Book number 6 of the year was the Lost Book of the White by Cassandra Clare, the second in The Eldest Curses series. You can read my thoughts about the first book in the series here and if you are not familiar with the world these books are based on, you can get a good overview of the Shadow hunter world in this blog.
Initial thoughts
So, I love a little bit of Malec (Alec and Magnus, geddit?) and I love getting to know more about the Mortal Instruments crew’s lives but this is the first time I’m not really hyped about a Cassy book. It was just… a little slow and there was a lot of characterisation that was reduced down to stereotypical traits which were trotted out every time the character spoke, or when one character’s narration was looking at or thinking about another character.
A feeble attempt at summarising the plot
In this book we learn about what happened with The Book of the White after The Mortal Instruments series, plus, we learn about what really happened to Ragnor. In the Mortal Instruments, Ragnor’s house is discovered torn to pieces by Clary in her search for the book (won’t go into more detail because, spoilers!) and we learn that the Book of the White was in Jocelyn’s possession all along but it seems that Valentine followed the same trail Clary did until we learn in the next series (The Dark Artifices) that Ragnor survived and had been hiding out under a fake name.
This story takes places somewhere in the timeline around/ before the first book in the Dark Artifices series, Alec and Magnus only have Max at this point and he’s about a year old, plus, Simon has just recently graduated from the Shadowhunter Academy. It begins with the true story of what happened the night Ragnor faked his own death and why- one of the prince’s of hell was in hunting him down for information on how to travel between dimensions (Ragnor’s speciality).
The narrative then snaps forward in time to the ‘present day’, opening with an unpleasant surprise visit by Shinyun Jung and Ragnor Fell in pursuit of The Book of the White, which, it turns out, Magnus had hidden in Max’s nursery. We met Shinyun in The Red Scrolls of Magic, an angry, haunted and damaged warlock, whose very willing to give her allegiance to greater demons for more power and to watch the world burn. At first Magnus is happy to see Ragnor but becomes quickly suspicious when his old friend is acting strangely and displays unusual powers. Magnus is slow to act to defend himself because Ragnor has Max in his arms and so he is attacked by Shinyun, stabbed by a strange sword or ‘thorn’, resulting in a magical wound that would not heal. We later learn that the thorn grants a Warlock direct access to the power of a Prince of Hell and his domain but it also takes over their will and binds them (hence Ragnor’s strange behaviour and why he didn’t get he touch as he promised to once he was safe, as he had also been bound by the thorn).
In trying to track down Ragnor and Shinyun, the gang follow the lead all the way to Shanghai, where we get to meet some of Jem’s Chinese family, whom Jem eventually joins to aid the investigation. I love Jem, so please read The Infernal Devices if you are unaware of who is this beautiful man is! In trying to discover what this ‘thorn’ thing Magnus was attacked with, we learn that you must be struck three times in order to fully bound but that the process is irreversible and Magnus will die without completing it. The fairy weapons smiths they visit also gifts them with two ancient, powerful swords, decided to fight this particular prince of hell.
Their investigation leads them all the way to another hell dimension (I say ‘another’ because the whole lot of them went to Edom in The Mortal Instruments), where various things ensue but our intrepid gang prevail, as always… That’s all I can say without committing any major spoilers.
A vague conclusion
Overall, this was a good read, probably more enjoyable if you’re a fan of the Shadow Hunter world in general than you would be as a newcomer. I really enjoyed the sweet little glimpses into the Malec domestic life, to the struggles of having a toddler whose also a Warlock and Alec’s mom embracing being a grandmother to said warlock baby (this is very cool if you know of Maryse’s history with Circle and hatred for downworlders).
I’m on a real Fantasy genre reading streak at the moment and I’m also very behind in writing my ‘What I’m Reading‘ posts, so if you’re looking for some book recommendations, or reviews of those kind of books, stick around. Especially, if you’ve gone over to the darkside and gotten into #booktok lately- I’m making my way through a few recs from there.
Swept Away – Mimi Flood
Indie spotlight: Swept Away – Mimi Flood
She needs a job. He needs a muzzle. Neither of them needs this kind of temptation.
A sizzling small-town romance full of banter, forbidden heat, and one very inconvenient attraction, Swept Away is perfect for readers who love Melanie Harlow, Devney Perry, K.A. Tucker and Elsie Silver.
Current TBR – April
Interested in my upcoming reads? Here’s a little glimpse into what I plan to read soon and what you can expect to see on the blog shortly after!
If you’ve read my recent posts, you’ll know I’ve been struggling to read lately, so I thought doing this might help give me something to aim for.
I run a book blog and I’ve been struggling to read
So, compared to previous years, I am doing absolutely terrible on my reading goals, some of this is down to life and some of this is down to me just really not feeling like reading… which is odd. I literally run a blog about books and reading, in my spare time, for free.
So let’s…
Carbon Dating – Jen Smith
Indie spotlight: Carbon Dating – Jen Smith
Carbon Dating nails it – humour, heart, and just enough dirt to keep things real. If Bridget Jones swapped her diary for a trowel and studied with Indiana Jones, this would be her story’ Natasha Billson, Award-winning Archaeologist, Filmmaker & Presenter
Reading, writing and life check in – 1/4 of 2026
Well, the first 3 months of 2026 are over and done with and it’s been pretty rubbish, I won’t lie to you! But here’s a wrap-up about life, what I’ve read and writing
March reading wrap up
Well, it seems I am officially in a reading slump, a combination of trying to read longer books, having a longer commute and trying to do my other hobbies, exercise, see family and friends has meant I really have not been reading much. I am trying to set aside time for it, but even when…
Antonia Bernardin 
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