Take a photo of a barcode or cover
376 reviews for:
The Mortal Instruments Boxed Set: City of Bones; City of Ashes; City of Glass
Cassandra Clare
4.07 AVERAGE
376 reviews for:
The Mortal Instruments Boxed Set: City of Bones; City of Ashes; City of Glass
Cassandra Clare
4.07 AVERAGE
This was a re-read, partly because of the Shadowhunters show being aired now, and partly because I want to read the final book soon and want to catch up on all the story so far. So, comparing to the first read, I would say it is still as engaging. I missed my favorite sassy characters, and their witty quips at each other. There was a smile on my face whenever I came across a familiar line. What I didn't like was the narrator - the voice was too nasally, and even when trying for a 'guy voice' for the lines of the male characters, it made me cringe. The reading tone overall felt incomplete in emotion and flat in rendering. That was the only thing which darkened by enjoyment of this book again.
It took me at least half of the book to really get into this story. I found the first book much more entertaining and engaging.
That being said, I did find myself unable to put it down in the end. I'm glad more information is starting to unfold, that the whole book wasn't just one long tease to get you to buy the next one.
I found some of the writing highly annoying, such as the repetition of characters "tasting metal", "finding the coppery taste of blood", "mouths flooding with metallic taste". Seriously, this happened so often I thought maybe we could invent a drinking game out of it. I was rolling my eyes by the end, and wishing her a better editor for next time so she doesn't repeat herself over and over and over again.
Hopefully Simon won't nearly die 4 times in the next book.
My speculative spoiler is that Jace and Clary are not really brother and sister.
That being said, I did find myself unable to put it down in the end. I'm glad more information is starting to unfold, that the whole book wasn't just one long tease to get you to buy the next one.
I found some of the writing highly annoying, such as the repetition of characters "tasting metal", "finding the coppery taste of blood", "mouths flooding with metallic taste". Seriously, this happened so often I thought maybe we could invent a drinking game out of it. I was rolling my eyes by the end, and wishing her a better editor for next time so she doesn't repeat herself over and over and over again.
Hopefully Simon won't nearly die 4 times in the next book.
My speculative spoiler is that Jace and Clary are not really brother and sister.
Well... I gave it a go. I will not be completing this series. I'm sure the writing / series does get better, but it's just not for me. Sorry bout it.
"All of the stories are true." What to say about this book. I've heard so many good reviews. I've avoided this series for years waiting for it to be complete.
We have Shadowhunters, warlocks, witches, demons, werewolves, vampires, faeries, etc. This book covered all of the mythological bases and other creatures.
It's a 4 star because it didn't fully hold my attention. It wasn't always a page turner like I was hoping.
4 star review:
⭐️World building
⭐️Characters
⭐️Storyline
⭐️Belief in the story, semi connection
I could imagine the world coming to life as I was reading, but like I said above... there were times I could easily set the book down and forget about certain events.
I did love how everything came together. I realize everything and I mean every tiny detail in the book had a meaning or reasoning for why it was written.
I loved the love interest between Jace and Clary. (Alec.. go somewhere lol.) I'm a little annoyed with the ending.... Well very annoyed with the ending... To the point I had to google to spoil myself. (Trust me, you will too.)
To add::: this is in regards to the movie! I literally watched the movie after like 5 minutes of finishing the book... I highly suggest not doing that!!! You will find every tiny flaw humanly possible. Also, the last like 30-40 minutes of the movie wasn't really in the first book. I can see the movie had spoilers for the books to come! So DON'T watch the MOVIE until finishing the first THREE BOOKS!
We have Shadowhunters, warlocks, witches, demons, werewolves, vampires, faeries, etc. This book covered all of the mythological bases and other creatures.
It's a 4 star because it didn't fully hold my attention. It wasn't always a page turner like I was hoping.
4 star review:
⭐️World building
⭐️Characters
⭐️Storyline
⭐️Belief in the story, semi connection
I could imagine the world coming to life as I was reading, but like I said above... there were times I could easily set the book down and forget about certain events.
I did love how everything came together. I realize everything and I mean every tiny detail in the book had a meaning or reasoning for why it was written.
I loved the love interest between Jace and Clary. (Alec.. go somewhere lol.) I'm a little annoyed with the ending.... Well very annoyed with the ending... To the point I had to google to spoil myself. (Trust me, you will too.)
To add::: this is in regards to the movie! I literally watched the movie after like 5 minutes of finishing the book... I highly suggest not doing that!!! You will find every tiny flaw humanly possible. Also, the last like 30-40 minutes of the movie wasn't really in the first book. I can see the movie had spoilers for the books to come! So DON'T watch the MOVIE until finishing the first THREE BOOKS!
Picked a copy up from the second-hand bookshop, because there is no way I'm buying this new. Actually just picked it up because I wanted to know how Cassandra Clare writes so I can go on and forget about her. Needless to say, I won't be reading the other books, even if this IS the third in the series. Sorry.
Thoughts for now:
1, Clarissa is such a brat. And I don't like 'Clary' (how stupid can it even get), so I'm going to be that annoying person who calls everyone by their real names, even if they insist against it.
So it all starts with Clarissa getting left behind by the other Shadowhunters, who're all headed off to this so-called Glass City so they could all talk about a plan of attack against Valentine (or so I gathered). Jace doesn't want to bring her with them because it was too dangerous. Poor Clarissa, boo hoo, she doesn't make it, but Simon does (by accident, but still).
And what does Clarissa do? Create a new rune so she could open a new Portal to the Glass City right after Luke and Magnus told her how dangerous it would be (think of Nightcrawler going to places he's never been). She almost ends up drowning in this lake thing that was toxic to Shadowhunters. And she brings Luke in with her. Convenient for Clarissa, I guess. But for Luke? Well, seeing as how he's the one picking up the pieces of this extremely well-thought out and highly rational plan, well.
What I really hate about female protagonists (I hate a lot of things about male protagonists, too, don't worry, it's not an internalised misogyny issue) is that the writer sometimes tries so hard making them badass and 'feminist friendly' they just end up irritating and daft. Clarissa tries to make her own way to the Glass City despite everyone saying Nay. All right. That's cool. Independent female. But to do it in such a manner! Couldn't wait a bit, sit down and think of a plan, could she? No. She has to rush into things without thinking anything through and she expects things to end up well for her.
Well, babe, you're not immortal. What use is your rotting corpse to your mum? Stop fucking whinging and start acting your fucking age. It's not all fun and games. People have died. You're thinking of barging into a possibly dangerous place without a plan, acting like you fucking own it, because people expect you to represent your mum or whatever? I don't know. What is the logic. Does not compute.
2, Stop it with the quotes! Normally I have nothing against this. I likewise have nothing against epithets and characters quoting reams of poetry if they are so inclined. But here we have quotes from the Bible (the Torah, actually? Seeing as how people usually equate the 'Bible' with the King James version?) and Catullus, and it's like, this author is so well-read! Quoting from such sources in their original language! Good for her.
What really pissed me off about the whole thing is that these quotes pop up in the narrative, one character asks what it means, and someone else explains it to them. Sometimes in fucking detail. Is it really important to the plot? Maybe. I've no idea what happens next, so maybe all that quoting will turn up later. I have my doubts, but anyway. I have this feeling that it was all done just to show how clever the writer is, or how clever the character explaining the damned quote is, and ok. Whatever.
I know that this is a YA novel. Readers are hardly expected to know the Torah and Catullus and other intelligent things like that. But jfc, Cassandra Clare, can you be any more In Your Face about it? Sometimes it feels like she's breathing against my neck, whispering 'Don't you see how clever I am?'
Stand back, give us some space to think about these details, let us figure out what the damned quotes mean by ourselves (Google is your friend), let us fucking breath enough in order to appreciate these nuances that you have added to the story. Like this, not only do you sound like you're trying too hard, you're actually bringing your writing down to what you think your readers' intelligence level is. Respect us. My sensibilities are getting offended.
Thoughts for now:
1, Clarissa is such a brat. And I don't like 'Clary' (how stupid can it even get), so I'm going to be that annoying person who calls everyone by their real names, even if they insist against it.
So it all starts with Clarissa getting left behind by the other Shadowhunters, who're all headed off to this so-called Glass City so they could all talk about a plan of attack against Valentine (or so I gathered). Jace doesn't want to bring her with them because it was too dangerous. Poor Clarissa, boo hoo, she doesn't make it, but Simon does (by accident, but still).
And what does Clarissa do? Create a new rune so she could open a new Portal to the Glass City right after Luke and Magnus told her how dangerous it would be (think of Nightcrawler going to places he's never been). She almost ends up drowning in this lake thing that was toxic to Shadowhunters. And she brings Luke in with her. Convenient for Clarissa, I guess. But for Luke? Well, seeing as how he's the one picking up the pieces of this extremely well-thought out and highly rational plan, well.
What I really hate about female protagonists (I hate a lot of things about male protagonists, too, don't worry, it's not an internalised misogyny issue) is that the writer sometimes tries so hard making them badass and 'feminist friendly' they just end up irritating and daft. Clarissa tries to make her own way to the Glass City despite everyone saying Nay. All right. That's cool. Independent female. But to do it in such a manner! Couldn't wait a bit, sit down and think of a plan, could she? No. She has to rush into things without thinking anything through and she expects things to end up well for her.
Well, babe, you're not immortal. What use is your rotting corpse to your mum? Stop fucking whinging and start acting your fucking age. It's not all fun and games. People have died. You're thinking of barging into a possibly dangerous place without a plan, acting like you fucking own it, because people expect you to represent your mum or whatever? I don't know. What is the logic. Does not compute.
2, Stop it with the quotes! Normally I have nothing against this. I likewise have nothing against epithets and characters quoting reams of poetry if they are so inclined. But here we have quotes from the Bible (the Torah, actually? Seeing as how people usually equate the 'Bible' with the King James version?) and Catullus, and it's like, this author is so well-read! Quoting from such sources in their original language! Good for her.
What really pissed me off about the whole thing is that these quotes pop up in the narrative, one character asks what it means, and someone else explains it to them. Sometimes in fucking detail. Is it really important to the plot? Maybe. I've no idea what happens next, so maybe all that quoting will turn up later. I have my doubts, but anyway. I have this feeling that it was all done just to show how clever the writer is, or how clever the character explaining the damned quote is, and ok. Whatever.
I know that this is a YA novel. Readers are hardly expected to know the Torah and Catullus and other intelligent things like that. But jfc, Cassandra Clare, can you be any more In Your Face about it? Sometimes it feels like she's breathing against my neck, whispering 'Don't you see how clever I am?'
Stand back, give us some space to think about these details, let us figure out what the damned quotes mean by ourselves (Google is your friend), let us fucking breath enough in order to appreciate these nuances that you have added to the story. Like this, not only do you sound like you're trying too hard, you're actually bringing your writing down to what you think your readers' intelligence level is. Respect us. My sensibilities are getting offended.
Interested in reading further, but the brother/sister shit got me spooked (and before you jump, I get that it gets resolved later, I googled that immediately, but at the time of publishing no one knew that would be resolved and had to live with this weird BLUGH before deciding to buy the next book and continue).
This was a reread and the first time I actually finished rereading this book. SO GOOD. NEED TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE NOW. SO READY.
