Thank you, to the publisher for my ARC. I may retry this one in the future. This sequel unfortunately did not hold my interest and felt a bit drawn out I still liked the characters but lost interest at 20% .

She fooled me... but first things first: I love this book, and it was actually amazing and exciting and heartbreaking sometimes as well. So, long story short, it is an extraordinary book. But now I need to TALK about it. So here we go...I knew this book would be good, but this good? It still managed to surprise me. I already knew that with Swordcatcher she made something special, and thinking that this is her debut in new adult fantasy is quite mind-blowing. The story is so complex, but so are the characters. Her writing is so beautifully done, and I loved that we got to know more characters, and we had (in a rather unusual way) new points of view. Although during the book I felt like I needed a Connor POV, because, boy, he was everywhere and in the middle of everything, and I wanted to see his thoughts. But I thought maybe there's a reason why we didn't have his view on things, and Cassie confirmed that at the end of the book. What I admire about her writing the most is how she can always create such complex and human characters. They're not perfect, sometimes not even good, and they make mistakes, but that's what makes them so interesting and amazing. I could connect to all of those characters, I understood why they made their choices and there are very few writers who can actually make me feel this way. Cassie's characters are never shallow; they feel so real and, like I said before, human, to me. And I cannot wait to see what comes next for them. Ohh, also the plot twist and the cliffhanger? I ate it up! I did not see them coming, and I was in awe. Do we know anything about the next book? Because I kind of need it as soon as possible.

Cassandra Clare’s second foray into New Adult Fantasy continues to build the intricate world of Castellane, filled with political intrigue, secrets, and power struggles. The plot is engaging, packed with high stakes and well-executed twists that keep the tension alive. The multiple POVs are handled well, adding depth without becoming overwhelming.

However, where the book faltered for me was in character development and pacing. While Lin’s growth was satisfying to follow, Conor’s transformation mostly happens off-page, making it harder to connect with his journey. Kel, meanwhile, faces a brutal series of events that set him up for major development in the next book. The romance, though filled with Clare’s signature yearning, didn’t land as well as I’d hoped, and some of the explicit scenes felt unnecessary to the overall plot.

The book is undeniably long, and the pacing dragged in places, making it a slower read. I put it down multiple times before pushing through to the end. Despite that, I can tell the next book is setting up for something big, and I’m still curious to see where Lin, Conor, and Kel go from here.

Holy sh*t, this was good. What a rich story and world that has been created here. This was far more fast-paced and gripping than the first - I feel so involved with the characters at this point and more familiar will all the players on the board and the political elements of the book, which has certainly aided that level of immersion. Cassandra Clare has created such an exquisitely written book and it was such a joy to lose myself in it while I devoured it.
Without ruining anything for anyone - this book has one of the most heartbreaking scenes I've ever read and I'm going to need a HEA conclusion at the end of the series to be able to heal!

Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan for the ARC via NetGalley and for giving me the opportunity to share my honest thoughts on the book. I massively appreciate it, and this was such a treat!

Thank you to Pan Macmillian/Tor and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review!

This on is difficult for me to place. I've rounded it up to 4 stars here, but it's honestly somewhere in between 3.5 and 4. Mostly because I <i>liked</i> it but didn't love it, and I've spent a long time trying to figure it out.

Why?

The plot honestly was great. It's high stakes and extremely political, just like Sword Catcher was. I was genuinely hooked from page one to somewhere at the 47% mark. I lost a little interest around the midway point before it picked back up again at around the last 100 page stretch. But thing's get done and the plot twists are twisting. There are also many different POVs throughout that don't feel overwhelming at all, but help understand the situation around our main characters well.

Now... The characters. I only like three and that's predictable. I'm rooting for Lin, as she's the one who develops the most on page. Conor develops a lot off page, which I would've liked to actually read, but we get no POV chapters from him unfortunately. I think I'm most excited to see Kel's progression in the next book seeing as this book put him in through blender.

The romance is what made me disconnect from the story at around the halfway point. While there's been lots and lots of yearning, something that Cassandra Clare honestly does well, I do <i>not</i> at all care for most of the characters. The few explicit scenes there were, could've been replaced without affecting the plot or shock factor. And there should be trigger warnings for mention of r*pe and sexual harassment!

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

I need the next book. I need it. I know I’m writing this review before The Ragpicker King has even been released, but I just finished it, and I need more.

I reread Swordcatcher right before diving into this, which made it effortless to slip back into the world of Castellane and its sprawling cast of characters. There are a lot of perspectives in this book, (something that could have felt overwhelming in less capable hands,) but Cassandra Clare masterfully weaves them together into a rich, intricate tapestry of storytelling.

This isn’t the first time Cassie has completely broken me with her characters, and it won’t be the last. Kel and Conor’s friendship in this sequel has wrecked me. I can’t stand it. I need to scream about it with someone immediately. And Lin and Conor? Their romance has utterly consumed me. The angst, the longing, the pining—I love a “they can never be together” dynamic, and this one is delicious. Cassie, I need you to pull off something as perfect as Clockwork Princess in the next book. I’m begging.

No notes. This is easily one of the best things she’s written in years, and I’m so glad she’s expanding into this new world. I’d recommend this series to any fantasy lover. Just be prepared to feel things.

No one does acute emotional torment like Cassandra Clare does. Also, second book syndrome who?

The 600 pages of this book absolutely flew by and left me wanting more. Every page felt packed full of action and necessary to the plot so it didn't drag at all.

The main characters are so well fleshed out. They develop so naturally throughout the book in response to the political goings on in the book. Clare manages to interweave their storylines seamlessly. Certain reveals about certain characters were done really well.

I will say, I wasn't entirely sure of the function of the scattered pov chapters when the book is in third person anyways. It felt a little unnecessary. I spent far too much time while reading trying to figure out why they were included the way they were.

Clare really gets to stretch her political intrigue wings in this series. She feels really in her element with the politics of the world and all the secrets and plotting that comes along with that. The world building is as interesting as ever.

Thanks so much to the publisher and netgalley for this arc! Can't wait for book 3!!

The story is intriguing and I love the characters.

The love between Conor and Lin progressed beautifully, Kel is always a great friend and protector and Conor really comes into his own as a leader. I can tell the next book will lead these three characters into greatness.

Besides the three main characters I didn't really care for any others and I would say the book is too long and drawn out, I put this book down so many times and it took me ages to finish. I did finish it though.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. - arc & monthly book box pick reviewer

The Ragpicker King is EVERYTHING I wanted from Sword Catcher's sequel!! More action! More character dynamics! More magic! More suspense! More plot twists! More romance! And SPICE! The Ragpicker King confirms that Cassandra The Plotter Clare 🙌🙌🙌 (long may she reign) is a masterful storyteller crafting complex plot lines but also characters you love with all your heart.

I know many people thought that Sword Catcher was too long, and I agree a little. The Ragpicker King, though, is much more fast-paced, and things are happening all the time!! Yes, it's long, but you're gonna love it! Exceptional plot and amazing characters, as usual in Cassandra Clare's work.

Lin and Kel were awesome, as always! Lin was set on healing her friend, her regular patients, and any patient who needed her help. And with the plot plotting and our characters scheming, Lin definitely had more emergency patients to take care of! I love Lin so much. She never loses sight of who she is and what she wants to do. Her morals are unyielding. She is fast on her beliefs and how the world should be. She is our beacon of morality, and she truly shines like a goddess.

Kel, my Kel, I love him so much!! We don't deserve him. The Aurelians don't deserve him. Nobody deserves him. He is sooooo good. He is smart and quick on his feet. He is brave and constantly puts himself on the line for Connor's sake and for Castellane's sake. I love him so much, people!!! Kel is EVERYTHING!!!

Connor grew up a lot in this book. He finally takes some responsibility as a Prince and actually works a LOT. He suffers from trauma due to one tragic incident and from the situation with his father. For the first time, what he wants is the one thing he cannot get and absolutely cannot keep. It was interesting to see him go through it all and grow up. I am really looking forward to seeing him take action in the next book.

This world is so beautiful, so vivid, so absolutely marvellous that I can walk around Castellane for hours following Cassandra Clare's prose and ridiculously adorable characters. Another thing I love is that the author has made this a diverse world and employed sensitivity readers and people who actually invented the various languages used in the book. She didn't just throw in some words from foreign languages and called it diverse. She paid attention and showed care, and it freaking shows in everything.

I love this series a lot. Yes, it's long, but I love the characters so much. I will follow Lin and Kel to the end of the world and back. The Ragpicker King shows how book 2 can elevate book 1 and make it a million times better. This is how sequels and series should be, one volume better than the previous one without flailing.

Outstanding fantasy series with a mesmerizing world, THE TWISTIEST PLOT, and characters you will gladly lose a limb for.

I usually adore Cassandra Clare books. I love her Shadow Hunter world so much and own all the books (just waiting on the newer ones to be released), however, this being her second dip into New Adult Fantasy, I was hoping for more of the world and story to build.

Yes, we do get that, however,r we also get so many POVs in this book that it makes it hard to keep up with,
I feel that we miss out on seeing how Conner has changed and instead,d we just get told. again, I know this was to build the story with Lin and Kel, but I would have liked to have read/shown more instead of it happening off-page.

There are true diehard fans of Clare's work, that will most likely lap this up and scream for more. I am a diehard fan of her Shadow Hunter world, but not so much this one, which does make me sad.

If you're after a fantasy build world full of politics and adventure, with a side of romance, then this is for you.

4.5 stars

Many thanks to Pan Macmillan/Tor and NetGalley UK for letting me read an ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

"It is not the poison that kills, but the dose."

I read the first book, Sword Catcher, when it came out two years ago. I admit it that even though I liked it, I wasn't entirely sold. But I trusted Cassandra's writing, and I knew that she would deliver. Well, I am happy to say that this second book convinced me, and I want to know how the story continues. I got a bit attached to the characters too.

The story begins a few months after the events that shook Castellane - both on the hill and in the Sault. The main POV characters are once again Kel and Lin, who offer perspectives from both sides and whose stories intervene and in some ways, mirror each other. In between the chapters there are also shorter POVs from the perspective of other characters, known faces and new ones. I really enjoyed this switch because it let us see a new side to the story. It was like knowing a secret that the main POV characters Kel and Lin didn't know.

There was never a dull moment in this book, and it manages to keep you on your toes until the last page. The pace is what I would define as "balanced", because there was a good balance between plot twists and the general plot/subplots. I also enjoyed how the relationships between the characters (platonic and romantic) developed in this book.

I enjoyed the characters so much. Each character is recognizable and has their own voice, and I liked that we learned more about everyone but at the same time, there are still a lot of secrets to unveil. I was glad that some answers regarding some characters were answered in this book.

I will surely read book 3! There are still a lot of questions to answer and I think that the story just got it started.

This was an ok book. I don't think Cassandra Clare's writing is for me tbh, and I think that's why I don't gel with her writing.

I was very much looking forward to this sequel and I was not disappointed. It is not, as previously stated, a duology and there are more books to come in this series. The stories set up in book one continue at pace. Connor is struggling to be a better prince whilst everyone conspires against him and his father is overcome by a mystery illness. Kel is loyal to him but working with everyone behind his back to unpick the various threats to the throne. Lin is still trying to heal her friend and dealing with the aftermath of announcing she is the goddess reborn. There are many other characters who are all well drawn and who develop throughout the novel. By the end of the book you have a clearer idea of the danger facing Castellane and the paths each character must go down next. Whilst several of the tropes in the book are not new and you will have encountered them in other fantasy novels, that didn’t spoil this for me. I am very eager for the next episode so I hope the author is working on it as we speak! Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

A fantastic addition to the Chronicles of Castellane. Well paced, plotted and executed. The build up to the finale was fantastic as you begin to see the pieces click into place as our characters navigate the fallout of Swordcatchers finale. Can't wait for the next book in the series, it has a lot to live up to.

Big thanks to the publisher for an advance copy of this book!

I write you this review at half past midnight having just finished this book. What a joy it has been to spend the last 7 hours with the Castellene Crew and this novel. This is fantasy at its very best: fast paced plot, memorable characters, intriguing world building, simple yet complex magic system and so many swirling subplots and moments to love that tie it all together.

We rejoin Prince Conor and his Sword Catcher, Kel, 3 months after the end of SWORD CATCHER. Whilst I have just reread book 1 in prep for this, Clare reminds her readers of past events and character with an easy charm that fits her two silver-eyed protagonists very well. We are immediately back into the action, seeing the consequences of the conclusion of book 1 and from the first chapter new plots are discovered and begin to be explored.

I loved how each twist and turn in this book—although easy to figure out if you are specifically thinking about it—is entirely plausible and thus, incredibly satisfying. Even though each reveal was what I thought I felt so pleased that I had read the clues right, placed my suspicions on the right characters. Clare also keeps each of her plots threaded neatly throughout: when I found myself missing Antonetta she was there in the next scene. When I found myself wishing Lin and Conor would just Sort It Out, the next chapter would have them together Not Sorting It Out (yay yearning!).

Overall, this book is an action packed adventure showcasing the very best of what the fantasy genre can do. Clare is a seasoned professional, she writes such lovable characters that pull at your heart strings (a Kel and Conor moment had me placing down my reading device with glee!) and stay with you long after the book has ended. Superb, wonderful, excellent.

May Book 3 give blessed Kel Saren some Happiness!!!

Cassandra Clare does it again - this sequel was absolutely gripping from start to finish. The stakes are higher, the betrayals cut deeper, and the lush world of Castellane only grows more intoxicating. Kel’s journey as Prince Conor’s body double takes a darker turn, and watching him navigate the treacherous royal court while hunting for traitors kept me on edge. The Ragpicker King remains a fascinating, enigmatic figure, pulling strings in the criminal underworld with an elegance that makes the lines between hero and villain deliciously blurry.

What I loved most was the character-driven tension - every relationship felt like a high-stakes gamble, with secrets and shifting alliances that made it impossible to put the book down. Clare’s ability to build this intricate, morally grey world shines here, and by the final page, I was already desperate for more. If Sword Catcher pulled you in, The Ragpicker King will absolutely not let you go.

The Ragpicker King is the much awaited sequel to Sword Catcher and as such, it had a big job to do.
Sword Catcher left us with a lot to contend with, but in The Ragpicker King the author doesn’t keep us waiting — and instead the story gets going right away, and doesn’t stop until the very last page.

NGL, I struggled with Sword Catcher a little: I found the pace uneven, often weighted down by the flashbacks illustrating the lore necessary to one part of the story, or at least the story as it pertained mostly to one character.
The characters were what kept me going, and those characters are even more front and center in this book. They drive a plot rich in political intrigue and tension, and we feel every single decision they made, every single challenging moment: we are there with them every step of the way. This makes the story even more intense and gripping.

Something I really enjoyed was the way the commentary on societal pressure is subtly woven throughout: we see characters struggling in balancing what’s expected of them versus what feels right and what, in turn, would actually contribute to their happiness; we see them having to defy expectations in good ways and bad, and feel each of those challenges and decisions keenly, as if they were our own.

There are also new characters, and you’d expect them to stick out now that we already know our main cast, but they blend in seamlessly, fulfilling their role in the story perfectly.

The Ragpicker King shows us there is so much more to this series than we had thought, and even more of what we had already seen and liked: definitely more depth to the characters, but also more political intrigue, more yearning, more angst (in the best ways, not all of them romantic).

The only weakness in the book for me was in a couple of the big reveals, which didn’t strike the right note for some reason. One specifically, towards the very end, came across a bit as retcon rather than something that had been planned all along, and the reveal scene itself was a little anticlimactic.

But the book overall was such a satisfying read, compelling and well-paced, keeping me 100% engaged and committed until the last pace. I can’t wait to see where the story goes from here!

(I wouldn’t even be able to tell you who my favorite is anymore, I want to know about *everyone*.)

Cassandra Clare's writing is always such a comfort and after reading her books for years stepping back into her fictional worlds is always so easy! I was hooked from the start and was racing through this book.

The pace in The Ragpicker King is much quicker than the first book and starts fairly quickly after the events of Sword Catcher. I loved the scenes where Kel, Jin-An and Merren are working together and how well developed and distinct their personalities are and how well they bounce off each other. All the detailed and rich world building of Sword Catcher is expertly picked away to reveal another layer of political intrigue, class and status and the unusual magic system. I loved the multiple point of views of different characters which helped created a dynamic narrative of what was happened and the emotional stakes and motivations throughout the story.

I love the idea of Kel as Prince Conor's Sword Catcher and bodyguard and how he balances keeping Conor safe but also his work with the Ragpicker King. There are moments where he is seen straining with all these secrets which made him more human, especially as he isn't allowed a life that isn't Conor's shadow. I love his interactions with Antonetta and his conflicted feelings for her. Antonetta is really well written as this weak and often overlooked character and I loved learning more about her personality. Conor also grew on me a lot in this book and how he is both ruthless and extremely dedicated to looking after Castellane. I wasn't as invested in Conor and Lin's relationship as much as I was Kel and the Ragpicker King gang. I did find the political aspects a little slow in places to understand, but that being said everything threaded together at the end which made for a really unexpected plot twist.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series - this book has set the scene perfectly for what I expect the rest of the series to be jaw dropping!

The Ragpicker King picks up right where we left off in Sword Catcher and it was incredible. All of the political intrigue, mystery and romance from the first book was elevated in this one, and I couldn’t help but keep reading. If you’re a fan of excellent fantasy with romantic sub-plots and plot twists that will leave you shocked, this series is a must read!

I was once again shocked by the plot twists in this book and I could not believe how this one ended. I am anxiously waiting for book three already!

I finished this in one sitting. That’s how good it was. Cassandra Clare has been a go to author for me ever since I was 12 years old. The Shadowhunter series is one of my favourite series of all time. Sword Catcher is no different. Before sword catcher came out I had no idea what to expect between the characters, specifically Kel and Conor. I was taken by the brotherly between them and you see they continue progress this book. I love Kel and Conor so unbelievably much but the ending between the two pained me. After Lin’s ending in sword catcher she was the one I was most excited to read about and I was so pleasantly surprised by her story. But once again in true Cassandra Clare fashion, her ending pained me. The story progression between many other characters was incredible. We get to learn so much more about them and really delve into what they’re doing and what they’re not doing. We get to meet some new characters that added so many layers to this story. The ending destroyed me and the wait for book 3 may just kill me off. But the romance in this book. There aren’t singular words or even sentences to describe how good they were. I am SO excited to see what happens next. But overall 5/5 stars. This was an epic and the perfect sequel to the perfect book!!