The Ragpicker King is the second installment in Cassandra Clare’s Chronicles of Castellane series. It’s certainly a worthy successor of the first book, Sword Catcher, which A Song of Ice And Fire author George R.R. Martin had described as “everything I look for in fantasy.”
Clare, better known as the author of the best-selling YA Shadowhunters books, has mastered the high fantasy genre with this new series. The worldbuilding expands even further in The Ragpicker King, we delve deeper into the magic system, and the stakes rise to new heights for all the characters.
If I had to sum the book in one single sentence, it would be something along the lines of: how far would you be willing to go, to protect those you love? The implicit answer the story gives is: beyond the limit. By the end of the book, all the characters will have to give up on something they hold dear.
SPOILER-free book review: The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare
The Ragpicker King picks up about three months after Sword Catcher ended. During this span of time, dark forces have been at work in the kingdom of Castellane, and crown prince Conor Aurelian has had to step up and rule in his ill father’s stead. Next to him, Kel Saren has been diligently but secretly investigating the tragedy that upended Conor’s political alliance at the end of the first book. While this does not directly fall within his sword catcher duties, Kel believes that finding the culprit is just another way to protect Conor. And so he gets embroiled in a network of lies, keeping his quest hidden from the prince as well as from the criminals he has allied himself with, all of whom answer to the Ragpicker King.
The book’s co-protagonist is Lin Caster, an exceptionally skilled Ashkari physician who has claimed to be the Goddess reborn in order to access knowledge and save her dying friend Mariam. In this book, Lin must face the consequences of her actions, the coexistent scorn and loyalty of her people, and a trial presided over by the Exilarch. Readers will see a different side of Lin, determined as ever but far more desperate, and at last sure of what she must do. Lin’s journey of self-discovery will culminate in the shift of all her priorities.
The master criminal who gives the book its name may not have as much page time as other characters, although his aura permeates every corner of Castellane. A steady presence that readers believe they have come to know well in Sword Catcher, it is only at the very end of the second book that they will truly understand what drives Andreyen, the Ragpicker King. There's a twist concerning him I did not seen coming.
Many other characters populate the story: King Markus; the Charter-holding nobles, among which Antonetta Alleyne, Artal Gremont, Joss Falconet stand out; foreign princess Anjelica of Kutani, who has come to Castellane to marry Conor; and Kel’s group of well-meaning criminal friends Ji-An, Merren Asper, and Jerrod Belmerci, among others. There's isn't a single one of characters who don't have something to hide.
Circumstances, ambition, and revenge are just some of the reasons why the main characters are keeping secrets from each other, even from their most beloved, and this will eventually take its toll. This time it is not only feelings that the protagonists are hiding, but crimes. In some cases, treason.
Readers get to delve deeper and deeper into the underworld of Castellane while also slowly learning more about foreign nations, their royals and their own schemes. Clare continues to build a complex world with intricate politics. Secret alliances form and plans are set in motion, some of which fail spectacularly while others succeed against all odds.
Nothing is left to chance in this novel, which feels more like a mystery than anything else, a fact for which I am glad, for once. There are no fewer than four secret identities revealed in this book, and I proudly unmasked three of them. The last I did not expect, which pleased me; it proves that Clare still has it in her to surprise even her long-time readers, despite some minuscule tells.
Romance is present in the right amount, but friendships reign supreme. While I am a fan of the main couples, my favorite interactions to read are always those between Kel and Conor. A tangle of emotions — love, duty, trust, guilt — always drive Kel’s actions. The dramatic irony is that, even as the sword catcher tries to gain some agency in going behind the prince’s back, everything he does he is still doing for Conor.
Verdict
Please savor this book, do not binge-read it. It may start out slow, but it will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Take it slow and take in all the details, where the devil hides… along with many clues. Face it with an open mind: you will never know when the time will come to unmask another antagonist, or uncover another conspiracy against the protagonists.
We don't yet know much about the third novel in the Chronicles of Castellane series, although we expect that an announcement about the book's title and release date will be made soon. I, for one, cannot wait, and we will be sure to cover the announcement here at Winter Is Coming. In the meantime, here you can find the chronology of Cassandra Clare's future books and all the info we have about them, including her final Shadowhunters trilogy, The Wicked Powers, and a duology set in a brand-new universe titled In Fire Foretold.
The Ragpicker King is an epic novel, one I will gladly be re-reading. The book comes out on March 4, 2025. We will publish a spoiler-y review soon after publication day.
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