If you’re into fantasy books, you might want to check out Sword Catcher, the upcoming new novel by best-selling author Cassandra Clare. You may have heard her name linked to the Shadowhunters TV show or The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones film, both based on her YA series of novels The Shadowhunter Chronicles, which have sold over 50 million copies worldwide in 35 languages.
Sword Catcher is a brand-new project unrelated to the Shadowhunter universe, and her first adult novel. It will be published on October 10 by Random House’s Del Rey division in the U.S., Tor UK in the UK, and Pan Macmillan in the Commonwealth. It’s perfect for fans of Game of Thrones, V.E. Schwab and Brandon Sanderson. The executive editor for Del Rey, Anne Groell, also happens to be George R.R. Martin’s editor on A Song of Ice And Fire.
What is Sword Catcher about?
Sword Catcher has all the ingredients of a great fantasy: intrigue, politics, a medieval setting, magic, and more. Here’s the official synopsis for the book:
"A dramatic epic of power, intrigue and magic. Here, a boy is born to rule a divided city. A girl is destined to return lost magic to the world. And a prince will betray his people to win a crown. They’ll discover the dark side of themselves and those they love, as their kingdom faces war, plague and the end of hope. But the blackest night comes before dawn."
There are three main characters: Kel, an orphan who becomes the Prince’s body double (or “sword catcher”); Lin, a physician magic-wielder; and Conor Aurelian, the prince. Sword Catcher is set 11 years after Kel becomes Conor’s sword catcher, when they are as close as brothers.
Cassandra Clare is especially good at writing complex dynamics between people who by rights shouldn’t be friends but against all odds are, and I’m very much looking forward to this aspect of the book.
Will Sword Catcher have a sequel?
Random House has signed a deal for two books, so we can assume that Sword Catcher will have a sequel. After Sword Catcher comes out this October, there will be another book titled The Ragpicker King, named after the (apparent) antagonist of the series. We can expect that book sometime in 2025.
Read a snippet from Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare:
Shocked, Kel could only stare as the new arrival made his way into the room. The dancers were still moving about, as were a few servants carrying bronze bowls of rosewater, apparently needed for the performance. In the gallery, the musicians tuned their instruments. No one had noticed the cloaked figure save Kel. He alone watched as the stranger — who was not at all a stranger — made his way to the shadow of an archway, and drew back the hood of his cloak.
Distance and shadows made little difference. Brown skin, tousled dark hair, smile like the curve of a scimitar. It was Conor, and he was obviously, life-alteringly, drunk.
Read the full synopsis for Sword Catcher:
In the vibrant city-state of Castellane, the richest of nobles and the most debauched of criminals have one thing in common: the constant search for wealth, power and the next hedonistic thrill.
Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword-Catcher – the body-double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He has been raised alongside the prince, trained in every aspect of combat and statecraft. He and Conor are close as brothers, but Kel knows he has one destiny: to die for Conor. No other future is possible.
Lin Caster is one of the Ashkar, a small community who still possess magical abilities. By law, they must live behind walls in the city, but Lin, a physician, ventures out to tend to the sick and dying of Castellane. Despite her skills, she cannot heal her best friend Mariam without access to forbidden knowledge.
After a failed assassination attempt brings Lin and Kel together, they are drawn into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King, the criminal ruler of Castellane’s underworld. He offers them each what they want most; but as they descend into his world of intrigue and shadow, they discover a conspiracy of corruption that reaches from the darkest gutters of Castellane to the highest tower of its palaces. As long-kept secrets begin to unravel, they must ask themselves: Is knowledge worth the price of betrayal? Can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will Lin and Kel’s discoveries plunge their nation into war – and the world into chaos?
As a fan of her previous novels, I can say that Clare is a master at world-building, and I can’t wait to read a book that feels so different to everything she’s done in the past. We know she’s great at writing period pieces, but she hasn’t yet done anything with a high fantasy tone. Sword Catcher has huge potential, and everything we’ve seen so far is highly promising.
Are you excited to delve into a new world? You can preorder Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare here.
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