In one week, we will have new, canon Shadowhunter Chronicles content, as Secrets of Blackthorn Hall is set to begin for real over on Tumblr.
If you’re not up to date on this new project, here’s the basic rundown: Secrets of Blackthorn Hall follows Emma and Julian as they attempt to repair Blackthorn Hall. It will be published on Tumblr in weekly installments for a full year, and bridge the gap between The Dark Artifices and The Wicked Powers. It’s also supposed to relate to The Last Hours.
We’ve been in the Shadowhunter Chronicles fandom for long enough to know how this works. We’ll get lots of little tidbits of information about upcoming books, but only enough that we can start crafting theories without actually getting any answers. We’re also going to get plenty of fluff and angst from various different series.
We are so ready for it.
Here are 10 things we want out of Secrets of Blackthorn Hall.
Jules and Emma being happy and domestic
I have to admit that I didn’t fully appreciate Julian and Emma’s relationship until I re-read The Dark Artifices back in 2020, but nowadays I can’t get enough of these two. There’s just something about their childhood-friends-to-lovers dynamic, the incredibly strange circumstances under which they got together, and of course the way they just click. Emma’s penchant for violence and Julian’s flexible morals make a fantastic combination. (There’s definitely a parallel universe where Julian is a supervillain, right? I’ve always thought he had that in him).
Secrets of Blackthorn Hall won’t just be a story about Julian and Emma, but these two will be the protagonists, so we’re bound to see plenty of their relationship. I, for one, can’t wait to see how things have changed between them now that some of their problems have been solved. What did they do during their travel year? Just kidding. This is the horniest couple in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. We all know exactly what they got up to on their travel year. Good for them, honestly.
Really, though, I’m so excited to catch up with these two and see them actually happy for once. Give me all the fluff. Please go full fanfic and show me the two of them learning about their ancestors.
Kierarktina
Have you seen this snippet Cassie posted in her newsletter?, featuring Mark’s adventures at mundane clubs? I’ve read it so many times I could probably recite it by heart.
These three are so incredibly chaotic. I want to know everything about Mark’s journey toward adjusting to the human world. And Kieran! How much has he learned? How often does he sneak out to see Mark and Cristina?
And though I love Cristina’s boys, I want to see her too! Her friendship with Emma is one of my favourite parts of The Dark Artifices.
Kitty angst
You knew this was coming. Based on my Twitter and Tumblr feeds, this seems to be the most anticipated element of Secrets of Blackthorn Hall. Kit and Ty ended things on such a bad note in Queen of Air and Darkness. We know they’re going to be the protagonists of The Wicked Powers. Will they see each other in the interim? Will they resolve any of their issues? Is there any chance we get some progress in this series, or will we have to wait until The Wicked Powers? Because whatever happens in this series is definitely going to have a pretty big impact on their dynamic going into the final series.
This may be a hot take, but I personally don’t want Kit and Ty to actually see each other in this bonus project. That moment will be so important that I think it needs to be left to the actual series. Although I guess technically they could see each other in person in Secrets of Blackthorn Hall, just not actually resolve any of their issues.
What I really want to see is the mutual pining. I want them both to be happy, obviously, but I’d also like a sign that they’ve been thinking about each other.
References to The Last Hours
One of the big selling points of this series was that it was going to connect The Last Hours to The Dark Artifices and The Wicked Powers. It’s still not entirely clear exactly what that means, but it seems like a safe bet that it will have something to do with the house itself. You may know Blackthorn hall under the name of Chiswick House – the place where Benedict Lightwood once lived, which was inherited by Tatiana Blackthorn after his death.
(We’re definitely getting worm jokes, right? Like, Julian and Emma are about to learn about the worm. There has to be at least one worm joke. And since Will’s ghost can appear only for incredibly important moments, I’m assuming this moment would qualify and he is going to show up to recite poetry.)
I also want to see them realizing that the Blackthorn family has a long history with necromancy. I think that would be fun.
But beyond that, I’m not entirely sure what to expect. Will we get hints about the kinds of endings the TLH characters will get? I have to say I’d be very happy if we got, like, a hint that Matthew is alive after the events of Chain of Thorns. (He will be. I’m sure of it. But, you know, it would be nice to get confirmation. Maybe even an idea of what kind of ending he gets.) I’m sure we’ll learn a few things that will have the whole fandom breaking out the red string, because that’s just what every single Shadowhunter story does to us.
I suspect that the main connection between the two series will have to do with the Princes of Hell. We’ve been getting lots and lots of hints that those guys are going to be the big bads of The Wicked Powers, and they’re clearly playing a big role in The Last Hours. There’s going to be something plot-related, and I’m scared.
The Carstairs family
I! Need! Jessa! Fluff!
Honestly, I would gladly read an entire book – no, an entire series – about Jem, Tessa, Mina and Kit. Please, let them appear at some point.
This fandom talks a lot about Will Herondale being a dilf, but we don’t talk nearly enough about Jem Carstairs being a dilf, or – most importantly – Tessa Gray being a milf. We as a society should appreciate milf Tessa Gray more.
Alec as Consul
I’d love some TMI squad updates in general, but I’m especially curious about what Alec has been up to. We already know he’s a great Consul, but I want to see it! I want confirmation! Come on, Cassie, you can’t just end the series like that!
What is Dru up to?
I feel like, after Queen of Air and Darkness, Ghosts of the Shadow Market, and the tiny tidbits we’ve gotten from Cassie’s social media, we all have a decent idea of where Kit and Ty’s storylines are headed. But they’re not the only protagonists of The Wicked Powers! What about Dru? I feel like we hardly know anything about her!
I want to know how Dru is doing at Shadowhunter Academy. I want her to show up and be really into Julian and Emma’s project. This seems right up her alley, right? I need her to play a big role in this story.
I just want to know how she’s doing and get an idea of where her storyline is headed in the next series. I will take any crumbs of information, but would love to see as much of her as possible.
An idea of the plot of The Wicked Powers
Because of The Last Hours, it feels like it’s been years since we got any information about this next series. I need to know things! I can’t wait this long!
Diana and Gwyn
I know they’re side characters, but I really want to see what they’re up to in this new world! They’re such a cute couple, and Diana especially was one of my favourite characters in The Dark Artifices.
I’m also really interested to see how Diana’s relationship with Julian and Emma has evolved now that things have calmed down a bit and everything is out in the open. She was the only real adult in their lives for a long time. She obviously felt really guilty about not being able to help out more, and I got the impression Julian resented her for it just a little bit. Things seemed to be going well by Queen of Air and Darkness, though, so I want to see them interacting more!
Maybe Julian and Emma don’t need Diana as badly now as they did a few years ago, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t an important person in their lives.
Emma learning about Cordelia
There were so many references to Cordelia in The Dark Artifices, and with good reason! Emma is named after her. They both wielded Cortana. They’re both badass female protagonists. Out of all the characters from The Last Hours, I need Emma to learn about Cordelia most. I just think she’d really love her. And it’s sad to think about Cordelia and all her peers being dead in this timeline. Barring a really weird plot twist, she’s the only Shadowhunter Chronicles protagonist that won’t be around for The Wicked Powers, and that makes me very sad.
Secrets of Blackthorn Hall will be published in weekly installments starting August 16th, 2021.
