*Disclaimer*
This is the fifth book in “The Mortal Instruments” series so if you haven´t
read the other four books yet, please be aware of spoilers. I would not advise
reading if you want to start this series without being spoiled, but if you
don´t mind feel free to continue on, just be warned. However if you have read City
of Fallen Angels, this review won´t spoil the book.
Author:
Cassandra Clare
Pages: 554
Published
by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Rating: 4/5
Stars
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?
Cassandra Clare has done it again. Even though
The Mortal Instruments is certainly not the best series I have ever read, Clare
manages to make each book better, which is something I am in awe of.
City of Lost Souls is my favourite instalment in this series so far. As some of
you might know by now, I don´t particularly love how Cassandra Clare constructs
her plots. I find them to be a bit too slow building to grab my full attention
right away. But with this book it was a bit different. Clare uses multiple POVs
to showcase different story arcs that at the end come together beautifully to build the
finale, which to be honest wasn´t as great as the previous one in City of
Fallen Angels. Still I found the overall plot in this book, to be probably the
strongest in all of her books I have read so far.
This book also gives the reader more of a background knowledge of different characters, which I very much appreciated. Once again Clare highlights a certain character, in the last one it was Simon, in this one it is Alec. We haven´t seen as much of Alec as other characters, so it was nice getting to know him and the way he thinks more. But where this books really shines is in Jace´s character development. We see him and Sebastian being melted and separated and melted and separated over and over again, so I wasn´t quite sure how much of the real Jace was left. But in the epilogue we see how much he has grown due to this circumstance. I reckon if I would reread this book, I would be able to pick up on a lot more subtle hints that point in this direction.
This book also gives the reader more of a background knowledge of different characters, which I very much appreciated. Once again Clare highlights a certain character, in the last one it was Simon, in this one it is Alec. We haven´t seen as much of Alec as other characters, so it was nice getting to know him and the way he thinks more. But where this books really shines is in Jace´s character development. We see him and Sebastian being melted and separated and melted and separated over and over again, so I wasn´t quite sure how much of the real Jace was left. But in the epilogue we see how much he has grown due to this circumstance. I reckon if I would reread this book, I would be able to pick up on a lot more subtle hints that point in this direction.
So what else is there to say? Well the classic
things that Cassandra Clare is known for. It is a really funny book, I am a fan
of all the relationships (seriously I ship them all) and I LOVE the nudges to
the Infernal Devices, those are so great. Also it was really fun seeing bits of
every city they went to.
What is your favourite ship from TMI? Let me know
in the comments down below!
Read on xx
Lena
