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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
First read October 5 of 2008
Read 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014...so many times I have lost count
Love Love Love Love Love, freaking Love.
I was reluctant to read these. Not really sure why, but then enough people told me "So good! Just read it!" that I did.
I'm so glad I did. I enjoyed it so much. I can't wait to devour the next one!
Read 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014...so many times I have lost count
Love Love Love Love Love, freaking Love.
I was reluctant to read these. Not really sure why, but then enough people told me "So good! Just read it!" that I did.
I'm so glad I did. I enjoyed it so much. I can't wait to devour the next one!
I read this book for the first time about one year ago. I loved every second of it. Then I read it again. I love this book inside and out. And the series as a whole is one of my favorites. This is the book in the series where you really figure out what's going on. The bad guys are explained, and you find out big secrets about the characters. So it's one book you just can't miss.
The main character is Clary Fray. There are so many words I could use to describe her. She is strong, independent, amazing, powerful, dedicated, loyal, caring, stubborn. The list goes on and on. She's a well developed character that everyone is able to relate to. Not to mention she can kick demon butt. And by this point, she's starting to realize just how awesome she is. Then there's Jace. He is the male lead. He is actually a lot like Clary. The only difference, he may be more stubborn. He's not afraid to risk his life, which makes him a little reckless at times. It worries the heck out of the other characters, but makes readers fall in love with him. He is not the least bit modest. He is completely aware of his hotness, and often brings it up. He has a witty comment for everything. He'll have you laughing out loud at almost everything he says. He acts like an idiot at times, but all teenage boys do.
The plot twists and turns. Just as it looks like someone is good, they do something evil. Someone evil might turn out to be good. And of course there are the characters no one is sure if they're good or not. If you are looking to read this book, be ready for one heck of a ride. I give this book five stars.
The main character is Clary Fray. There are so many words I could use to describe her. She is strong, independent, amazing, powerful, dedicated, loyal, caring, stubborn. The list goes on and on. She's a well developed character that everyone is able to relate to. Not to mention she can kick demon butt. And by this point, she's starting to realize just how awesome she is. Then there's Jace. He is the male lead. He is actually a lot like Clary. The only difference, he may be more stubborn. He's not afraid to risk his life, which makes him a little reckless at times. It worries the heck out of the other characters, but makes readers fall in love with him. He is not the least bit modest. He is completely aware of his hotness, and often brings it up. He has a witty comment for everything. He'll have you laughing out loud at almost everything he says. He acts like an idiot at times, but all teenage boys do.
The plot twists and turns. Just as it looks like someone is good, they do something evil. Someone evil might turn out to be good. And of course there are the characters no one is sure if they're good or not. If you are looking to read this book, be ready for one heck of a ride. I give this book five stars.
When I first read this book, I was 14-ish. I thought I had my life under control, I thought that boys were worth skipping classes for, I thought I was really smart and I thought this book was the best book ever. Obviously, I wasn't right about a lot of things.
First, things I didn't like about the book.
Jace is on of the most whiny characters in the literary world.
OH WOE IS ME I'M IN LOVE WITH MY SISTER
OH SHE WENT ON A DATE WITH BOY
OH IM A MONSTER AND A DEMON AND I DESERVE PAIN
Shut the FUCK UP JACE. You're a hot shadowhunter and you have MORE strength and agility than the usual guy. Suck it up. Sure, his childhood sucked balls, but he's so ungrateful I want to kick him in the crotch. He meets Clary and loses the shrivel of self-respect he had for himself. He focuses all his energy on pining for her and being upset that he can't be with her and trying to make decisions for her. He just ignores the people who were with him his entire life so that he can mope. Fuck off Jace.
Clary is such a wish-fulfillment character. I mean, yeah there's some major character development going on, but she doesn't really do much except the opposite of what people tell her and think of kissing Jace. It's infuriating. And the only reason she saves the day is because of her blood and her special snowflake ability. In fact, every good thing that happens in the book is because of convenient coincidences. She doesn't do anything to affect the plot, just on her moral fiber or because she actually wants to.
Clace is gross. I have to admit, I shipped them when I was younger, even when I thought they were siblings. But it is, frankly, gross. And insta-lovey. You can't tell me beautiful, witty Jace Whatever, fell in love with self-confessed Plain-Jane Clary Whatever, through the fucking coffee-house window. That's ridiculous. I'm not buying the whole "I'll love you after death" thing. It's just not realistic or comprehensible in any way.
And, fine, we knew Jace and Clary weren't really siblings since the previous book, but they BELIEVED they were siblings. Guys, it's weird. And the fact that I actually have siblings makes me feel repulsed by the whole ordeal. They're teenagers, even if they believed they were in love, they could have just stepped away from each other. The whole thing made me feel weird. Call me insensitive to the concept of pure love or whatever, it's weird.
(Say weird one more time)
Things I liked.
The lightwoods.
I remember reading about Isabelle and her whip and wanting to be just like her. I guess, some things don't actually change. Isabelle is badass in the way she loves her family, in the way she protects them and in every other conceivable aspect.
Alec is a precious cinnamon roll that should be protected at all costs.
Magnus Bane is an interesting character. He looks for profit but makes exceptions for love. I like that about him. He's also glittery and bisexual. Like me. All in all, he's one of the few characters in this series who seems like an actual person. Seeing that he is an 800 year old warlock, that's saying something about the series.
Simon is cute. I like him. He's selfless, a good friend and doesn't blame Clary for not liking him or complaining about the "friend-zone". But I mostly like him because of Sizzy.
That's one thing that's never changed.
4 stars for the nostalgia and for each of the salvageable characters.
First, things I didn't like about the book.
Jace is on of the most whiny characters in the literary world.
OH WOE IS ME I'M IN LOVE WITH MY SISTER
OH SHE WENT ON A DATE WITH BOY
OH IM A MONSTER AND A DEMON AND I DESERVE PAIN
Shut the FUCK UP JACE. You're a hot shadowhunter and you have MORE strength and agility than the usual guy. Suck it up. Sure, his childhood sucked balls, but he's so ungrateful I want to kick him in the crotch. He meets Clary and loses the shrivel of self-respect he had for himself. He focuses all his energy on pining for her and being upset that he can't be with her and trying to make decisions for her. He just ignores the people who were with him his entire life so that he can mope. Fuck off Jace.
Clary is such a wish-fulfillment character. I mean, yeah there's some major character development going on, but she doesn't really do much except the opposite of what people tell her and think of kissing Jace. It's infuriating. And the only reason she saves the day is because of her blood and her special snowflake ability. In fact, every good thing that happens in the book is because of convenient coincidences. She doesn't do anything to affect the plot, just on her moral fiber or because she actually wants to.
Clace is gross. I have to admit, I shipped them when I was younger, even when I thought they were siblings. But it is, frankly, gross. And insta-lovey. You can't tell me beautiful, witty Jace Whatever, fell in love with self-confessed Plain-Jane Clary Whatever, through the fucking coffee-house window. That's ridiculous. I'm not buying the whole "I'll love you after death" thing. It's just not realistic or comprehensible in any way.
And, fine, we knew Jace and Clary weren't really siblings since the previous book, but they BELIEVED they were siblings. Guys, it's weird. And the fact that I actually have siblings makes me feel repulsed by the whole ordeal. They're teenagers, even if they believed they were in love, they could have just stepped away from each other. The whole thing made me feel weird. Call me insensitive to the concept of pure love or whatever, it's weird.
(Say weird one more time)
Things I liked.
The lightwoods.
I remember reading about Isabelle and her whip and wanting to be just like her. I guess, some things don't actually change. Isabelle is badass in the way she loves her family, in the way she protects them and in every other conceivable aspect.
Alec is a precious cinnamon roll that should be protected at all costs.
Magnus Bane is an interesting character. He looks for profit but makes exceptions for love. I like that about him. He's also glittery and bisexual. Like me. All in all, he's one of the few characters in this series who seems like an actual person. Seeing that he is an 800 year old warlock, that's saying something about the series.
Simon is cute. I like him. He's selfless, a good friend and doesn't blame Clary for not liking him or complaining about the "friend-zone". But I mostly like him because of Sizzy.
That's one thing that's never changed.
4 stars for the nostalgia and for each of the salvageable characters.
Meh. Formulaic. You see every "twist" coming a mile away, even the big one (which you try your damnedest NOT to see because it's more appalling than surprising). The author is a simile's best friend, managing to work one in every third sentence. Still, it was entertaining. There's no substance here, but it will engage your brain cells without demanding too much out of them.
This is probably once of the first series where the ending didn't disappoint me, even though this isn't really the ending. XD
I'll admit that I only started to read City of Bones because I am mildly interested in the TV show "Shadowhunters" and really excited about Malec.
I also knew what I was getting into. The annoying main character, the stupid love triangle, the weird incesty storyline, the sometimes really bad dialogue etc. So I feel like I can't complain about those parts.
Admittedly COD was an easy read - not a page turner but I could keep on reading for over an hour without being bored (I did roll my eyes quite a few times). I liked Simon, Isabelle and Luke. I loved Magnus and Alec. I hated Clary and Jace. Those two are just so bland and boring. The one scene where I fell asleep while reading was their picnic in the green house.
I thought I would end up hating COB but I actually enjoyed reading it. (The cover of my paperback edition from July 2015 is gorgeous by the way. Always a plus since it will end up in my collection.)
City of Ashes - here I come: May there be more Malec and less incesty stuff.
I also knew what I was getting into. The annoying main character, the stupid love triangle, the weird incesty storyline, the sometimes really bad dialogue etc. So I feel like I can't complain about those parts.
Admittedly COD was an easy read - not a page turner but I could keep on reading for over an hour without being bored (I did roll my eyes quite a few times). I liked Simon, Isabelle and Luke. I loved Magnus and Alec. I hated Clary and Jace. Those two are just so bland and boring. The one scene where I fell asleep while reading was their picnic in the green house.
I thought I would end up hating COB but I actually enjoyed reading it. (The cover of my paperback edition from July 2015 is gorgeous by the way. Always a plus since it will end up in my collection.)
City of Ashes - here I come: May there be more Malec and less incesty stuff.
i read the whole thing this time because everyone kept telling me to. apparently “they get better” ? probably shouldn’t have read the infernal devices first because now this just feels like a bad version of that. the long and short of it is that A. I’m a sucker for character-driven stories and B. I liked a whopping total of one character in this book and he was just barely a supporting character
Reread from February 04 to 07, 2016, 5/5 stars: Rereading this book was great. I obviously felt a lot more connected to the characters than I did the first time I read it, and so I was able to enjoy it much more. It felt really good to go back to the very beginning. I kind of want to reread the entire series now, but I don't think that's going to happen. This was also the very first audiobook I've ever listened to, which was a cool experience. It takes forever, though, so I'm not sure I'll listen to audiobooks more from now on. But for when I was sick, lying in bed unable to move, it was perfect.
***
Watching the Shadowhunters TV show has made me want to reread this book, so I decided to listen to the audiobook.
***
First read from March 08 to 12, 2014, 3/5 stars
My review can be found on my blog schakarin.
***
Watching the Shadowhunters TV show has made me want to reread this book, so I decided to listen to the audiobook.
***
First read from March 08 to 12, 2014, 3/5 stars
My review can be found on my blog schakarin.
The narrator of the audibook is horrible which through me off. After reading this for the 2nd or 3rd time I can honestly say this is probably one of Cassie's worst books. But I can also say the series and the author's writing gets noticeably better.
This one was insane. these books have been keeping me up and I totally skipped sleeping at night for this one. I cried and laughed and just was so amazed at how deep I could be in a book. it's probably not healthy how much I'm into these books, but omigosh. And poor Simon! Oh, I could just strangle Sebastian.