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feralgojo's review against another edition
2.0
I have yet to process all my feelings regarding this book – and there are not too many of the positive kind, really. It pains me greatly to be giving one of Clare’s books a rating of merely 2 stars; alas, when I go a few years back and think of myself reading TID (or even TDA, for that matter), remembering the thrill of emotions and joy those books brought along, I cannot help but fail to find the same in this trilogy.
I’ve seen a lot of people addressing this, and I wholeheartedly agree: this book was a mess. At the point of reaching approximately ¾ of the story, I figured out that the underwhelming appearance of Belial and Leviathan (well, the latter did not technically appear) in London must be it – the big scene, the dramatic culmination of the plot (what plot?). To be fair, the whole murder mystery at the beginning of the book was far more absorbing than the Lilith plot twist – which really just feels a tad... been done before, if you will.
This brings me to another point – the actual plot of the book seemed to be all about the fucking miscommunication between all its characters; they do not know how to be honest with each other and all that drama just leaves a bad aftertaste in my mouth. (Trust, if I truly wanted to read a book focusing solely on family drama, I would have just re-read ‘100 years of solitude’).
As much as I dislike Cordelia and James together (I really do enjoy reading about Cordelia alone, though), I literally prayed for them to talk and get their shitshow of a marriage situation over with; or not, let them stay together and be happy. Good riddance. Well, they obviously did not talk – and, at this point, I am going into ChoT excited only for Paris Matthew and Thomas with Alastair/Kit with Grace (who, rather unexpectedly, has grown on me – by which I mean, she simply seems more of an interesting character than, for example, James Herondale. Which, by all means, is not that hard. My boy cannot even be pitied at this point).
Now, Matthew. Matthew Fairchild was my only hope for those books - I have loved him since I first read of him in the previous books – and now I am rather disillusioned by what Clare decided to do with him (a character of, at least to me, tremendous potential, now wasted). I felt as if there was nothing positive to be said of him in ChoI; starting from his alcohol addiction, which on many occasions proved him unable to react in the way he should have (his infamous staggering and losing balance during one of the – not so many, I believe? - fighting scenes in this book was simply sad). To my utmost dismay, it feels as if the sole purpose of his character is to just... be there. Like, fuck, nothing will top the agonizing misery I felt when he was ‘frozen in time’ with Charles at the end of the book and the whole situation with Belial just kind of slipped past him altogether.
Well, if only, I think he got the best quotes in the book (like, come on, ‘I suppose I merely thought it would be enough for you to know,’ he said. ‘that you might - if anything were to happen to me, you would remember I loved you desperately.’ or ‘but love is not always a lightning bolt, is it? sometimes it is a creeping vine. it grows slowly until suddenly it is all that there is in the world’ (true)(Matthew Fairchild is basically me and I am him)). Anyhow – and it might be something not many would agree with me on – the idea of Matthew with Daisy seems more thrilling than the idea of Herondaisy ever was. They’re predictable. They cannot talk for the love of God. (Also, funny thing – since when does James say, “Thank God”, like? Dunno, rather a confusing loophole in the whole Shadowhunters’ faith situation). All the while, Matthew and Daisy managed to talk when nobody else in the book could – Anna with Ariadne? No communication skills whatsoever. Oh, well, I suppose there still is Tom – his storyline with Alastair was rather sweet, I gotta admit that.
However, I have to say I do not really care for anyone in the trilogy except for Math. There are just too few scenes with them in between the ungodly tedious James and Cordelia marriage drama ones - I do not believe I have seen Kit in more than, like, what, four? Of his own. Concerning, really, when one comes to realize that the TMI books were shorter, on average, than the TLH ones – and still, one could get attached to the characters portrayed in them in ways I never did to Kit or, for instance, Lucie Herondale. Which is another story altogether. I can only say I did enjoy all her scenes with Jesse. If infrequent, they at least brought about something new after all the Herondaisy bullshit. (I still cannot believe in the absolutely weak main romance in this book – really, after Jem/Tessa/Will? And Emma with Julian? Even Jace and Clary seemed to have more of a dramatic romance plotline, for fuck’s sake).
Now, I left James and his bracelet out of this review, for one reason - I do not care. I just don’t; I never did, nor will I ever begin to. His disgust with Grace and Tatiana is well-deserved, I suppose; as well as feeling robbed of a few years of his life, which he was. I still do not care. He’s too dramatic and annoying for me to give a fuck, now. Which is rather intriguing, for when I was reading the ‘Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy’, I swear I would have jumped off a bridge for him had he asked me to. I guess that is another downgrade.
I can now only hope for the beginning of Chain of Thorns to entertain me more than ChoI. (Which, when I think of it, does not seem much of a challenge). I do not keep high hopes for the ending of the whole trilogy, which I have heard was rather underwhelming.
I’ve seen a lot of people addressing this, and I wholeheartedly agree: this book was a mess. At the point of reaching approximately ¾ of the story, I figured out that the underwhelming appearance of Belial and Leviathan (well, the latter did not technically appear) in London must be it – the big scene, the dramatic culmination of the plot (what plot?). To be fair, the whole murder mystery at the beginning of the book was far more absorbing than the Lilith plot twist – which really just feels a tad... been done before, if you will.
This brings me to another point – the actual plot of the book seemed to be all about the fucking miscommunication between all its characters; they do not know how to be honest with each other and all that drama just leaves a bad aftertaste in my mouth. (Trust, if I truly wanted to read a book focusing solely on family drama, I would have just re-read ‘100 years of solitude’).
As much as I dislike Cordelia and James together (I really do enjoy reading about Cordelia alone, though), I literally prayed for them to talk and get their shitshow of a marriage situation over with; or not, let them stay together and be happy. Good riddance. Well, they obviously did not talk – and, at this point, I am going into ChoT excited only for Paris Matthew and Thomas with Alastair/Kit with Grace (who, rather unexpectedly, has grown on me – by which I mean, she simply seems more of an interesting character than, for example, James Herondale. Which, by all means, is not that hard. My boy cannot even be pitied at this point).
Now, Matthew. Matthew Fairchild was my only hope for those books - I have loved him since I first read of him in the previous books – and now I am rather disillusioned by what Clare decided to do with him (a character of, at least to me, tremendous potential, now wasted). I felt as if there was nothing positive to be said of him in ChoI; starting from his alcohol addiction, which on many occasions proved him unable to react in the way he should have (his infamous staggering and losing balance during one of the – not so many, I believe? - fighting scenes in this book was simply sad). To my utmost dismay, it feels as if the sole purpose of his character is to just... be there. Like, fuck, nothing will top the agonizing misery I felt when he was ‘frozen in time’ with Charles at the end of the book and the whole situation with Belial just kind of slipped past him altogether.
Well, if only, I think he got the best quotes in the book (like, come on, ‘I suppose I merely thought it would be enough for you to know,’ he said. ‘that you might - if anything were to happen to me, you would remember I loved you desperately.’ or ‘but love is not always a lightning bolt, is it? sometimes it is a creeping vine. it grows slowly until suddenly it is all that there is in the world’ (true)(Matthew Fairchild is basically me and I am him)). Anyhow – and it might be something not many would agree with me on – the idea of Matthew with Daisy seems more thrilling than the idea of Herondaisy ever was. They’re predictable. They cannot talk for the love of God. (Also, funny thing – since when does James say, “Thank God”, like? Dunno, rather a confusing loophole in the whole Shadowhunters’ faith situation). All the while, Matthew and Daisy managed to talk when nobody else in the book could – Anna with Ariadne? No communication skills whatsoever. Oh, well, I suppose there still is Tom – his storyline with Alastair was rather sweet, I gotta admit that.
However, I have to say I do not really care for anyone in the trilogy except for Math. There are just too few scenes with them in between the ungodly tedious James and Cordelia marriage drama ones - I do not believe I have seen Kit in more than, like, what, four? Of his own. Concerning, really, when one comes to realize that the TMI books were shorter, on average, than the TLH ones – and still, one could get attached to the characters portrayed in them in ways I never did to Kit or, for instance, Lucie Herondale. Which is another story altogether. I can only say I did enjoy all her scenes with Jesse. If infrequent, they at least brought about something new after all the Herondaisy bullshit. (I still cannot believe in the absolutely weak main romance in this book – really, after Jem/Tessa/Will? And Emma with Julian? Even Jace and Clary seemed to have more of a dramatic romance plotline, for fuck’s sake).
Now, I left James and his bracelet out of this review, for one reason - I do not care. I just don’t; I never did, nor will I ever begin to. His disgust with Grace and Tatiana is well-deserved, I suppose; as well as feeling robbed of a few years of his life, which he was. I still do not care. He’s too dramatic and annoying for me to give a fuck, now. Which is rather intriguing, for when I was reading the ‘Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy’, I swear I would have jumped off a bridge for him had he asked me to. I guess that is another downgrade.
I can now only hope for the beginning of Chain of Thorns to entertain me more than ChoI. (Which, when I think of it, does not seem much of a challenge). I do not keep high hopes for the ending of the whole trilogy, which I have heard was rather underwhelming.
bowermeme's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ashwas1228's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jessicarosee's review against another edition
5.0
oh my oh my... i am absolutely an emotional wreck...
danzoreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jordybee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
In love with this read. So much to unpack. Lots of notes taken as the multiple characters interact. Try to find a murderer, lots of secrets among friends, and young love.
misskodiereads's review against another edition
5.0
i don’t even know what to say or how to breathe???? that ending??? i am so conflicted about so many things. if you need me at any point in the next year i’ll be busy being in pain
side note: the LAST thing i expected from this book would be coming out of it shipping grace and christopher of all people????
side note: the LAST thing i expected from this book would be coming out of it shipping grace and christopher of all people????
loonatrum's review against another edition
4.0
i swear im gonna throw that book right out of my window
tishsbooknook's review against another edition
medium-paced
2.75
I found this book to be incredibly frustrating. I loved The Infernal Devices, and even though book 1 in The Last Hours felt like a messy and convoluted start to the series, I liked the characters enough to continue.
However, I was so annoyed with the end of this book that I ended up skimming the last chapter. I'm not a huge fan of miscommunication tropes, and this was almost 700 pages of that. Up until the end, I was leaning towards 4 stars: I love the relationship between James and Cordelia. And Alastair and Thomas had me in my feels. But there wasn't enough plot to make up for how long this book was, and the ending felt like a lazy plot device meant to push Cordelia and Matthew together.
Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be continuing with this series or the Shadow Hunter universe. (But I will hold The Infernal Devices as one of my favourite series of all time.)
However, I was so annoyed with the end of this book that I ended up skimming the last chapter. I'm not a huge fan of miscommunication tropes, and this was almost 700 pages of that. Up until the end, I was leaning towards 4 stars: I love the relationship between James and Cordelia. And Alastair and Thomas had me in my feels. But there wasn't enough plot to make up for how long this book was, and the ending felt like a lazy plot device meant to push Cordelia and Matthew together.
Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be continuing with this series or the Shadow Hunter universe. (But I will hold The Infernal Devices as one of my favourite series of all time.)