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Monday, September 2, 2013

Review: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Glass
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments #3
Genre: Urban Fantasy/ Demons/ YA/ Romance
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: March 24th, 2009
Edition: Paperback, 543 pages
Source: Purchased








Synopsis:
   To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.
As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City whatever the cost?
Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the third installment of bestselling series the Mortal Instruments.


   Another re-read of one of Cassie Clare's Mortal Instruments books. Once I started re-reading I guess I couldn't stop. I really enjoy these books and I am eager to read the final book in her series.

   But we start off this book with Clary, in my opinion, being very selfish and reckless in her actions. As badass as it was of her making a portal with a rune to follow Jace and the Lightwoods to Idris, it was very very reckless. All the people that got pissed at her had every right to be, she broke so many laws and put them all in awkward positions with things. However, in the way Jace blew up at her, I think he over-reacted a little. So many things happen in this book, that the first time I read it I just wanted to read the part where Jace and Clary find out they aren't siblings, that was all I cared about. But the second time around, I realized how much really happens in the book. The new Inquisitor, the one that replaced Inquisitor Herondale, is one crazy fucker. He throws Simon in prison and practically tortures him and tries to get him to lie with the promise that he'll just be sent back to New York unharmed. Yeah sure and Valentine likes to hug puppies, and frolic in fields of flowers.

   We meet a character named "Sebastian". At first, he comes across as being very charming and charismatic. Jace hates him instantly. Even Jace doesn't know why he hates him, he just does. But Clary trusts him enough to tell him why she came to Idris, and he takes her to Ragnor Fell. When they get to Fell's house, Clary finds Magnus Bane there instead and a dead Ragnor Fell. Magnus froze Sebastian and told Clary what he needed to heal her mother, and to not trust Sebastian with that information but to go to Jace instead for help. I thought City of Ashes was full of shenanigans, but there are so many ups and downs twists and turns. Jace pours his heart out to Clary at the Wayland manor after they find an Angel chained in the basement. He thinks that he has demon blood in his veins, and that's why he still loves Clary (in a non-brotherly way) and can't stop thinking about her. He gives possibly the most beautiful speech about love in literary history, a speech that any girl would want to be given. But that speech even makes the reader doubt even more that he's the one with demon blood since mons aren't known for their love and affection.

   Out of all the characters though, Simon and Alec have the most personal character development. Simon is starting to accept and get a handle on his Vampirism and Alec is finally starting to come to terms with his sexuality. Coming out to his parents, and all. This book started as the final book in the TMI series, but she then decided to write three more, and I think it was a great decision. There were too many strings left untied at the end of this book. Like what happened to Sebastian/Jonathan? For me that was the main one, the story felt unfinished, even though many many people felt that adding three more books was unnecessary. It's possible that the only reason Clare decided to add more books is that she wasn't ready to let go of these characters yet. Jace and Clary's story didn't feel over yet to me. The epilogue ended in such a way that left the door open for more story and to be honest, I wanted to read more about Jace. He finally opened up all the way at the end of this book to leave him just as he's finding out who he is, isn't tying up loose ends of a story. But that is my humble opinion.

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