Review: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
What: City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare
Who: Margaret K. McElderry Books
When: 2012
How: Borrowed from library.
The New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments continues—and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary, and Simon.
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.
At the beginning of City of Lost Souls, Jace is missing, and all those who care about him are frantically searching for him. Sebastian/Jonathan is also missing, and Jace’s blood was found at the scene of the Lilith showdown at the end of City of Fallen Angels. So, the question on everyone’s mind is: where exactly are they?
Isabelle, Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Clary all believe that the Clave gave up too easily on the search for Jace. And in their own way, each of them loses something in their quest to find him.
Clary, always intent on saving the day, enters Sebastian/Jonathan’s world in order to save her beloved Jace. But will she be able to escape it?
I really like The Mortal Instruments series, I do. Really. But I am getting so frustrated at the whole: Jace and Clary can never be together because something awful is always happening. Always. And the mere weeks of happiness they had in between City of Glass and City of Fallen Angels weren’t included in the books. Now I know some might say that happy delirious uninterrupted love is boring. But face it, it’s what we want from these books, and it seems as if Clare is intent on not giving it to us. This somewhat saddens me, as I am a sucker for happily ever afters.
I liked the fact that Clary was so bad-ass in this book. She’s learned how to fight like a Shadowhunter now, and she can hold her own in battle. She doesn’t take crap from anybody, and I really admire her for that.
I have a weird attitude towards Sebastian/Jonathan. In City of Glass, I first had him pictured as a dark, handsome, gothic prince type person, and then when he turned evil, I imagined him all hard bone structure, and not particularly good looking. And then in City of Fallen Angels, I imagined him as a softer sort of person, being in a coffin and all. But it was even more confusing in City of Lost Souls. One minute I was imagining this breathtakingly beautiful boy with snow white hair and pale skin, and then the next moment I was imagining a not very handsome young man who was pure evil inside. Sometimes I feel pity for him, because of some of the things he says, but then I remember that he’s murdered people, and that he’s pretty much pure evil. As I said, I have a weird attitude towards Sebastian/Jonathan. If he does get killed in an upcoming book, I don’t think I will be pleased. He intrigues me. But enough about him.
I think Jordan and Maia are adorable, as are Magnus and Alec (NOOOO), and Simon and Isabelle.
I have my suspicions regarding Brother Zachariah, but I don’t want to voice them in case I ruin it for myself, or others.
I want to know more about the Iron Sisters; they seem really interesting. Hopefully more shall be revealed about these mysterious ladies.
Overall, I enjoyed the fifth instalment of The Mortal Instruments series, and I am very much looking forward to the next book.
And I am also ridiculously excited about the movie.
© 2013, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.
I agree, let the two poor kids be happy for goodness sakes!
And you’ve GOT to read The Infernal Devices. You’ll figure out the who Bro. Zach. thing. ;)
I know, right! Argh!
I know, I know! I own the first one, and it’s just sitting on my shelves D: I think I may have guessed already, but you never know :P
SERIOUSLY you need to pick that book up next. When you are done with the three, you’ll be thanking me.
I know, I know! I am so behind with all the books I want to read, because I request too many books on Net Galley, and then I feel obligated to read them D:
HAHA OMG I am the same way. I’ve started doing a system 2:1. 2 review books, 1 book I bought. It helps with the guilt :)
That’s so weird! I’m doing a 3:1 ratio, haha! But if the review book is one I really want to read, then it counts as the 1. But the next book I am reading is one that isn’t for review, and I am looking forward to it (even though I haven’t actually picked yet, haha) :D
HAVE YOU READ THE INFERNAL DEVICES CHIARA?! IF YOU HAVEN’T YOU HAVE TOO!
Also, I gave this book a 3-4 stars. I bumped it up to 4 stars, but it honestly wasn’t my favorite in the series. I loved the character relationship developments but I just thought that it dragged. And like you it’s getting tiring that Jace and Clary can’t be together.
I wrote a review of CoLS on Goodreads! It’s not on my blog because I didn’t have a blog yet then. But it’s there….I think.
Oh oh! And what are your theories of Brother Zachariah? Hmmm?
Your pal,
– Emma
NO, I HAVEN’T. I KNOW I HAVE TO!
Yessssss. You know what I am talking about. It sort of felt like a filler novel, which was kid of annoying -.-
I just checked it out :D
I read this books months ago, so my guessing may be incorrect her, but I’m pretty sure that Brother Zachariah will turn out to be Jem, I think. I have to read TID!
I absolutely love this series! :)
It’s pretty good :D
I haven’t even read the second book yet, ha ha! I’m falling behind and my TBR pile is getting bigger and bigger, oh no!
Don’t worry, Andrea, I am in the exact same boat! I don’t think I can ever read fast enough to keep up with my TBR!
I know, right? We can never ever keep up especially with all the awesome authors publishing more and more awesome books to read!
I wonder what it feels like to finish a novel and have it published. We can only wait until that day comes! :D
I know! There needs to be a pause in the publishing industry, so that I can catch up!
Ohmygosh, I can’t even imagine that right now. I think it would be the best feeling ever!
I think so, too! Then can you imagine it being a New York Times bestseller? OMG! That would be incredible!
I would be just a happy, crying, screaming, blubbering mess of extreme happiness if that was ever to happen!
Ha ha! I think I’d be shocked for awhile and just stare at whoever tells me in disbelief…or faint! Whichever, ha ha!
Yeah, I probably should have added ‘hyperventilating’ to that list!
“But I am getting so frustrated at the whole: Jace and Clary can never be together because something awful is always happening. Always” <—So True!!!
I wanted Sebastian to be truly evil … to burn the world!! (like the book trailer said) … and all he did was light up some sparks ….
Infernal Devices is so much better!!!
It’s annoying, right?!
Sebastian wasn’t evil enough for me, not like Valentine was. I’m sure he was probably lying when he said all those insecure things, but I still couldn’t muster up any hatred or ‘fear’ for him.
Everyone is saying so! I really need to read those books!
I think it would have been better if Cassandra Clare stopped at 3 books… Clary and Jace need to be together already!
Yes! I definitely agree with you. I was enjoying it immensely, and I thought the ending of City of Glass was perfect, and then nup.