Sword Catcher (The Chronicles of Castellane #1)

As a consumer of Cassandra Clare’s famous series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices, I held pretty high expectations coming into The Chronicles of Castellane. I was most eager to discover a new world of fantasy, politics, camaraderie, and romance, filled with magic and mystery.

STORY

Narrated in third person point of view, the story unfolds quite slowly, the author taking her time to world build and provide background on our main characters, Linnet “Lin” Caster and Kellian “Kel” Saren. She provides the readers with detailed information as the story unfolds, but not so much that the reader may get lost along the way. There are many characters to encounter which, personally, took a while to remember. The plot starts to unfold towards the middle of the book, and the author executes it in a way where the characters have time to meet each other without feeling rushed or forced. In terms of politics, it’s quite easy to follow, wherein dialogue between the characters does not seem like nonsense and filler. The royal parties are lavish, but not overly done in a way that has you scrambling trying to imagine every single detail. Magic is quite evident as the story unfolds, partnered with its detailed history of how it came to be and why it may have come to and end. Overall, the first half of the story starts slow and picks up midway and towards the end.

CHARACTERS

The author describes in detail how our characters look, and their personalities shine through her writing. Kel is quite serious, clever, and a bit witty, but he also shows sides of himself that are quite confusing. Lin has something to prove to society and cares deeply for friends and family, unafraid to speak her mind and do her job as intended. Prince Conor is quite mischievous but secretive, bearing the weight of the crown and duty to his family and nation. Antonetta is severely underestimated and smart, trying to break through the shadow and expectations of her mother. Other characters come and go in the book, but I did not feel a deep attachment or connection with them (yet), and the supposed antagonists have yet to invoke any serious feelings of dislike or anger. I am hoping the sequel will allow its readers to forge a stronger and deeper connection with its characters.

RELATIONSHIPS

I would have appreciated if the author provided scenes of Kel and Conor growing up and facing trials together, to really solidify their brotherly relationship forged in camaraderie and duty. The romance is alive, albeit rather slow and steady. There are times that make you sigh in frustration or roll your eyes, but there are also moments where you find yourself smiling widely, giggling, or kicking your feet under the covers. There is still much to unveil as these characters start to come alive and find their places amongst the world and each other.