If you have been in the book community for a while like I do, especially in the YA fantasy side of it then you’re excited or at least a bit curious for Sword Catcher. Cassandra Clare is vastly known for the Shadowhunter Chronicles and hasn’t published any other book outside that universe, at least until now.

Sword Catcher her first adult fantasy novel, so it’s a bit different then what we have seen from her, but my main problem with this book (at least the sampler I got to read) is that it doesn't feel new and fresh when compared to others in the genre. It feels like it’s the kind of story that has been done before.

As much as the worldbuilding is well done, I could argue that it was a bit excessive at some points. It dragged the pacing of the story to the point where I felt like absolutely nothing was happening in the plot, which made me kind of bored at first. I wish the whole introduction was shorter since it wasn’t too memorable anyway.

The book was getting better by the time the sampler ended and the pacing had finally picked up, so I’m still intrigued and looking forward to reading the rest when it’s officially released. I don’t really think its going to become one of my favorites, but hopefully I’ll like it more and will be able to form a more well-rounded opinion.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an extended sampler of this book. This review is written based on reading the prologue and the first 5 chapters of this book which is approximately a quarter of the final published novel.

Sword Catcher is the first book I read by Cassandra Clare.

I have found the prologue of this book extremely interesting and catchy but, from the first chaprter after that, it didn't hook me much. I found it too slow and too set on world-building, but maybe this is a characteristic of this author's books that I should have expected. I find the magic system unique and cool but overall the story didn't hook me like the prologue did and for this reason, even if I liked the prologue, I didn't continue reading this book past chapter 5.

A huge thanks to Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for the sampler!

Cassandra Clare is the author of the Shadowhunter books, which are old firm favourites of mine. Her worldbuilding in those books were immense, so it’s obviously no surprise that her worldbuilding in her adult debut is just as good. She handles it carefully, giving the audience enough information without infodumping.

Clare’s characters are intriguing and well-written. She builds backstory and weaves the characters together perfectly. I absolutely adored our main cast of characters, and it was smart of Clare to show two vastly different POVs from two characters who live very different lives.

I DEVOURED this sampler very quickly and enjoyed reading it. This will definitely be a book I pick up. A must-read for people who like multi-pov political intrigue books with an underground criminal gang.

MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS

As someone that's been following Casandra Clare closely for more than a decade at this point, the expectations for this series were high. And instantly there were two controversies I wanted to address.

First of all, I refuse to hear from anyone ever the criticism that Cassie cannot do a proper worldbuilding, and that she's only ever capable of pushing the Shadowhunter universe but not create anything else from scratch. Her worldbuilding in Sword Catcher is intense, incredibly intricate and, perhaps, even excessive. I only had access to the first half of a book, and it felt like such a information-driven half that if felt more like studying for an exam rather than a fun reading experience. Not to say that I did not enjoy it, far from it, that first half has been consumed in just a few days, but considering the wait until the proper release day (and thus the chance to finally enjoy the second half) I fear that most of the information will be forgotten.

The second controversy is the similarity with V E Schwab's Shades of Magic series.. As luck would have it, I interrupted my read of this exact series to jump into Cassie's ARC and kept going immediately after, so I have them both quite fresh in my mind. The name Kel/Kell is sadly too uncommon in fiction not to have it raise a few questions, and the idea of such a character joining the royal family to become a brother/bodyguard to the crown prince felt like a bit of an unlucky situation. My main issue is the presence of forbidden stone in both first books that makes me question things further. However, apart from that, I'd say the characters and universes, intrigue and overall tone are completely separate. All in all, some inspiration or unlucky coincidences might've happened but I'd still consider Sword Catcher its own piece of work.

Regarding the characters, Kel is a lovely protagonist. Headstrong, realistic and selfless, especially when it came to Conor, he is incredibly likeable and easy to root for. I'm still unsure if I'm hoping for him and Antonetta to become a thing, but I know for a fact that I NEED to see a chapter in which him and Merren have some quality time together. Merren is a sweetheart, I adore him already, and their scenes together were my favourite parts of the ARC I was given access to. Regarding Antonetta, she is incredibly complex as a character, often unpredictable in her behaviour, due to the mask she is wearing, but that makes her interesting so far. To finish off, I do hope Conor and Lin will become a thing, their dynamic felt incredibly promising so far, even though I do not like Conor as a character just yet, while I adore her.

Those were my thoughts for now. I shall quietly growl at a wall until the books gets its proper release and I get to read the rest.

I'm a big Cassandra Clare fan but for some reason, I just can't seem to connect with either the characters or the story in this book. It saddens me that I can't give it a proper rating, however, so far the world-building is undeniably fantastic. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but it might just be that this story is not the right fit for me at the moment. Hopefully, when the book is officially released, I'll get a chance to read it in its entirety and form a more informed opinion.

Thank you Netgalley for the sampler of this book!

This story (sampler) was 300 pages of immersive plots and delightful world building. The dual pov created a fantastical way of creating likeable characters whilst maintaining the flow of the story.

The world, Cassandra Clare was able to create was so vivid with so much imagery that you, as the reader, could easily fall into the fantasy world.

It had me on the edge of my seat and I cant wait to read the rest of it.

This sampler left me wanting more!

I really hoped this was the full novel, but I can see why not. This is going to be popular, and I'm excited to finally get a book that is something not in the shadowhunter world! This was unique, with an iintroduction to some interesting characters. Seeing all the art and fanart for this book makes me want the full book NOW!\

I'm excited to read more!

What a great fantasy read. This author is amazing at every book she writes. They always hook you in and you don't want to put it down.

Thanks to NetGalley and TorBooks for letting me get a hold of this for an advanced review.

Sword Catcher is a dual POV novel, told from the perspective of Kel, the official "Sword Catcher" of the Crown Price, and Lin, a healer from the magic wielding community of the Ashkar.

The storyline was really very enjoyable, but I wouldn't say it's groundbreaking but as an *adult reader* of young adult. I need to emphasis this point that if I was reading this as a younger teen, this would have been *amazing*.

Clare creates just enough detail in her world building to immerse you in the story without overwhelming you with unnecessary details, the characters are likeable and easily relatable. I really enjoy the inclusion around Ashkar community and how people in the city of Castellane react to them - if reading with kids/young adults, this could be a wonderful opportunity to talk about discriminated groups both now and in history (eg, semitism through out the 30s-40s and the impact that had, or Trans people in the modern day).

The book definitely picked up pace towards the end, I'm looking forward to reading book 2

I've heard nothing but good things about this book, so when I saw this sampler on NetGalley, I knew I had to get my hands on it. I've never read anything by Cassandra Clare before, so I was really going in blind. From the get-go this book has me hooked - this was 300 pages of delicious fantasy & worldbuilding. There's no way I won't be picking up the entire book as soon as I can get my hands on it.

I have been a big fan of Cassandra Clare ever since I read The Mortal Instruments series as a teen, so of course having been given access to the ARC sample of Sword Catcher before it’s release is something i we’re thrilled about.

Clare immediately brings you into the world of Castellane with the use of her description and world building, its almost as if you are right there in the scene. It did take me a few chapters to get my head around it all, however once the story got going and I started to understand the characters I thoroughly enjoyed the sample.

I did find the book to move at a slower pace than I would have liked but towards the end, the POVS of the characters we have been getting to know throughout the book start to come together.

I cannot wait for the full release on the 10th October. I will definitely be continuing where I left off!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an extended sampler of this book. This review is written based on reading the prologue and the first 11 chapters of this book which is approximately half of the final publisher novel.

Sword Catcher is Cassie Clare's first foray outside of her expansive Shadowhunter world and I was really excited and intrigued to see what she could do when she flexed her creative muscles.

Whilst I do think that what I have read sets the board with an interesting set of characters and we are likely to see them having to face some moral dilemmas in the latter half of the book, this story did not feel revolutionary or fresh. The magic system is certainly interesting and I love that it is set in a queer-normative world where a gay monarch is not just a hypothetical but something that has happened in recent history but nothing about the world struck me as something that I hadn't seen before. This being said, a book doesn't have to re-invent the wheel to be enjoyable and I definitely enjoying reading. Based on what I have read, I will not be rushing to get my copy when this book releases but not for any real critique of the book, I simply have too many books on my shelves and, since this book isn't doing anything particular novel, I am not desperate to read it. This is not to say that I won't be reading the complete book, I just don't have that itching urge you get when you NEED to read a book, I dunno if that even makes sense!

As a fan of Cassandra Clare, I was pleased to have the opportunity to read this sampler of her new adult fantasy.

As with all of her books, she takes the time to introduce her characters and give us their backstory so we can understand them and their motivations better. She builds worlds so intricate and beautiful that you can easily imagine yourself there.

Based on what I’ve read so far, I’m eager to read the rest of the story to see how it plays out.

Great start and although the pacing may feel slow to some, I see this as her setting up the series. So glad I’ve got this one pre-ordered!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and excerpt of Sword Catcher in exchange for an honest review.

I think I’m one of the few people who have never read a Cassandra Clare book before. I have heard a lot about her other books but it’s not one I’ve thought about picking up.

After reading this excerpt which was actually half the book I can understand why people enjoying her writing. Ay nearly 600 pages I think this could potentially be too long however she created really interesting characters with multiple POV.

It gives a nicer version of Man in the Iron Mask vibes where Kel has gone from a young age to live and grow with the young prince. He is to be trained to be the Prince’s double in case there is an incident.

This was a good start thoufh I did find some parts too long and I only read half!

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Cassandra Clare and Netgalley for the ARC for Sword Catcher

I have long since been a fan of Cassandra Clare and have all her works on my bookshelves this being her first adult fantasy book I was enthralled from the start.
The book starts will Kel who is taken from his orphanage at the age of 10 years to become the sword catcher ( to double as the prince when trouble arises) for Prince Conor, the boys are brought up together and learn all aspects as life as a prince and they become as close as brothers. Kel knows at anytime that he could be killed to save the prince.
Lin Caster is Ashkar heritage and is a physician she is not taken seriously as she is a woman in mans world also being Ashkar is not helping. Her goal is to save her best friend Mariam who is sick but Lin is struggling to diagnose what is actually wrong.
An assassination attempt and a stone.... Omg this has darkness and light and an intriguing world I loved learning about the noble houses it was such phenomenal read I have pre ordered the book to finish the story and can't wait for the next book.

I have been so excited for this book for a long while now. I am a HUGE fan of Cassandra Clares Shadowhunter series and when I received the email telling me I had been approved to read a sample of Sword Catcher I could not stop smiling.

Sword Catcher had my attention immediately, the descriptive language used painted a strong image of Castellane and had me feeling like I was walking the cobbled streets and listening to the sounds of the waves. One of my favourite things about Cassandra Clares is the diversity and inclusivity that is always present in her books and this one is no different.

Due to it just being a sample I cant say much but it has definitely got me on the edge of my seat, waiting to receive my copy in October and devour it whole.

Story : 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Romance: 💓💓
Enjoyment level : ✨✨✨✨✨
Plot: ☀️☀️☀️☀️

This is my first time reading Advanced reader Copy and a sampler of a book by @cassieclare1 and it was definitely a very special moment for me. I have been a fan of Cassie for over 13 years and to have this treasure in my collection is simply incomparable to anything else!
This story engulfed me with the first 50 pages and I didn't leave the book until I finished it- I mean literally! Cassie has been doing this to me for years. Each of her books is better than her previous one, and this... Oh God! I'm so glad I read something completely different from Shadowhunters, but just as good! I have to admit, I was worried at first, but then I was just delighted! I read somewhere that at times the story resembles Six Of Crows and I'm definitely agree but it's even better! The characters and the world, became my favorite! Our main characters are Kel (the Prince's body double) selected as a child to act as the Sword Catcher to Prince Conor, bound by duty to put himself before Conor and a blade and
Lin, an Ashkari physician who had to work really hard to reach her position because she is a woman with another religion in a city that hates her because her heritage. Lin is desperate to save her friend Marian and you'll find out more about this ahead of the story. She is a great mc and I can't wait to see how Cassie will builds her in the next books, Kell is also amazing with great potential and I'm very excited for these two.
All these intrigues in the kingdom, the exciting magic system, some action scenes, the story told through the eyes of the main characters, the moments of the past, the formation of romantic relationships (which are not many, for now) and everything makes the book really great. I am very glad that Cassie has decided to create this extremely exciting adult read. We also have two other very interesting characters in the book and these are Antonetta and Connor. I have to admit, Antonet is my favorite! I can't wait to find out what will happen to her in the future!
The author has really built an amazing world with a lot of potential and I can't wait for it to be developed in the future.
Thank you NetGalley for the sampler.

I was given and partial ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I was a fan of Cassandra Clare's books a teenager (The Mortal Instruments) and was intrigued by her writing her first Adult fantasy book.
Authors changing demographics sometimes doesn't work out and can flop, however this definitely didn't.

With a slow beginning of this book of detailed world build and new characters to introduce to this new universe I was hesitant. The magic and lore behind it is interesting and developed. The idea that most magic was lost a long time ago except for a few small tricks isn't a new idea, but the way it is executed makes it seem like one.

”Truly, that is magic."
"It is medicine." She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Once, they were the same. No longer.

The alternating POVs was confusing to begin with but after getting to know the characters and how they link it flows well. Kel being brought from an orphanage to be a Sword Catcher for the Prince at the young age of 10. Lin being Askar and her race being judged on just what they are. Conor struggling with growing up in the palace and the duties he has to gain growing up.

There are shows of how being a women in the land have different expectations, not giving the Women doctor the same facilities access and showing the noble women turn from carefree fun loving women to one day having to be graceful and composed at all times. I'm interested on how this develops.

The further you read into this book the better it gets and I cannot wait to find out the ending, I will be pre-ordering this book soon.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. The pacing of it is a bit slow but still managed to have me hooked and unable to put it down. Excited to see where the plot goes as where the sample ended it felt like the characters and setting were still being established. Although it's a high fantasy book, I didn't feel confused by the world-building at any point. The characters are all likeable and distinct so it's easy to distinguish them. The book switches between the POVs of Lin and Ken and usually when there's more than one POV in book I prefer one more, but here I was equally excited to read both. The only worry I have is that the ending may end up feeling rushed as the sample was more than half the book and the climax still hadn't been reached but so far it was very good.

(was given a sample of chapters 1-11)

I didn't realise this was a sampler of the first 11 chapters of the book, but now I do it makes a lot of things clearer. The sample had a lot of world building and was very descriptive about the settings, aspects of the world and of each and every character we came across (apart from the ragpicker king which is a shame because he is very intriguing). My only concern is that very little plot actually happens, I became concerned when I got to about 75-80% of the book and the 2 MC's hadn't even met each other yet. Now I know this is only a portion of the book this makes a lot more sense and I am looking forward to reading the rest of this when it is released.