Reviews with content warning for Gore - City of Glass

Blended reading (audio + physical)

The Details:
Narrated by Natalie Moore
Unabridged

I really enjoyed seeing the magical world of Idris. I think being in this world and seeing the different culture there created even more enjoyment and helped to make this one of my favourite reads of the series so far.

So many pivotal points happened in the 3rd installment - I wonder if it was originally a series of trilogies because this felt like a really satisfying conclusion.

The family dynamics got so much more messy and complex, I was constantly shocked by all the reveals - it was fantastic!

Simon flourished in this book. I can see great things for him in the future and I really want to see him succeed.

I loved seeing the dynamic between the nephilim and the downworlders adapt throughout this story. It wasn't a simple fix, but took time, had conspiracies and duplicity and was a great use of plot development.

Can't wait to read book 4.

oh my gosh, poor Max :( that's so sad!
I also felt bad again for my bestie Simon. He's always being used - Isabelle using him as a distraction for her grief over the death of her little brother... but I mean hey at least she said that's what it is straight away.

Content Warnings

breedawnwriter's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The tension and suspense and worldbuilding and character growth and ROMANCE and angst and pure silliness in this book was EVERYTHING I needed.

10/10 recommend.

Content Warnings

sammymilfort's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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lenarthoe's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring lighthearted mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.75

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irisvdn's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? No

3.5

Content Warnings

booking_along's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

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

3.0

this was better than book two - this at least had plot, maybe even a little too much overall?

but let’s talk about the big big thing that really made me want to smack the book - this horrible yucky trope (“forbidden” love) i hated from book one gets finally a second big “reveal” - that’s let’s face it we all saw coming wo the how the characters where behaving for half of this and the entirely of the second book.
but what made me a bit angry about it all wasn’t how it was “solved” or “revealed” but rather that it happened at all and was dragged out so horrendously long as it was for no freaking reason?!
the ENTIRE plot of all three books so far could have happened EXACTLY the same way with this this stupid trope being overused and it would have made it 1. so much better and less cringy to read and 2. on my opinion a much YA readers friendlier book

because incest is bad kids no matter what your “lovey” feelings are telling you at the tender unripe age of 15/16 and no book targeted towards that audience should more or less have three books dedicated to debating if it’s actually that bad to want to screw your brother/sister! why is that even a thing? and can i just ask why so many publishers all around the world had this go through hundreds of hands and all of the. going “yeah this sounds like a fantastic story for young kids to show them that love is great and beats all odds! who cares if for 2 full length books the two “lovers” believe they are completely and fully blood related siblings?

again mostly this entire trope for me is a huge head scratcher if it’s as unnecessary as it is here in this series.

let’s leave those rambles behind now.

one moment i LOVED in this book was when Luke literally called Clary out for getting them into stupidly dangerous situations because instead of listening or thinking she rather throws a tandrum, runs off and does something incredibly stupid for no reason other than stomping her foot because things didnt go as she wanted. that was defiantly my personal favorite from the entire book if not the entire series and it happened right at the start of this book too.

there was a lot happening in this book.
big climaxes, big revealed, big fight scenes and almost epic moments.
of course sprinkled with a large amount of drama and angst -most of it unnecessary but lets not talk about that!

this book felt a bit like a rollercoasterride -especially after the second book- with how much was going on and happened during the last half of this book.

could this first arching trilogy been better timed and the plot and its big moments spread better amongst all of the three books. Yes absolutely.

but this wasnt bad as it was done and at least it wrapped it all up pretty well and foos enough to not be left with too many questions if your happy to stop this series at thus point.

lets tall about the big moments:

i have to say the biggest surprise for me was that Valentine was actually killed in this. and sure there is the heartless demonized Johnathan that will surely pop back up as a replacement. But i expected the Valentine to carry on throughout all six books so it was a good surprise.

i also was surprised that Max was killed off. Not too much, the poor kid didnt really have a huge reason to be in this series anyways and i found the way the entire Lightwood family seem to basically move along very quickly from the kids death felt a bit heartless to me but overall not thar surprising since Clarys mothers condition was also only mentioned at most a handful of times in more than two books before that situation was resolved and for the most part beside a small side mention Clary seemed to have been just fine to have a Comatose mother- but it was still a moment in the book that really surprised me.

overall this book was similar in my reading experience to me as the first book was.
it was mostly good and entertaining, sometimes a bit too dragged out, sometimes moving really quickly all of a sudden and caring a trope i didnt love and focusing a bit too heavily on the moments to shock related to that trope while i personally found q few other moments on the book more deserving of the shock build up that those moments did not get.

still overall okay book. a large part even good. i am
thankful to now have a slight break from this particular series through.

Content Warnings

qcupquake's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

City of Glass
4.75/5

- i really liked this book. it kept me hooked and the plot twists (the ones i didn't see coming such as

Hodge being Samuel

) made me jaw drop
- yk again i could really do without the whole

Clary and Jace believe they are siblings but still go for it anyways thing. and it didn't have to drag on for TWO AND A HALF BOOKS

- i also could've done without that whole thing between Sebastian and Clary

especially since there's a chance Sebastian knew Clary was his sister :/

- anyways ignoring that, i loved seeing Idris and i love that the whole plot was located there
- oh my god

valentine died thank god i hated him i also hated that he killed jace

- this is pretty close up there with City of Bones (maybe it's a bit higher idk) but City of Ashes is definitely the worst one so far
- ALSO WHY DID

MAX HAVE TO DIE

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