Queen of Air and Darkness

2nd read Feb 2020This book is big and so epic. Like, it is epic at a level that Clare has not reached before, and I assume it will only become bigger as we move on to The Wicked Powers in a few years time. However, this is also the main reason why it has half a star knocked off its rating because it is not a finale. Yet it is marketed as such. So, okay, rant:
I get the reason; Clare writes her stories in trilogies and the only reason why TMI is a six books series is because the last three were not part of the original plan when the first was published. I love TMI and I think it makes sense for that series to be one single series, but could of course easily be read as two seperate ones. TID works easily on its own as a trilogy and it makes sense to me already that TLH will also be its own trilogy (I've yet to read TLH though, but I highly suspect). The Wicked Powers, however, is a direct continuation of the plotline in TDA, this is obvious not only because of where the plot goes and will continue to go, but because we will be dealing with the characters we already know well from this series (not the same mains, but we know them well enough and in LoS and QoAaD they even have their own storylines). I believe TWP will be two or three years into the future but it will undoubtedly be a continuation of the fallout from TDA, and because of that QoAaA is not a finale, which makes it somewhat unsatisfying with two many strings still to be tied up, so I had to knock of half a star. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Okay, rant over, let's continue.
I loved Ty and Kit working on scary shit that you know is going to go wrong. Like, it's a recipe for disaster yet I still think it works.
The book is so long that I feel like it's hard to distinguish where it began from where LoS ended, which I think speaks miles about the journey we go on throughout and the epicness of it all that I've already mentioned. We go beyond in this one, and it's awesome (and also the reason why the ending is not satisfying enough). Although, I do think towards the end we get a little too much magic. It might sound weird to say, but you know, to the point where you sort of lose sight of where the limit is, you know what I mean? And that's a bit of a problem, but I do think Cassie will put a lid on it somewhat in the future. There were also a few times where it suffered from being just a tad too convenient for my taste. And by now I've mentionend several things to take down the rating of the book, and yet I still only knocked off half a star, but guys. Guys. THE BOOK IS MORE THAN 900 PAGES LONG. I mention the problems because they stand out among all the greatness of the book!
It was hilarious how they tried to play off Julian's ruthlessness as less than, because we all know he would kill any bitch to protect his family. Like, he has no quamls about it whatsoever. And that's why we like him! (at least I do.)
I loved loved loved seeing more of Diego and Jaime in this one, and I especially loved seeing Diego and Kieran spending time together. Though it was brief, it was chef's kiss. Kieran in general, actually, he has my heart. Seriously, Kieran, you want it? You can have it, here. It's yours.
Drusilla is also an absolute darling, and I can't wait to have more of her in TWP and I'm even more excited about her storyline in regards to Ash and how all that will go down. I'm sure Jaime will be part of it somehow but I very much hope he will be a side character, who just pops up occasionally because otherwise... yeah, we don't want that. Ash, yes. More Ash, please, and thank you.
I'm super excited for more of Kit in TWP too (and obviously Kitty), but also because I just want to see how comfortable he becomes in the life he's chosen, I really want that domesticity.
Honestly, me talking about everything I'm looking forward to, really just drives in the point that this is not a finale, IT IS A MIDDLE BOOK.
Diana was amazing, Christina was amazing, Jia Penhallow was fucking great, and HELEN AND ALINE. OH MY GOD, DID I GO THIS ENTIRE REVIEW WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT HELEN AND ALINE???? Queens, my badass lady wives, I loved seeing their relationship, it was open in an entirely different way than Magnus and Alec (because we know how Alec is), and I just had such heart eyes for them. such queens, the both of them.
I love the family moments, though they are few and far between in this one, but whenever we get them it's amazing. The family dynamics have always been one of this series' key selling points, and I think it's so wonderful.
The more I know of faerie, the more intrigued I am (which is actually the opposite reaction of the first time I read TDA, where I was always hesitant about the parts in faerie. I've come to appreaciate it so much more). Everytime we visit, there are new things to discover about the place, things that are entirely unknown to at least the reader and often also the characters.
Anyway, this has gotten really long, I think it's time to close up my thoughts.
It's a fantastic book. I love all of the charcaters. I adore the last 50 pages. I'm so excited about what comes next. It was not a finale.
Fin.

I've put my first review of the book as spoilers because, while I don't think it reveals major plot points, it does mention a few things that I feel could be easily classified as spoilers, so... read at your own discretion.

1st read5 stars
Spoiler
Oh my god, Jace and Clary at the end. Clary is always so weirdly worried that Jace doesn't love her, and it's just like.... dude. he literally went to hell for you. what more does he need to say????

as for everything else:
oh my god. oh my god. holy shit. i can't even. the marriage, it was so beautiful, like i can't even. this was so good, it literally doesn't even feel like a finally finale, like i mean it does because of how it ends but also THERE ARE SO MANY NEW QUESTIONS! i can't even believe it's over. these will never be main characters anymore. i'll have to wait like a bajillion years to get the next part of ty and kit's story. of ash's story. dru's story. oh my god. like i just can't, i'm so done but i'm also so NOT done, like holy shit, i need another book continuing this story line ASAP! Thule Jace is so scary and he gives me the creeps, i just, shit man, why is cassie so good?? i had really hoped for things to go differantly with ty and kit, but i'll have to wait for new books for that to happen and it's literally going to take like six fucking years I CAN'T. At least there's The Last Hours to keep me company along the way from like november 2019.... I'll just cry myself to sleep, thanks. 
But wow, man. That was so good. It's just so good. I love Cassie's world, her characters, I love them so much.