The Ragpicker King

‘This is fantasy at its finest’ – Leigh Bardugo, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author

The 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 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 the Sunday Times bestseller 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.

About the Author

Cassandra Clare wrote the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling novel Sword Catcher, the first book in The Chronicles of Castellane. She’s also author of the No. 1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly bestselling Shadowhunter Chronicles. Clare also co-authored the bestselling fantasy series Magisterium with Holly Black.

The Shadowhunter Chronicles have been adapted as both a major motion picture and a television series. Cassandra Clare’s books have more than fifty million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. She lives in western Massachusetts with her husband and three fearsome cats.