The Sword Catcher is a New Adult fantasy series by prominent Young Adult author Cassandra Clare.
In the vibrant city-state of Castellane, the richest of nobles and the most debauched of criminals have one thing in common: the constant search for wealth, power, and the next hedonistic thrill.
Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword Catcher—the body double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He has been raised alongside the prince, trained in every aspect of combat and statecraft. He and Conor are as close as brothers, but Kel knows that his destiny is to die for Conor. No other future is possible.
Lin Caster is one of the Ashkar, a small community whose members still possess magical abilities. By law, they must live behind walls within the city, but Lin, a physician, ventures out to tend to the sick and dying of Castellane. Despite her skills, she cannot heal her best friend without access to forbidden knowledge.After a failed assassination attempt brings Lin and Kel together, they are drawn into the mysterious web of the Ragpicker King, the criminal ruler of Castellane's underworld, who offers them each what they want most. But as the two descend into his world of intrigue and shadow, they discover a conspiracy of corruption that reaches from the darkest gutters of Castellane to the highest tower of its palaces. As long-kept secrets begin to unravel, they must ask themselves: Is knowledge worth the price of betrayal? Can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will their discoveries plunge their nation into war—and the world into chaos?
The first book was released October 10, 2023. A planned sequel, titled The Ragpicker King, is set to be released in 2025.
The Sword Catcher series contains examples of:
- Always on Duty: Kel's life becomes this when he becomes Conor's Sword Catcher. No matter where he's at or what he's doing, he has to be ready to step in and take Conor's place at a moment's notice.
- Appearance Is in the Eye of the Beholder: How Kel is able to pose as Conor despite Conor being the Prince of Castellane. He wears a special amulet that enchants anyone who looks at him to see Conor if they are expecting to see Conor, especially since Kel's complexion is already similar. It doesn't work on those who know about the amulet and its properties.
- Assassination Attempt: Kel takes one for Conor, which is what leads him to Lin.
- Ban on Magic: Except for gematry, a type of magic only practiced by the Ashkar using gems and stones. All other magic was destroyed in The Sundering, and attempts to rediscover it or learn about it generally results in swift exile.
- Childhood Marriage Promise: When they were fifteen, Kel made Antonetta a ring out of stems and asked her to be his "bandit queen" during a game, which would have likely brought their feelings for each other to the forefront, had Lady Alleyne not stepped in.
- The Chosen One: Kel is the chosen one for being the Sword Catcher.
- City of Adventure: Castellane, par excellance.
- Darker and Edgier: The series as whole is this to Clare's YA universe The Shadowhunter Chronicles, mostly owing to the fact it was written with a more mature audience in mind.
- Both of these series are Darker and Edgier series to The Magisterium, the middle grade series Clare co-wrote with Holly Black.
- End of an Age: The Sundering was this for magic being (more or less) available to everyone.
- Ethnic Magician: The Ashkar.
- Fantastic Caste System: The Ashkar are of a lower class than other citizens of Castellane.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Multiple in the setting.
- Castellane itself has heavy French influences.
- The Ashkar were written specifically to be a Fantasy Counterpart Culture to Jews.
- Geumjoseon is this to Korea, specifically South Korea
- Shenzan is one to China and Chinese culture
- Nyenschantz is one for Russia
- Fantasy World Map: There's one for the setting in the beginning of the book.
- Forced from Their Home: The story starts with Kel being forced to leave the orphanage to become the Sword Catcher, though Conor claims he could've turned down the position if he wanted.
- Lin and Josit were forced from their family home to the Etse Kebeth and the Dasu Kebeth—the female and male schools of the Sault—after their parents are killed.
- Glamour: Kel's ability to be glamoured to look like Conor is how he carries out his duty as Sword Catcher.
- Got Volunteered: How Kel became a Sword Catcher in the first place—Jolivet picked him out from his orphanage as being the closest in age and looks to Conor (and therefore his amulet would have an easier time casting the spell to make anyone who looks at him think they're seeing Conor). Downplayed, in that Conor explains Kel could refuse if he wanted, after explaining how much better his life would be as a Sword Catcher than an orphan.
- Great Offscreen War: The Sundering. Also the war that turned the Empire into Castellane.
- Honor Among Thieves: The Ragpicker King and—to a lesser extent—his Crawlers. You don't get to be king of a criminal underworld without a little finesse and class.
- At one point, Lin mentioned being saved from a mugging by a Crawler, on account of the Ragpicker King being fond of physicians.
- Interrupted Intimacy: Antonetta walks in on Kel and Silla about to have sex to inform him that Conor is in danger.
- Left-Justified Fantasy Map: Like most others of its kind, the Fantasy World Map in the book's opening shows a west shore only.
- Lost Common Knowledge: The Sundering left most people unable to perform magic, and ignorant of how it works.
- Love-Obstructing Parents: Lady Alleyne when her daughter starts to develop feelings for Kel, and vice versa.
- Mage Species: The Ashkar are an ethnic minority capable of performing small acts of magic using gematry.
- Magical Accessory: The Ashkar wear one, usually as an amulet.
- Using one is how Kel is able to pose as Conor during political events and speeches.
- The Magic Goes Away: Again, a consequence of The Sundering, for all but a chosen few people.
- Mangst: Some of Kel's internal dialogue, at least initially, sounds like this.
- Muggles: Though most people know magic exists, or used to, few can actually use it now.
- Parent-Preferred Suitor: Lady Alleyne really wants Antonetta to marry Prince Conor.
- Protectorate: The nature of Conor's relationship to Kel, at least initially.
- Similarly, though less politically-motivated, Mariam to Lin.
- Soap Opera Disease: What Mariam seems to be dying from, as no one knows what it is or how to cure it.
- Unfocused During Intimacy: When Silla takes Kel to engage in some heavy foreplay soon after his initial meeting with the Ragpicker King, Kel keeps having to forcibly keep his mind from returning to his meeting and the suspicions that arose from it during the entire moment, right up until Antonetta comes in with news about Conor as a Moment Killer.
- Vehicular Kidnapping: The Ragpicker King kidnaps Kel in his carriage in order to have a conversation with him.
- We Used to Be Friends: After making her debut into high society, Antonetta goes from the rough-and-tumble Tomboy with a Girly Streak friend to Kel, Conor, Joss Falconet, and Charlon Roverge to a prim and proper lady who blows off her old friends (and old Puppy Love with Kel) with a fake smile more befitting a young noblewoman.
