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Cat Gandhi (feedmefiction)

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Cat Gandhi (feedmefiction) is currently reading

Sword Catcher (The Chronicles of Castellane, #1)

by Cassandra Clare (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: arc, kindle, currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in October 2023

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Cat Gandhi (feedmefiction) said: " 4.5 stars - very much enjoyed.

Ahhh it's been a while since I fell into a new fantasy and couldn't put it down. Sword Catcher was everything I wanted in a new series and more. While it wasn't perfect, it kept me reading and despite my misgivings from 4.5 stars - very much enjoyed.

Ahhh it's been a while since I fell into a new fantasy and couldn't put it down. Sword Catcher was everything I wanted in a new series and more. While it wasn't perfect, it kept me reading and despite my misgivings from the opening chapter (37 pages!) I read this in a couple of days.

So let's get a couple of things out of the way - I think my lack of Shadowhunter experience probably worked in my favour. I've read some of Clare's other works in the Shadowhunter world (the original Mortal Instruments and then the Dark Artifices trilogy) and this is not that, don't come into this book expecting the same vibes and to automatically love the characters, leave it at the door. It's also not similar to Schwab's A Darker Shade of Magic, which I have also read. Did it hurt my brain to have a MC with the same name? Yes, a little. Did I get over it? Absolutely. And you should too, because this book deserves that.

Sword Catcher introduces us to the vibrant city of Castellane which boasts a class divide, a royal family holding on by a thread, a deep underworld (again divided) and a historical event known as The Sundering which left the world devoid of magic except for a light magic system only used by the Ashkar - a religious population, living in a section of the city and limited in what they can do. The narrative itself is told from two POVs and between each chapter there is an excerpt of a historical document that aims to give some insight into the history of this world.

I know, it sounds like a lot. It IS a lot. As can be expected from the first book in a series, there is a lot of world building and character introductions. The good thing about Clare's writing, is she shows you the world and allows you to build it yourself through the colours, the smells, the food and costumes. The architecture and city scape are almost a character in their own right.
Okay, characters! As mentioned, there are two POVs in Sword Catcher - Kel and Lin but there are a multitude of side characters and they all have complex relationships and hidden agendas. I can't cover them all but here are the main ones to watch out for.

Kel is a Sword Catcher for Prince Conor - a traditional position he has held since childhood when he was taken from an orphanage. Kel lives with the prince and even steps in to act as the prince on certain occasions (with the help of a little Ashkar magic). While Kel spends his life with the prince and the richer classes, he can't be himself and lives as Conor's 'cousin' in public.

Lin on the other hand, lives in the Saulk where the rest of the Ashkar reside, out of society and restricted to certain times of the day outside it's walls. Lin works as a healer, a position usually restricted to men and is related to the royal Ashkar advisor.

Both of our MCs become entangled with The Ragpicker King (the title of the second novel in this series). I loved this character, he was methodical and intriguing in the actions he takes and I can't wait to read more of him. In Sword Catcher he is the leader of a band of outlaws essentially who rule the underground of Castellane, however, there is another vying for this position also ...

I've definitely left too much time between reading and writing this (I wrote most 6 weeks ago ... oops!) so I'm going to leave this here and return to it after I've read the book again most likely as I'd like to write further about the religious and political aspects in this novel! ...more "

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— Oct 08, 2025 03:49AM

Oct 08, 2025 03:49AM · see review