I Loved It & Yet I Didn’t {3 Things I Loved & 3 Issues I Had} – Lady Midnight {Review}

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
Series: The Dark Artifices #1
Publisher: McElderry Books (2016)
Hardcover (668 pages)
Rating:
Also by this author: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass
Reading Challenges: Read 2016

Synopsis

In a kingdom by the sea…
In a secret world where half-angel warriors are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word.
A parabatai is your partner in battle. A parabatai is your best friend. Parabatai can be everything to each other—but they can never fall in love.
Emma Carstairs is a warrior, a Shadowhunter, and the best in her generation. She lives for battle. Shoulder to shoulder with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Los Angeles, where vampires party on the Sunset Strip, and faeries—the most powerful of supernatural creatures—teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters. When the bodies of humans and faeries turn up murdered in the same way Emma’s parents were when she was a child, an uneasy alliance is formed. This is Emma’s chance for revenge—and Julian’s chance to get back his brother Mark, who is being held prisoner by the faerie Courts. All Emma, Mark, and Julian have to do is solve the murders within two weeks…and before the murderer targets them.
Their search takes Emma from sea caves full of sorcery to a dark lottery where death is dispensed. And each clue she unravels uncovers more secrets. What has Julian been hiding from her all these years? Why does Shadowhunter Law forbid parabatai to fall in love? Who really killed her parents—and can she bear to know the truth?
The darkly magical world of Shadowhunters has captured the imaginations of millions of readers across the globe. Join the adventure in Lady Midnight, the long-awaited first volume of a new trilogy from Cassandra Clare.

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My Review

First, I liked Lady Midnight quite a bit more than The Mortal Instruments series (after the first book, at least).

Second, I would love to five this book a 5 star rating but I can’t. There were so many things I loved about this book, but I still can’t give it 5 stars.

There are three things I definitely adored about Lady Midnight.

1. Autism

We have Ty, the younger brother of Julian Blackthorn. While it is never said explicitly, Ty has autism. Ty is a wonderful portrayal of high-functioning autism. I work in a special education classroom and let me tell you, this was accurate! The way Julian interacts with his brother is also amazing. The following quotes illustrate what I mean.

“Ty said nothing. His hands were still fluttering in their repetitive movements. There had been a time when Ty’s father had tried to train him to immobility, had held his son’s hands tightly at his sides when he was upset and said, “Still, still.” It had panicked Ty into throwing up. Julian never did that. He just said everyone got butterflies when they were nervous; some people got them in their stomachs, and Ty showed them in his hands. Ty had been pleased by that. He loved moths, butterflies, bees – anything with wings.”

“Ty had taken one of his hand toys out of his pocket, a mass of intermingled pipe cleaners, and was untangling it. Ty had one of the fastest-working minds of anyone Emma knew, and it calmed him to have a way to use his hands to diffuse some of that quickness and intensity.”

“Everyone processed stress in a different way, Julian said. This was Ty’s, and it hurt nobody.”

2. Julian

I admire Julian’s dedication to his younger siblings. He would do anything for them. They, along with Emma, are his world. He has sacrificed quite a bit of his childhood to become the father figure the younger children need.

3. The Plot

The plot of Lady Midnight is great. There is action. There is reality. There are mentions and cameos of characters from the previous Shadowhunter novels. There are unexpected twists. In all, I love the plot.

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So, why can’t I give Lady Midnight 5 stars if I loved it so much? This then comes down to my moral issues with specific plot points.

**Disclaimer: These are moral issues that I have with the novel. I know my opinions are not the majority. They are just MY opinions. Feel free to skip this section, if you so choose.**

Moral Issues

1. Same-Sex “Marriage”

I am a devout Roman Catholic. This means I believe all the Roman Catholic Church teaches and holds to be true. This is where my moral issue with same-sex “marriage” comes from. For more information, please see the following links: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and American Catholic.

2. & 3. Contraception Rune & Pre-Marital Sex

These issues both have the same root as my first moral issue with Lady Midnight. Contraception takes away the openness to life and pre-marital sex is wrong. Please see the following links for more information: contraception and pre-marital sex.

** I know that these moral issues I have with the novel are not issues a majority of the population will agree with. In fact, all three issues are socially acceptable, at least 2 and 3 definitely are. I want to make it very clear that I am NOT attacking anyone. I am merely stating my own views and opinions. In short, feel free to disregard this portion of the review if you so choose.

Also, the morality of these issues will NOT be discussed in the comments. I reserve the right to delete all comments that attack my views in any way or demean ANY people. All people are created in the image of God, we are all God’s children and I will not put up with any personal attacks on anyone.**

What are your thoughts on the portrayal of autism in novels? Is it something you would like to see more of? Why or why not?