Cassandra Clare’s The Last King of Faerie kicks off The Wicked Powers, the final trilogy in the Shadowhunters Chronicles. With Dru Blackthorn, Kit Herondale, Ty Blackthorn and Ash Morgenstern taking centre stage, it’s time to revisit some of the biggest revelations from the earlier books.
Whether you have no time to reread The Dark Artifices or need a crash course on Secrets of Blackthorn Hall, here are five things to remember before diving in.
Spoilers ahead for The Dark Artifices and Secrets of Blackthorn Hall!
1. Thule: Jace, Clary and a World Turned Upside Down
In Queen of Air and Darkness, Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn travel to Thule, an alternate universe where Sebastian Morgenstern won the Dark War.
Here, Clary is killed before she can use Glorious, the angelic sword of the Archangel Michael, to free Jace from his magical bond with Sebastian. With Clary dead and Jace still under Sebastian’s control, Sebastian conquers the world.
The resulting devastation is known as the Blight: a spreading corruption that causes the land to decay and creates openings for demons. Emma and Julian discover just how different their world could have been, even meeting an alternate version of Livvy who is still alive and leading the resistance.
2. Ash Morgenstern: The Son of Sebastian and the Seelie Queen
Ash is the son of Sebastian Morgenstern and the Seelie Queen, making him a Faerie prince with a connection to one of the Shadowhunter world’s most notorious villains.
At the end of Queen of Air and Darkness, Ash is taken through a portal to Thule. The epilogue introduces an alternate Jace, who offers the Seelie Queen a bargain involving Ash in exchange for meeting Clary.
Ash’s parentage and connection to Thule are worth remembering as he returns as Prince Ash Morgenstern in The Last King of Faerie, where Dru Blackthorn finds herself his prisoner in Faerie.
3. Kit Herondale: The First Heir’s Descendant
Kit grew up believing he was an ordinary boy raised by his father, Johnny Rook. He later discovers that he is a Herondale, but his heritage goes further: he is descended from the First Heir, whose bloodline connects the Shadowhunter and Faerie worlds.
The revelation comes during the final battle in Queen of Air and Darkness, when Kit encounters the Riders of Mannan, a group of ancient Faerie hunters and assassins who served the Unseelie King. They reveal his heritage, and when they tell him they killed his mother, Rosemary, his previously unknown Faerie magic erupts.
After the battle, Kit moves to Devon to live with Tessa Gray and Jem Carstairs, who become his adoptive parents. Jem has returned to mortal life after his time as a Silent Brother, and he and Tessa are raising their daughter, Mina. Kit has finally found a home, but his painful separation from Ty remains unresolved.
4. Livvy Blackthorn: Her Ghost and Who Knows
Speaking of Ty, after Livvy’s death in Lord of Shadows, Ty refuses to accept her loss. His resurrection ritual in Queen of Air and Darkness fails to bring her back to life, but she returns as a ghost whom only Ty and Kit can see.
Magnus Bane knows about the ritual and warns Ty of its side effects. Dru overhears their conversation, discovering what her brother has done.
In Secrets of Blackthorn Hall, Ty and Livvy secretly visit Julian with help from Ragnor Fell. Livvy explains that Julian cannot see or hear her, even though he can perceive other ghosts. Emma knows about the secret visit and helps keep it from Julian.
Livvy’s existence remains a secret shared by only a handful of people, and her connection to Ty continues to shape their story.
5. The Consul, the Cohort and the Mystery of Idris
Following the events of Queen of Air and Darkness, Jia Penhallow steps down as Consul and Alec Lightwood takes her place. But the Cohort, an extremist faction hostile to Downworlders, refuses to surrender.
Alec leads the Shadowhunters who oppose the Cohort out of Idris rather than accept its rule, leaving the Shadowhunter homeland politically divided.
In Secrets of Blackthorn Hall, Alec attempts to negotiate with Zara Dearborn, but the situation inside Idris remains unresolved. What has become of the Shadowhunters who stayed behind, and is peace possible?
The future of Idris remains an important piece of unfinished business as the final Shadowhunters trilogy begins.
Are you ready to return to the Shadowhunter world? With Faerie royalty, lost bloodlines, unresolved secrets and a divided Clave, The Last King of Faerie promises to bring together years of storytelling as Cassandra Clare’s final Shadowhunters trilogy begins.
