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A Willowood Book Review:

Well, Cassandra Clare has done it again! I loved, loved, LOVED this book! The Mortal Instruments series has easily become my favorite book series. I feel so connected to the characters and what they are feeling! Okay, now that I've gotten that out, lets get to the actual review. Warning there will DEFINITELY be spoilers!
Where to begin, where to begin... How about the beginning of the book?
After Jace has mysteriously disappeared (or not so mysteriously) everyone is looking for him and Sebastian (a.k.a. Jonathan Morgenstern). When the Clave decides that other things are more important than looking for Jace I just about had a flip out moment! Um, excuse me but what could possibly be more important than Jace!! Then finally Clary spots Jace and Sebastian in the Institutes library and I was so excited to see what happens... and nothing happened.
Clary goes home all depressed because Jace seemed happy with Sebastian. Then she falls asleep and when she wakes up, there he is! Jace is in Clary's bed just looking at her. Sebastian is there too and both of them try to convince Clary to run away with them, but before anything else can happen Jocelyn and Luke get involved and it goes down hill from there. Luke gets seriously injured by Sebastian/Jace (they are now linked together what happens to Jace happens to Sebastian and vise versa which is why Jace is all happy-go-lucky when it comes to Sebastian) and Jocelyn and Clary move into Magnus's apartment with Alec.
Clary cannot stop thinking about Jace, obviously, so she packs a bag and goes back to Luke's apartment because she knows that Jace will come for her again. She also brings and ring with her that lets her communicate with Simon, who has the other ring.
Now I'm going to give a short explanation and then jump to the ending of this book:
Jocelyn finds that Clary is gone and is furious with Simon for not stopping her, Jordan and Maia go searching for a cure for Luke, Isabelle and Jocelyn look for a weapon that will kill Sebastian but not harm Jace, and Clary is with Jace and Sebastian traveling around Europe in this magical apartment preparing for this ceremony that Sebastian wants to preform that will make a race of dark/demonic Nephilim.
There is a point in the book where Jace breaks free of his possession by Lilith and speaks to Clary. He wants to turn himself in to the Clave with the Infernal Cup but Clary stops him and calls Sebastian before Jace can leave the magical apartment....HAS CLARY GONE BAD-SHIT CRAZY!!! Jace has a very good chance of returning to normal and ending this whole thing and Clary ruins it....
So Sebastian and Jace carry on with preparing for the ceremony. Jace has gone ahead to the Seventh Sacred Site for the ceremony and it's just Clary and Sebastian in the apartment. This is when things get creepy in an incest way.
Clary gets caught using the ring to contact Simon and gets into this huge physical fight with Sebastian. During the fight Sebastian admits that he loves Clary (and not in a brotherly way) and constantly pins her to the wall or ground trying to kiss her! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?!?!?!? Clary ends up losing the fight and is forced into wearing this ceremonial dress and is taken hostage to the ceremony.
NOW THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART OF THE ENTIRE BOOK!
THE ENDING!!!!
I loved the way Cassandra finished this book! To be honest, there is no great way for me to explain the ending of this book. All I can say is that is blew my mind and I kept thinking this is it, this is when everything is going to go to shit and everyone is going to die.
If you really want to know what happened in the end JUST READ THE FRICKIN' BOOK ALREADY!!! TRUST ME YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!
Thanks for reading my review, everyone.
Happy readings to you all :)
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The beginning was a little rough, but by the end I was really into the story. I look forward to the last book.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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:
N/A
I liked this book. It definetly wasn't one of the best of the TMI serie, but it was ok. I liked this book mainly because of the characters themselves and their development. It has a great start that unfolds greatly and smoothly continues throughout. Although it did have a few breaks between the plot of like the more side characters like - Maia, Jordan, Camille, Maureen but they were pretty much character development and not a lot of plot involved.
These are my liking of every individual character based on my opinion:
These are my liking of every individual character based on my opinion:
Clary ⭐⭐⭐/5 - Nothing much to talk about here. Same old stubborn Clarissa, except that last scene with Jace where she pierced him with Glorius which almost killed him and she balwed her little heart out (the end of 21st chapter). Although I still love her!! Jace ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 - I mean he was controlled by Jonathan and it made him to all these bad things to some people like Magdalena (chapter 17). He not only helped execute the plan but he even made most of it which was omg- I genuinely did not expect that but anyway. But when he escaped Jonathan's "posession" for few minutes he literally was ready to give himself up to the Silent Brothers to get Jonathan's plan and then they were gonna kill him. My heart jumped and was like "bruh not again". But in the end it was all ok. Except of course the heavenly fire that is in him now. But still great development and I loved him in this book! Isabelle ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 - I always loved my girl so it was obvious that I would rate her this high. I also loved her character development where she transitioned from the girl that was being liked by every guy because of her looks to a girl who find the right guy (Simon) that actually liked her because of who she is and of course HER PERFECT FACE CARD but anyway. Simon ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 - He literally was gonna sacrifise himself for his best friend's boyfriend, WHICH BTW HE WAS IN LOVE WITH CLARY SINCE FOREVER SO MIND THIS. He literally summoned Raziel knowing that his mark may won't protect him from a literal angel but when it actually did protect him, he gave it up... GAVE UP HIS CHANCE TO BE LITERALLY IMMUNE FROM ALMOST EVERYTHING BUT DEFINETLY FROM EVERYBODY. But he did. And I love him for it. He showed what true love is. Also his love with Iz is everything fr. Alec ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 - Don't get me wrong. He is literally my one of my favourite characters in the book serie but what he did with Camille. The deal he made with her to remove Magnus's immortality so he can die with him and him having meetings with her because she is the only one who has been with Magnus before and knows him so he can talk about his love and stuff behind Magnus's back... that's just unacceptable and I was so mad at him for that and that is why they broke up at the end of the book WHICH GENUINELY BROKE MY HEART BC I LOVED MALEC SO MUCH AND CASSIE CLARE TOOK THAT AWAY FROM ME AND I AM STILL SO MAD AT HER I BAWLED MY HEART OUT THAT FELT LIKE I'VE BEEN STABBED THREE TIMES, SHOT TWO TIMES THEN BURNED ALIVE BUT STILL LIVING AFTER ALL THAT... Magnus ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 - I just love him so much. He was right for breaking up with Alec about that too if someone did the same to me. And he was actually their pet. They kept using him and that was just not ok- Although I will forever cry at this scene and that's why I probably will never read it again... Jonathan/Sebastian ⭐⭐./5 - I don't really hate him that much. Just a mostly ordinary villain in a story. But that scene with Clary in the Valentine's mansion that can teleport (forgot it's name) I HATE IT WITH EVERYTHING IN MY HEART. YOU CANNOT TELL ME YOU WOULD BE BETTER THAN JACE IN THE BED AND SHE KNOWS IT - LIKE HELL NO SWEET HOME ALABAMA GET A THERAPIST!!!!! Maia ⭐⭐⭐⭐./5 - I have pretty much nothing to say. I just love her and her relationship with Jordan. Jordan ⭐⭐⭐.5/5 - Not my favourite character but not the worst either. Just an average character. Although I love his deep caring for Maia. Jocelyn & Luke ⭐⭐⭐.75/5 - I put them together, cuz they weren't much of a singular piece if you know what I mean. Although that stunt that Jocelyn pulled on Simon at Magnus's appartment was not ok. You cannot call someone disappointing when you are not even his mother.
Loved it! For a bit there I was really hoping that Jace's blood had affect Sebastian and somehow he would turn out on Team Good. Twas not to be. Which it think is better actually - I was looking for an all round happy ending with Jace returning home and Clary being able to have a big brother (maybe becausae I have a big brother so I could relate to where it 'looked' like it was heading, but that's not realistic. Plus what would the next one be about if that were the case?
I loved Clary in this one! In the others there have been moments she annoyed me or bits that ticked me off but in this one she fully embraced her Shadowhunter side. She was strong and fought for Jace untill the very end! She was going to get him back and that was that! I can't wait to the read the next one to see how that goes. Also to see her and Jace actually be together - it's been all twists and turns since they net, hasn't it? Also very happy about Simon and Isabelle and not so happy about Alec and Magnus!
And Maureen! There is something so dark and creepy about a child vampire running wild killing everything in sight. And you know Simon is going to make it his responsibility to try and help her.
I have a feeling that City of Heavenly Fire is going to be an epic finale to an amazing series, though I will be sad to see it go :(
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I loved Clary in this one! In the others there have been moments she annoyed me or bits that ticked me off but in this one she fully embraced her Shadowhunter side. She was strong and fought for Jace untill the very end! She was going to get him back and that was that! I can't wait to the read the next one to see how that goes. Also to see her and Jace actually be together - it's been all twists and turns since they net, hasn't it? Also very happy about Simon and Isabelle and not so happy about Alec and Magnus!
And Maureen! There is something so dark and creepy about a child vampire running wild killing everything in sight. And you know Simon is going to make it his responsibility to try and help her.
I have a feeling that City of Heavenly Fire is going to be an epic finale to an amazing series, though I will be sad to see it go :(
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adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3/5 - Lots of things I didn’t like.
Alec’s inability to talk to Magnus upsets me. And Magnus’ inability to talk to Alec upsets me too. Communication is key. No wonder they didn’t work out.
Why doesn’t clary communicate with Simon more? The first day she arrived at the house with Jace and Sebastian, she barely talked to Simon which made me mad since she knew a lot already and clearly everyone would be worried about her. So why didn’t she? And then when she lost that ring, she searched for it for a bit but then it seemed like she just gave up. Then she randomly finds it. Interesting.
I don’t understand why Clary was so willing to talk to Sebastian ALONE without Jace present. How did she not feel unsafe or filled with hatred?
I hate how Sebastian keeps throwing the words “sister” around when describing Clary. Yet he keeps mentioning being with her. That’s incest and it’s gross.
When Jace was finally out of the control, the first thing he did was start making out with Clary but why didn’t they plan how to get out of this or escape first?? And then when Jace finally decided to give himself over to the Silent Brothers, Clary was so selfish to let him do it that it was maddening. Yes, I get that she loves him so so much but I mean, come on. Better Jace dies than the rest of the world. And then when she shouted for Sebastian’s name to wake him and ruin Jace’s plans of escaping only so that she wouldn’t lose the love of her life? Unbelievable. This is what I don’t like in any literary character. At least in the end she finally puts a sword through his heart.
Alec’s inability to talk to Magnus upsets me. And Magnus’ inability to talk to Alec upsets me too. Communication is key. No wonder they didn’t work out.
Why doesn’t clary communicate with Simon more? The first day she arrived at the house with Jace and Sebastian, she barely talked to Simon which made me mad since she knew a lot already and clearly everyone would be worried about her. So why didn’t she? And then when she lost that ring, she searched for it for a bit but then it seemed like she just gave up. Then she randomly finds it. Interesting.
I don’t understand why Clary was so willing to talk to Sebastian ALONE without Jace present. How did she not feel unsafe or filled with hatred?
I hate how Sebastian keeps throwing the words “sister” around when describing Clary. Yet he keeps mentioning being with her. That’s incest and it’s gross.
When Jace was finally out of the control, the first thing he did was start making out with Clary but why didn’t they plan how to get out of this or escape first?? And then when Jace finally decided to give himself over to the Silent Brothers, Clary was so selfish to let him do it that it was maddening. Yes, I get that she loves him so so much but I mean, come on. Better Jace dies than the rest of the world. And then when she shouted for Sebastian’s name to wake him and ruin Jace’s plans of escaping only so that she wouldn’t lose the love of her life? Unbelievable. This is what I don’t like in any literary character. At least in the end she finally puts a sword through his heart.
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No