This is the final book in Cassandra Clare’s latest Shadowhunter series The Dark Artifices. I’ve waited far too long to be able to find out the ending to this story and I’m still reeling from it days later.

What if damnation is the price of true love?

Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the blight that is destroying the race of warlocks. 

Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined. Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love.

I love Emma and Julian, so as soon as I found out Clare’s latest series would be based around these two I knew I had to read it. With this being the third and final instalment I knew, from previous experience with Clare’s books, that I would be in for a roller coaster ride of emotions, and I wasn’t wrong. Throughout this book, and long after reading it, I  found myself laughing, crying, feeling angry, shocked and happy.

Though this series is based around the Blackthorns as a whole the main focus is on Parabatai pair Emma and Julian. These two are the poster boys, and girls, for forbidden love. Willing to risk exile from everyone they love so they can be together. You cant help but want them to get a happy ending. I love how Kick-ass Emma is, Clare is not afraid of making her female characters more skilled than her male characters, and even though I love Julian I definitely think Emma could take him in a fight. Julian is a boy that was thrust into being an adult far too early in his life, and because of this feels like he should be the bearer of all the bad things that will happen. He’s a character I found easy to relate too and couldn’t help but feel for him, even if I didn’t agree with all of his decisions.

One of the things I loved about this book was the inclusion of all my favourite characters from Clare’s Mortal instrument series; Clary and Jace, Magnus and Alec and Simon and Isabelle. They have a much bigger part to play in the plot of this book than the previous two, while taking nothing away from the blackthorns main story line, which at 912 pages shouldn’t be too hard. And without giving too much away if you’re a serious Malec fan like me then prepare yourself for the last few chapters!

My only problem with the book was the ending…I hate that she ended on a massive cliffhanger and we have no word of when another modern day shadowhunter series will be written. I wont give anything away but I’m sure you will all be with me after you’ve read the epilogue. Although the last chapter was beautiful and I was so happy for two of my faves! This is an easy 5/5 for me. I’ve loved all of Clare’s shadowhunter series and this is one of my favourites. Though you don’t need to read the Mortal instruments to read this series I would still highly recommend it to understand certain character arcs and plot lines.