In Edwardian London, a new generation of Shadowhunters faces a demon plague — and loves that defy every rule they were raised on.
- Score
- 80.8
- Spice
- 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️Sweet
- POV
- third
- Ending
- HEA / HFN
Tropes
Content warnings
Curated signals, not an exhaustive guarantee.
If you liked this, read
What readers think
Readers who love Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunter world consistently praise Chain of Gold for its richly rendered Edwardian London setting, its large and diverse ensemble cast (celebrated for strong LGBTQ+ representation in a historical context), and the slow, aching chemistry between Cordelia and James. The parabatai bonds and platonic relationships are widely considered just as compelling as the central romance. The most common criticism is a slow, exposition-heavy opening that can take several chapters to find its footing, and a villain whose reveal many readers found too telegraphed. Some find the sheer volume of characters and interconnected bloodlines overwhelming, particularly for those new to the Shadowhunter Chronicles. Reviewers consistently note that the book functions partly as a foundation-layer for the trilogy, with the most satisfying payoffs deferred to later volumes.
Read it if
- · Existing Shadowhunter fans, especially readers of The Infernal Devices, who want to revisit beloved family lines in a new era
- · Readers who love slow, emotionally agonising 'he loves someone else but I love him' setups that culminate in a marriage-of-convenience twist
- · Anyone who wants strong platonic and queer relationships given equal weight alongside the central romance
Skip it if
- · You haven't read The Infernal Devices — key emotional moments and villain context land much harder without that foundation
- · You want a self-contained story with a satisfying conclusion rather than a series-opener that deliberately withholds resolution
- · Slow, sprawling opening chapters with many introduced characters feel like a dealbreaker rather than a genre expectation
If you liked this
- · For fans of Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices — same world, children of beloved characters, similar emotional register and setting
- · For fans of Kerri Maniscalco's Stalking Jack the Ripper — Victorian/Edwardian historical fantasy with Gothic atmosphere and slow-burn romance
- · For fans of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows — large ensemble cast where platonic bonds carry as much weight as the romance
- · Like The Infernal Devices but in a brighter Edwardian key — more political intrigue, more diverse cast, lighter Gothic tone
Which dark romantasy heroine are you? Five choices in a forest that wants you dead.
Take the quiz →