Attractive Characters #4: James Carstairs

            Now everyone knows that I am not all that fond of blondes. Hence the reason I was never all that attracted to Cedric Diggory. But, is blonde the same as silver? Who knows the answer to that? Not me, but obviously there is some difference because I am deeply attracted to James "Jem" Carstairs.

           Jem is  character in Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince. He is Shadowhunter with a horrendous past, this adding more to his appeal as a character. His mother was from Shanghai, China and his father was British. Talk about having a mixed offspring. But, that is just the most amazing thing about Jem: he is original in more ways than one. More on that later though. Jem is the parabatai of William Herondale, another character in the books. That means he is the blood brother (despite having different parents) of Will and is meant to look out for him, regardless of the situation. If an arrow were to be soaring towards Will, Jem would be obligated to step in front of that arrow, all to protect his parabatai. What makes this even more interesting is the fact that Jem would do that regardless of his bond to Will. That is just the person that Jem is.

         Jem is an original, as I stated earlier. He is kind, patient, and silver. I know, I know how that sounds. It sounds as though I have lost my mind and as likely as some would say that is possible, it hasn't happened as early as some expected.

         Jem has a curse that makes him an addict to a drug  called yin fen. It is a drug that he became addicted to as a child because a demon tortured him with it. Now, as a teenager, he cannot survive without it. Thus the reason I said that he was silver. The drug has a wee, little, tiny, side effect: it causes the user to lose their coloring. Jem, who was once a dark-haired boy, is now someone who looks as though he is an 80-year old man with silver hair. Color, wise that is. He still has the body of a 17 year old, just not the coloring.

     More reasons to love Jem is that he is so very kind and gentle. He rescued a cat who he named Church at the end of Clockwork Angel. He never loses his temper and always seems to have a sincere, calm disposition even under the most dire of circumstances. That just adds to his sexiness, regardless of the addiction he faces. Also, he is a determined fighter and a loyal friend.

       Determined because he fights with a fervor. Maybe to repay the demons that killed his parents and forced him to become an addict. Maybe because he just wants to rid the world of evil. Either way, his skill may not be as hones as his parabatai's, but that doesn't make him any less deadly. As for a loyal friend, he sticks by Will like white-on-rice. A bit cliche, but true all the same. Will tends to be the more reckless of the two, always getting into scrapes. Jem is the one who gets him out of those "scrapes" and the only one who seems to be able to withstand Will's dour disposition. Plus, as mentioned before, he is the one who remains cool and steady when a storm is brewing (Don't judge me, I am in a metaphoric mood).

       Jem Carstairs is a wonderful boy. He is thoughtful and kind; sweet and intelligent. Now, who wouldn't be attracted to silvers?