Disclaimer: this review was written in 2020, but was never posted. I found this in my archives so decided to post it.
Synopsis:
Life is good for Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood. They’re living together in a fabulous loft, their warlock son, Max, has started learning to walk, and the streets of New York are peaceful and quiet—as peaceful and quiet as they ever are, anyway.
Until the night that two old acquaintances break into Magnus’s apartment and steal the powerful Book of the White. Now Magnus and Alec will have to drop everything to get it back. They need to follow the thieves to Shanghai, they need to call some backup to accompany them, and they need a babysitter.
Also, someone has stabbed Magnus with a strange magical weapon and the wound is glowing, so they have that to worry about too.
Fortunately, their backup consists of Clary, Jace, Isabelle, and newly minted Shadowhunter Simon. In Shanghai, they learn that a much darker threat awaits them. Magnus’s magic is growing unstable, and if they can’t stop the demons flooding into the city, they might have to follow them all the way back to the source—to the very realm of the dead. Can they stop the threat to the world? Will they make it back home before their kid completely wears out Alec’s mom?
Review:
I cannot explain just how happy The Lost Book of the White has made me. If you have been reading Young Creative Press for a while then you will know just how much I love Cassandra Clare. This book has amplified that by ten. The old gang is back together. Yes that’s right Jace, Clary, Isabelle and Simon join Alec and Magnus on the adventure in this book. I really missed all of these characters and was extremely happy to find out that they were a major part of this book. I missed them so much that I am seriously considering re-reading the entirety of The Mortal Instruments again at some point.
There’s also a short appearance from a very beloved character from a previous series. I won’t mention who as I want to leave it as a nice surprise for those who have not yet read it. However, I think a lot of people will be very happy about it.
Unlike The Red Scrolls of Magic this book is more fleshed out. After finishing book one I was left wondering where the series will go and whether it actually had anywhere to go. Turns out it did and oh boy was it a rollercoaster. The story seemed less stagnant than the previous instalment and had more depth. We often get to see glimpses into Magnus’ past and how these events are impacting his current thoughts. Which was a nice touch and tied in well with The Bane Chronicles.
One of the best parts of this book is seeing how comfortable Alec and Magnus are. Although towards the end of The Mortal Intruments series, Alec was very open about his relationship with Magnus, now he is not afraid of showing Magnus affection in front of his fellow Shadowhunters.
If you have read The Dark Artifices then you know that Alec and Magnus now have children. At the time of The Lost Book of The White, they have not long adopted Max, an abandoned warlock baby. It was very endearing to see them struggle with very ‘mundane’ problems such as missing their child when they were away and always wondering how the outcome to their problems will affect Max. It was great to see that they now have no doubts about their relationship and the unwavering love that they have not only for each other but also for their adopted son.
Although at times the action was fast paced and a resolution to their problems did not seem possible, because of their involvement in The Dark Artifices, you find you do not need to really worry about any of the main characters. This changed the experience for me as I knew that none of the characters I love were really in any serious danger. However, this does not mean that this book does not have purpose. The introduction of new weapons, demons and Princes of Hell has given more seasoned readers even more insight into the world they love. The Lost Book of the White provides great detail on what the beloved New York Shadowhunters were up to during the time between City of Heavenly Fire and Lady Midnight.
The ending of this book has definitely piqued my interest for the third instalment and has left a lot of room for exciting new plot lines. I do not want to give any major spoilers, so lets just say it’s got something to do with a certain Prince of Hell who is quite famous, even in our world. With that being said, I am hoping that the third instalment will be lengthier than the previous two as there is still so much of this story we do not know.
The entire book felt like you were catching up with an old friend after not speaking for years. It was incredible just how nostalgic I felt when getting to see all of my favourite characters again, but like myself they are now more mature then when we last met. I really feel like the ‘big six’ have developed well to now relate to those readers who were only young themselves when first reading The Mortal Instruments.
For this reason, The Eldest Curses series acts as a great tie in for all of the series. With references to previous series and getting to again adventure with old characters, they are great quick reads that fill the Shadowhunter-shaped void in your life.
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