Book Review :: A Sea Change by Cassandra Clare

A Sea Change by Cassandra Clare
ISBN: 1837841233
Also in this series: Lord of Shadows, Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, Queen of Air and Darkness, The Red Scrolls of Magic, Ghosts of the Shadow Market, Chain of Gold, The Lost Book of the White, Chain of Iron, Better in Black
Published by Titan Books
on 28 April 2026
Format: eBook
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads

Most travellers are running from—or searching for—something. But not Shadowhunter Matthew Fairchild and his loyal golden retriever, Oscar Wilde. No. Matthew is searching for himself aboard the Majestic, a grand 19th century ocean liner sailing from Greece to Constantinople.

Matthew wants nothing more than to mourn the death of a friend and peacefully enjoy his travels before reuniting with his friends James Herondale and Cordelia Carstairs at the London Institute of Shadowhunters—a secret society of angel-blooded humans who protect the mundane world from demons and Downworlders. But that's interrupted when someone is murdered on the ship—and a vampire Downworlder lurks in the darkness.

Together with Sylvain Verlac, a mysterious and captivating Parisian Shadowhunter with a secret grief of his own, Matthew must find the murderer on the Majestic before death strikes again.

Last updated on 3 March 2026

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What is A Sea Change by Cassandra Clare about?

A Sea Change by Cassandra Clare is about Matthew Fairchild (a name you might recognise from The Last Hours series) hopping aboard a glamorous 19th-century ocean liner because he desperately needs a breather from life.

He’s sailing from Greece to Constantinople on the Majestic with his golden retriever, Oscar Wilde, fully intending to grieve a friend in peace, stare moodily at the sea, and sort himself out before heading back to the London Institute and his friends, James Herondale and Cordelia Carstairs. You know. Quiet reflection. Emotional growth. That sort of thing.

But instead of that, there’s a murder on the ship and definitely more than one Downworlder.

Matthew is pulled straight back into Shadowhunter business, alongside the very charming and very complicated Parisian Shadowhunter, Sylvain Verlac. He has to figure out who the killer is before the body count rises. All while he’s trying to process his grief, escape the life he knew (at least for while), and simply breathe fresh sea air. So murder is not exactly what he had in mind.

My thoughts on A Sea Change

This was a novella, just over 100 pages, and was a very sweet story through the eyes of one of my favourite characters from The Last Hours series. If you’re losing track of the Shadowhunter books, I totally get that. Don’t worry, though, the next series coming out is said to be Cassandra Clare’s last in this world.

Which is both a good thing because there are so many books, but also somewhat sad. I’ve been reading these books since City of Bones, which came out when I was in my early teen years.

But nostalgia aside … A Sea Change was a lovely tie-over until we get to the next series, and I do love how it follows on from the final book in The Last Hours. Matthew’s grief over the loss of a friend (I won’t say who) is taking over his dreams and even his waking life, and the desire to just run away for a while is very real. I always loved Matthew’s complicated character and relationships with others, so it was really lovely to see him meet Sylvain and hit it off.

I will say, though, that it was very insta-love. And I realise that this is a novella and so anything you want to happen needs to happen very quickly … Buuut I feel like there could have been ways to stretch the time, even a little bit.

That aside, it was a fun little murder mystery aboard a beautiful liner, with other interesting characters on the sidelines.

Do you need to read this book if you’re reading the Shadowhunter books? No. Not really. But if you are a fan, then it’s a nice addition to the (very long) series.

This book comes out in April 2026. 

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Disclaimer: I received this ebook from Netgalley and Daphne Press for free in exchange for a review. This does not affect my thoughts and all opinions are my own. Thank you, Netgalley!