Lady Midnight

Written by Cassandra Clare

Narrated by Morena Baccarin

The Shadowhunters of Los Angeles star in this #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling novel in Cassandra Clare’s newest series, The Dark Artifices, a sequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series. Lady Midnight is a Shadowhunters novel.

It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering who killed her parents and avenging her losses.

Together with her battle partner Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…

Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?

Glitz, glamours, and Shadowhunters abound in this heartrending opening to Cassandra Clare’s Dark Artifices series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Mar 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781442357112

Cassandra Clare

Cassandra Clare is the author of the No. 1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Shadowhunter Chronicles. She is also the co-author of the bestselling fantasy series Magisterium with Holly Black. The Shadowhunter Chronicles have been adapted as both a major motion picture and a television series. Her books have more than fifty million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. Cassandra lives in western Massachusetts with her husband and three fearsome cats.

Reviews for Lady Midnight

[Ema Lujza Juričková · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book has a great plot, very nicely paced, i love the whole series, i re-listen it every year

[billiebook · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was privileged to receive one of a limited number of advance copies of this first installment in a new chapter of the Shadowhunters saga. I won't say anything about it other than to say that Clare's fans will not be disappointed.

[Karla Reyes · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This has been very useful instead of rereading the entire book again. I think the narrator is okay, but since there is little to no voice acting it’s flat (for my taste). The emotions and tensions of the scenes weren’t conveyed.

[Sid L · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So many books in this series and I still can't get enough. God when will they make a good tv series out of this.

[Manuela Robledo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely incredible! This was a re read for me but still 5/5 stars

[Abrigail Weegar · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very good condition of the shadow hunter book I can’t wait to see where this story line takes me!

[Chelsi Moe · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have no idea if I'm supposed to rate the narrator and the story or just the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Very invested but this was when I started reading the physical copy because I did not care for the narrator at all.

[angelica chirinos · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

ameee este libro, ese FINAL me dio todo!!!! necesito saber mas de la saga
los personajes me encantan y estoy viviendo las historias de amor

[Najma Smile · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I LOVE CASSANDRA CLARE and I LOVED this book a lot

[thegenreminx · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

How do you write a review on a book that is near perfection? It is quite the challenge. This book is written so very well, A+ to the characters, the plot, the sub plots. All is fantastically done! So with this book what it comes down to is the little things but first the synopsis:In a kingdom by the sea…In a secret world where half-angel warriors are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word.A parabatai is your partner in battle. A parabatai is your best friend. Parabatai can be everything to each other—but they can never fall in love.Emma Carstairs is a warrior, a Shadowhunter, and the best in her generation. She lives for battle. Shoulder to shoulder with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Los Angeles, where vampires party on the Sunset Strip, and faeries—the most powerful of supernatural creatures—teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters. When the bodies of humans and faeries turn up murdered in the same way Emma’s parents were when she was a child, an uneasy alliance is formed. This is Emma’s chance for revenge—and Julian’s chance to get back his brother Mark, who is being held prisoner by the faerie Courts. All Emma, Mark, and Julian have to do is solve the murders within two weeks…and before the murderer targets them.Their search takes Emma from sea caves full of sorcery to a dark lottery where death is dispensed. And each clue she unravels uncovers more secrets. What has Julian been hiding from her all these years? Why does Shadowhunter Law forbid parabatai to fall in love? Who really killed her parents—and can she bear to know the truth?Synopsis via GoodreadsReview: This book has been sitting on my shelf for three months. I have looked at it and looked at it. To read or not to read was my question. Well as part of my TBR for June I put this book on there because it forced me to read it. I know many of you are like “forced?” whhaaaat? Yes, forced because Cassandra Clare is an amazing writer but the storylines have elements that tend to drive me a little bonkers. I will warn you that there may be some spoilers below BUT I will try to keep them as generic as possible.Ok, I know this is a YA book and I get that but one thing that left me going hmmm was that CC has the most amazing attention to detail but when two characters entered into a sex scene I honestly had no idea. The scene was written as “her hand cupped the bare skin above his waistband of his jeans,” (notice above implying jeans on) then it goes on about his need yada yada and then something is happening, not quite sure BUT there is no mention of any clothes coming off. Ummm, what? When did he take his clothes off? Is she at least partly naked? I had to go back and read and ask myself “Did someone just have sex?” Honesty I am reading the scene again and I am still wondering were they just kissing?? I know they had sex because they remarked on it later, so ½ star off for scenes like this. I get it YA and all, but if you are going to have lots of M/F action, M/M action and then discussion about the sex going on, well make the scenes a bit more detailed so that I do not miss what just happened.Why the other ½ star off? A bazillion love triangles. Everyone had one; I think they were giving them away, two for the price of one. There were even love triangles being created artificially. Not my cup of tea, just too many triangles going on. The final part of my feelings on this book is that I was not in love with anyone of the characters. Yep, let the hate mail start now. After reading this book I was thinking about it and the only emotions I felt was disgust and resentment for how the story ended…nooooooo, say it isn’t soooooooo. I did not love a certain character so much that I had, just had to, read the next book in the series; there is no real drive to find out what else happens. The cliffhanger provided me with a really pretty view and it is beautiful. Unfortunately, the trip to get there was just long and I kept tripping over love triangles and missing turns because they were not marked properly.My final thoughts: An amazingly written fantasy with many well developed characters. The story will grip you and it is fast paced, hold on to your seat! This is going to be fantastic series with many die-hard fans! I recommend for anyone looking for a good fantasy series that has angels, fae, demons, and the occasional vampire.

[Farith Pincay · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

That point of your life when the re-reading makes you happy ❤❤

[Natalee McNally · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing absolutely loved this book the love for one another is so strong and amazing

[evelynnygren · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So many things happened in this book. I absolutely adore the Blackthorns; I love them with all my heart. I don’t even know what to say, there are so many things that really just made me fall in love with this series all over again. Emma Carstairs is simply the most bad-ass shadowhunter since Jace and the gang. I love her and her sword, Cortana, and I love her fierceness. Julian is so precious and I can’t believe the burden he has had to shoulder for the past five years. I love the new edition to the family too. I never would’ve expected Cristina to be so strong. She is so mature, even for a teenager, and I am so glad that she is there to help the Blackthorns and Emma. I am so glad that Mark is back and I think he has a good balance of shadowhunter and faerie. I would really like to see more of Kieran—I love the broody characters—and I hope that the rift between him and Mark can be healed, even though he brought about a terrible event. Overall, I am very excited for the next book and I can’t wait to see how all of these complicated relationships will further unfold!

[dianeasther · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Love the characters more than anything else

[sapphiremoonlight23 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing! Mark x Cristina xxxxxx

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters series several years ago and this book was a delightful return to that magical and dangerous world. There are plenty of references to characters and events of the previous novels, but also new characters and further world-building. This book is a great follow-up to the Shadowhunters books, although I don't know how much readers unfamiliar with the earlier series would enjoy this one.

[linyarai · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I feel sorry for anyone who has chosen Lady Midnight as their first Cassandra Clare novel. Yes the plot makes sense and you might find the characters relatable and likeable, but you are missing out on EVERYTHING. There is so much history, so much back story, so much Emotion, and SO MANY FEELS! I feel like it's given me a heart attack, my heart hurts, it's hard to breathe, and I'm nauseous. And it was worth every second. It was such an exciting ride, every moment of pain when Tess and Jem were mentioned, the happiness for Clary and Jace, I can't even cope right now.

[faith_murri · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Why didn't I read this sooner????

There was beauty in the idea of freedom, but it was an illusion. Every human heart was chained by love.
Soooo I really wanted to give this 5 stars. It is by far the best book Cassandra Clare has ever written. Unironically. TMI had mostly crap characters with a pretty cool plot; TID had great characters with a lame plot; this had stellar characters with an amazing plot. It really threw me for a loop. The big plot twists didn't come out of nowhere but also weren't super obvious. When we get the big reveal, I literally gasped and rethought the whole book, zeroing in on those little details she planted that didn't seem important at the time but actually meant everything. It was so well done!

The characters in this really stole the show. Cristina starts strong and honestly, stayed there. She was an icon and I stan. Emma wasn't a cardboard cut out of a Strong Female Character either; she felt like an actual teenager and I seriously appreciated that. Julian was fantastic and really delivered on his character premise of boy forced to raise his siblings. Love him a lot. Mark sometimes felt too Holly Black-esque but I liked him a lot. The whole fam was great and actually behaved like siblings in a large family, which was honestly so wonderful. I'm the 5th of 6 kids so I know very well what big families are like, and books usually get the dynamic wrong. So kudos to Clare on that! Malcolm and Diana were also really great!

The plot was freaking fantastic!!!! It did family drama, murder mystery, and cult conspiracy all so well, tying together everything so seamlessly! I loved every minute of it! I was worried as I neared the end that it would retcon like crazy just to setup a sequel, but it actually flowed quite naturally and did the framework all on its own without any convoluted additions.

Now, on to why this is 4 stars and not 5, even though I basically loved everything about this book:

Well, Clare couldn't help but include a love dodecahedron (between the main cast, therefore making the characters lovesick puppies for no good reason) and calling back to TMI in the most convoluted and needless ways. She's been trying to shoehorn into every single release that ~the love between Jace and Clary is the most pure, most lovely, most amazing love in the whole entire world; that no one loves as strongly or as completely as they love each other. They are perfect for each other in every single way~ yadda yadda yadda. : :| It gets a little mind numbing after 10 books. And their inclusion in this book just felt like Clare was trying to toot her own horn. The self-indulgence was ridiculous. She might as well change her pen name to Cassandra Clace at this point.

And to add to that, Clare just straight up reused some plot points and plot devices. Granted, they probably worked better here than in her previous work, but it was really annoying to basically just read the mix-and-match version of her other series. It didn't negatively impact the plot but it did hamper my enjoyment.

All in all, though, I loved it, and I'm extremely eager to read the next one.

[sweet_serenity · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'd been anticipating this book for a long time. It was pretty good- on the level of the Mortal Instruments series, but not up to the standard of Infernal Devices.

The good things-The best scenes of the book were the action & romance scenes, because they're Cassandra Clare's strength. There was a great vein of wit running through the whole thing. Emma, Julian & Mark were pretty amazing characters and of course I loved all the little Blackthorns too. The parabatai connection was written really well. There were some great scenes with Tessa, Jem, Clary, Jace & Magnus. At first I thought it might be a bit forced, but I think I actually liked seeing them again through Emma & Julian's eyes. Plus there was a bonus section at the end from Clary's POV. The book ended with some exciting leads for the sequel.

The bad things- The start was a bit shaky, with a lot of info-dumping and repetition. Some things were a bit rushed/messy/shallow, which was a bit disappointing for a book from an established author that had been in the works for so long. And I wasn't quite sold on the minor characters- Diana, Christina & Diego. I didn't feel they were really necessary. The book goes through a lot of contortions to justify the whole kids-saving-the-day thing. I think raising Emma & Julian's ages a few years would have given it a lot more sense.

The good outweighed the bad, and I decided to give the book 4 stars. I did criticise this book a bit, but that's only because I had such high hopes for it. It fell a little bit short, but then most things usually do. I enjoyed the book and was pretty happy about it, but not over-the-moon ecstatic. I think some of the awkwardness of the new series is out of the way now, so the next book could really take it to the next level.

[simplykelina · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have been putting off starting the Dark Artifices series until it was closer to the final book coming out. It was time to finally jump in.I personally loved the beginning of the story. It had been so long since I was in the Shadow Hunter world, so I enjoyed how a recap of characters and terms were reintroduced within the new story. It made getting back into the world much easier. There was a lot of building the new characters and scenes up before much else happens. The one thing that really kept my interest was learning about the murders so early on.I do feel this was way too long for what it ended up being though. There was not too many high points throughout the story. A lot was dragged out to more than it needed to be. I ended up having to switch between reading this physically and listening to the audiobook as certain parts I was losing interest in. I did end up enjoying this, but it did not blow me away like I was hoping and expecting. Do not get me wrong, it was still good. I cannot wait to see where book two takes us and all of the characters.

[waclements7 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

** spoiler alert ** April 11, 2018Since reading this the first time, I’ve been watching the series Shadowhunters. There are good things about it and bad things (i.e. the storylines they make up), but one thing I do like is the casting, which is really diverse, and the tech and background people that make it look like an actual institute. You have to have Red Shirts, after all. But at the beginning of Lady Midnight, it’s pointed out how Shadowhunters don’t use technology, and Ty’s computer is powered by witchlight. Personally, I really like the Shadowhunters version better because it makes more sense, but whatever. They use cell phones, but not computers?I’m upping my original rating from two stars to a three. I appreciate Julian’s motivations more than I did the first time, and I understand why Emma is doing what she is with Mark at the end. June 25, 2016I wasn't sure what to expect from this--I liked the complexity of Julian's character and also Ty's. The story is interesting with an ending that isn't a cliff-hanger but promises intriguing things to come. I did like the other characters, especially Mark, and they are fairly well drawn out. I'm unsure how I feel about Emma as a character, her character feels a little flat. And why on earth would Mark do what he did at the end? I don't like the fact that so many lies are taking place in the book, and look to continue instead of people just talking to each other. That's a really overused trope and hurting people deliberately to "help" them instead of just talking to them as a way to further the plot by creating unnecessary drama and pain doesn't show development in the characters. Julian's motivations are driven by an honest desire to keep his family together. The motivations for becoming parabatai with Emma may not have been as clearly thought through. Emma deliberately hurting him through Mark (at least as it appears she is going to) is just mean; she should just share what Jem told her, but that would be reasonable. And take away a huge plot point. It frustrates me that they can't put effort into finding a real solution instead of inflicting pain on each other. And as some other reviewers have pointed out, what do they DO at the LA Institute? There's a brief mention of patrols, training, and classes, but not much else. What are the demons doing in the meantime, running rampant? The other series had adults present. That the LA Institute has essentially been run by Julian since he was 12 seems so incredibly implausible. I have rarely have such a difficult time with a review. I've come back to edit this one to say that I really did admire the fact that Clare did include a character with autism (although it wasn't named as such, since it doesn't seem to exist in the Shadowhunter world as such) in a very realistic and sensitive way, and that Julian was very good and knowing how to work with Ty. Arthur having mental differences was also interesting. But that led to the fact that the children were basically on their own, which was frustrating. I have worked with many adults and children with autism, and I thought the portrayal of Ty was realistic and well done. So, despite many of my other negative feelings about the book, that is one thing that I thought was a plus. I'm bumping my review up to a three from a two for that. I will not be buying the rest of the series, and if I do read any more of it, it will definitely be from the library.

[thebacklistbook · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

As much as it was so easy and comfortable to slip back into the shadowhunter world, like slipping into your favorite worn-out jeans; that's all it was. A comfortable read. It did not excite or thrill me in anyway. The bad guy was a surprise. The relationship between E and J felt very forced and cringe-worthy.

It is like the author has something deeply against platonic love. I never realized this in all my years of anticipating her next books. After this read I am really not sure that I will be picking up the next Dark Artifices book. I just don't feel that it is worth the frustration and angst between E and J to hear about Tessa and Jem some more, or to hear details about Malec.

[tiffy_reads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A new series about shadowhunters. Such a whirlwind of crazy events happening in this book. Loved all of it. Even the sort of cliffhanger. I absolutely can't wait until the next book comes out.

[theyodamom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

AudiobookThe mystery of who killed Emma's parentsThe mystery of the deaths of shadowhuntersThe mystery of love The mystery of a lost boyThe mystery of the one in chargeSo many mysteries to answer. They just kept pilling up for the first 3/4 of the book. I expected them to crumble under the weight but no the characters stayed true and stayed strong. Fought and fought and suffered, till at last answers started reveling themselves and the answers were not easy to accept. The stress of the last 1/4 of this story was crazy. Ms. Clare made sure that they were dragged through the mud and left caked and battered along a troubled river. Seriously Ms Clare, why did Emma have to do that at the end ? Troubled times. Yes, I loved it. Yes, I already downloaded book 2.

[samanthamholt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Of all of the Shadowhunter stories, this is by far the most compelling. I felt devastated and sad throughout the entire story. The story had such a grim and hopeless energy that I couldn't shake. I couldn't put the book down until I finished (although I did throw the book a few times). Every time one door opened, I felt another door shut. More than anything, I am terrified for Julian. These poor children and these terrible secrets they have to keep. They're enduring all of this alone. I can't imagine the trilogy ending well for any of the protagonists. My heart is so heavy for these children.

[beckakw · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I think I liked this book better than the Mortal Instruments series. The mystery aspect of it was very intriguing and kept me reading. I also liked the romance aspect more than Clary and Jace in the Mortal Instruments. I can't wait for the next book and I think I'll pass the time by reading the Infernal Devices series.

[areneehunt · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't know why I thought I'd love this book. Was it bad- no, but after I read the Clockwork series, I was ruined for the rest of the books. When I read The Mortal Instruments, I was already suffering death by Shadow Hunters. I even tried to watch the tv series- crashed and burned there too! So what made me pick up Lady Midnight, book one in the Dark Artifices series? The fact that I'd already purchased both the book and audiobook. Now, on to what I read...Picture Just to reiterate, I am a Cassandra Clare fan. She's a phenomenal author, leaving me swept away with Clockwork Prince, Clockwork Princess, and Clockwork Angel, but once I got to The Mortal Instruments, the story shifted- not just in time. It became more of a tumultuous love saga with whiny people and their issues. The rage of the mega plot was pretty cool and that's what created the doorway for Lady Midnight, the Dark Artifices series. Emma's a problem from the very start, with her deep rooted desire for revenge and closure. Though understandable, she was endangering her parabatai left and right, even with knowing her injuriy or death would damage him too! She's a headstrong warrior who's more temperamental than skillful. Julian is love struck to the point- I figured it out the first few pages of the story! He became a butthole, plain and simple. Never mind the family troubles. Now I'm going to stop there, because they're the reason I really couldn't get into the story. Because of the main characters, it's next to impossible to get along with the story. The plot could have been so much thicker and better had they not been battling their... No SPOILERS, sorry. I can't tell you what's happening but it's just not the same. The main story was what drove the two characters, but it was all overshadowed. It turned in to super-strengthened teenagers with mundane issues. I can get that anywhere! So I may be finished with the Shadow Hunter reads. I wasn't happy at all with Lady Midnight, and that's okay. Just means I will have to seek out my YA fixes elsewhere now. Cheers to you, while I move on to the next read!Lady MidnightCassandra ClareMargaret K. McElderry BooksMarch 8, 2016

[bookishpeach240 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This review contains spoilers! If you have not read Lady Midnight yet, I suggest you do not read this.
Firstly I have to say I expected to enjoy this book more than I did. Don't get me wrong; I liked this book. It's just that the first 400 pages or so were very slow and I had a hard time getting into the story. I felt that nothing really happened the first half and it seemed to drag on forever. The last 200 pages or so were phenomenal though. The betrayal!! I would never have guessed it! I'm glad we were finally introduced to the mysterious lost Herondale. I was annoyed his seemingly irrelevant perspective kept popping up but now I understand why. I hope we get to see more of him in the next books. I probably should have read the novellas before reading this book but I was too lazy. Also, I think one of the reason I didn't enjoy this book as much as I would have liked to is because I have been extremely stressed out these past few weeks and my mind wasn't entirely focused on the book. And, I forgot to mention, I'm really worried about Emma. I mean, there's this whole forbidden patabatai relationship with Julian and Mark seems, well, unstable. I really hope Mark adjusts to his old life.
Though I did not give this book 5 stars, I can't wait to read the next book!

[jmoncton_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Another episode of the Shadow Hunters series. I like this world, but I didn't find this as compelling as her Infernal Devices. Often times a romance can be a good addition to a novel, adding a touch of emotion to the battle of good vs. evil. In this book, the romance was more the main point of the story. I read this a month ago, and to be honest, I can't remember anything other than the romance and it seemed more of a common reuse of forbidden love. A fun distraction, but I don't feel that 'can't wait for the sequel anxiety' that I feel after I've finished a really good story.

[bell7_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Five years after the war in The City of Heavenly Fire, Emma Carstairs is living in the Los Angeles Institute with her best friend, Julian Blackthorn, and his family. They are Nephilim, or Shadowhunters: part-human, part-angel, and sworn to protect mundanes (regular humans) from Downworlders (vampires, werewolves, and more) and uphold the law of the Clave, the sort of ruling class of Shadowhunters. When murders start occurring and the victims' bodies are left much like Emma's parents, with strange markings on them, Emma starts investigating even though she knows that, with many of the bodies being Faerie, the Clave won't like her getting involved - the negotiations after the war left the "Cold Peace" and restrictions in helping any fae, including the two half-Faerie Blackthorns, Mark and Helen.I hadn't quite figured out how confusing this all sounds until I started to write it all out. This is the first in a new series within the Shadowhunter world, and while it's not absolutely necessary to read the other books before reading this one (it's been over a year in my case, and I still followed everything), I'm not sure I'd recommend starting with this one. Emma and Julian are an interesting pair, and the other secondary characters are fleshed out well, all of them individual and realistic, people you can root for without being perfect. I especially like the way the relationships between the Blackthorn siblings are described, and I like Ty who seems to be on the autism spectrum but treated with such love and respect by his siblings. Emma is as wise-cracking as Jace was in the original series, and I burst out laughing at a couple of scenes. Really fun reading, and I'm looking forward to continuing the series when the new book comes out in May.