First Impressions: Chain of Iron

I guess first impressions are a bit wide-fetched since I am 200 pages in and the story is already super developed. But since the book is 600 pages long, I guess I’ll write one anyways because I have MILLIONS of thoughts…

After Chain of Gold turned out to be one of the best quarantine reads last year, I had super high expectations for this book and was rather anxious to start it because I feared disappointment. But what was I thinking, I should have known that Cassandra Clare NEVER EVER disappoints: I mean four series of Shadowhunter novels and she still vibrates with ideas, new love triangles and the most epic showdowns ever. I am now 200 pages in and NO page was boring, the story picked up the pace sooo fast and now we’re in the middle of hunting demons and a killer is on the loose and I do have to restrain myself from peeking and checking whether my suspicion is correct.

First random fact I love: her poem excerpts at the start of every chapter never disappoint – after memorizing Annabel Lee when reading The Dark Artifices and then becoming obsessed with that poem, I have just memorized a bit of Christabel by Samuel Taylor Coleridge because I am super week when it comes to tragic loss-of-love poems. I’ll insert the excerpt so you’ll see for yourself:

But never either found another; to stop the hollow heart from paining; they stood aloof, the scars remaining; like cliffs which had been rent asunder.

A dreary sea now flows between; but neither heat, nor frost, nor thunder; shall wholly do away, I ween; the marks of that which once hath been.

Christabel by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Now onto the more juicy parts of the first impressions, which will contain SPOILERS – so please, if you haven’t read the first book yet and plan to do so, please don’t read any of my speculations here!

Firstly, I recently read my spoiler review of Chain of Gold again and remembered some theories that I had layed out OH MY I knew something was wrong with Grace – the stupid bracelet and James not figuring out it’s what keeps him in love with her is the most frustrating plot line. He clearly likes Cordelia and whenever he decides to take it off, he forgets and it works it magic again… I understand Tatiana is the biggest issue here, but I wish Grace would rebel a bit more and go against her mother for once.

Secondly, Lucie and Jesse are adorable, I really hope she finally figures out how to revive him again and they work out… The only problem: who does Matthew end up with because I always sensed something with Lucie, but then other bloggers suggested some kind of triangle with James and Cordelia but now I don’t know anymore. James and Cordelia are my number 1 priority here and I am starting to like Jesse and Lucie, but Matthew is my favorite character and he’s absolutely in need of a happy ending!

My theory about the murderer (if you don’t want to end up with that theory in your head, skip this paragraph): it was indicated that Matthew’s secret is that he killed somebody. Matthew and James are parabatai and James has weird dreams of anger, which is exactly the feeling the killer gets whenever he’s about to kill a shadowhunter – and parabatai share feelings. Meaning, when James dreams of the murders, Matthew (involuntarily) shares his feelings with him, as he is the killer. Only question of the theory: is Matthew a bad guy or is he murdering unconsciously? Tell me, do you think I could be onto something here or not?

Lastly, I really hope that some things will happen: that James finally takes off the bracelet and they stay married FOR REAL, that Matthew stops drinking and continues to be a good person and doesn’t turn out to be an evil mastermind, that Thomas and Alastair get together, that poor Sona divorces her husband because he drives me crazy and of course, that Jesse is revived!

Well, that’s it: tell me, have you read Chain of Iron yet and if so, did you enjoy it? Happy reading and have a great weekend everyone!