Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
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:
Complicated
Oh my fucking god.
I don't know why it took me so long to read this book when it's been out for more than a decade and I read the main series Cassandra Clare wrote when I was fourteen.
But having read this first book just today, knowing that two EVEN better books follow it, makes me want to go back in time and slap fifteen year old me for not FUCKING READING THIS SOONER!
GAHH! it's so fucking good. I loved the mortal instruments when I first read it, but I for the life don't remember why or understand why I didn't continue reading her other works. But they just escaped me as the years went by and then I watched a YouTube video from the beautiful Clockwork Reader, Hannah, herself and hse recommended the series in a fantasy recommendation video.
I,. Of course, added it to my TBR and I don't know what came over me today that pulled me into reading it. It's one of the rare books on my TBR that I have a physical copy of so I knew I just had to read it.
And let me tell you, I loved every fucking second of it. It reads like early 2010s YA fantasy, but that's actually good! Shocking, right?
I loved every single character apart from bum ass Nathaniel and annoying Jessamine - though I do predict she will grow on me. (Hopefully, because if not, I'm just gonna find her absolutely dreadful the rest of the time.)
I do love that the conflict was semi-resolved at the end of the book, at least for now. I was nervous that Tessa was going to get kidnapped, or one of the boys was going to be injured and stay in a coma or something. Not that I would've been upset if that had happened. I just think it would've had the opposite effect on me, and instead of urgently going to the next book, I would've weirdly felt drained.
I will admit, it was quite weird reading a fantasy book or any book for that matter - with protagonists who are younger than me. I think that had a lot to do with why I found Will to be so obnoxious and be more on Jems side in terms of budding romance with Tessa, because listen, I've had my share of immature obnoxious sixteen year old guys in high school. So while I was reading I found some of his actions and quippy, sarcastic jokes to be funny. But when he acted so poorly and rather strange after BOTH times he kissed Tessa, I was just annoyed and annoyed for Tessa. Cause I know what boys that age are like even if they're fictional or not, regular humans, or not.
But, I remind myself that he's sixteen, probably has a bit of trauma, and that he's SOO much like Alex Lightwood and Jace Herondale, that I'm like okay I don't find him too annoying that I dislike him.
Other than that, I loved the plot, lived the writing. It felt fast paced which I loved and already knowing the politics and vocabulary of the Shadow hunter world definitely helped with how digestible it was.
I already know that if one of the boys dies at the end of the third book, or the epilogue, I will be crying hysterically and cursing Cassandra Clare.
I don't know why it took me so long to read this book when it's been out for more than a decade and I read the main series Cassandra Clare wrote when I was fourteen.
But having read this first book just today, knowing that two EVEN better books follow it, makes me want to go back in time and slap fifteen year old me for not FUCKING READING THIS SOONER!
GAHH! it's so fucking good. I loved the mortal instruments when I first read it, but I for the life don't remember why or understand why I didn't continue reading her other works. But they just escaped me as the years went by and then I watched a YouTube video from the beautiful Clockwork Reader, Hannah, herself and hse recommended the series in a fantasy recommendation video.
I,. Of course, added it to my TBR and I don't know what came over me today that pulled me into reading it. It's one of the rare books on my TBR that I have a physical copy of so I knew I just had to read it.
And let me tell you, I loved every fucking second of it. It reads like early 2010s YA fantasy, but that's actually good! Shocking, right?
I loved every single character apart from bum ass Nathaniel and annoying Jessamine - though I do predict she will grow on me. (Hopefully, because if not, I'm just gonna find her absolutely dreadful the rest of the time.)
I do love that the conflict was semi-resolved at the end of the book, at least for now. I was nervous that Tessa was going to get kidnapped, or one of the boys was going to be injured and stay in a coma or something. Not that I would've been upset if that had happened. I just think it would've had the opposite effect on me, and instead of urgently going to the next book, I would've weirdly felt drained.
I will admit, it was quite weird reading a fantasy book or any book for that matter - with protagonists who are younger than me. I think that had a lot to do with why I found Will to be so obnoxious and be more on Jems side in terms of budding romance with Tessa, because listen, I've had my share of immature obnoxious sixteen year old guys in high school. So while I was reading I found some of his actions and quippy, sarcastic jokes to be funny. But when he acted so poorly and rather strange after BOTH times he kissed Tessa, I was just annoyed and annoyed for Tessa. Cause I know what boys that age are like even if they're fictional or not, regular humans, or not.
But, I remind myself that he's sixteen, probably has a bit of trauma, and that he's SOO much like Alex Lightwood and Jace Herondale, that I'm like okay I don't find him too annoying that I dislike him.
Other than that, I loved the plot, lived the writing. It felt fast paced which I loved and already knowing the politics and vocabulary of the Shadow hunter world definitely helped with how digestible it was.
I already know that if one of the boys dies at the end of the third book, or the epilogue, I will be crying hysterically and cursing Cassandra Clare.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
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:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
brought me right back to devouring books in middle school, thank you Cassandra Clare you’ve done it again
hot take but this should've been cassie Clare's debut novel smh
honestly this book still holds up! its been over a decade since I read this series for the 1st time n it was the series that started one of my longest friendships presently
what's keeping me from a 5 star review tho is that Tessa is so passive until the last quarter of the novel. ofc I can let it slide for this 1st book cause her entire world is flipping upside down but over half of the book was Tessa being escorted around London by shadowhunters and getting saved which I didn't remember happening so im v confident that this was a 1st book only type of thing
Jem is FOREVER my fav shadowhunter character I absolutely adore him n rereading has only confirmed that. although I still stand by the fact that having him be Chinese n an opium addiction is toeing the line of racial stereotyping but its only really brought up 2 times in the series from what I remember
n Mr will herondale is EMO. like emo "i would rather kms than talk about my feelings so I'll stand out in the rain on a balcony n quote oscar wilde quotes" kinda emo n i really love that for him
v solid tho im looking forward to more magnus bane in the next book
honestly this book still holds up! its been over a decade since I read this series for the 1st time n it was the series that started one of my longest friendships presently
what's keeping me from a 5 star review tho is that Tessa is so passive until the last quarter of the novel. ofc I can let it slide for this 1st book cause her entire world is flipping upside down but over half of the book was Tessa being escorted around London by shadowhunters and getting saved which I didn't remember happening so im v confident that this was a 1st book only type of thing
Jem is FOREVER my fav shadowhunter character I absolutely adore him n rereading has only confirmed that. although I still stand by the fact that having him be Chinese n an opium addiction is toeing the line of racial stereotyping but its only really brought up 2 times in the series from what I remember
n Mr will herondale is EMO. like emo "i would rather kms than talk about my feelings so I'll stand out in the rain on a balcony n quote oscar wilde quotes" kinda emo n i really love that for him
v solid tho im looking forward to more magnus bane in the next book