“Love is not always a lightning bolt. Sometimes it is a creeping vine. It grows slowly until suddenly it is all that there is in the world.”

I don't even know where to begin. With the way everyone was talking about the ending, I expected something more? I kinda felt the ending was a let down because of it. I'm glad I didn't set my expectations too high for this book because while I enjoyed it, I wouldn't consider it her best book. Also the killer? That just felt anticlimactic to me, it felt so obvious on who it was going to be. At least make it interesting, please. Give me that plot twist.

Furthermore, I NEED MORE WESSA! Like I get that The Last Hours isn't about them but at least give me more scenes with them. They are babies.

The writing however, oh my god. Cassandra Clare definitely writes historical fantasy better than she does urban fantasy. The plot and the characters are just written a lot better. However, there were parts that kinda felt flat? Where was the friendships that were created? The Merry Thieves didn't have hardly any scenes together, at least in my opinion. Similarly with Cordelia and Lucie. Their friendship was on the sidelines throughout Chain of Iron. I'm just hoping that Cassandra will have more scenes between the friendships, instead of the characters mostly focusing on their relationships.

“To love one another is to come as close as we ever can to being angels ourselves.”

Okay firstly, does anyone else kinda like Grace? Especially after those flashback scenes, I feel sorry for her. I want her to interact more with the other characters, other than Lucie. I feel like she would grow on me more then. I love Alastair despite the lack of scenes with him in the book. It was so obvious that he never truly wanted to hurt the merry thieves, but rather did because he didn't want to be bullied anymore. That makes him human! We all make mistakes, and I love that Cassandra Clare showed that. Also I need more Anna. I can't properly form an opinion on her. She doesn't have that much scenes and when she does, it was centred around Ariadne. I think she has the potential to be an amazing character, just if she wasn't sidelined.

I definitely prefer Cordelia in this book. I felt like her only role in Chain of Gold was to love James and that was it but in Chain of Iron, she has developed into a strong character. She is fierce and strong-willed and will do anything to protect the ones she loves.

I love Lucie so much. She isn't afraid to speak her mind, she's sassy and confident and her interactions with Jesse is so cute. I just wish she had more scenes with people other than Grace and Jesse most of the times.

I have a love/hate relationship with James. I think he has to be my least favourite Herondale? I don't know. I think it doesn't help that he's spent most of this time concerning himself over Grace. I feel like we haven't gotten to his personality come through. I do feel sorry for him, but I need something more.

My precious smol bean, Matthew. Definitely my favourite character in The Last Hours. He is so loyal to his friends, despite the guilt that he feels. I wish that he would finally be able to tell his family and his friends what happened because my precious shouldn't hate himself. My heart hurts for him. He deserves so much more. I'm hoping that he is in Chain of Thorms more because I felt like he wasn't in this book as much and it's sad. I need to read more about Matthew Fairchild.

"Have you wished me gone?" he said teasingly.
"No. Only I wished myself gone, sometimes."

The scenes between Alastair and Thomas had me squealing and crying. JUST GIVE ME THE GAYS. These two own me, I swear. The way Alastair had followed Thomas, just to protect him, my heart. Why did Alastair have to ruin it? I need these two together! Also I kinda ship Grace and Christopher together? Like when Christopher was talking about his science things, she was actually interested and didn't want to use her mind control on him. I really hope that she doesn't end up using him.

And even though it will never happen, I still kinda ship James and Matthew though I ship them less than I did in Chain of Gold. Like that ending? Ugh! I'm sorry but these two are supposed to be parabatai and yet Matthew couldn't see that James loved Cordelia and vice versa? I was screaming for James to tell the truth to her after the gracelet had broken but nope. Also was Cordelia dumb in this scene? James literally said he liked her more than he ever liked Grace then the moment she sees them together, she runs off? BRUH. Why didn't she think that he could be acting or whatever. At least give the guy a minute to explain but nope. The whole love triangle between them just feel weak and was just thrown in there for no reason. JUST GIVE ME JAMES AND MATTHEW PLEASE.

“We are none of us perfect, and no one expects perfection. But when you have hurt people, you must allow them their anger. Otherwise it will only become another thing you have tried to take away.”