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Parents' Guide to

Chain of Thorns: The Last Hours, Book 3

By Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Fierce friendships shine in mature Shadowhunter finale.

A blond-haired woman in a voluminous green gown dripping in light and pink flowers stares at a the ruin of a glowing gateway with a peaked roof

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 15+

Based on 1 parent review

age 15+
Parents should know that this book is the last in a trilogy and part of the larger Shadowhunters works by Cassandra Clare. It follows the series "Infernal Devices" and is about the main characters children. These heros and heroines fall in love (and lust), fight hideously terrifying demons, and navigate complex relationships and feelings about their identities. This book has significantly more sex than its 2 predecessors.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

This Shadowhunter series finale sticks to the best-selling formula: melodrama and sultry romance topped off with a world-saving demon battle royale. And because it's Edwardian London, toss in some gorgeous dresses and carriage rides and trips to historic places like Westminster Abbey and Cross Bones Graveyard. Unfortunately for fans of ye olde London, it's in pretty rough shape for much of the book because of one power-hungry demon -- Belial, aka James and Lucie's grandpa. It's only James, Lucie, Cordelia, and friends who decide not to abandon London when gramps comes calling; only they know about Belial's army, his nefarious plans, only they can figure out how to defeat him. And only they can travel to his depressing demon realm and come back alive. It's a blessed break from the usual infuriating Clave politics of the series -- the Clave that seems to exist only to impede and punish young Shadowhunters. Instead, when the worst goes down, James and friends get free reign to be fancy weapon-wielding, demon-fighting heroes together.

The young Shadowhunters are present for each other in other ways, too. Some truly thoughtful and touching scenes grapple with Matthew's alcoholism and how best to help him, and when Ari explains why she refuses to be anyone but herself, a woman who loves other women, all her friends rally around her. As usual, the main love story is full of complications, some of them that feel fabricated to keep the miserable couple apart just a little longer. But it does make their reunion all the sweeter. At 800 pages, Chain of Thorns is a long haul, but readers have plenty of demons, passionate kisses, and tender friendship moments to hold them to the end.

Book Details

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