Chain of Thorns Quiz: 20 Questions to Test Your Knowledge

Are you ready to prove your mastery of Chain of Thorns, the thrilling conclusion to Cassandra Clare's The Last Hours trilogy? This 20-question quiz covers the entire book, from the opening epigraph to the bittersweet epilogue. You'll find questions on plot twists, character motivations, key themes, and connections to the larger Shadowhunter world.

Before you begin, you might want to review the full summary of Chain of Thorns or dive into detailed questions and answers and the ending explained. But if you're ready, grab Cortana and start the quiz!

Quiz Questions

Plot and Sequence (Questions 1–8)

1. What does the novel's epigraph, taken from Michel de Montaigne, compare life to?

   • A) A battlefield
   • B) A musical composition
   • C) A river
   • D) A flame

2. In the Prologue, whose nightmare warns that "they wake"?

   • A) Cordelia Carstairs
   • B) James Herondale
   • C) Lucie Herondale
   • D) Will Herondale

3. Where does Cordelia go at the start of the book to escape her troubles?

   • A) Cornwall
   • B) Idris
   • C) Paris
   • D) Tehran

4. What does Lilith demand from Cordelia during the Naga demon attack on the Pont Alexandre?

   • A) Her loyalty
   • B) Cortana
   • C) James's love
   • D) A kiss from Matthew

5. Who dies tragically after being poisoned by Tatiana Blackthorn's knife?

   • A) James Herondale
   • B) Anna Lightwood
   • C) Christopher Lightwood
   • D) Jesse Blackthorn

6. What object does James use to spy on Belial, which then explodes?

   • A) A hand mirror
   • B) A witchlight stone
   • C) A stele
   • D) A scrying glass

7. How does James ultimately defeat the demon Belial in Westminster Abbey?

   • A) He stabs Belial with Cortana
   • B) He allows Belial to possess him, then stabs himself
   • C) He traps Belial in a mirror
   • D) He forces Belial back to Edom

8. In the epilogue, what does Matthew bury at Chiswick House?

   • A) A bottle of brandy
   • B) A letter from Charles
   • C) His stele
   • D) A lock of Cordelia's hair

Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)

1. Why does James refuse to tell Cordelia the full truth about Grace's bracelet for so long?

   • Short answer: He feels ashamed that he was manipulated and fears she will think less of him.

2. What drives Matthew Fairchild to begin drinking heavily again in Paris?

   • A) Guilt over his mother's miscarriage
   • B) Cordelia's rejection of his love
   • C) Pressure from his father Charles
   • D) The pain of a demon wound

3. Why does Cordelia decide to stay in London after the Enclave evacuates through the York Gate?

   • Short answer: She refuses to abandon James and Matthew, who are trapped in Edom, and believes she can still fight.

4. What does Grace Blackthorn truly want by the end of the book?

   • A) To regain her persuasive power
   • B) To be free of Belial's influence and atone for her past
   • C) To marry Christopher Lightwood
   • D) To become the head of the Blackthorn family

5. Why does Alastair Carstairs initially plan to move to Tehran with his family?

   • Short answer: He wants to escape London and the painful memories of his past, including his failed relationship with Charles and fear of rejection.

Theme and Symbol (Questions 14–17)

1. What does the epigraph's concept of "harmony of contraries" foreshadow for the novel?

   • A) The conflict between Shadowhunters and Downworlders
   • B) The necessity of both joy and pain in life, echoed by characters' sacrifices
   • C) The balance between love and duty only
   • D) The rivalry between James and Matthew

2. The repeated phrase "They wake" refers to which primary threat?

   • A) The Silent Brothers
   • B) Belial's army of the dead
   • C) The Meridian murderers
   • D) The Clave's hidden enemies

3. What does Cortana symbolize in the climax of the story?

   • Short answer: Both destruction (it can wound Belial) and salvation (it can heal what it harms, as James uses it to save himself).

4. What do the characters bury in the epilogue at Chiswick House?

   • A) Treasures from their adventures
   • B) Objects representing their past regrets and mistakes
   • C) Weapons for a future battle
   • D) Letters to their loved ones

Synthesis (Questions 18–20)

1. How does the relationship between James and Cordelia parallel that of Lilith and Belial?

   • Short answer: Both pairings involve a demon and a paladin or host, but James and Cordelia choose love and free will, while Lilith and Belial use manipulation and servitude.

2. In what way does Lucie's necromancy ultimately save the day during the final battle?

   • Short answer: She forces the Chimera demons out of the Watchers' bodies by summoning the spirits of the possessed Silent Brothers and Iron Sisters, collapsing Belial's army.

3. What does the new demon who appears in the coda reveal about Belial's true fate?

   • Short answer: He reveals that the original Belial is truly dead, and he is a replacement Prince of Hell who offers a truce, underscoring that Belial's weakness was his inability to understand love.

Answer Key

1. B) A musical composition. The epigraph from Montaigne argues that life needs diverse tones, like joy and pain, to create harmony.
2. B) James Herondale. In the Prologue, James dreams of Belial who says "they wake," setting the prophetic tone.
3. C) Paris. Cordelia goes to Paris with Matthew to escape her broken marriage and the pressure of being a paladin.
4. B) Cortana. Lilith appears during the Naga demon fight and demands Cortana, but Cordelia has hidden it with Alastair.
5. C) Christopher Lightwood. Tatiana throws a poisoned knife at him during the attack at the Institute; Cordelia sees his death in a vision.
6. D) A scrying glass. James uses Tatiana's mirror to spy on Belial, but the demon senses the intrusion and destroys it.
7. B) He allows Belial to possess him, then stabs himself. After Belial enters James's body, James asks Cordelia for Cortana and plunges it into his own heart, forcing Belial out.
8. A) A bottle of brandy. Matthew buries brandy to symbolically leave his addiction and past mistakes behind.
9. Shame about manipulation. James fears that admitting he was controlled by Grace's bracelet will make him seem weak and ruin Cordelia's trust.
10. A) Guilt over his mother's miscarriage. Matthew confesses to James that he gave his mother a faerie potion which caused a miscarriage; this long-held secret fuels his drinking.
11. Refusal to abandon loved ones. Cordelia stages a distraction so the portal closes, staying behind to rescue James and Matthew from Belial.
12. B) Free from Belial and atonement. Grace confesses her crimes, helps with fire-messages, and genuinely wants to become a better person.
13. Escape from painful past. Alastair feels he can't start fresh in London because of his shame over Charles and his fear of rejection.
14. B) The necessity of both joy and pain. The novel repeatedly shows that characters must endure suffering to appreciate the good; this theme runs through every character's arc.
15. B) Belial's army of the dead. "They wake" refers to the dead souls and Chimera demons that Belial prepares to attack London.
16. Destruction and salvation. Cordelia learns that a paladin's blade can heal as well as kill, which is how James saves himself after stabbing Belial.
17. B) Objects representing past regrets. Each character buries a symbolic item (brandy, hair dye, the broken bracelet) to let go of their mistakes.
18. Love vs. manipulation. James and Cordelia's bond is built on trust and free will, in contrast to Lilith's manipulative paladin bond and Belial's possessive control.
19. Forcing demons out of hosts. Lucie's ghost-summoning power allows the spirits of the fallen Nephilim to reclaim their bodies, driving out the Chimera demons.
20. Original Belial is dead. The new demon confirms that Belial's inability to love was his downfall, and that a new Prince of Hell has taken his place, offering a fragile peace.