Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Shadowhunters fight poisoning demons in exciting spin-off.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
Based on 16 kid reviews
Kids say this book is a fantastic addition to the series, with strong characters and beautifully written romance, making it an engaging read for fantasy lovers over 13. However, some reviewers note the lack of action compared to previous entries in the series, cautioning about mature themes and romance that may not suit all readers.
- strong characters
- beautiful romance
- mature themes
- lack of action
- engaging plot
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In CHAIN OF GOLD: THE LAST HOURS, BOOK 1, Cordelia is both excited and nervous to move to London. She's excited to train with her future parabatai (magically connected demon-fighting partner for life) Lucie, and to see Lucie's brother, James, whom she's always had feelings for. She's nervous because she's tasked with helping clear the name of her father, who's awaiting trial in the Shadowhunter city for a demon-fighting mission gone wrong. But Cordelia's plans go awry as soon as she arrives. Demons attack Shadowhunters with a poison that has no known antidote, making it impossible to draw attention back to her father's case. And Cordelia can't seem to get James' attention when another young lady comes to town: Grace Blackthorn. Rather than spend her time being jealous, Cordelia becomes friends with the crew James hangs around with, nicknamed the Merry Thieves. This talented group of young Shadowhunters, frustrated with their government's slow response to the crisis, take action to stop the poisoning demons.
Is It Any Good?
Fans of the Shadowhunter world have another exciting series to devour and another set of demon-fighting star-crossed lovers to moon over. The Last Hours series takes place after The Infernal Devices series, still in old London -- early 20th century -- with fancy balls and coaches and big dresses to enjoy between bouts of demon goring and ichor showers. There are also exciting new powers for James and Lucie, offspring of a Shadowhunter and a warlock, to discover here. By the end of Chain of Gold, readers will be pondering just how much extra magical oomph they possess. In James' case it's not all good news. There are those who want to use and manipulate him for who he is, which is positively ruining his chances with Cordelia. As usual, it will take hundreds and hundreds of pages and some serious wrong turns and misunderstandings and probably a trip to a fairy realm to sort out this relationship. Yes, Chain of Gold follows a formula you see in so many of Cassandra Clare's books, but it will captivate mature teen fantasy fans all the same.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how an alcoholic teen character is portrayed in Chain of Gold. How do his friends talk to him? How does he talk to himself about it? Is this portrayal similar to what you've read in other books or seen on screen?
Most book and screen portrayals of bullies paint them as villains and that's it. How is Alastair different? As a reader, do you like having some sympathy for this type of character? Do you have sympathy for him?
Will you read more in this Shadowhunter series? Which is your favorite Shadowhunter series so far? Who are your favorite heroes in the series, male and female?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : McElderry Books
- Publication date : March 3, 2020
- Number of pages : 624
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate