Clare has done an amazing work on introducing charismatic characters with entertaining stories as she continues to build and diversify the shadowhunter world --- a matter that takes a great deal of consistency to maintain. Although not all of her books are "god-tier", they still do not diminish her progressive run for improvement. An example of this is evident in Lord of Shadows, the 2nd book of The Dark Artifices.
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Lord of Shadows doesn't shy away from a typical shadowhunter book: an engaging plot filled with dynamic characters and appearances from the original character ensemble of The Mortal Instruments, whose presence do not overshadow the series' protagonists. However, what makes it different and best among Clare's works is how challenging it was to read, especially with eight (8) third person point-of-views from main and supporting protagonists. This results to simultaneous storylines happening ALL at the same time, hence, a challenge for both the reader and author. If you're a casual reader, you'll need to give this book your undivided attention to grasp all that's happening or you'll fall off track, but when you're an obsessive reader/fan, this won't be a problem. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Clare's writing style hasn't changed but it has improved so much since City of Bones. She delivered an almost perfectly woven piece of work while pushing and pulling with my heartstrings from the first 'til the last page. Every character was thoroughly well-written (Julian Blackthorn!!! his character study is up for another lengthy post), and the storylines carefully planned and fit together, all of which keep your emotions running high.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
In conclusion, Lord of Shadows is lengthy but a quick and emotional read because of its carefully-written plot, coupled with its characters' complexity, that keeps you hooked. It's a tragic but brilliant sequel to a book installment making it worth the read.