Reviews

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

midnightpoison13's review against another edition

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4.0


Having revisited Cassandra Clare's "City of Lost Souls" after many years, my affection for the book remains steadfast. Returning to "The Mortal Instruments" series to fill the gap of never having read its sixth installment, I found myself drawn once more into Clare's world.

One of the standout aspects of this book is the further exploration of Sebastian, also known as Jonathan. His sinister presence continues to loom large, maintaining the tension throughout the narrative. While the pacing occasionally lags, and the epilogue may extend beyond optimal length, my enjoyment of the reread remains intact.

However, one aspect that prevented me from giving this book a higher rating is its semblance to a familiar storyline. While I hesitate to draw comparisons, I couldn't shake the feeling of similarity to "Blood Promise," the third book in the Vampire Academy series. Both narratives involve the female protagonists being ensnared by their corrupted lovers, leading to a struggle between saving or sacrificing them. Despite their differences, the thematic parallels felt too close for comfort.

Nevertheless, "City of Lost Souls" retains its allure, offering a compelling continuation of the series despite its familiar echoes.

scotia_mullin's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.25

ttmusic's review against another edition

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5.0

I got into The Mortal Instruments series late. I read them all last summer, when the original trilogy, City of Fallen Angels, and Clockwork Angel were all out. CoFA had just come out earlier that year. I read them all rather quickly, finishing the trilogy in under a week, and CA and CoFA shortly after. As such, I didn’t really understand all the negativity about CoFA when I joined goodreads (after I read all the books). I didn’t feel like CoG’s ending was the definitive ending to a great series, and all the loose ends were NOT taken care of. (Not that all great series(es?) get great, definitive endings. See Nightshade). So when the story continued, I was happy. CoFA definitely had a much different feel than the original trilogy, but I just saw that as all their lives being a little weird after the war. After reading CoLS, though, I can see people’s points about CoFA better now. City of Lost Souls was amazing. Even the stuff that should have been “boring”, the exposition-heavy passages were so well-written that I was glued to my Nook even when nothing was happening. It was very interesting to see what our heroes and heroines would do when their governing system failed them, in regards to Jace. Would they continue to be “Team Good” and stick to things they knew they could get away with, or would they stop at nothing—including things that would condemn them—to reclaim the lost? By the way, when they were dubbed “Team Good”, I literally laughed out loud. So much that I snorted while laughing. I felt like this book was really one for the “secondary” characters. Sure, Clary and Jace got a lot of time devoted to them, but I felt like we learned so much more about Isabelle, Simon, Alec, Magnus, Maia and Jordan than we knew before. Magnus and Alec in particular for me, as I always liked them but in this book I really *got* them. I also LOVED Isabelle’s character development. Isabelle and Simon give me warm fuzzies. Also, I know he’s supposed to be the villain, but DANG Jonathan/Sebastian is smooth (An annoyance of mine is that the characters insist on calling him Sebastian. I know that it was explained that “Jonathan” is Jace’s name to them, but he doesn’t even go by it! What about the REAL Sebastian? He didn’t do anything to them). I found myself being charmed by him and his apparent want for a family, replacing his dead father and rejected mother with a sister and adoptive brother. This book was a great transition from the catalyst in CoFA to the conclusion in CoHF. All too often, books bridging the gap like this one does end up being forgettable, and when the series is over, you feel like its only purpose was to set up a few things for the finale. I have a very strong feeling that this will not be the case with The Mortal Instruments. The only thing I really didn’t like about the book is that it was over so fast! I can’t believe we have to wait until 2014 for City of Heavenly Fire!

ashe01's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

4.25


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sweetrosegirl76's review against another edition

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5.0

I really liked it! So good! plot is amazing, I absolutely love all the characters. the only thing I have to say is that the conversations are not that realistic. In my head, i shortened the dialogue because to me out was too long, and no person in real life talks that long about the same subject raising themselves the way the characters did here. Some reactions were unrealistic too. 4.5 round to 5. Can't wait until the last book is out, better be long and good!

raccooon's review against another edition

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5.0

5/5
“If I cannot have your loyalty, I will have your fear.”

lisha's review against another edition

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2.0

This book took me so long to get through, even with the audiobook. After reading the Clockwork Angel series, these books just seem so boring in comparison. I really enjoyed the first few books in The Mortal Instruments but I honestly think the story should have ended with the third book.
My biggest issue has to the incest trope. I don't know why this was introduced earlier in the series and I'm baffled as to why Cassandra Clare used this trope again. Once was too many times...

rants_n_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

simplyeevee's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

pinkfawn's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0