The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare is the second book in her new series, The Chronicles of Castellane. It picks up not long after the events of the previous book with Lin now having to undergo testing to prove to the other Ashkar that she is the Goddess returned, when even she doesn’t believe it. This is heavily complicated by the arrival of the Exilarch, the leader of the Ashkar, who is skeptical of her claim and the tension brewing between Lin and Conor as Conor arranges for her to try and help his father. Kel is trying to protect Conor, from anything and everything, even as he feels a widening gulf between the two. However, he finds himself distracted when Artal Gremont, a man with a horrible reputation, returns to town as the new fiance of Antoinetta, the woman Kel has fallen for himself. When Prosper Beck reappears on the scene and Conor manages to arrange a new marriage it gets complicated for both Kel and Lin as they try to navigate the constantly changing world around them. As always in Castellane, things end up never being what they seemed and danger is at every turn.
I greatly enjoyed this book because it does a great job of showing and navigating the complex politics that would have actually been present in a place and situation like this. There are layers within layers within layers and it is highly interesting to try and pick apart what is actually happening. I will say that some of what happened I did see coming but there were still a few minor revelations that I ended up being somewhat surprised by at the end of it. Mind you I am also greatly enjoying seeing more of how these characters develop over time. I feel like the two main protagonists, Lin and Kel, showed a lot of growth and development over the course of the book. The way they are at the end of the story is really different from the way they are at the beginning. Not drastically different but different enough you notice that is for sure. I really liked the way they were depicted but I think the story as a whole was well done. The pacing fit the plot pretty well and the overall worldbuilding and character building was extremely well done. Specifically, worldbuilding as it often feels like a complete culture and in some cases a couple of cultures. It talks about the different beliefs and traditions all the way down to the types of colors different groups of people can and cannot wear. You can tell a lot of thought was put into this and it is definitely reflected in the text. A great book and a great addition to the series that makes me want to read the next one even if I know it is not out yet. It earns 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.
This is fantasy but unlike Clare’s other series it is definitely aimed at adult readers as there are decent, though not excessive, levels of violence and numerous references to adult content and some minor explicit scenes though again not overly graphic. It could be read by younger readers but I would suggest no one younger than about sixteen should be reading this. I would also suggest that you make sure to read the previous book in the series before trying this one. A good book and one that is well worth the consideration so if you do decide to try it feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.