Book Review
Title: The Midnight Heir (The Bane Chronicles #4)
Author: Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan
Genre: YA/Fantasy/Paranormal/Romance
Rating: *****
Review: All I knew about this story in the Bane Chronicles is that it follows Magnus’ return to London and his meeting 16 year old James Herondale. Magnus meets James at a club here he has been taking dares from other patrons including Ragnor Fell, each seeming more dangerous than the last. Magnus follows James throughout the night although it prove difficult because of James’ ability to turn into a shadow but he managed it and even James passes out, Magnus returns him to the Institute and his parents. There they summon Jem where Magnus learns that James’ behaviour has been changing and not for the better and when he calls out for Grace in his sleep, Magnus realises that this girl might be behind the change in James’ behaviour and offers to hold his secrets but James isn’t willing to tell anyone about Grace.
Magnus is offered to stay in the Institute but he has an appointment with Tatiana Blackthorn, Gabriel and Gideon’s sister and has to decline. At the Lightwood home he realises it has been touched since Benedict Lightwood’s death and Tatiana still wears the same bloodstained dress she did when her husband is killed. Inside he meets Tatiana’s adopted daughter, Grace who Magnus feels there is something wrong with from the beginning but he can’t put his finger on it. Tatiana relays her grievance with Shadowhunters and how her son Jesse was killed because of them. He was a sickly child and almost didn’t survive his first rune despite Tatiana begging that he not receive them and he died shortly after at 16. It turns out that Tatiana wants Magnus to kill five Shadowhunters and he obviously refuses but when Tatiana sends Grace after him, she puts Magnus on edge. She tells him not to speak of what happened there or she will be his destruction and he doesn’t believe she could kill him but he doesn’t know what training Tatiana has given the girl in addition to the odd feeling he has about her.
However, when he mentions James, he sees a subtle shift in Grace but it isn’t much and she responses with that she doesn’t really care about him but it is clear that Tatiana doesn’t know about the interactions between James and Grace. As he returns to his home he reflects on the differences between James and Will as Will was saved by love and yet James has been damned by him because of who he has chosen to give his heart to and this is something that should definitely be expanded on in the Last Hours series.
Buy it here:
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Also see: City of Bones
Comments