots. Kel is a compelling character, who made an agreement when he was a child that both expanded his universe and hemmed him in, never to be able to marry or make a life separate from Conor. Lin is an interesting character although more of a stock one and the attraction between her and Conor is expected and is playing itself out. The Ragpicker King is fascinating, a menacing figure hidden in the background where he manipulates those around him for his own purchases. This is the first book in the series and I can't wait to read the next. This book is recommended for fantasy readers. ["

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May 19, 2025 Verified Purchase