I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

I need the next book. I need it. I know I’m writing this review before The Ragpicker King has even been released, but I just finished it, and I need more.

I reread Swordcatcher right before diving into this, which made it effortless to slip back into the world of Castellane and its sprawling cast of characters. There are a lot of perspectives in this book, (something that could have felt overwhelming in less capable hands,) but Cassandra Clare masterfully weaves them together into a rich, intricate tapestry of storytelling.

This isn’t the first time Cassie has completely broken me with her characters, and it won’t be the last. Kel and Conor’s friendship in this sequel has wrecked me. I can’t stand it. I need to scream about it with someone immediately. And Lin and Conor? Their romance has utterly consumed me. The angst, the longing, the pining—I love a “they can never be together” dynamic, and this one is delicious. Cassie, I need you to pull off something as perfect as Clockwork Princess in the next book. I’m begging.

No notes. This is easily one of the best things she’s written in years, and I’m so glad she’s expanding into this new world. I’d recommend this series to any fantasy lover. Just be prepared to feel things.

No one does acute emotional torment like Cassandra Clare does. Also, second book syndrome who?

The 600 pages of this book absolutely flew by and left me wanting more. Every page felt packed full of action and necessary to the plot so it didn't drag at all.

The main characters are so well fleshed out. They develop so naturally throughout the book in response to the political goings on in the book. Clare manages to interweave their storylines seamlessly. Certain reveals about certain characters were done really well.

I will say, I wasn't entirely sure of the function of the scattered pov chapters when the book is in third person anyways. It felt a little unnecessary. I spent far too much time while reading trying to figure out why they were included the way they were.

Clare really gets to stretch her political intrigue wings in this series. She feels really in her element with the politics of the world and all the secrets and plotting that comes along with that. The world building is as interesting as ever.

Thanks so much to the publisher and netgalley for this arc! Can't wait for book 3!!

The story is intriguing and I love the characters.

The love between Conor and Lin progressed beautifully, Kel is always a great friend and protector and Conor really comes into his own as a leader. I can tell the next book will lead these three characters into greatness.

Besides the three main characters I didn't really care for any others and I would say the book is too long and drawn out, I put this book down so many times and it took me ages to finish. I did finish it though.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. - arc & monthly book box pick reviewer

The Ragpicker King is EVERYTHING I wanted from Sword Catcher's sequel!! More action! More character dynamics! More magic! More suspense! More plot twists! More romance! And SPICE! The Ragpicker King confirms that Cassandra The Plotter Clare 🙌🙌🙌 (long may she reign) is a masterful storyteller crafting complex plot lines but also characters you love with all your heart.

I know many people thought that Sword Catcher was too long, and I agree a little. The Ragpicker King, though, is much more fast-paced, and things are happening all the time!! Yes, it's long, but you're gonna love it! Exceptional plot and amazing characters, as usual in Cassandra Clare's work.

Lin and Kel were awesome, as always! Lin was set on healing her friend, her regular patients, and any patient who needed her help. And with the plot plotting and our characters scheming, Lin definitely had more emergency patients to take care of! I love Lin so much. She never loses sight of who she is and what she wants to do. Her morals are unyielding. She is fast on her beliefs and how the world should be. She is our beacon of morality, and she truly shines like a goddess.

Kel, my Kel, I love him so much!! We don't deserve him. The Aurelians don't deserve him. Nobody deserves him. He is sooooo good. He is smart and quick on his feet. He is brave and constantly puts himself on the line for Connor's sake and for Castellane's sake. I love him so much, people!!! Kel is EVERYTHING!!!

Connor grew up a lot in this book. He finally takes some responsibility as a Prince and actually works a LOT. He suffers from trauma due to one tragic incident and from the situation with his father. For the first time, what he wants is the one thing he cannot get and absolutely cannot keep. It was interesting to see him go through it all and grow up. I am really looking forward to seeing him take action in the next book.

This world is so beautiful, so vivid, so absolutely marvellous that I can walk around Castellane for hours following Cassandra Clare's prose and ridiculously adorable characters. Another thing I love is that the author has made this a diverse world and employed sensitivity readers and people who actually invented the various languages used in the book. She didn't just throw in some words from foreign languages and called it diverse. She paid attention and showed care, and it freaking shows in everything.

I love this series a lot. Yes, it's long, but I love the characters so much. I will follow Lin and Kel to the end of the world and back. The Ragpicker King shows how book 2 can elevate book 1 and make it a million times better. This is how sequels and series should be, one volume better than the previous one without flailing.

Outstanding fantasy series with a mesmerizing world, THE TWISTIEST PLOT, and characters you will gladly lose a limb for.

I usually adore Cassandra Clare books. I love her Shadow Hunter world so much and own all the books (just waiting on the newer ones to be released), however, this being her second dip into New Adult Fantasy, I was hoping for more of the world and story to build.

Yes, we do get that, however,r we also get so many POVs in this book that it makes it hard to keep up with,
I feel that we miss out on seeing how Conner has changed and instead,d we just get told. again, I know this was to build the story with Lin and Kel, but I would have liked to have read/shown more instead of it happening off-page.

There are true diehard fans of Clare's work, that will most likely lap this up and scream for more. I am a diehard fan of her Shadow Hunter world, but not so much this one, which does make me sad.

If you're after a fantasy build world full of politics and adventure, with a side of romance, then this is for you.

4.5 stars

Many thanks to Pan Macmillan/Tor and NetGalley UK for letting me read an ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

"It is not the poison that kills, but the dose."

I read the first book, Sword Catcher, when it came out two years ago. I admit it that even though I liked it, I wasn't entirely sold. But I trusted Cassandra's writing, and I knew that she would deliver. Well, I am happy to say that this second book convinced me, and I want to know how the story continues. I got a bit attached to the characters too.

The story begins a few months after the events that shook Castellane - both on the hill and in the Sault. The main POV characters are once again Kel and Lin, who offer perspectives from both sides and whose stories intervene and in some ways, mirror each other. In between the chapters there are also shorter POVs from the perspective of other characters, known faces and new ones. I really enjoyed this switch because it let us see a new side to the story. It was like knowing a secret that the main POV characters Kel and Lin didn't know.

There was never a dull moment in this book, and it manages to keep you on your toes until the last page. The pace is what I would define as "balanced", because there was a good balance between plot twists and the general plot/subplots. I also enjoyed how the relationships between the characters (platonic and romantic) developed in this book.

I enjoyed the characters so much. Each character is recognizable and has their own voice, and I liked that we learned more about everyone but at the same time, there are still a lot of secrets to unveil. I was glad that some answers regarding some characters were answered in this book.

I will surely read book 3! There are still a lot of questions to answer and I think that the story just got it started.

This was an ok book. I don't think Cassandra Clare's writing is for me tbh, and I think that's why I don't gel with her writing.

I was very much looking forward to this sequel and I was not disappointed. It is not, as previously stated, a duology and there are more books to come in this series. The stories set up in book one continue at pace. Connor is struggling to be a better prince whilst everyone conspires against him and his father is overcome by a mystery illness. Kel is loyal to him but working with everyone behind his back to unpick the various threats to the throne. Lin is still trying to heal her friend and dealing with the aftermath of announcing she is the goddess reborn. There are many other characters who are all well drawn and who develop throughout the novel. By the end of the book you have a clearer idea of the danger facing Castellane and the paths each character must go down next. Whilst several of the tropes in the book are not new and you will have encountered them in other fantasy novels, that didn’t spoil this for me. I am very eager for the next episode so I hope the author is working on it as we speak! Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

A fantastic addition to the Chronicles of Castellane. Well paced, plotted and executed. The build up to the finale was fantastic as you begin to see the pieces click into place as our characters navigate the fallout of Swordcatchers finale. Can't wait for the next book in the series, it has a lot to live up to.

Big thanks to the publisher for an advance copy of this book!

I write you this review at half past midnight having just finished this book. What a joy it has been to spend the last 7 hours with the Castellene Crew and this novel. This is fantasy at its very best: fast paced plot, memorable characters, intriguing world building, simple yet complex magic system and so many swirling subplots and moments to love that tie it all together.

We rejoin Prince Conor and his Sword Catcher, Kel, 3 months after the end of SWORD CATCHER. Whilst I have just reread book 1 in prep for this, Clare reminds her readers of past events and character with an easy charm that fits her two silver-eyed protagonists very well. We are immediately back into the action, seeing the consequences of the conclusion of book 1 and from the first chapter new plots are discovered and begin to be explored.

I loved how each twist and turn in this book—although easy to figure out if you are specifically thinking about it—is entirely plausible and thus, incredibly satisfying. Even though each reveal was what I thought I felt so pleased that I had read the clues right, placed my suspicions on the right characters. Clare also keeps each of her plots threaded neatly throughout: when I found myself missing Antonetta she was there in the next scene. When I found myself wishing Lin and Conor would just Sort It Out, the next chapter would have them together Not Sorting It Out (yay yearning!).

Overall, this book is an action packed adventure showcasing the very best of what the fantasy genre can do. Clare is a seasoned professional, she writes such lovable characters that pull at your heart strings (a Kel and Conor moment had me placing down my reading device with glee!) and stay with you long after the book has ended. Superb, wonderful, excellent.

May Book 3 give blessed Kel Saren some Happiness!!!

Cassandra Clare does it again - this sequel was absolutely gripping from start to finish. The stakes are higher, the betrayals cut deeper, and the lush world of Castellane only grows more intoxicating. Kel’s journey as Prince Conor’s body double takes a darker turn, and watching him navigate the treacherous royal court while hunting for traitors kept me on edge. The Ragpicker King remains a fascinating, enigmatic figure, pulling strings in the criminal underworld with an elegance that makes the lines between hero and villain deliciously blurry.

What I loved most was the character-driven tension - every relationship felt like a high-stakes gamble, with secrets and shifting alliances that made it impossible to put the book down. Clare’s ability to build this intricate, morally grey world shines here, and by the final page, I was already desperate for more. If Sword Catcher pulled you in, The Ragpicker King will absolutely not let you go.

The Ragpicker King is the much awaited sequel to Sword Catcher and as such, it had a big job to do.
Sword Catcher left us with a lot to contend with, but in The Ragpicker King the author doesn’t keep us waiting — and instead the story gets going right away, and doesn’t stop until the very last page.

NGL, I struggled with Sword Catcher a little: I found the pace uneven, often weighted down by the flashbacks illustrating the lore necessary to one part of the story, or at least the story as it pertained mostly to one character.
The characters were what kept me going, and those characters are even more front and center in this book. They drive a plot rich in political intrigue and tension, and we feel every single decision they made, every single challenging moment: we are there with them every step of the way. This makes the story even more intense and gripping.

Something I really enjoyed was the way the commentary on societal pressure is subtly woven throughout: we see characters struggling in balancing what’s expected of them versus what feels right and what, in turn, would actually contribute to their happiness; we see them having to defy expectations in good ways and bad, and feel each of those challenges and decisions keenly, as if they were our own.

There are also new characters, and you’d expect them to stick out now that we already know our main cast, but they blend in seamlessly, fulfilling their role in the story perfectly.

The Ragpicker King shows us there is so much more to this series than we had thought, and even more of what we had already seen and liked: definitely more depth to the characters, but also more political intrigue, more yearning, more angst (in the best ways, not all of them romantic).

The only weakness in the book for me was in a couple of the big reveals, which didn’t strike the right note for some reason. One specifically, towards the very end, came across a bit as retcon rather than something that had been planned all along, and the reveal scene itself was a little anticlimactic.

But the book overall was such a satisfying read, compelling and well-paced, keeping me 100% engaged and committed until the last pace. I can’t wait to see where the story goes from here!

(I wouldn’t even be able to tell you who my favorite is anymore, I want to know about *everyone*.)

Cassandra Clare's writing is always such a comfort and after reading her books for years stepping back into her fictional worlds is always so easy! I was hooked from the start and was racing through this book.

The pace in The Ragpicker King is much quicker than the first book and starts fairly quickly after the events of Sword Catcher. I loved the scenes where Kel, Jin-An and Merren are working together and how well developed and distinct their personalities are and how well they bounce off each other. All the detailed and rich world building of Sword Catcher is expertly picked away to reveal another layer of political intrigue, class and status and the unusual magic system. I loved the multiple point of views of different characters which helped created a dynamic narrative of what was happened and the emotional stakes and motivations throughout the story.

I love the idea of Kel as Prince Conor's Sword Catcher and bodyguard and how he balances keeping Conor safe but also his work with the Ragpicker King. There are moments where he is seen straining with all these secrets which made him more human, especially as he isn't allowed a life that isn't Conor's shadow. I love his interactions with Antonetta and his conflicted feelings for her. Antonetta is really well written as this weak and often overlooked character and I loved learning more about her personality. Conor also grew on me a lot in this book and how he is both ruthless and extremely dedicated to looking after Castellane. I wasn't as invested in Conor and Lin's relationship as much as I was Kel and the Ragpicker King gang. I did find the political aspects a little slow in places to understand, but that being said everything threaded together at the end which made for a really unexpected plot twist.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series - this book has set the scene perfectly for what I expect the rest of the series to be jaw dropping!

The Ragpicker King picks up right where we left off in Sword Catcher and it was incredible. All of the political intrigue, mystery and romance from the first book was elevated in this one, and I couldn’t help but keep reading. If you’re a fan of excellent fantasy with romantic sub-plots and plot twists that will leave you shocked, this series is a must read!

I was once again shocked by the plot twists in this book and I could not believe how this one ended. I am anxiously waiting for book three already!

I finished this in one sitting. That’s how good it was. Cassandra Clare has been a go to author for me ever since I was 12 years old. The Shadowhunter series is one of my favourite series of all time. Sword Catcher is no different. Before sword catcher came out I had no idea what to expect between the characters, specifically Kel and Conor. I was taken by the brotherly between them and you see they continue progress this book. I love Kel and Conor so unbelievably much but the ending between the two pained me. After Lin’s ending in sword catcher she was the one I was most excited to read about and I was so pleasantly surprised by her story. But once again in true Cassandra Clare fashion, her ending pained me. The story progression between many other characters was incredible. We get to learn so much more about them and really delve into what they’re doing and what they’re not doing. We get to meet some new characters that added so many layers to this story. The ending destroyed me and the wait for book 3 may just kill me off. But the romance in this book. There aren’t singular words or even sentences to describe how good they were. I am SO excited to see what happens next. But overall 5/5 stars. This was an epic and the perfect sequel to the perfect book!!

As a huge Cassie Clare fan I was incredibly excited for this second instalment and I am so happy to report it did not disappoint! This world is rich and nuanced and enticing and I could not consume the words fast enough. Ken and Lin make compelling MCs as we delve deeper into their stories as they navigate the aftermath of the violent ending to book 1. There were several reveals throughout that caught me completely unawares and the reveal right at the ending absolutely floored me as it was so flawlessly executed - well done CC! I cannot wait for the next book <3

Cassandra has done it again!
I am a huge fan of her shadow hunter world so exploring this new series has been such a highlight. The drama continues to seriously unfold after the epic ending of Swordcatcher.

Clare writes friendship in such a beautiful and touching way, I am always sobbing at some points in her stories. The Ragpicker King is an exciting, nerve wracking and thrilling continuation of Kel’s story. I couldn’t put it down.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Absolutely phenomenal!Cassandra Clare has once again outdone herself with The Ragpicker King! This book is nothing short of brilliant—an absolute triumph in storytelling. From the very first page, I was utterly captivated, drawn into a world so vivid, intricate, and spellbinding that I never wanted to leave.

The characters are masterfully crafted, each one leaping off the page with depth, heart, and unforgettable presence. The plot is a breathtaking rollercoaster of emotion, intrigue, and sheer magic. Every twist and revelation left me in awe, proving Clare’s unparalleled ability to weave a story that is both thrilling and deeply moving.

The writing? Flawless. The atmosphere? Mesmerizing. The experience? Unforgettable. This book is everything I hoped for and more—an instant favorite that I’ll be thinking about for a long, long time.

If you haven’t started this series yet stop everything and dive in. It’s an absolute must-read!

✦5 STARS ✦

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley, for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cassandra Clare stepped up her game with this one. While Sword Catcher intended to be a long introduction of the world of Castellane and its characters, the Ragpicker King takes the narrative a few steps further and gives the story a bigger boost to flourish and expand in an interesting and captivating way. There’s more politics, more drama, magic and action and a lot of twists and turns that keep the reader invested to its very last page.
The amount of romance and the beautiful way it was written, was one of the things that I loved the most while reading and the choice of having various character POVs in between chapters, was a great addition to the plot, whose pace is a lot faster than the first book.

Kel, Lin and Conor’s character development is emphasized by the burden of duty and the responsibilities that each one of them have to their people, themselves and most importantly each other. It was intriguing and at the same time heartbreaking to see them dealing with secrets, expectations, forbidden emotions and the inevitable feeling of wrongness and righteousness, while trying to maintain their values and personal identities.
Having that said, I don’t know if it is irony or intention, but the fact that we stay in the dark about Conor’s thoughts, since we see him through other people’s perspectives, makes him an even more complex character and it definitely adds a lot to his story arc. I understand the choice, but him having his own POV is something that I missed regardless.

The last 10% is a roller-coaster of emotions and big revelations, it definitely sets the stakes higher for the books to come and I can’t wait to see what else Cassandra has in store for our beloved characters.

Huge thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Ragpicker King picks up three months after Sword Catcher, and you’re immediately immersed once again in the rich landscape of political intrigue and thrilling power struggles of Castellane.

For Lin and Kel, identity is an illusion. As the Prince’s Sword Catcher - come - informant to the notorious Ragpicker King, Kel increasingly struggles to reconcile his multiple characters and the expectations of others. Meanwhile Lin is still navigating the implications of her declaration that she is the Goddess Returned alongside her growing feelings for the Prince.

The Royal Court remains in upheaval following the Shining Gallery slaughter, however dark forces are still plotting on the Hill. Lin and Kel must navigate the depths of the criminal underworld if they are to succeed in saving the kingdom. No strangers to deception, they must decide who they can trust as sinister conspiracies threaten the future of everyone they care about…

Ever since reading the Sword Catcher I’ve been counting down until the release of the next in the Chronicles of Castellane series, and The Ragpicker King does not disappoint!

Keeping this spoiler free, I’ll just say
emotions are raw in this book. There’s forbidden love situations all over the place and betrayals left right and centre. Although nearly all are living very different lives, many of the characters are lost and lonely with questionable moral compasses. But I enjoyed the moral greyness (who doesn’t!) and found myself very much rooting for the anti-heroes.

The pacing of the book is steady, if a little slow in places. But the last 100 pages or so were a wild ride and I truly couldn’t stop reading the final chapters! I can’t wait to see what comes next for Kel, Conor and Lin in The Bone Conjurers.