The Ragpicker King (the Chronicles Of Castellane Book 2)

By (author) Clare Cassandra
Short description/annotation:
The Ragpicker King is the Sunday Times bestselling second book in Cassandra Clare’s epic fantasy adventure of magic, power and politics – and the sequel to the spellbinding Sword Catcher.
Description:
‘This is fantasy at its finest’ – Leigh Bardugo, No. 1 New York Times bestselling authorThe Ragpicker King is the Sunday Times bestselling sequel to the epic 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 after 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 has claimed 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

^{Sword Catcher was a top ten Sunday Times bestseller w/c 5th October 2024.}
_{The Ragpicker King was a top ten Sunday Times bestseller w/c 10th March 2025.}

Review quote:
Everything I look for in medieval fantasy: mystery and magic (not too much, not too little), expert world-building, 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?
Review quote:
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
Review quote:
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
Review quote:
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
Biographical note:
Cassandra Clare wrote the Sunday Times and New York