What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost?
Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.
This is one of those series whose conclusion I couldn't possibly anticipate more. My anticipation is largely due to how much I loved this installment. Though some parts of it seemed redundant, there was enough good character development to make me highly invested in the finale.
Two of my favorite pairings in the series got a lot more "action" this novel: Isabelle and Simon and Alec and Magnus. The bottom line is Magnus is the best character in these novels, hands down. He is snarky, loyal, and always surprising. So, while the relationship between he and Alec did not necessarily head down the road I was hoping for, I am holding out hope for the end. I am also enjoying seeing Simon and Isabelle develop as characters. This novel and the one prior to it (City of Fallen Angels) have given a lot more insight into why Isabelle insists on being so hard-core, and it adds much more depth to her. Again, I can't wait to see where she and Simon head in the future.
My one character "beef" in this novel arises from Jace and Clary. For the central couple in the series, they sure seem a bit lackluster. Perhaps this is because Jace is always the one who is melancholy, feeling undeserving, or getting himself into some sort of danger, and Clary is always the one who blunders to a solution. It is starting to seem a bit formulaic at this point, which is disappointing in a group of characters who all seem so dynamic. I would have liked to see Clare take the couple in a new direction, instead of falling into old patterns.
However, Jace and Clary annoyances aside, this book was very difficult to put down. The plot is exciting because it follows so many different threads. The ending, too, was unpredictable, and set the finale up for a lot of excitement.
Content-wise, this book gets a lot more sexual than previous novels. Though the action takes place off-stage, it was a bit jarring at first. I feel like anyone who has come this far in the series probably wouldn't mind, but certainly teachers be wary.
In the end, I really only have one thing to say: March 2014, why are you so far away? Also, thanks to Cassandra Clare for creating characters to whom I am completing attached. It's been a lot of fun spending time with them!
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