Description /Buy link takes you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.
The Dark Artifices is a series of urban fantasy novels written by Cassandra Clare. The books are actually the fourth series to be set in the Shadow Hunter Universe.
Get notified when Cassandra Clare releases a new book at BookNotification.com.
Order of The Dark Artifices Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lady Midnight | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Lord of Shadows | 2017 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Queen of Air and Darkness | 2018 | Description / Buy |
The Shadow Hunter Chronicles were launched by The Mortal Instruments Series in 2007. The books introduced readers to a world filled with the supernatural, where creatures like werewolves, Vampires, and even faeries walked the earth.
It fell on the shoulders of Nephilim—half-angel warriors— to stand in the gap between the supernatural and the natural, organizing into a fighting force that patrols the so-called Shadow World.
Referred to as Shadow Hunters, the Nephilim are tasked with fighting demons and keeping the supernatural population under control. They have succeeded in their efforts by enforcing an uneasy peace among the Downworlders. Downworlders is the name collectively given to the various supernatural creatures.
And even though the world is supposed to exist in a state of peace, bouts of violence between the Downworlders and the Clave –the body that governs the Shadow Hunters—are not unheard of.
Cassandra Clare has garnered a reputation for creating heroines out of orphaned little girls with a mysterious power that they must slowly unravel over the course of their respective series. This is as they attempt to make sense of the love triangle within which they find themselves.
The Dark Artifices series upended this structure by introducing readers to Emma Carstairs. The heroine of the novels, unlike her predecessors who start out as novices, Emma is already a veteran shadow hunter by the time the series starts.
Emma was actually first brought to the attention of readers in City of Heavenly Fire, the final novel in The Mortal Instruments series. Lady Midnight, the first novel in the Dark Artifices series, finally brought her story to the fro.
By the time the events of Lady Midnight roll around, Emma is already the most powerful warrior in her generation. The heroine has always been obsessed with her parents’ deaths.
The Dark Artifices books find her continuing her search for answers regarding the fate of her family. The novels also delve into Emma Carstairs relationship with Julian Blackthorn. Emma has always looked at the Blackthorns as a surrogate family of sorts.
They supported her through the dark times and gave her a sense of belonging. Her attachment to them is tested when her relationship with Julian compromises them both. Emma and Julian are Parabatai.
They are not just partners in their efforts to fight demons. They are bound for life and practically share a soul. They are tasked with looking out for one another at all times and sharing every aspect of their lives. However, they are prohibited from falling in love.
The Parabatai bond might be the greatest in the world and it might create in Emma and Julian a strength they wouldn’t be capable of on their own, but the dangers of breaking the rules and giving into their passions are all the graver.
When it becomes clear that the two have developed feelings for one another, Emma determines to stay away from Julian, even though the thought of living without him frightens her.
But as a war between the Clave and the Downworlders looms and the Blackthorns are threatened, Emma struggles with the notion of abandoning her surrogate family in their time of need even though her separation from Julian would be for the greater good.
Best Dark Artifices Books
Cassandra Clare follows through with her promise of injecting the Dark Artifices with passion, romance, action, and tragedy, with some of the best novels in the series including:
Lady Midnight: Emma Carstairs is a Shadow Hunter. She spends her days fighting demons with Julian Blackthorn, her Parabatai; a partner closer to her than her own soul.
When humans and faeries begin to die in a manner similar to Emma’s parents’ deaths, she investigates the situation in the hopes of finally getting revenge against those who took her family away from her.
Along the way, Emma must contend with her feelings for Julian, feelings that could doom them both. Parabatai are permitted to fight and die for one another. But they can never fall in love.
Lord of Shadows: Emma Carstairs knows that she can never act on her love for Julian Blackthorn, her Parabatai. But she cannot stay away from him either, not when the Blackthorn family has suddenly come under threat.
Their only hope is to find a powerful spell book that everyone wants. Emma and Julian must save themselves and the people they love even as a section of the Downworlders moves to act in hostility against the Clave.
Other Book Series You May Like
Fans also love “The Raven Cycle” Series by Maggie Stiefvater. Blue Sargent comes from a family of psychics. However, she was relatively certain that she did not have the gift. But then she saw the spirit of a boy, met Ronan, Noah, Adam and began the adventure of a lifetime.
Be sure to check out “The Illuminae Files” Series by Amie Kaufman. It is 2575 and two massive corporations have invaded a planet. Each book in this series follows two teens as they perceive and react to this same invasion.
What Is The Next Book in The Dark Artifices Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Dark Artifices Series. The newest book is Queen of Air and Darkness and was released on December, 4th 2018.