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A review by readwithria
City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
If I could, I would rate different sections of this book different things, but alas I can only give one rating so I give it three stars.
First, the things I didn’t like. This “ending” is kind of lackluster, and Sebastian’s motivation felt weak and contrived. The introduction of seven brand new characters was definitely put in for the sole purpose of getting people to read the dark artifices books. There were too many references to the infernal devices for my liking, and honestly this book felt less like the conclusion of a six book story and more like a way for the publisher to get readers to read six more books. Also, these two wars both took place over about 5-6 months and that feels ridiculous to me. This series should have taken place over a year or two, not a season or two.
Now for the things that I did like. I really enjoyed the banter between the main crew. I loved how their relationships developed, and how they grew. I like that a good chunk of the book was devoted to resolution. I like that choices had consequences, though I think some of those those consequences could have been both stronger and some seemed overly harsh. I like that Simon had his moment in the spotlight (he’s probably my favorite character and the character that has the most growth over the series).
Overall, this book was fine. The second half of this series is not super worth the read unless you’re a big lover of this world.
First, the things I didn’t like. This “ending” is kind of lackluster, and Sebastian’s motivation felt weak and contrived. The introduction of seven brand new characters was definitely put in for the sole purpose of getting people to read the dark artifices books. There were too many references to the infernal devices for my liking, and honestly this book felt less like the conclusion of a six book story and more like a way for the publisher to get readers to read six more books. Also, these two wars both took place over about 5-6 months and that feels ridiculous to me. This series should have taken place over a year or two, not a season or two.
Now for the things that I did like. I really enjoyed the banter between the main crew. I loved how their relationships developed, and how they grew. I like that a good chunk of the book was devoted to resolution. I like that choices had consequences, though I think some of those those consequences could have been both stronger and some seemed overly harsh. I like that Simon had his moment in the spotlight (he’s probably my favorite character and the character that has the most growth over the series).
Overall, this book was fine. The second half of this series is not super worth the read unless you’re a big lover of this world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Death, Confinement, and Blood