Saturday, May 26, 2012

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series

City of Lost Souls was not my favorite. Hey - don't throw that at me. It's isn't nice. I have been noticing a trend with me, that all these anticipated books that I have been dying for have been good, great in fact, because lets be real Cassandra Clare and Veronica Roth are writing goddesses, but I haven't been blown away. My reason: I have been stressed out with my job and I think that has affected my "wow" factors.

Spoilerish

That being said, City of Lost Souls did run the course I thought it would. I thought Jace would show up a few times more than he did before they couldn't be separated anymore. I also thought that Clary was too trusting (well she never trusted him - but her hatred for him wasn't as apparent throughout until the end) of Sebastian, way too fast. I love Clary for the reason that she goes on instinct and she's a fighter. I love her for never giving up on Jace, for knowing it wasn't "him", for not being able to resist him, for going with Jace when it was a completely ridiculous and stupid idea. I love her.

Jace - I can't really talk about - because I will full out spoil it, simply breaks my heart for two reasons: because of what he does to people and because of what happens to him. I mean come on! Cut the dude a break!

This book made me feel several angry thoughts - and if you know me - I like that. I don't love the happy endings. I like it when my heart breaks, when I gasp how cruel people can be, when the evil guy gets the upper hand. This book had this.

For starters - ALEC WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! I don't blame Magnus. I don't blame him at all and Alec deserved what he got. But I felt bad for Magnus. I still want to date him.
And Sebastian - what a rat b@stard he is. I love a good villain to hate. And I hate how manipulative he is. I hate the control he has on the people around him. I love how he has a master plan to take over the world, and it is totally plausible in the shadowhunter world. I hate (LOVE) him.

I did feel this book was setting up for book 6. I felt that all these pieces needed to be placed just so, so that book 6 can wrap it up for me.

Brother Zachariah? Who do you think he is? Let me know - I have an inkling.

Any word on the movie?

1 comment:

  1. Okay. I'm curious. I do want to get this one. I will say City of Fallen Angels wasn't my favorite of the series. But was well done. I am curious to see what happens. :) Thanks for the review.

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