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bailey63's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I may be biased in rating this so high, but I do not take the matter of my comfort characters lightly, so sue me I guess.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Homophobia, Suicide, and Blood
lectricefeministe's review
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? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Murder, Gore, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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
4.0
I'm not always a fan of Clare's work for some reason, but this one was a fun read. I haven't read all of this series, but I knew enough from reading the Mortal Instruments books to follow along. The action and characterization news fun and held my interest, and the cocky dialogue never disappointed.
📘The Gist 📘: All Alec and Magnus want is to have a romantic vacation in Europe. Those plans are threatened when Magnus is ordered to deal with a demon warshiping cult that claims he is their founder.
📒Representation📒:bi mc, mlm mc, gay mc, AAPI mc, wlw sc
💕 For readers looking for 💕: demon-hunting shadow organizations, romance, epic battles, sequel book, wry humor, Shadowhunter books
📘The Gist 📘: All Alec and Magnus want is to have a romantic vacation in Europe. Those plans are threatened when Magnus is ordered to deal with a demon warshiping cult that claims he is their founder.
📒Representation📒:bi mc, mlm mc, gay mc, AAPI mc, wlw sc
💕 For readers looking for 💕: demon-hunting shadow organizations, romance, epic battles, sequel book, wry humor, Shadowhunter books
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, and Racism
Minor: Homophobia
Cult, buried aliveblueandblack14's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I absolutely love Alec and Magnus! They're my favorite fictional couple.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Homophobia, Torture, and Violence
ssuprnova's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
alternatively: malec and the cockblocking cult leader. thats. thats about it really, thats the actual plot.
ok no, im being dramatic, but it IS a recurring theme. and all in all, im both pleased and confused. its no secret that, as a philosophy, i am of the belief that cassandra clase Should Simply Stop. i think the shadowhunter world has been sufficiently exploited and we're ready for new things. HOWEVER. malec is an exception to every rule. heres why: they matter. they hold a very special place in the hearts of people who've been reading YA for what, a decade? because back then the lgbt rep was scarce and frankly mediocre. and i LOVE. and by that i mean LOVE love, seeing them go from minions to main characters. its what they deserve. so, actually, this is okay.
what isn't as okay is how this book threw me back at the period between city of glass and city of fallen angels because my dude,,,, i remember nothing. its been so long. this is criminal. also, explain alec being so progressive and accepting here and still going slutshaming and trying to rob mag of his immortality later on. unless im getting the timeline wrong (which is, admittedly, entire possible). something just dont match.
also! this reads kind of like satire. every character is so,,, overdone. it literally reads like satire and i mean this knowingly because i do read satire and this is how it is. the main characters not so much, but the more minor the character, the more it feels like a caricature (aside from magnus, except excess is expected when it comes to mag). who co wrote this, christopher moore? (actually, can we get that? shadowhunters x christopher moore? pls and thank you). raphael feels like what raphael would be if i wrote fanfiction. you know what i mean? its just a lot. and dont get me wrong -its fun. i almost like it better this way. its just not coehesive with the rest of the series,,, saga,,, universe,, whatever.
but also: its fun. and its highly quotable. and i think if i hadnt spoiled the twist for myself by reading a review (i swear to god people who dont tag spoilers have a special place in hell waiting for them) i think i would have been quite surprised, and i liked that even knowing what the twist WAS, i still got a bunch of lil surprises here and there. at the very end it throws a curveball i was really very not expecting and now im confused and sad and confused.
and of course: alec and magnus, and magnus and alec. and also: helen and aline, so, wlw/mlm solidarity, which is the thing of dreams, as we all know. aline is an absolute gem, where is HER book? (honestly there might be one and id be none the wiser, i got lost about five series ago). also: i would die for malec, i really would. theres a bit where alec cant decide between saving the world or getting laid and he goes physically back and forth no less than five times. absolutely iconic behavior on his part. also, magnus gets my whole heart.
my closing statement is as follows: alec lightwood is a pillow princess, pass it on.
ok no, im being dramatic, but it IS a recurring theme. and all in all, im both pleased and confused. its no secret that, as a philosophy, i am of the belief that cassandra clase Should Simply Stop. i think the shadowhunter world has been sufficiently exploited and we're ready for new things. HOWEVER. malec is an exception to every rule. heres why: they matter. they hold a very special place in the hearts of people who've been reading YA for what, a decade? because back then the lgbt rep was scarce and frankly mediocre. and i LOVE. and by that i mean LOVE love, seeing them go from minions to main characters. its what they deserve. so, actually, this is okay.
what isn't as okay is how this book threw me back at the period between city of glass and city of fallen angels because my dude,,,, i remember nothing. its been so long. this is criminal. also, explain alec being so progressive and accepting here and still going slutshaming and trying to rob mag of his immortality later on. unless im getting the timeline wrong (which is, admittedly, entire possible). something just dont match.
also! this reads kind of like satire. every character is so,,, overdone. it literally reads like satire and i mean this knowingly because i do read satire and this is how it is. the main characters not so much, but the more minor the character, the more it feels like a caricature (aside from magnus, except excess is expected when it comes to mag). who co wrote this, christopher moore? (actually, can we get that? shadowhunters x christopher moore? pls and thank you). raphael feels like what raphael would be if i wrote fanfiction. you know what i mean? its just a lot. and dont get me wrong -its fun. i almost like it better this way. its just not coehesive with the rest of the series,,, saga,,, universe,, whatever.
but also: its fun. and its highly quotable. and i think if i hadnt spoiled the twist for myself by reading a review (i swear to god people who dont tag spoilers have a special place in hell waiting for them) i think i would have been quite surprised, and i liked that even knowing what the twist WAS, i still got a bunch of lil surprises here and there. at the very end it throws a curveball i was really very not expecting and now im confused and sad and confused.
and of course: alec and magnus, and magnus and alec. and also: helen and aline, so, wlw/mlm solidarity, which is the thing of dreams, as we all know. aline is an absolute gem, where is HER book? (honestly there might be one and id be none the wiser, i got lost about five series ago). also: i would die for malec, i really would. theres a bit where alec cant decide between saving the world or getting laid and he goes physically back and forth no less than five times. absolutely iconic behavior on his part. also, magnus gets my whole heart.
my closing statement is as follows: alec lightwood is a pillow princess, pass it on.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Homophobia, and Kidnapping
bubblxgumwitch's review
adventurous
funny
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? It's complicated
4.0
Le cuesta arrancar, pero cuando arranca, vaya si arranca.
Este libro se sitúa cronológicamente entre Ciudad de cristal y Ciudad de los ángeles caÃdos y eso a mà no me convencÃa mucho. La premisa es un poco: sÃ, magnus y alec vivieron todas estas aventuras en las vacaciones, it's just never mentioned because it wasn't relevant to harry's story. Muy buena excusa se tenÃa que sacar de la manga CC para conseguir mantener la coherencia interna. No sé si lo consigue para todo el mundo, pero desde luego conmigo funciona la excusa.
No es un secreto para nadie que Alec es de mis personajes favoritos, en parte porque fue el primer personaje LGBT que encontré en un libro de literatura juvenil y en parte porque es igual de socialmente inepto que yo. Me encanta su caracterización en este libro, estoy literalmente enamorada, no exagero. Quizás es por la diferencia entre verlo como secundario en CDS y verlo como protagonista aquÃ, pero wow.
Magnus también me ha gustado muchÃsimo. Ha sido genial poder profundizar en el personaje y aunque ya sabÃa que era una persona buenÃsima en este libro aprendà que está a esto 👌 de ser el putÃsimo jesucristo reencarnado.
Los amo a los dos y amo el amor.
El misterio es verdad que tarda en arrancar, pero se pone muy bien y tiene plot twists que ni me olÃ, asà que bastante buena nota en ese aspecto también.
Otra cosa muy chula que tiene el libro es que hay un cameo de casi todo el mundo: personajes super queridos tienen lÃneas de diálogo y caracterización en monólogo interno de nuestros protagonistas. Es un detalle que se aprecia mucho.
No puedo terminar esta reseña sin hablar de Helen y Aline:
En el libro vemos cómo se conocen y sus primeras interacciones desde la perspectiva de Alec, lo cual es graciosÃsimo porque este chaval tiene el gaydar estropeadÃsimo y piensa que Aline es de alguna forma homófoba cuando lo que le pasa es que no sabe hablar con la chica que le gusta. Helen y Aline son monÃsimas de leer y me alegro un montón de que las sáficas nefilim no se estén dos años gustándose pero pensando que la otra solo quiere ser su amiga. Ain't nobody got time for that.
Si os preguntáis que por qué 4 estrellas y no 5, pues yo también me lo estoy preguntando ahora mismo, pero es lo que me pedÃa el cuerpo cuando terminé de leer, quizás porque el principio es un poco más flojo. Pero de todas formas es un libro chulÃsimo y me alegro un montón de empezar asà el mes de junio. Que viva el colectivo LGBT y feliz mes del orgullo!!!
Este libro se sitúa cronológicamente entre Ciudad de cristal y Ciudad de los ángeles caÃdos y eso a mà no me convencÃa mucho. La premisa es un poco: sÃ, magnus y alec vivieron todas estas aventuras en las vacaciones, it's just never mentioned because it wasn't relevant to harry's story. Muy buena excusa se tenÃa que sacar de la manga CC para conseguir mantener la coherencia interna. No sé si lo consigue para todo el mundo, pero desde luego conmigo funciona la excusa.
No es un secreto para nadie que Alec es de mis personajes favoritos, en parte porque fue el primer personaje LGBT que encontré en un libro de literatura juvenil y en parte porque es igual de socialmente inepto que yo. Me encanta su caracterización en este libro, estoy literalmente enamorada, no exagero. Quizás es por la diferencia entre verlo como secundario en CDS y verlo como protagonista aquÃ, pero wow.
Magnus también me ha gustado muchÃsimo. Ha sido genial poder profundizar en el personaje y aunque ya sabÃa que era una persona buenÃsima en este libro aprendà que está a esto 👌 de ser el putÃsimo jesucristo reencarnado.
Los amo a los dos y amo el amor.
El misterio es verdad que tarda en arrancar, pero se pone muy bien y tiene plot twists que ni me olÃ, asà que bastante buena nota en ese aspecto también.
Otra cosa muy chula que tiene el libro es que hay un cameo de casi todo el mundo: personajes super queridos tienen lÃneas de diálogo y caracterización en monólogo interno de nuestros protagonistas. Es un detalle que se aprecia mucho.
No puedo terminar esta reseña sin hablar de Helen y Aline:
Si os preguntáis que por qué 4 estrellas y no 5, pues yo también me lo estoy preguntando ahora mismo, pero es lo que me pedÃa el cuerpo cuando terminé de leer, quizás porque el principio es un poco más flojo. Pero de todas formas es un libro chulÃsimo y me alegro un montón de empezar asà el mes de junio. Que viva el colectivo LGBT y feliz mes del orgullo!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Violence
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