Spoiler Alert! Obviously, as this is the fourth book in a series, some information will be revealed. If you want to read this series in a completely pristine experience, stop here!
Image and summary from Goodreads.com:
The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And - most importantly of all - she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.
But nothing comes without a price.
Someone is murdering Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine's Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary's best friend, Simon, can't help her. His mother just found out that he's a vampire and now he's homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side - along with the power of the curse that's wrecking his life. And they're willing to do anything to get what they want. At the same time he's dating two beautiful, dangerous girls - neither of whom knows about the other one.
When Jace begins to pull away from Clary without explaining why, she is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: She herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.
Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.
But nothing comes without a price.
Someone is murdering Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine's Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary's best friend, Simon, can't help her. His mother just found out that he's a vampire and now he's homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side - along with the power of the curse that's wrecking his life. And they're willing to do anything to get what they want. At the same time he's dating two beautiful, dangerous girls - neither of whom knows about the other one.
When Jace begins to pull away from Clary without explaining why, she is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: She herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.
Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.
So far, this series has proven to be one of my all-time favorites. I am, at this point, completely attached to all of the characters, and highly invested in what happen to them. Nothing speaks of quality writing better than that, in my opinion. And while I still liked this book, it is so far my least favorite of the series.
One of my primary "beefs" with this book (if you can all it that, I still enjoyed!) was the whole love triangle between Simon, Isabelle, and Maia. Though I understand that Simon is now rocking extreme "vampire mojo," I still had a difficult time envisioning him going from lovestruck nerd, hopelessly wishing for Clary, to ladies man. However, Clare managed to give him enough awkwardness in his dealings with the ladies that it didn't completely put me off his character or the novel as a whole. I also enjoyed the introduction of a new character, Kyle, a new bandmate for Simon. Kyle added extra impetus to the "side stories" of the book, which was appreciated. I hate when small groups of characters get almost stale in their interactions because no one new is introduced.
Where I was slightly disappointed in this book as compared to the rest of the series came with the plot. It seemed to follow a very similar storyline to some of the others, thus lacking in the originality I usually so enjoy about the books. For whatever reason, the book struck me as less of a book in its own right, and more of just a bridge to get the readers from one "mini-climax" to the next, coming in the sixth and final book of the series. But, the story still had some merit. After all, I was distressed about Jace and Clary; after them getting to finally be together at the end of City of Glass, it was worrying that they might be separated again! Their story, combined with the mystery of Jace's apparent mood change, was enough to keep me reading.
At this point, I would only recommend this novel to readers who have invested themselves in the rest of the series. These books are LONG, and by the fourth installment, come with a lot of backstory! It would be difficult for a reader new to the series to jump in at this point. However, even if this book was a little disappointing compared to the rest of the series, it is still worth a read for any fan of the Mortal Instruments series.
One of my primary "beefs" with this book (if you can all it that, I still enjoyed!) was the whole love triangle between Simon, Isabelle, and Maia. Though I understand that Simon is now rocking extreme "vampire mojo," I still had a difficult time envisioning him going from lovestruck nerd, hopelessly wishing for Clary, to ladies man. However, Clare managed to give him enough awkwardness in his dealings with the ladies that it didn't completely put me off his character or the novel as a whole. I also enjoyed the introduction of a new character, Kyle, a new bandmate for Simon. Kyle added extra impetus to the "side stories" of the book, which was appreciated. I hate when small groups of characters get almost stale in their interactions because no one new is introduced.
Where I was slightly disappointed in this book as compared to the rest of the series came with the plot. It seemed to follow a very similar storyline to some of the others, thus lacking in the originality I usually so enjoy about the books. For whatever reason, the book struck me as less of a book in its own right, and more of just a bridge to get the readers from one "mini-climax" to the next, coming in the sixth and final book of the series. But, the story still had some merit. After all, I was distressed about Jace and Clary; after them getting to finally be together at the end of City of Glass, it was worrying that they might be separated again! Their story, combined with the mystery of Jace's apparent mood change, was enough to keep me reading.
At this point, I would only recommend this novel to readers who have invested themselves in the rest of the series. These books are LONG, and by the fourth installment, come with a lot of backstory! It would be difficult for a reader new to the series to jump in at this point. However, even if this book was a little disappointing compared to the rest of the series, it is still worth a read for any fan of the Mortal Instruments series.
No comments:
Post a Comment