REVIEW: The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare
We return to the glimmering city of Castellane in The Ragpicker King, fresh off the massacre at the royal palace known as ‘The Shining Gallery Slaughter’. Kel is fully immersed in the ragtag group employed by the Ragpicker King now, and is actively investigating who was behind the massacre, in order to protect House Aurelian. The sequel also follows Conor, and how he is faring since the attack. Whilst he has always been the most enigmatic and careless of the two, he has since sobered up greatly, and has shouldered the expectations placed on him as the heir and future King of Castellane. On the other side of the city, Lin is dealing with the ramifications of her false display as the Goddess, where she is having to take this new identity on with stride, whilst also remaining unnerved by those who question the validity of her claims. These three storylines converge, each passing through one another to build a more intense and angst-filled plot throughout the course of the novel.
Lin and Kel are two sides of the same coin; both pretending to be someone they are not, whilst vehemently fighting to not lose their sense of self, and simultaneously doing so in order to protect the ones they love. Cassandra Clare managed to build the strongest foundations of brotherhood in the first book, so much so that the distance between Kel and Conor in the sequel feels almost painful to the reader. You yearn for them to see each other wholly and truthfully, without either of their plans in the way. It is a feat to create such a deep bond between two characters in just one book, and an even bigger feat to exemplify the depth of this bond by inching the two further away from each other in the sequel. The angst is palpable, and one that comes to a breaking point in the novel. On the other hand, Lin has been employed by Conor to care for the health of the King, another aspect to the story that is slowly growing and feeding the underbelly of the magical lore brimming within Castellane. This inevitably brings Lin and Conor closer, and whilst their romance is not at the forefront of the series, it is also brought to it’s breaking point in the novel. The Ragpicker King is charged with so much emotion, and done so well.
The pace is rapid, and picks up a lot faster than book one. This was expected, seeing that the world has now been fully established to readers and we are swiftly led through all the action that comes with such a colourful city and band of characters. There isn’t a lull at any point, and there is poignant action throughout, sure to keep the reader on their toes. Readers are set up perfectly for the plot twist of an ending; with all the cogs turning to orchestrate the perfect cliffhanger. For lovers of political intrigue, imbued in a city with enigmatic characters and settings, I would highly suggest picking up this series. Anyone who was impressed with Sword Catcher will be glad to pick up the sequel, with the politics and tensions only rising. Cassandra Clare has always had a knack for writing simply unputdownable books, and The Ragpicker King is certainly no exception.
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