Queen of Air and Darkness (Clare novel)

Queen of Air and Darkness is the third and final book in The Dark Artifices trilogy by Cassandra Clare, which is the fourth chronological series in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. This series follows the characters of the LA Institute in 2012 and features characters from all of the previous series. The chapter titles all come from the poem City in the Sea by Edgar Allan Poe.[1]

Queen of Air and Darkness (The Dark Artifices #3)

First edition
Author	Cassandra Clare
Cover artist	Cliff Nielsen
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	The Dark Artifices
Genre	Fantasy
Publisher	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date	December 4, 2018
Media type	Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook
Pages	912
ISBN	9781471116704
Preceded by	Lord of Shadows

Plot

Moments after the ending of Lord of Shadows, Livia Blackthorn and Robert Lightwood lie dead in the Council Hall. Emma attempts to reach Julian, who is still crouched beside his sister, but Consul Penhallow orders her to hand over Cortana before she can join Julian, due to it shattering the Mortal Sword. With little hesitation, Emma relinquishes her weapon and heads over to Julian. The Silent Brothers come to take the bodies away, but Julian refuses to leave Livvy, so they allow him to carry her to the Silent City.

With the absence of Julian, the Blackthorns look to Emma and Diana for comfort, rejecting Helen due to her long absence. Everyone worries for Ty, who passed out the moment Livvy was stabbed, and has been placed in a medicated sleep. Mark and Helen go to the Inquisitor's house to retrieve Tavvy from the Lightwoods. Inside, Isabelle and Alec cry in each other's arms over the loss of their father; Simon sympathizes with Mark and Helen, offering them a blessing as they struggle to explain Livvy's death to Tavvy.

Julian returns from the Silent City, immediately seeking Ty. He is hesitant to leave Ty, even asleep, but Emma reminds him that he is still covered in Livvy's blood, and that it would likely make things worse for Ty. Julian reluctantly agrees, and heads off with Emma to shower. Cristina sneaks into the Gard and overhears a meeting of the Cohort led by Horace Dearborn. She recognizes many individuals that were friends of her mother, and begins to question if people she knows are secretly Cohort supporters and hate Downworlders. Horace takes advantage of the fear from the events of the Council meeting, and though he pretends to sympathize with the Blackthorns, he still blames them for Annabel's actions. Horace convinces the gathering that the solution to the Unseelie King's attacks is to create a Downworlder registry before ultimately imprisoning them on Wrangel Island. With these promises, his followers decide he should be the next inquisitor, and chant his name as Cristina scrambles away.

Julian and Emma shower together, but Julian resists her attempts to comfort him, and instead runs off to see Magnus. He tells Magnus he has felt the parabatai curse begin to affect his rune, and asks for help to manage his emotions. Magnus offers him a stopgap, and Julian accepts it. It blocks all romantic feelings, though since love is not strictly a single emotion, it not only interferes with his emotions for Emma, but his emotion for his family as well.

Emma is aware that something is off about Julain, but decides it must be his grieving for Livvy, who was like a daughter to him. At the funeral for Robert and Livvy, Emma sees Simon and attempts to tell him what Clary disclosed to her before she left for Faerie, but Jia begins to speak, before Horace Dearborn, as the new inquisitor, speaks. He uses the opportunity to again plant the fear of Faeries and Downworlders, but is interrupted by Ty climbing Livvy's funeral Pyre. Julian climbs up after him, but not before Ty takes Livvy's necklace. They climb down, and the bodies are burned.

Jem Carstairs arrives to speak with Emma, and tells her of the Warlock illness. He explains that Tessa is not as heavily impacted due to her Shadowhunter blood, but he is still afraid because she is pregnant. He asks her to look into the ley lines when she returns to Los Angeles, and reveals that Kit's family line contains Faerie blood; a line that the Unseelie court has hunted and killed for generations. This puts Kit in danger, because if he is recognized, the Unseelie Court will hunt him as well, but presently they are unaware his line still exists. Jem then gives her a glass ring that when shattered will alert Tessa, telling her to break it if she sees any sign the Unseelie King may have realized who Kit is, and that he will come immediately.

Kit confronts Ty about not grieving for Livvy, and Ty admits that he has not accepted her death and plans instead to bring her back using photos Julian took of the Black Volume of The Dead. He reveals this as the reason he took the necklace from her corpse. Kit worries that this is unsafe, but Ty warns him he will raise Livvy with or without his help, though he would prefer it. Ultimately, Kit decides to help because Ty tells him he needs him.

At the Scholomance, Diego Rocio Rosales hides Kieran. Since it is deserted, there is not much hiding needed, but Kieran gets a note from Cristina, and Diego starts to realize that Kieran cares about her as well, not just Mark. Back in Idris, Jia calls Diana, Emma, and Julian into her office. She warns that Inquisitor Dearborn plans to interrogate all Downworlders, including Helen and Mark. She suggests that Emma and Julian stay to be interrogated about the destruction of the Mortal Sword so that the remainder of the Blackthorns can return home, with Aline Penhallow and Helen temporarily running the institute. Julian and Emma agree to this, believing that after the interrogation, they will also be allowed to return home.

The Blackthorns are upset about Julian and Emma staying behind, even with the news that Helen will be returning with them. Emma asks Cristina to look into the ley line and communicate with Catarina Loss as Jem instructed, as she is unsure when she will return. Emma decides to confront Julian about his coldness toward his family and toward her, and he reveals the spell Magnus put on him to restrain his emotions. He claims he feels nothing for her anymore, and she is angry he did not tell her any of this before she agreed to stay with him. She runs off, though he calls after her.

Back at the Scholomance, the Cohort members return, led by Zara Dearborn. Diego moves to hide Kieran, and manages to face her without getting caught. In Idris, Inquisitor Dearborn begins his interrogation with Emma and Julian, making plain he knows of their illegal relationship due to Robert's notes. He gives them the mission of going to Faerie, killing Annabel, and retrieving the Black Volume of the Dead. Emma demands Cortana be returned to her, though Dearborn refuses on the claim that it is still being investigated on how it shattered the mortal sword.

Kit and Ty seek out the warlock Hypatia Vex, though instead find Shade, who helped them previously with looking at the memories of Annabel. He agrees to help, despite warning Ty against it, because he believes they'll just find a more risky warlock. He tells them, however, the spell requires the ingredients to be gathered by the caster, so they must fix their dispute with the Shadow Market.

Emma and Julian return to their temporary house, finding it heavily guarded. Simon and Isabelle sit inside, revealing that Clary and Jace have not yet returned, and that they were sent to Faerie because their extra angel blood allows them to use runes even in blighted areas. Julian tells them that he and Emma will look for them while they are in Faerie, though Emma believes he's just attempting to manipulate them, and that he's lying. Isabelle gives Emma an iron bracelet, and Simon gives Julian an iron figurine in the case they must fight faeries.

At the Scholomance, Kieran is discovered and taken to The Place of Reflection, where all the horrors one committed against someone else come back to haunt. Diego finds Kieran in the water, gagging on his blood. He tries to pull him out, which results in a Cohort follower trying to keep him in and ultimately falling in; she shrieks such terror that it frightens all of them, even Zara.

Cristina hears from Catarina Loss, who also seems to be suffering from the Warlock illness, as her projection falters and eventually breaks off, though not before she suggests Cristina check increased demon activity at ley lines. In the Scholomance, Professor Gladstone locks Diego and Kieran in the library, and he reveals the suicide mission Emma and Julian have been sent on. Despite Diego's attempts to break free, it is no use. He resorts to asking Kieran to use his powers as a prince of Faerie, and Kieran summons his steed, Windspear. He reaches his hand to take Diego as the Cohort breaks in, but Diego insists on staying to fend them off. Kieran leaves, and Diego is captured.

In Faerie, Emma tells Julian she has heard someone following them, and they climb the trees as Dane passes by. He speaks to himself about offensive matters concerning Emma and the Blackthorns. He makes a vulgar comment about Dru's body, and Emma knocks him down. In his vulnerable position, he screams out information, and Julian puts the pieces together that he was sent to kill them after they retrieved the volume, and that Dearborn never intended for them to return. Emma is unsure what to do with Dane-but he makes a comment about Livvy's death making things better, and Julian kills him. Emma stares in disbelief, and finds herself in more astonishment as two Faeries of the Seelie Court, including Mark and Helen's aunt Nene, confront them about approaching the Seelie Court. Emma realizes that Julian lied, and that they were never headed toward the Unseelie Court like he said. She feels more betrayed than ever, as even though Julian has lied to her on occasion, it has never been a direct lie against her.

In the court, Julian gives the queen a complete copy of the Black Volume of the Dead, printed from pictures he took with his phone. He insists that for the copy, she tell them where Annabel is. She promises that if the copy is verified as true, that she will reveal the location of Annabel; though she says it will be an unspecified amount of time until then, worrying Emma. The queen declares that as an act of good faith, she will reveal what she earlier promised in exchange for the volume: how to break the parabatai bond. But she will only tell Julian, resulting in Emma being escorted from the room.

Ty and Kit attempt to square things out with the Shadow Market by negotiating with Barnabas Hale, the warlock owner. But he refuses to accept Kit now that he has been claimed by Shadowhunters. Kit feels ashamed, because he intended to use his persuasion to impress Ty, but instead let him down. Back in Idirs, Inquisitor Dearborn has a meeting about starting the Downworlder registry, in which a Shadowhunter could stop any Downworlder and ask for their number and papers-Diana speaks against this, asking for the opinion of the Consul. Jia speaks against the Downworlder registry, and with her influence, is able to postpone the vote on the matter.

In Los Angeles, Mark and Cristina drive out to check the ley lines, and discover a group of Harpyia demons cluttered around blighted area. They are heavily outnumbered, and Cristina is snatched into the air, but Kieran arrives on Windspear and gets them both safely back to the institute. Kieran is still injured from the incident at the Scholomance, but is able to pass on the message about Emma and Julian in danger in Faerie. Cristina decides to go, using a Rosales gift from Faerie that will allow her to travel in and out undetected. Mark and Kieran refuse to let her go alone, and elect to go with her.

The Queen reveals that it is now impossible to break the parabatai bond, as to break it requires the Mortal Sword cutting through the original rune designed by Jonathon Shadowhunter, which remains in the Silent City. Emma and Julian reunite shortly, and again Emma is frustrated with Julian's emotional block, as he lies without guilt, and pretends to apologize in order to calm her. They are interrupted by Nene, who warns that the Queen intends to take the copy of the volume to the Unseelie King in order to regain her son, Ash. Nene suggests they cloak themselves and join the procession, disguised as her and Fergus. They follow the queen, planning to intercept her before she reaches the Unseelie Court.

Jaime Rosales arrives at the Los Angeles institute to deliver the Rosales artifact. There is a short dispute over the fact that he spent time in Dru's room when he was there previously, but it is resolved quickly, and Cristina, Kieran and Mark use the Eternidad to travel to Bram's Crossroads in Faerie.

In Idris, Horace calls another meeting, this time while Jia is away in order to block her influence. Diana attempts to speak up but fails as the incident at Scholomance is blamed on Kieran, and Diego is dragged out with a rune of Quietude so he may not correct any of the misinformation. After seeing what happened to both Dane and Samantha Larkspear, the Shadowhunters in the meeting agree to the Downworlder registry.

Mark, Kieran and Cristina arrive in Faerie and pass one of Prince Oban's revels. For this reason they are more cautious, as Kieran is a traitor to his father. The King of Cats hesitantly agrees to lead them, but not before Mark drinks what he believes to be fruit juice and falls asleep, forcing Kieran and Cristina to carry him together. Emma and Julian realize that all the faeries in the Queen's revel are being closely inspected, and fall back from the line, heading toward the wall of thorns that protects the Unseelie King's tower. Emma attempts to cut through the thorns, as they are steely and long as swords, but without Cortana, they grow back impenetrable. They begin to grow longer, and start to cut into her, but Durendal, the twin blade of Cortana, appears in her hand. She cuts her way free and finishes the path to the tower before Durendal disappears.

Aline and Helen receive notice for the Downworlder registry, requiring them to assign a number to all Downworlders in the L.A. area. They speak with a projection of Jia, who begs them to follow Dearborn's orders so that they won't be sent away again. Aline refuses to participate in the registration, but Helen suggests they give the Downworlders fake names, such as "Elvis Presley" and "Taylor Swift" so the identification will not work. The Downworlders are confused at first, but ultimately understand and follow their lead.

Kieran elects to summon Windspear again, as they came too late to catch up with Emma and Julian. Cristina refuses to allow him to risk himself, and they end up kissing. Mark wakes up, and Manuel, joining forces with Prince Oban, seizes them. Mark and Kieran beg Cristina to escape, and she uses the Eternidad to teleport to Prince Adaon. Though reluctant at first, he agrees to help Cristina free Mark and Kieran, believing that they will be imprisoned in the dungeons.

Kit and Ty decide to use Dru for their con to re-enter the Shadow Market. She pretends to be Vanessa Ashdown, and meets with Barnabas Hale. He believes she is revealing secrets about Hypatia Vex, but she throws money on the table, and as he inspects it, Hypatia bursts in with several of Baranbas's supporters, all who view him as traitorous for negotiating with Shadowhunters. He is taken away, putting Hypatia in charge, and allowing Kit and Ty entry once more to the Shadow Market.

In the Unseelie throne room, Emma and Julian see the King holding the copy of the Black Volume. Ash and Annabel enter the room, and Emma holds Julian back, as he tries to get revenge for Livvy. They discover that the Seelie Queen's son, Ash Morgenstern, is being used as a weapon with the Black Volume to replace the First Heir. The Unseelie King plans to unite the two kingdoms through Ash, using dark magic so that he is loved and protected by all who see him, but ultimately to erase Shadowhunters entirely. Even Emma feels an impulse to protect him at all costs. Annabel refuses to let anyone take Ash away, particularly his mother, and the Unseelie King cannot harm her so long as she knows his true name. They follow Ash to his room, and though Emma senses trouble, Julian ignores her, and they head in to kidnap him. Emma cannot resist the urge to protect him, and wakes him up. He calls the guards, and Julian and Emma are escorted to the dungeons, where they find Jace and Clary.

Jia and Diana meet, and at last Diana finds out where Emma and Julian really are. She demands Gwyn take her to find them, but they are confronted by Zara and a segment of the Cohort, attempting to arrest them for associating with Faeries. Gwyn fights to protect them, but Diana knows he will kill them all or they will hurt him, so she asks him to leave and search for Emma and Julian. She and Jia are arrested and taken to the Gard. Horace speaks to Diana alone, offering her freedom in exchange for vocalizing her support for him. She pretends to agree, and when he is blinded with smugness, seizes his sword and swipes at him, taking off his arm, though he survives. She climbs out of the window and to the roof and Gwyn whisks her away on Orion.

Cristina and Adaon reach the dungeons and release Emma, Julian, Jace, and Clary, and Adaon realizes that Oban must have taken Mark and Kieran straight to his father. They head up toward him, under the pretense of being prisoners of Adaon. When they reach the throne room, the King has Ash brought out so that he can execute Kieran. Annabel fights the guards as they pull him, claiming he is too young. She freezes in terror and goes into shock at the sight of Julian and Mark; apologizing and claiming she did not mean to kill Livvy. Jace has to hold Julian back, and Mark struggles against his manacles. In her shock, she loses Ash, and the King orders him to slit Kieran's throat. Before he is able, the Seelie Queen bursts in a fit of rage, and faces the King. She reveals the history of the First Heir; that he killed their daughter because he believed she was too weak. The King shows them Thule because he believes Ash will be able to rid their reality of Shadowhunters as Thule has of its Shadowhunters. Clary recognizes her dead body among the heap of corpses, and points it out to Emma. Annabel seizes Ash, and flees to Thule, and the Queen attacks the King. Adaon gives the Shadowhunters weapons, and they attack the guards. They manage to hold them off until Adaon is held with a blade to his throat and the King orders to kill him; Kieran flings his elf-bolt at his father and kills him. The Queen kidnaps Adaon, and Emma, weaponless, is barely saved from a fatal blow by Julian. All the Shadowhunters attempt to reach Cristina, but Emma realizes that she and Julian will not make it and calls for her to leave without them. Emma and Julian jump through the portal into Thule. Manuel comes across the destroyed throne room, and finds Clary's ring. He assumes she and Jace went through the portal, and are as good as dead.

Immediately, Julian feels his emotions come back, and struggles with them. They discover Thule is a world where Clary was killed by Lillith, and that Sebastian reigns with the Endarkened. Warlocks have all died out from the illness, and Shadowhunters no longer exist, as runes have faded; mundanes are either sworn to Sebastian and protected by him, or killed by demons. They watch as this version of Jace, still bound to Sebastian, slays Maryse. Ash, several years older, appears only five years younger than his father. Julian and Emma are found by Cameron Ashdown and Livia Blackthorn, still alive. In Thule, Livvy is a renowned organizer of the rebellion. Julian tries to get her to trust him, but she refuses to believe it is him, though she accepts they are not Endarkened as they still have runes, and takes them to the rebel base instead.

In their room, Julian has a hard time dealing with his regained feelings for Emma, and tells her that his emotions are back. She's angry at him, but forgives him, and cuddles beside him to watch him draw. Livvy sees his drawings and at last believes that he's her brother. She trusts him enough to reveal what happened to their family-the Thule versions of Emma and Julian sacrificed themselves to protect the other Blackthorns, leading to them getting Endarkened. A demon snatched Tavvy from her, and Ty attacked, but was killed. Livvy then started the rebellion in Los Angeles, but one day, Dru didn't return. Along with explaining the fates of the Blackthorns, she reveals that the blight is actually a doorway for demons, and that it transforms the warlocks into demons, explaining the warlock illness. They discovered the cure to the illness was water from Lake Lyn, but Sebastian blockaded it until all the warlocks died out. Lastly, she reveals that the Silent Brothers closed off the Silent City with the Mortal Cup and Sword in the hopes that Sebastian would not reach them.

Because Sebastian desperately wants the Mortal Instruments to control the remaining Shadowhunters, Emma suggests they open the Silent City by contacting Tessa Gray, take the instruments, and escape back to their dimension. Emma breaks her ring, and they receive a message in fire, "Follow Church." Only Emma and Julian understand, and along with Diana, head to the beach, where Church leads them to Tessa. Tessa has survived only because of her Shadowhunter blood, but she seems deadened because in this world, Jem has died protecting the Silent City. For this reason, she agrees to help Emma and Julian break in so long as they promise to kill Sebastian with the Mortal Sword. They agree, but on their way out, a demon messenger tells them Sebastian has summoned them.

They go to Sebastian's base, pretending to be their Endarkened selves. He asks to them to get rid of Livvy and her rebellion. Julian has no problem lying, though he falters slightly when he sees Annabel come in. She does not reveal who they are, but Emma and Julian suspect she knows. When they are excused, she greets them, offering to use the Black Volume to create a portal back to their world—so long as they take Ash with them. She claims Sebastian is dying, and in not much time, he will use Ash's life force to propel his own.

When they arrive back at the rebel base, they explain the events to Livvy, who asks the others to be excused so she can speak to Julian alone. Julian asks her to come with them when they return, and she comes to the conclusion that she must be dead in their reality, but does not decide to stay or go. With little time to act, they assemble teams and head to the Silent City the following day, with Maia, Bat, Raphael, Cameron, Diana, and Livvy.

When they reach the city, Tessa opens the doors, and Cameron, runs in with Emma and Julian. They grab the cup and the sword, but as they exit, find Livvy held in the air by the Endarkened Julian, with Sebastian beside them. Julian throws a knife and kills the Endarkened version of himself, creating an entire battle. Tessa works to close the city, and burns herself away. Emma fights Sebastian with the Mortal Sword, and is nearly killed, but Ash attacks his father before flying into the air with dark angel wings. While Sebastian is distracted, Emma stabs him with the sword, killing him.

Annabel seizes Ash and drags him toward the portal back to their reality, but Ash won't leave Thule Jace. Emma gives the Mortal Sword to Julian, and he kills Annabel the same way she killed Livvy. He calls to Livvy to join them, but she believes they have given Thule a chance, and decides to stay. She gives Emma a letter to Ty before they jump through the portal.

Back in their reality, they appear only a few seconds after Cristina, Mark, Kieran, Jace, and Clary, but Julian and Emma take a few days to recover. When they wake up, they explain what happened in Thule, revealing the cure for the blight to others. They plan for Clary and Jace to head out the next morning and get water from Lake Lyn. Julian tells Emma the spell is back in place on his emotions, upsetting both of them, and though he wants to ask Magnus to take it off, his weakened state makes it impossible.

An announcement is made by the Clave that Jace and Clary are dead, shocking everyone. Julian deciphers that Horace would not make such an announcement if he did not believe it was true, and they decide to use this information to their advantage. Warlocks are still in awful shape, so they cannot waste time getting the water, so Kieran summons the Wild Hunt. As the killer of his father, he has a claim to the throne, and Hunters obey his wishes, and fly to Idris to gather water from Lake Lyn, since they never touch the ground and therefore will not set off any alarms. They return the following day, and Alec immediately takes some to Magnus. The other Hunters fly off, with Gwyn telling Kieran they would prefer him as king instead of his brother, Oban. The lake water works, the blight is stopped, and the warlocks begin to heal.

With Magnus restored, Julian and Emma ask to have the stopgap removed. With exile off the table while the Cohort is in charge, Magnus will only remove it if one of them swears to get the marks removed, should the curse proceed. Emma, desperate to have Julian back, agrees. As soon as his emotions return Julian is able to think clearly. Cristina, Mark, and Kieran meanwhile discover that they all love each other, and that they believe choosing is not right when the love is mutual. Cristina struggles with this, as does Kieran, so they remain unsure of their relationship. Dru catches Ty and Kit heading out to Shade. She believes they are trying to summon Livvy's ghost, so when Shade refuses to help and Ty breaks down, she assumes it's just the ghost Ty mourns. Instead, because Shade refused to provide a catalyst, Ty plans to seek one out on his own.

Zara comes to the institute with Cortana, claiming the weapon as her own now, even using it improperly. She threatens Emma about not coming to Idris the following day-and if she doesn't the Blackthorn will be considered deserters. Emma attacks her, easily overpowering her-but notices her parabatai rune glowing, and falls back, warning Zara to leave. The next morning, she heads into the kitchen to find Julian cooking for everyone. He reveals that he's called every Downworlder and Shadowhunter he knows of to a meeting. Jace warns that they cannot be sure who is actually aligned with the Cohort, but it is actually Julian's plan for information to be leaked to the Cohort.

The meeting consists of many Downworlders from across the world, along with quite a few Shadowhunters. Julian explains his plan to confront Horace about his lies during the planned projection Horace has for the following day. Many of the Shadowhunters ask why they should turn against the Cohort since there is no proof of their lies, but Jace and Clary come out, and these concerns are silenced. Julian hopes it will only be a discussion, but warns that there will be fighting if there must be. He calls the resistance "Livia's Watch."

After the meeting disbands, Julian calls in the individuals he is certain he can trust for the real meeting. The following day, they travel into Brocelind forest. Dru, Tavvy, Max, and Rafe all remain in Alicante, where they will be safer if a battle breaks out. Dru is upset about this, believing she is old enough to make a difference. That night, Emma and Cristina discuss Cristina's current status with Kieran and Mark. Cristina reveals she is unsure how her friends and family would react to the news of her polyamorous relationship. Emma tells her that she will be loved no matter what, and Cristina seeks the two of them out, and they decide to be together.

That evening, Dru leaves the house in Alicante and heads to the Gard. She picks the locks like Kit taught her, and breaks out Diego, Jaime, and Jia. At the same time, Ty and Kit head to Lake Lyn to perform the resurrection of Livvy. Kit is terrified for Ty, even more worried considering he found a catalyst of his own and now can perform the spell. Ty is nearly finished chanting when Kit begs him to stop, telling him that he loves him, that there are many people who love him and will help him move on after Livvy. Ty won't stop, and pushes Kit down to keep him from stopping the spell. Livvy appears as a ghost, upset that Ty has called her from rest, and warning him that there will be terrible repercussions. Ty asks why she is only a ghost, and she tells him the catalyst he used was tainted, which halted the ritual from being completed properly. Ty is heartbroken, and Kit is hurt from Ty's lack of response from his confession.

The same evening, Emma sneaks out with the Mortal Sword and heads to the Silent City. She locates the parabatai rune, and nearly severs it when Julian calls her. She tells him to leave; she is okay with being caught and punished, but not if he is too. Julian tells her he will not stop her; he will stand by her no matter what. So if she cuts the rune, he will be punished too. Knowing this, she is unable to destroy the bond, and leaves the Silent City.

The next morning, the plan is set in motion. Emma, Julian, Mark, Cristina, Alec, Simon, and Isabelle head toward the Imperishable Fields to intercept Horace. The remaining individuals, Clary, Jace, Magnus, Ty, Kit, Helen, and Aline, wait for the second part of the plan to occur. Horace meets with King Oban, and the planned projection occurs. Julian calls out at Horace, accusing him of lying and conspiring against the Shadowhunter people. He denies this, and Zara comes from his side to defend him, holding out Cortana. Emma holds out her hand, and Cortana flies back into her grasp, infuriating Zara. At the same time, Manuel leads a fraction of the Cohort into the forest to find and kill Clary and Jace. This is part of Julian's plan, so as Manuel is about to strike Jace and Clary, the Faeries in the forest save them, and capture Manuel and the Cohort members. With these members captured, Magnus chains Ty and Kit in the forest to keep them from battle, and the others head toward the Fields.

When they get there, everyone sees that Clary and Jace are actually alive. Julian claims that Horace sent Manuel to kill them, and Horace denies it, so Julian pulls out the Mortal Sword he took from Thule, claiming it has been reforged by the Iron Sisters. He forces Manuel to hold it, and Manuel reveals that he was indeed sent by Horace to murder Clary and Jace. Julian challenges Horace to hold the sword, but Horace would rather fight than hold the sword. Oban calls his faeries to fight, but Nene steps out and refuses to listen to him because he is not the rightful king, Kieran is, as he killed his father. Kieran challenges Oban to a duel to the death for the throne, but Oban will not risk this, and his general, Winter, attacks, kicking off the battle.

In Alicante, as the battle begins, Dru runs away from the other children to where she hid Jaime, Diego and Jia. With weapons from Diana's shop, they head toward the battle, but Dru hangs back when she finds Tavvy by her side-he followed her the entire way. On the battle field, General Winter beats Kieran down, but Mark and Cristina interfere. Cristina kills Oban, forcing General Winter to turn his loyalty to Kieran, removing the largest threat on the field-though there are still many Shadowhunters fighting on the side of the Cohort, as are some rogue faeries.

In the forest, Livvy comes to Ty and Kit and breaks their chains so that they can head out into battle. Kit is still heartbroken from Ty's response, and has spoken very little to him. Ty climbs a tree to get a better vantage point of the battle, and in that time, Emma locates Kit and pushes him away from the battle. She tells him that Tessa ordered her to keep him away from faeries and battles, and now there is both. The Riders of Mannan locate them, and call Kit the First Heir. Emma tries to protect him, but is beaten back. The Riders taunt Kit by describing how they killed his mother, and this pushed Kit to malice. In his anger, he knocks all of them off the battlefield with his faerie powers before passing out. Jem rushes over and carries him away, terrified that his heritage may have been revealed.

Julian rushes to Emma to make sure she's alright, and Zara challenges her for her sword. Emma has no difficulty beating Zara, but she will not kill her, as Jace has ordered everyone to try and save as many Shadowhunters as possible. She and Julian escort her toward the Malachi Configuration, but an Eidolon demon approaches Julian, disguised as Annabel. He rushes to attack, and in his absence and Emma's distraction, Zara stabs her in the back.

Julian quickly discovers it is not Annabel, and faerie reinforcements attack the demon. He feels pain in his back, and turns to see Emma collapsed, and Zara trying to take Cortana from her hand. At the sight of Julian approaching, she flees. Julian holds Emma up, and tries to draw a few iratzes, and none work. Emma assures him it will be okay as she dies, but Julian calls on their parabatai bond, enacting the curse. He and Emma light up in heavenly fire, growing to large glowing giants.

The battle freezes, and Jace calls them "True Nephilim." However, in their glowing form, neither Emma nor Julian can control their actions. They annihilate the Riders of Mannan with their fire, and Julian seizes Horace and kills him instantly by snapping his spine. They begin to approach the Cohort prisoners, but their friends and families form a blockade against them. Jace throws himself in front of their hands, and is thrown to the side. He is uninjured, but it is clear they cannot entirely differentiate between friend and foe.

Tavvy sees Julian, and tells Dru that they have to go help. They head toward the battlefield, using a familias rune to call the other Blackthorns together. Dru gives her plan that they try and calm Emma and Julian down as their family, and Helen agrees it is their only choice. Helen, Mark, Dru, Tavvy and Ty all head toward them, breaking through the blockade. Tavvy rushes toward Julian, and to their surprise, Julian does not strike. Their family all begin to cry for them, that they love them and need them. Cristina and Diana join in, and both Julian and Emma begin to cry. Again, Tavvy reaches for Julian, and this time, they fall, returning to their human forms.

When Emma and Julian wake up, Jem explains that everyone is alright, and that he researched "True Nephilim." He tells them that in the past, Demons were giants on the Earth, so to fight them, parabatai would push into a greater form, becoming "giants on the earth" to face them. This was the greatest sacrifice, because they would burn themselves away, making it miraculous that Emma and Julian survived. Along with this, Jem explains that their bond has been burned away, enabling them to be together.

When Kit is healed, Tessa explains his heritage and invites him to live with her and Jem, joining their family. Kit thinks of the Blackthorns and how he has grown somewhat attached to them, but decides he cannot face the humiliation of seeing Ty again. He agrees to go with Tessa, not even saying goodbye to the Blackthorns nor Emma.

Dru overhears Magnus confront Ty about his spell, warning him that there will be repercussions even to just restoring her spirit, and that she is now tied to him. He also suggests that Ty train at the Scholomance. After Magnus leaves, Dru tells Ty that she heard, and agrees to keep the secret, happy to have something with her brother.

In the aftermath, Jia decides the punishment for the Cohort will be the same as Circle members-exile from Idris, instead remaining at institutes across the world. Jia also announces her resignation. She starts a vote for the new Consul, and decrees that all Shadowhunters may vote, even underage Shadowhunters, and criminals. Even with the Cohorts added voice, Alec is voted as new Consul. As a result, Zara and the other members of the Cohort hold knives against their throats. They threaten to kill themselves unless all Shadowhunters not a part of the Cohort leave Idris forever. Julian attempts to call their bluff, and one of the young followers kills herself. Alec agrees to their terms, and Clary draws a portal. All Shadowhunters not wanting to be a part of the Cohort's Idris take the day to pack up and leave.

Some time later, Julian and Emma get ready to leave for their travel year. They attend Alec and Magnus's wedding, along with their friends and family. Kieran visits, and Mark and Cristina explain that they will be able to visit a cottage between Faerie and the mortal world, so that the three of them can be together. Ty tells Julian he wants to go to the Scholomance, and Julian is sad that Ty is growing up, but happy that he will have something for himself. Kit stops by and watches Ty and Livvy splash in the water, but does not speak to him, and quickly leaves with Jem.

In the epilogue, Thule Jace comes to the court of the Seelie Queen with Ash, asking to remain there with him, but also to have Clary brought to him.

Principal characters

• Emma Carstairs - A Shadowhunter who has lived her whole life at the LA Institute with the Blackthorn family since her parents died. She considers herself the protector of the Blackthorn family, and wields the blade Cortana, passed down in her family for generations. She is described as the greatest fighter of her generation, the next Jace Herondale. She has long golden hair, big brown eyes, and tan skin.
• Julian Blackthorn - Emma's parabatai, who takes care of all of the Blackthorn siblings and is madly in love with Emma. He struggles greatly with his emotions after Livvy's death, as well as trying to hold off the parabatai curse. He is considered to have a "ruthless heart," as someone who would burn the world down to keep his family together. He has chocolate colored hair, blue-green eyes, and is tall, the same height as Jace Herondale.
• Mark Blackthorn - Julian's older brother who is half fae and was kidnapped by the Wild Hunt at a young age. He is torn between his love for Cristina Mendoza-Rosales and Kieran Kingson. He has pale blond hair, with a waifish fae frame.
• Cristina Mendoza-Rosales - A Mexican Shadowhunter on her travel year to the LA institute who is particularly interested in ending the Cold Peace between Shadowhunters and Faeries. She is torn between her feelings for Mark Blackthorn and Kieran Kingson.
• Kieran Kingson - An Unseelie Prince of Faerie who was part of the Wild Hunt. He has dark blue hair, and two different colored eyes as all members of the hunt do. He is torn between his love for Cristina Mendoza-Rosales and Mark Blackthorn.
• Tiberius "Ty" Blackthorn - One of the middle Blackthorns who was Livvy's twin brother. He is on the spectrum and refuses to accept the death of his twin, Livia, and resolves instead to raise her. He cares a great deal about Kit, but it is unclear if his feelings are romantic or platonic.
• Kit Herondale - A boy who has just recently learned that he is a Shadowhunter and part of the Lost Herondale line, as well as discovering he is the last descendant of the First Heir. He is particularly close to Tiberius Blackthorn, and expresses his love for him.
• Dru Blackthorn - The second youngest Blackthorn, frustrated at being treated as too young to participate, despite her maturity. She struggles to accept Helen as her sister, and crushes on Jaime Rosales. She seeks a closer relationship with her brother, Ty.
• Helen Blackthorn - The eldest Blackthorn sibling who is also half fae, and struggles to find a place in the Blackthorn family after being exiled for five years.
• Aline Penhallow - The wife of Helen Blackthorn, and daughter of the Consul, Jia Penhallow. She is extremely protective of Helen and can get angry easily for her sake.
• Octavian "Tavvy" Blackthorn - The youngest Blackthorn sibling.
• Diego Rocío Rosales - Cristina's ex who is a Centurion in the Scholomance, as well as being in an arranged engagement with Zara Dearborn.
• Jaime Rosales - Diego's younger brother who ran away from home to keep the Eternidad from Dearborn hands. He cares deeply for Cristina, and holds a friendship with Drusilla Blackthorn.
• Diana Wrayburn - The Blackthorn's tutor at the institute who was revealed to be transgender in the previous book, and is in a relationship with Gwyn ap Nudd.
• Magnus Bane - The High Warlock of Brooklyn, loyal to Shadowhunters due to his relationship with Alec Lightwood. He is one of the few who knows of Emma and Julian's secret relationship, and works to help them, but is rendered weak and ill from the blight. He has two sons with Alec Lightwood, Rafeal Lightwood-Bane, and Max Lightwood-Bane.
• Horace Dearborn - The leader of the Cohort. A manipulator who relies on fear and scapegoats to gain the position of Inquisitor. He preaches anti-Downworlder policies, and despises the Blackthorns, sending Emma and Julian on a mission intending to have them killed before they return.
• Zara Dearborn - The daughter of Horace, a loud mouth supporter of anti-Downworlder policies. She is considered plain looking and extremely jealous of Emma, taking credit for incredible feats of others, and even stealing Cortana. She is in an arranged marriage with Diego Rocio-Rosales as an attempt to gain control of the Eternidad.
• Jace Herondale - One of the heroes of the Dark War and Mortal War, renowned as the greatest fighter of his generation, as well as being known for his good looks. Due to his extra angel blood, he is quicker than most Shadowhunters, and is able to use runes in blighted areas. As the only other living member of the Herondale family, he tries to establish a connection with Kit. He is in love with Clary Fairchild, and has proposed several times to her. He is also the parabatai of Alec Lightwood.
• Clary Fairchild - One of the heroes of the Dark War and Mortal War, daughter of Valentine Morgenstern, and sister of Sebastian Morgenstern. Due to having extra angel blood, she is able to create runes, portals, and use runes in blighted areas. She is parabatai to Simon Lovelace, and is in love with Jace Herondale, but rejects his proposals due to her visions of her death.
• Alec Lightwood - One of the heroes of the Dark War and Mortal War. He is a skilled archer, and an advocate of Downworlder and Shadowhunter relations. He mourns the death of his father Robert Lightwood, the previous Inquisitor also slayed by Annabel Blackthorn. He has two sons with Magnus Bane, Rafeal Lightwood-Bane, and Max Lightwood-Bane, and is the parabatai of Jace Herondale.
• Isabelle Lightwood - One of the heroes of the Dark War and Mortal War. She is known for being extremely beautiful, and is extremely vocal about her thoughts and beliefs. She is currently engaged to Simon Lovelace.
• Simon Lovelace - A mundane who ascended into Nephilim, taking the last name Lovelace after his friend who passed away. He is parabatai to Clary Fairchild, and is engaged to Isabelle Lightwood.
• Gwyn ap Nudd - The leader of the Wild Hunt, who is in love with Diana.
• Jia Penhallow - The current Consul of the Clave. She is against the Cohort, and works with Diana to find evidence to discredit Horace, while also finding solutions to The Blight. She is also Aline's mother, and Helen's mother-in-law.
• Ragnor Fell "Shade" - An old warlock, believed to be dead after the Dark War. He tries to convince Ty out of raising his sister, and ultimately stops helping him, believing it will keep him from proceeding. He is close friends with both Catarina Loss, and Magnus Bane.
• James "Jem" Carstairs - A distant relative of Emma, once a Silent Brother. He acts as an uncle to Emma, as the last remaining member of her family. He is married to Tessa Gray, and works with her to protect the Herondale line.
• Tessa Gray - A warlock with shadowhunter blood. She is the widow of Will Herondale, and the wife of Jem Carstairs. She looks for a cure to the warlock illness, while also working to protect the Herondale line.
• Annabel Callisto Blackthorn - A Blackthorn ancestor who was resurrected by Malcolm Fade in the first book of the trilogy.
• Ash - The son of Sebastian Morgenstern and the Seelie Queen, giving him an interesting mix of faerie blood, demon blood, and angel blood. Due to the Unseelie King tampering with the black volume, Ash's aura inspires perfect loyalty and makes one want to protect him. He has expressed interest in Drusilla Blackthorn.
• Adaon Kingson - Kieran's brother, one of the sons of the Unseelie King. The only brother who does not take pleasure in causing pain, and has shown care for Kieran. He is favored to inherit the Unseelie throne before he is kidnapped by the Seelie Queen where he becomes one of her consorts.
• Unseelie King - The ruler of the Unseelie Court in Faerie. Cruel and selfish, he ordered the first heir to be killed simply because she was a girl. Since then, he has had all his daughters murdered.
• Seelie Queen - The ruler of Seelie Court in Faerie, with long red hair and bright blue eyes. She is known for cruelness and manipulations.
• Oban - Kieran's brother who is next in line for the throne. He looks very much like Kieran, with proud features and dark hair. He is known as a foolish drunkard, and is easily manipulated.
• Catarina Loss - A warlock who is good friends with Magnus Bane. She uses her powers largely for healing, and works as a mundane nurse. She helped Diana transition, and also helps Cristina look into the warlock sickness.

Reception

Queen of Air and Darkness released to mixed reviews from critics and fans alike. Common Sense Media said that it was more 'soap opera saga than fantasy tome' due to all of the character related drama taking away from the main action of the book.[2] TMI Source however called the book a 'stunning finale' to the series. Many other fans have complained that it doesn't have a resolved ending, due to the fact that Cassandra Clare plans on returning to these characters in her upcoming series, The Wicked Powers.[3][4] Most reviews argue that if you're a fan of The Shadowhunter Chronicles, then you won't be disappointed by this series.[5]

References

1. "Queen of Air and Darkness chapter titles". Cassandra Clare. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
2. "Queen of Air and Darkness: The Dark Artifices, Book 3 - Book Review". www.commonsensemedia.org. 2018-12-23. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
3. "TWP (Shadowhunter Chronicles)". TMI Source. 2013-06-26. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
4. repeat (2018-12-20). "A LONG review: Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare + sassy spoilers". bookscoffeeandrepeat. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
5. "Book Review: Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare". Culturefly. 2018-12-10. Retrieved 2019-05-02.