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The Ragpicker King
The Chronicles of Castellane (Related to this series)
- Author
- Cassandra Clare
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Publish Date
- 4 March 2025
- Run Time
- 21 hours 10 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Narrative theme: death, grief, loss, Epic fantasy / high fantasy, Adventure / action fiction, Fantasy romance / Romantic fantasy, Dark fantasy, Narrative theme: identity / belonging
- Rating
- 4.7 (3 reviews)
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What to expect
‘This is fantasy at its finest’ – Leigh Bardugo, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author
The Ragpicker King is the epic, gripping sequel to the Sunday Times bestselling Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare.
His life is an illusion. Her lie is a gamble. Can two outliers save a kingdom?
The royal court is in turmoil following a massacre. Kel, Prince Conor’s body-double, is hunting for traitors. And the notorious Ragpicker King, ruler of the dazzling city of Castellane’s criminal underworld, holds the only clues. But they lead to a dark conspiracy to destroy the royal family – headed by the man due to marry the woman Kel loves.
Lin will be judged after claiming to be the legendary Goddess Reborn and wielder of powerful magic - now her people’s charismatic leader is ready to test her powers. Failure will mean exile, and only further dangerous deception can save her now. As the simmering tension in Castellane reaches fever pitch, Prince Conor demands that Lin heal his father’s madness. But the King is tormented by an ancient magic, and Lin cannot deny its allure – any more than she can deny her growing passion for the prince. Lin and Kel must decide who they can trust. Yet any false move will mean death – or worse . . .
Lose yourself in a vibrant world of power, intrigue and magic in this spellbinding fantasy from an internationally bestselling sensation.
***
Praise for Sword Catcher
‘Everything I look for in fantasy’ – George R. R. Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Game of Thrones
‘A triumph of a book’ – Holly Black, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Night
‘Vivid and clever’ – Scott Lynch, bestselling author of the Gentleman Bastard sequence
Critics Review
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Sword Catcher gave me everything I look for in medieval fantasy: mystery and magic (not too much, not too little), expert worldbuilding, swordplay and politics, a colourful cast of interesting characters and a story that kept me reading from the first page to the last, with enough twists and turns to keep me turning the pages. It's a big thick book, but it left me wanting more. When's the next one coming out?
George R. R. Martin, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of Game of Thrones
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Fiona Hardingham and Christian Coulson’s performances bring swoon-worthy tension to this epic fantasy sequel . . . The narrators’ alternating chapters merge seamlessly, creating a listening experience that balances intrigue and emotional depth . . . An audio feast for fans of nuanced character-driven fantasy
AudioFile
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A gorgeously built world of decadence, betrayal and grand adventure. From the decadent and drunken parties of the nobles, to the dens of crime lords in the Warren and Maze, to the Sault, where the devotees of a lost goddess are penned, the city of Castellane makes the perfect backdrop for a delightful cast of characters to befriend, betray and romance one another. This is Cassandra Clare at her cleverest, twistiest and most heart-stopping – a triumph of a book
Holly Black, New York Times bestselling author of Book of Night
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Clare plunges us into a thrilling world built with precision and brimming with enchantment. Her spellbinding cast of outlaws, healers, royals and rogues will have you questioning your allegiances with every delicious turn of the plot. This is fantasy at its finest
Leigh Bardugo, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of Hell Bent
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Cassandra Clare is a legend in fantasy . . . be warned you will be obsessed . . . a propulsive, layered, phenomenally imagined start to what promises to be an epic journey
Glamour Magazine
User Reviews
Book 4.7
Narration 5.0
-
5.0 5.0
A jolly good follow up to The Sword Catcher. I just hope there will be another in the series as I want to find out how it all gets resolved!
dizzydyslexic 2025-06-01 -
4.0 5.0
“Change, I have learned, is not one decision, but many decisions made every day.”
I finally read The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare, which is the sequel to Sword Catcher, & it was SO GOOD!
We pick up soon after we left off at the end of Sword Catcher & Lin, Kel & Conor are all struggling to manage with the consequences of everything that’s happened & everything that is still at stake.
This book is full of political intrigue, we follow multiple characters that show us all the different parts of the society & world and how there is so much at play & so many secrets.
We have betrayals & friends trying to protect each other but who can the trio trust? Can they even trust each other? Everything had me hooked!
There is a slow build up as all the plot points & character arcs converge to the explosive ending that had me screaming!
The way Cassandra builds the tension is well done, I was completely hooked, reading well into the night saying just one more chapter.
The other aspect that I adored was the yearning & angst. Everyone is either politicking or yearning, there’s two forbidden romances, & the slow burn that had me screaming just admit your feelings! I loved it all so much!
I don’t want to say anything that could be a spoiler but I highly recommend this series if you love political intrigue, morally grey characters & all the yearning!nhussain89 2025-05-08
Details
- Author
- Cassandra Clare
- Narrator
- Fiona Hardingham, Christian Coulson
- Duration
- 21 hours 10 minutes
- Release Date
- 4 March 2025
- ISBN
- 9781529001464
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Genre
- Narrative theme: death, grief, loss, Epic fantasy / high fantasy, Adventure / action fiction, Fantasy romance / Romantic fantasy, Dark fantasy, Narrative theme: identity / belonging
- Rating
- 4.7(3 reviews)
- Narration
- 5.0(3 reviews)
Synopsis
‘This is fantasy at its finest’ – Leigh Bardugo, No. 1 New York Times bestselling authorThe Ragpicker King is the epic, gripping sequel to the Sunday Times bestselling Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare.His life is an illusion. Her lie is a gamble. Can two outliers save a kingdom?The royal court is in turmoil following a massacre. Kel, Prince Conor’s body-double, is hunting for traitors. And the notorious Ragpicker King, ruler of the dazzling city of Castellane’s criminal underworld, holds the only clues. But they lead to a dark conspiracy to destroy the royal family – headed by the man due to marry the woman Kel loves.Lin will be judged after claiming to be the legendary Goddess Reborn and wielder of powerful magic - now her people’s charismatic leader is ready to test her powers. Failure will mean exile, and only further dangerous deception can save her now. As the simmering tension in Castellane reaches fever pitch, Prince Conor demands that Lin heal his father’s madness. But the King is tormented by an ancient magic, and Lin cannot deny its allure – any more than she can deny her growing passion for the prince. Lin and Kel must decide who they can trust. Yet any false move will mean death – or worse . . .Lose yourself in a vibrant world of power, intrigue and magic in this spellbinding fantasy from an internationally bestselling sensation.***Praise for Sword Catcher‘Everything I look for in fantasy’ – George R. R. Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Game of Thrones‘A triumph of a book’ – Holly Black, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Night ‘Vivid and clever’ – Scott Lynch, bestselling author of the Gentleman Bastard sequence
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