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breezy610's review against another edition
5.0
WOW!
Merged review:
wow! to think that stephen really regretted all the stuff...I think he had lived, he would have a separted from celine and gotten back together with Amartis.
Merged review:
pretty good. I am not sure on what to think abut jace and evil guy bonding.
Merged review:
whoa, Alec! I think you just made one bad decision.
Merged review:
Jocelyn is one mad momma
Merged review:
It's heart breaking to this. i hope they find a way.
Merged review:
an awesome book. I am glad that the gang never really gave up on Jace and was glad that they were able to save him from the other guy. I am glad that Robert decide to come back. I hope him and Maryse can worked it out. I wonder what is going to happ int he next book. I can't belieeve we have to wait until 2014 for the next book. i am going to die!
Merged review:
wow! to think that stephen really regretted all the stuff...I think he had lived, he would have a separted from celine and gotten back together with Amartis.
Merged review:
pretty good. I am not sure on what to think abut jace and evil guy bonding.
Merged review:
whoa, Alec! I think you just made one bad decision.
Merged review:
Jocelyn is one mad momma
Merged review:
It's heart breaking to this. i hope they find a way.
Merged review:
an awesome book. I am glad that the gang never really gave up on Jace and was glad that they were able to save him from the other guy. I am glad that Robert decide to come back. I hope him and Maryse can worked it out. I wonder what is going to happ int he next book. I can't belieeve we have to wait until 2014 for the next book. i am going to die!
kaila2464's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars.
This was definitely better than city of fallen angels but it still felt kind of plotless like the plot wasn’t prominent enough. However, it was still, for the most part, entertaining and I will be expecting big things to be happening in city of heavenly fire
This was definitely better than city of fallen angels but it still felt kind of plotless like the plot wasn’t prominent enough. However, it was still, for the most part, entertaining and I will be expecting big things to be happening in city of heavenly fire
blurrypetals's review against another edition
5.0
July 1, 2019
[re-read for Shadowhunter Summer 2019]
All my Shadowhunter Summer 2019 reviews may contain untagged spoilers for all the books in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. If you wish to read a non-spoiler review for this book, you may scroll to the review I wrote on October 2, 2017.
One of my favorite things about The Shadowhunter Chronicles as a whole is how absolutely fucking romantic they are. The adventure, the daring journeys, the heartache, the love and relationships, it's all so good I constantly feel as thought I'm watching The Princess Bride for the first time ever, and that is a fantastic feeling.
This book, as I've said several thousand times, is my favorite in The Mortal Instruments hexalogy, and it's because everything is truly at its best here. All the things I love about the Shadowhunters books is on point: the romance is beautiful and poignant, be it with Jace and Clary, Alec and Magnus, Maia and Jordan, or best of all in this particular book, Simon and Isabelle, the action is top notch, the stakes are properly raised, we understand our villain better than ever, and everything feels properly tense and poised for the finale.
I just love this book so much. It is absolutely perfect and I find it to be second only to Clockwork Princess in Cassie's bibliography (with only Lady Midnight and Queen of Air and Darkness nipping at its heels), which I think is impressive, seeing just how many books Cassie has written in these Chronicles alone.
I'm too eager to continue, so please enjoy my past reviews for more insight from me on these books. Peace out until the finale, fam!
October 2, 2017:
[re-read for my Greatest Hits Bookshelf Tour 2017]
Hoo-boy. I remembered this as my favorite book from The Mortal Instruments series for a reason. Like...hot damn. This book is so good. Everything is in top form: it's just as action-packed, the banter is just as good, the character moments are even better, it's romantic as fuck, it has a really creepy possession arc, it's got a really gross incest scene that makes me wanna vom, it's got a really sexy but also creepy Dirty Sexy Club Scene, the Blackthorn family is introduced via Jules melting candle wax on his brothers and sisters (I wouldn't have had him make his debut any other way), and there is so very, very much more.
This book is nonstop with entertainment, just like its predecessors, just like its successors. I wish this and Clockwork Princess could be the books I could give first-timers to show them why The Shadowhunter Chronicles are incredible, but unfortunately, it wouldn't make too much sense without its predecessors, because it is jam-packed with the equivalent of crack-laced candy for a fan of this series: easter eggs and references to the next and previous books.
It's really overwhelming for me to pick apart all the reasons this book is my favorite (I put so many colorful sticky notes in this thing it looks like Magnus goddamn Bane up in this bitch) so I'm just going to end it here because I cannot think critically about this for very long before they say William Herondale, mention Brother Zachariah, have Jace make a really cute remark about practicing a speech in a mirror, or reveal that Julian Blackthorn hasn't changed one bit from his debut here in this 2012 book to now in Lord of Shadows. This book is the one of the many epitomes of why I love Shadowhunters so the end. See you in the finale of The Mortal Instruments, bitches.
May 10, 2012:
Cassandra Clare's last two novels each left me furious and upset. I can't stress how absolutely relieved I am she didn't make it a trifecta.
My thoughts often get scattered and I tend to forget to say things I want to say when I write these reviews (especially for Cassie's books) so I'm going to attempt to make things a little more organized by talking about each character individually (and then talking about The Infernal Devices at the end, because HOLY HELL this book made me excited for Clockwork Princess).
Clary
Watch out Clary, your badass is showing. I felt as if our dear, fragile, dare I say unlikable Clarissa Fray finally went through some serious character development in the the right direction. No matter how crazy her Around the World in 80 Days trip with Sebastian and Jace got, she stuck to her mission. She stuck to what was right. I admire her immensely for that; more than I've admired her in the previous four books. Well done, Fray. Well done. Also: not having sex with both Jace and not-Jace was one of the strongest choices she's ever made. The fact that she doesn't rely on Jace, no matter how awesome he is, redeems her so much more in my eyes. She is a strong female hero now. There is no denying that.
Jace/Not-Jace
Not-Jace was seriously disturbing, for both Clary and me as a reader. If it would have been someone I loved, I wouldn't have been able to do what Clary did. He was the Jace Valentine always wanted him to be and that was scary. Seeing a side of a character we all loved and adored that was as dark and evil as this gave this portion of the series a ghoulishness that's going to be difficult to shake off. The real Jace, however, truly shone in contrast to his soulless counterpart. Because of the not-Jace, whenever we had a moment with Jace, I found myself truly cherishing the time he spent as his normal, pure, good self.
Sebastian
Excuse me while I vomit into this garbage can. If at once not-Jace was disturbing...he had nothing on this piece of work. His interactions with both Jace and Clary made him, in my eyes, into one of the sickest, craziest villains I've ever read about. His entire fight/kissing scene with Clary seriously had me nauseous. Thanks, Cassie. I don't know if I'm going to be able to hold down a solid meal for the next YEAR or so.
Alec, Isabelle, and Team Good
All I really have to say about the Lightwoods for this book was that I enjoyed seeing things from their points of view for once. We haven't seen much from them in the past and it was nice to see the mix-up. Holy hell I loved it when everyone Brooklyn-side was referred to as Team Good. And their banter as a group - as always with Cassie's books - was simply delicious.
Side-note: Anyone who is whining about Alec and Magnus's breakup, please chill out. I know they're everyone's OTP for some reason, but their breakup was coming for the entire book. But take a deep breath. They're going to get back together.
Maia and Jordan
Pure and utter adorable fluff. Where Clary, Jace, and Sebastian had all the weirdness and creepiness, these two made up for all the cute. Loving it. Just absolutely loving it. I have a feeling one or both of them is going to die in the last book, though. NOT THAT I WANT EITHER OF THEM TO. It's just a feeling.
SPECIAL INFERNAL DEVICES ADDENDUM
The amount of Infernal Devices teasers stuck into this book simply killed me. First with Alec mentioning Will. Then Clary seeing Tessa's clockwork angel in the display case at the Institute (WHY WAS IT IN THERE!!!???). Alec Gideon Lightwood and Stephen William Herondale? All my feels.
The one thing that absolutely killed me though, was Will's inscription in Jace's (now lost) copy of A Tale of Two Cities: With hope at last. I'm pretty certain I heard my heart re-shatter from old Clockwork Prince wounds and I definitely teared up. Damn you, Cassie.
One final little thing I'd like to say is, I'm finally conceding to the theories that Will is Brother Zachariah. As much as I don't want him to be miserable enough to have to do it, all of the references made in the past two Mortal Instruments novels are all pointing due north toward that theory. Let the record show that this is the theory I believe is going to happen but that I DON'T WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN IN ANY WAY.
/END ADDENDUM
Thanks for everything, Cassie! I anxiously await the novels bringing both of your series to a close. With both The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices on the penultimate brink of finale, I can't wait to see what you have in store for us. Your novels keep getting better and better; I hope you blow all of us right out of the water, prepping us for the incredible trilogy The Dark Artifices will be.
[re-read for Shadowhunter Summer 2019]
"Do you remember," he said, "when we first met and I told you I was ninety percent sure putting a rune on you wouldn't kill you―and you slapped me in the face and told me it was for the other ten percent?"
Clary nodded.
"I always figured a demon would kill me," he said. "A rogue Downworlder. A battle. But I realized that I just might die if I didn't get to kiss you, and soon."
All my Shadowhunter Summer 2019 reviews may contain untagged spoilers for all the books in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. If you wish to read a non-spoiler review for this book, you may scroll to the review I wrote on October 2, 2017.
One of my favorite things about The Shadowhunter Chronicles as a whole is how absolutely fucking romantic they are. The adventure, the daring journeys, the heartache, the love and relationships, it's all so good I constantly feel as thought I'm watching The Princess Bride for the first time ever, and that is a fantastic feeling.
This book, as I've said several thousand times, is my favorite in The Mortal Instruments hexalogy, and it's because everything is truly at its best here. All the things I love about the Shadowhunters books is on point: the romance is beautiful and poignant, be it with Jace and Clary, Alec and Magnus, Maia and Jordan, or best of all in this particular book, Simon and Isabelle, the action is top notch, the stakes are properly raised, we understand our villain better than ever, and everything feels properly tense and poised for the finale.
I just love this book so much. It is absolutely perfect and I find it to be second only to Clockwork Princess in Cassie's bibliography (with only Lady Midnight and Queen of Air and Darkness nipping at its heels), which I think is impressive, seeing just how many books Cassie has written in these Chronicles alone.
I'm too eager to continue, so please enjoy my past reviews for more insight from me on these books. Peace out until the finale, fam!
October 2, 2017:
[re-read for my Greatest Hits Bookshelf Tour 2017]
Hoo-boy. I remembered this as my favorite book from The Mortal Instruments series for a reason. Like...hot damn. This book is so good. Everything is in top form: it's just as action-packed, the banter is just as good, the character moments are even better, it's romantic as fuck, it has a really creepy possession arc, it's got a really gross incest scene that makes me wanna vom, it's got a really sexy but also creepy Dirty Sexy Club Scene, the Blackthorn family is introduced via Jules melting candle wax on his brothers and sisters (I wouldn't have had him make his debut any other way), and there is so very, very much more.
This book is nonstop with entertainment, just like its predecessors, just like its successors. I wish this and Clockwork Princess could be the books I could give first-timers to show them why The Shadowhunter Chronicles are incredible, but unfortunately, it wouldn't make too much sense without its predecessors, because it is jam-packed with the equivalent of crack-laced candy for a fan of this series: easter eggs and references to the next and previous books.
It's really overwhelming for me to pick apart all the reasons this book is my favorite (I put so many colorful sticky notes in this thing it looks like Magnus goddamn Bane up in this bitch) so I'm just going to end it here because I cannot think critically about this for very long before they say William Herondale, mention Brother Zachariah, have Jace make a really cute remark about practicing a speech in a mirror, or reveal that Julian Blackthorn hasn't changed one bit from his debut here in this 2012 book to now in Lord of Shadows. This book is the one of the many epitomes of why I love Shadowhunters so the end. See you in the finale of The Mortal Instruments, bitches.
May 10, 2012:
Cassandra Clare's last two novels each left me furious and upset. I can't stress how absolutely relieved I am she didn't make it a trifecta.
My thoughts often get scattered and I tend to forget to say things I want to say when I write these reviews (especially for Cassie's books) so I'm going to attempt to make things a little more organized by talking about each character individually (and then talking about The Infernal Devices at the end, because HOLY HELL this book made me excited for Clockwork Princess).
Clary
Watch out Clary, your badass is showing. I felt as if our dear, fragile, dare I say unlikable Clarissa Fray finally went through some serious character development in the the right direction. No matter how crazy her Around the World in 80 Days trip with Sebastian and Jace got, she stuck to her mission. She stuck to what was right. I admire her immensely for that; more than I've admired her in the previous four books. Well done, Fray. Well done. Also: not having sex with both Jace and not-Jace was one of the strongest choices she's ever made. The fact that she doesn't rely on Jace, no matter how awesome he is, redeems her so much more in my eyes. She is a strong female hero now. There is no denying that.
Jace/Not-Jace
Not-Jace was seriously disturbing, for both Clary and me as a reader. If it would have been someone I loved, I wouldn't have been able to do what Clary did. He was the Jace Valentine always wanted him to be and that was scary. Seeing a side of a character we all loved and adored that was as dark and evil as this gave this portion of the series a ghoulishness that's going to be difficult to shake off. The real Jace, however, truly shone in contrast to his soulless counterpart. Because of the not-Jace, whenever we had a moment with Jace, I found myself truly cherishing the time he spent as his normal, pure, good self.
Sebastian
Excuse me while I vomit into this garbage can. If at once not-Jace was disturbing...he had nothing on this piece of work. His interactions with both Jace and Clary made him, in my eyes, into one of the sickest, craziest villains I've ever read about. His entire fight/kissing scene with Clary seriously had me nauseous. Thanks, Cassie. I don't know if I'm going to be able to hold down a solid meal for the next YEAR or so.
Alec, Isabelle, and Team Good
All I really have to say about the Lightwoods for this book was that I enjoyed seeing things from their points of view for once. We haven't seen much from them in the past and it was nice to see the mix-up. Holy hell I loved it when everyone Brooklyn-side was referred to as Team Good. And their banter as a group - as always with Cassie's books - was simply delicious.
Side-note: Anyone who is whining about Alec and Magnus's breakup, please chill out. I know they're everyone's OTP for some reason, but their breakup was coming for the entire book. But take a deep breath. They're going to get back together.
Maia and Jordan
Pure and utter adorable fluff. Where Clary, Jace, and Sebastian had all the weirdness and creepiness, these two made up for all the cute. Loving it. Just absolutely loving it. I have a feeling one or both of them is going to die in the last book, though. NOT THAT I WANT EITHER OF THEM TO. It's just a feeling.
SPECIAL INFERNAL DEVICES ADDENDUM
The amount of Infernal Devices teasers stuck into this book simply killed me. First with Alec mentioning Will. Then Clary seeing Tessa's clockwork angel in the display case at the Institute (WHY WAS IT IN THERE!!!???). Alec Gideon Lightwood and Stephen William Herondale? All my feels.
The one thing that absolutely killed me though, was Will's inscription in Jace's (now lost) copy of A Tale of Two Cities: With hope at last. I'm pretty certain I heard my heart re-shatter from old Clockwork Prince wounds and I definitely teared up. Damn you, Cassie.
One final little thing I'd like to say is, I'm finally conceding to the theories that Will is Brother Zachariah. As much as I don't want him to be miserable enough to have to do it, all of the references made in the past two Mortal Instruments novels are all pointing due north toward that theory. Let the record show that this is the theory I believe is going to happen but that I DON'T WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN IN ANY WAY.
/END ADDENDUM
Thanks for everything, Cassie! I anxiously await the novels bringing both of your series to a close. With both The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices on the penultimate brink of finale, I can't wait to see what you have in store for us. Your novels keep getting better and better; I hope you blow all of us right out of the water, prepping us for the incredible trilogy The Dark Artifices will be.
drchurrygarcia9's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
laurenbucklerx's review against another edition
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
neeks777's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.75
The last 100 pages GOT ME. So good. I had many feelings while reading this.
sgrubb24's review
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
eponineeurydice's review against another edition
3.0
I just have one question. Why is Ms. Clare so obsessed with incest? Nobody wants to read about that! Does anyone have an answer? I didn't think so. The only reason I'm reading these books is for Simon and Magnus. It was pretty good though, just because Clare definitely knows how to pull you in, even if this has serious potential to be a satire because of how dramatic and outright ridiculous some of the lines are. I'm still reading this stupid series though, so I guess she must be doing something right. Also Melanie's (meltotheany's) reviews for this series are impeccable, you should read them because my thoughts are very similar and Malanie articulates them very well. I did binge 4 of the Shadowhunters books this month, utterly to my surprise, but I think I'll take a break from them for a second.
paigeworrall's review against another edition
4.0
i enjoyed this book, Sebastian is so evil, but hard not to love!!