NYCC 2023: Cassandra Clare and VE Schwab dish on the hottest new fantasy reads!
New York, New York - New York Comic Con 2023 continued to delight book lovers with some exciting new insight about the hottest new releases from Cassandra Clare, VE Schwab, and more, with TAG24 was there for all the big reveals!
Day 3 of the convention welcomed Clare and Schwab in conversation for Building Bestselling Worlds, a panel that saw both authors reveal their unique creation processes behind their beloved fantasy series.
Clare, best known for her beloved Shadowhunter Chronicles, spoke about her latest release, Sword Catcher. The novel, which was released on October 10, marks her first foray into adult fantasy and is an entirely new series.
In her "elevator pitch" for her latest novel, Clare explained that it's set in a world where "once upon a time, there were extremely powerful magician kings."
"Eventually, they went to battle against each other and nearly destroyed the world," she said, adding that magic was "forbidden" after that. Sword Catcher is set in a city-state called Castellane, a trading hub plagued by a constant struggle for power.
The novel follows Kel, an orphan trained as the body double of Prince Conor Aurelian, a sacrificial role that Clare noted presents an intriguing perspective on identity.
"I found it interesting that Kel had no identity of his own," she said. "No one ever speaks his real name, no one ever acknowledges his actual life."
"For me, what was sort of the inciting incident of this book was for Kel to be brought into a new group of people who actually know him for who he really is and what that would be like for him to be suddenly his own person."
Cassandra Clare and VE Schwab discuss Sword Catcher and The Fragile Threads of Power
The Mortal Instruments author also teased a found family trope in Sword Catcher, echoing the beloved character relationships in her Shadowhunter novels and the famous Parabatai bond. Clare revealed that her newest book features its own language as well, one which was meticulously crafted by a linguist she hired to ensure the dialect had a realistic structure.
Schwab, meanwhile, shed light on the much-buzzed-about Fragile Threads of Power, which is set in the world of her A Darker Shade of Magic trilogy. She spoke at length about the story's intricately designed setting, consisting of four Londons driven apart by the power of magic.
The acclaimed writer of Vicious gave quite the teaser for the new novel, explaining that it follows "a 15-year-old runaway who comes into possession of something she should not have" and, in deciding to fix it, "might unravel the entire world."
Schwab painted the picture of a uniquely heart-warming "designed family" and a world in which "people let magic into their hearts and minds, and it grew so large that it burned the world down."
"Magic there became a god," she explained. "It got an ego."
The Fragile Threads of Power delves deep into this complex system of oppression, providing a poignant backdrop for a tale of fantastic adventure that introduces exciting new faces and catches up with old favorites.
What are Cassandra Clare and VE Schwab working on next?
Clare and Schwab both revealed some thrilling updates about their next projects. Clare confirmed that a sequel to Sword Catcher titled The Ragpicker King is in the works, as well as the first novel in the Wicked Powers series, which will bid a final farewell to Jace, Clary, Tessa, Emma, and the rest of the Shadowhunter gang.
Schwab's next novel remains under wraps, but she teased that the untitled project is a "dark sibling" to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, adding that she affectionately refers to it as her "toxic lesbian vampires" story.
Both Sword Catcher and The Fragile Threads of Power are available in bookstores now.
Cover photo: TAG24 / Kelly Christ