Since 2007, Cassandra Clare has been giving readers epic stories of love, friendship, tragedy, and demon hunting with her Shadowhunter series. This March, she continues to bring snark and heartbreak to the masses with the second installment in The Last Hours trilogy, Chain of Iron. We recently got to ask Cassandra about her writing process, who her favourite characters to write are, and which Shadowhunter she’d want by her side when facing down a Greater Demon.
Hello Cassandra! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions for The Nerd Daily. Can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself and your incredible writing journey so far?
I always loved reading. My family traveled a lot when I was a kid, and I brought books with me wherever I went—many books. Perhaps an unreasonable number of books. I started writing novels when I was twelve and they were all terrible. I wrote a terrible vampire novel, a terrible romance novel called The Beautiful Cassandra, a terrible mystery novel, and a terrible Arthurian novel. Awful as they were, I had fun writing them and sharing them with my friends, who either actually liked them or pretended they did. Those early attempts at fiction were the inspiration for one of my favorite parts of the Last Hours trilogy—Lucie’s ever-expanding adventure romance novel The Beautiful Cordelia!
After college I worked as a journalist and also part-time in a children’s bookstore. Working at the bookstore prompted me to re-read many of the books I’d loved when I was a kid, and doing so rekindled my desire to write. My first novel, City of Bones, came out in 2007 and I’ve been writing books ever since.
What can readers expect from the second book in The Last Hours trilogy, Chain of Iron?
In Chain of Iron, the characters face a different kind of threat than they did in Chain of Gold, where they reckoned with powerful demons as well as a deadly disease. In book two, life is beginning to return to something like normal for the Shadowhunters of London, though many are still reeling from the events of book one. It’s a moment of relative peace, but peace doesn’t last long. A serial killer is targeting Shadowhunters, and our heroes—Cordelia, Lucie, James, and their friends are determined to catch the murderer. The Nephilim are accustomed to being hunters, not the hunted, after all. I love writing in this setting, Edwardian London, and rest assured that there are plenty of scandalous parties and plenty of romance and adventure to go with the murder mystery!
One of the things that I’ve always enjoyed about your novels set in the past is the attention to detail and descriptions of the settings and outfits of the time. What kind of research goes into that part of your writing?
Researching these settings is one of my favorite parts of the writing process, so I always try to do a lot of it. I definitely go much deeper than might be strictly necessary because I enjoy the process so much. This means walking London with historical maps, scouting locations for the characters’ homes and also for demon fights. Luckily, I worked out most of the necessary basics with Chain of Gold and scouted the locations for Chain of Iron before the pandemic hit, but the research for the final book, Chain of Thorns, has of course had to be remote so far. There’s plenty of research that can be done at a distance, thanks to books and maps and the Internet, but nothing beats really being there—I miss London very much and am looking forward to getting back there when it’s feasible! Right now I’m focusing on two of my great research loves: first, reading literature set in the right era, and books that the characters themselves would be reading (since they’re a readerly bunch). I also have a real interest in historical clothing, so putting together outfits for the characters was great fun. When Chain of Gold came out, I had a dress made for myself that was based on an Edwardian pattern, and wore it to the book release party. That’s research, right?
Who are your favourite characters to write in The Last Hours?
I find it impossible to pick favorites among my characters, but I do enjoy writing Anna Lightwood and Matthew Fairchild for their amusing banter and impeccable fashion sense. I also get a kick out of writing Lucie, who is herself a writer. Writing Cordelia’s powerful drive to be a hero is something I enjoy, and James has a clever mind that is fun to write as well.
The Merry Thieves have quickly become one of my favourite literary squads and reading the scenes in Chain of Iron of them just being in each other’s presence was almost bittersweet considering the current pandemic situation going on in the real world. Where do you draw your inspiration for such amazing groups of friends?
I have a great group of friends, though they don’t have a whole lot in common with the Merry Thieves! Well, maybe a little, here and there. Writing about friendship is important to me, and I’ve endeavored to include strong friendships in each series— Clary and Simon, Will and Jem, Emma and Cristina, Magnus and Catarina and Ragnor, just to name a few. I’m particularly fond of the Merry Thieves for the ways in which they balance each other—they’re such different people but they’ve grown together into a kind or harmony. Literary inspirations for their friendship include The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, and Pip and Herbert Pocket in Great Expectations. With a little Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin thrown in.
The Shadowhunter universe has been growing for over a decade and has become an integral part of many readers’ literary lives. Are there any books that are a part of your life in such a way?
Oh, absolutely. The Tamora Pierce books are ones I began reading as a teenager and still pick up each new one as it comes out. The Anne of Green Gables series, everything Jane Austen wrote, and everything Diana Wynne Jones wrote. I’m a mystery addict as well and enjoy living in the world of long-running detective series like the Robert Parker books, and Sue Grafton and Walter Mosley’s series. A new favorite is the The Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch. He writes fantastic supernatural detective novels set in London. He does a great job of evoking contemporary London, while at the same time telling compelling modern police procedural stories and dark, macabre supernatural thriller stories.
Which type of scene is your favourite to write: swoonworthy romance or heart-wrenching tragedy?
Must you make me choose? I like to write them both, often on the same day. They balance each other out. You must have the bitter to balance the sweet, after all!
If you had to face down a Greater Demon, what three Shadowhunters would you want at your side?
Jace, Emma, and Cordelia. Although Emma and Cordelia would argue about which of them got to wield the legendary sword. You really want the strongest fighters when you’re up against a Greater Demon.
What were some of your favourite books from 2020? And do you have any favourite reads from 2021 yet?
Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu, The Book of V. by Anna Solomon, and The Project by Courtney Summers. I’ve not had much time to read so far in 2021, but I strongly recommend Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo.
Last, but certainly not least in the eyes of this Shadowhunter fan, can you tell us about what you are working on right now?
Yes! I’m currently multi-tasking. On the Shadowhunter side I’m working on Chain of Thorns, which will wrap up the Last Hours trilogy. The final book in a series is always a beast—lots of loose ends to tie up! I’m also working on Sword Catcher, an adult high fantasy that is completely independent from the Shadowhunter universe. That means creating maps and mythology for a whole new world. Writing palace intrigue is a refreshing change of pace! Between those two books I’ve got my hands full, but of course there are also some future projects I have my eye on….Never idle, that’s my motto.
Great interview Kibby! I loved reading this.