Sword Catcher DEALS
The Sword Catcher is book 1 in the latest series, Chronicles of Castellane, by Cassandra Clare, best-selling author of The Shadowhunter Chronicles series, which was adapted for television.
Published in 2023, this novel was shortlisted for International Book of the Year at the 2024 TikTok Book Awards in the UK and Ireland. It was also a nominee for Reader’s Favorite Fantasy 2023 in the Goodreads Choice Awards. The Chronicles of Castellane is planned to be a trilogy, with books 1 and 2 out already, while the third and final book is in the works.
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Sword Catcher Summary
This high fantasy novel is set in the vibrant port city of Castellane. A ten-year-old boy named Kellian (Kel) Saren is selected from an orphanage and offered the chance of living in luxury at the royal palace, to be trained and educated alongside none other than the crown prince of Castellane, Conor Aurelian, heir to the throne.
I’m the Prince’s shield. I am his unbreakable armor. I bleed that he might not bleed. I suffer that he might never suffer. I die that he might live forever.
This offer does come with a string attached. Kel is to be the Sword Catcher for the prince, who is similar in appearance to him. The Sword Catcher must act as a body-double and pretend to be the prince at any occasion considered too dangerous for the prince to be at. Kel is given an enchanted necklace that would make people see him as the prince. Outside of the pretense, Kel is to pose as the prince’s cousin.
What it will do is make those who look at you, and already see a boy who resembles our Crown Prince in complexion and size, more inclined to regard you as Prince Conor. To hear his voice when you speak.
Lin seeks knowledge at the risk of being shunned by her community, while Kel would do anything to protect Conor, even if it means being punished as a traitor who is in league with a criminal. Will they succeed in their endeavors with corruption and conspiracies surrounding them?
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Strengths
There was a lot of intrigue in this novel. I liked how Kel, Lin, and the Ragpicker King all come from different worlds, so to speak, and the way their lives intersected. Besides these characters, there are other key players, each with their own secrets and desires, which makes the story complex yet interesting.
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This was a lengthy first book for a fantasy series, where generally it’s the final book that tends to be the lengthiest. The story has quite a lot of characters and layers of politics to describe alongside the usual high fantasy world-building, which, I think, is what makes it so long.
I don’t necessarily think it is a bad thing for a book in a series to be long, but some readers may get bored while waiting to get to the action.
Additionally, it was a little hard to keep up with all the different characters. This is probably something that translates better on-screen rather than in a book.
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Key Themes And Takeaways
If you’ve read or watched the Shadowhunter series, you’ll know that Cassandra Clare does not shy away from giving her audience an LGBTQ+ romance.
The Sword Catcher doesn’t have any major LGBTQ+ romances, but it still touches upon those themes, so that’s always a plus. There are themes of forbidden romances, particularly due to social status or class, which is also still relevant in modern society.
I liked that the Ashkar community was described as having certain misogynistic rules that specifically restricted women from certain things, even though it is a goddess they worship rather than a god.
It showed the hypocrisy of their society, which I think a lot of people can relate to in the real world when it comes to reconciling religious, cultural, or societal values and how people translate them for their own agenda. It’s always important to be able to have conversations about misogyny in society.
Verdict
Although it takes some time to really get into it, given how lengthy the novel is, this was a great first book in a new fantasy series by Cassandra Clare. I am intrigued enough to keep reading.
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The Review
Sword Catcher
Quick summary
PROS
- Political intrigue
- LGBTQ+
- Woman empowerment
CONS
- Too many characters
- Lengthy
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