Book Review: City of Glass

Title: City of Glass
Series: Mortal Instruments (Book 3)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published: 2009

Warning: Spoilers ahead if you haven't read City of Bones and City of Ashes!

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 Shadow-hunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadow-hunters 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 new found 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 final installment of the New York Times bestselling trilogy The Mortal Instruments.

My Review: City of Glass is a great conclusion to the Mortal Instrument trilogy. From start to finish, this book was filled with action and twists and turns!

Clare stitched up not only this book, but the whole series perfectly. I don't think I was left with any questions or loose ends after finishing this book.

While the ending of this series was complete and without question marks, there is still a small detail which leaves the door open if Clare would want to write another sequel in the future. (Which she wants! A fourth book, City of Fallen Angels is being published in 2011!)

The Mortal Instruments is a series I can recommend to everyone: boys and girls, young and old, Harry Potter and Twilight fans. Cassandra Clare is an amazing storyteller with an impressing talent for creating outstanding characters that you immediately love or hate, clever and fun dialouges and an amazing fantasy world.

Rating: 5 of 5

Previous books in this series:

City of Bones
City of Ashes

Book Review: City of Ashes

Title: City of Ashes
Series: The Mortal Instruments (Book 2)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Pulished: 2008

Warning: Spoilers ahead if you haven't read Cit of Bones!

Summary*: Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go - and Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane and certainly evil.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings -- and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace.

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

My Review:

In City of Ashes Cassandra Clare take us on another thrill-ride in the amazing fantasy world she created in City of Bones. While I wasn't as impressed by this book as I was with City of Bones, this book was still very good!

The ingredients that made City of Bones so awesome is still there: mysteries, suspense, action, friendship, and great and witty dialogues - the pace was just a bit slower in City of Ashes.

Throughout the book Clare hinted about some, perhaps life-changing, secrets that were kept from the main characters, and I'm curious to read City of Glass and find out what they are!

Overall, City of Ashes was a great installment in the Mortal Instruments Trilogy.

Rating: 4 of 5


Previous books in this series:
City of Bones


Goodreads|Book Depository

* Edited summary from Goodreads

Book Review: City of Bones

Title: City of Bones
Series: Mortal Instruments (Book 1)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published: 2005

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

My Review:
This book has it all! Great characters, originality - Clare did a great job when she created the Shadowhunter world, it all seemed very realistic -, mystery, fantasy, romance and great dialogues. The plot was filled with non-stop action, and there were never a dull moment. This book was addictive and I devoured it in less than a day!

One of my favorite parts of this book were the characters, they were all well-developed and I instantly connected with the three young shadowhunters; Jace, Alec and Isabel. It took me a bit longer to get to know Clary's character, but when I did I found her surprisingly cool! In this kind of stories, when a girl suddenly enters a whole new world (of demons/vampires/faeries) she is usually a bit afraid, careful or wimpish. Clary, however, was determined, cocky and not afraid to fight. (I love when she slapped Jace! So cool and unexpected)

At first I thought that it was a bit strange that Clary all of sudden could see demons, but that was explained later and then didn't seem odd at all. Cassandra Clare did a great job in tying up this story, and all sub-plots within it, during the last chapters. All my questions were answered and we weren't left with a major cliff-hanger.

One thing I didn't enjoy though, was the twist in Jace & Clare's relationship, I wasn't completely satisfied with the road Clare chose. But I am curious to find out how this is going to affect coming books!

If you have read this book you probably remember a character named Magnus Bane. I was sure that I had heard that name before, and I tried to figure out when. Could it be an old Swedish king? It still didn't add up. And then it hit me - I was thinking about the Finnish soccer goaltender Magnus Bahne! (I know - this is totally random and has nothing to do with the book - but I thought it was fun :P)

So overall - a great book set in a great world with great characters! (Did I mention it was great?)

Rating: 4.5 of 5