The eldest child of Shadowhunters Will and Tessa Herondale, James is one of the novel’s three protagonists. Tall and dark-haired with unusual gold eyes inherited from his mother, James is considered handsome. His character undergoes considerable development in the book, tested by two conflicts, one romantic and the other involving his identity. As the book opens, James is in love with his childhood friend, the solitary and mysterious Grace Blackthorn. However, he is also strongly attracted to Cordelia Carstairs, his sister’s soon-to-be parabatai. While James’s love for Grace is compulsive and partly bewitched, his feelings for Cordelia are organic. He feels torn—and this parallels his struggle with his true self. The grandson of a demon, James is sometimes pulled into the underworld, which he fears signals his demonic nature. Though his family and friends often remind him of his innate goodness, James remains conflicted. This preoccupied inner conflict can seem like self-involvement; he misses vital clues that his parabatai and his sister both harbor troubling secrets.

Nevertheless, James is very much the decisive, stern, action-oriented hero, leading others in battle and never shy of an adventure. Uncle Jem calls him “the star that cannot be lost” (290), while Cordelia tells him he is a natural leader, the glue holding their friend group together.