Alec Lightwood, partner of the High Warlock of Brooklyn and father of a warlock child, is sent to Buenos Aires to re-establish the Shadowhunters amidst the ruins left by the Dark War. When he arrives, he is not welcomed by the Shadowhunters there. He believes it is because of his companion Lily, the head of the New York vampire clan, until a Shadowhunter orphan confides a dark secret to him under cover of the Shadow Market.

Praise for the The Mortal Instruments/The Dark Artifices series:

"There is much to enjoy, including a subplot involving the Wild Hunt that is fresh and often wonderfully told. With an intense cliff-hanger ending, demand for the sequel is likely to be just as high."
Booklist

"Clare's well-developed protagonists (each a fragile combination of heroic warrior and teenage neurotic), pell-mell action sequences, complicated family dynamics, and fascinating magic system continue to engage."
Publishers Weekly