Book Go Over: City of Fallen Angels
Well, I will start off by saying that this was my minimum favorite of the books so far. It seemed quite a bit darker than the other magazines, and also a bit more of a downer. Jace in particular was battling a lot of "inner demons" and so he only seemed extra sad, almost as if he'd had all he could stand, and of course he deals with this by pushing Clary away, or hurting her so this she will push him away. Also, there was a lot of Simon in this one, and I love Simon, but he's not really the one I want to read about, and he was pretty down himself. All of this I completely understand, given things is happening in their lives, it just doesn't make it as fun to read. Something else I noticed was that there wasn't as much Demon fighting in this particular one. I don't know if this is because they banished most of the demons in the war, or why exactly, but there wasn't really any demon presence until the end. I found your a little strange, given their (Shadowhunters') occupation as demon-hunters.
HOWEVER, I don't want you to think I didn't fancy this book. I really, really did. For serious fans of the Shadowhunter industry, we will eat up ANYTHING written about these characters. We love them that much. I like that things aren't just all roses for Jace and Clary now, although I'm not sure how much more poor Jace can take (Let me just tell you, if he runs of and pulls a Peeta on me, I think I might just shoot someone!) It was obvious to me following City of Glass, especially after reading the series for the second time, that Cassie was not done with this story. The Herondale box, the prediction that Jace could fall in love with the wrong girl, the scar/mark on Jace's shoulder, the mention of Camille, the offer from the Faery queen, and so many other things that were left open, made it clear that this story would go on. This is 1 of the things I absolutely LOVE about Cassandra Clare's writing. She's not just a writer, she is a storyweaver! I don't think I've seen another author comes so close to the brilliance of J.K. Rowling in her ability to see a story as detailed as this any, tying in all the aspect of the assorted threads, even and especially including The Infernal Devices.
My favorite parts of this book, oddly enough, have been the hints that she dropped about Will, Jem, Tessa and Magnus from Clockwork Angel/Prince. I'm am SO passionate to see the way that Will and Jace fit together. I want to know what happened with Will and Magnus, I want to know about the Herondale knife, the scar all Herondale's have, and the connection to The Silent Brothers. This absolutely fascinates me! If you haven't read Clockwork Angel, or you're planning on continuing with this series, I can't recommend it enough. I loved it, and I love the way the stories fit together. It's just brilliant!
There are so many other things I loved about this reserve. The city of fallen angels tension is back between Jace and Clary, the ache you feel, knowing they love each other, but just can't seem to get the timing right. It was just so heart-wrenching!! I have a hard time believing they are only 16/17 years old, because they are just SO mature and so serious (even mentioning marriage), but that's ok, because I like thinking of them as being older than they're supposed to be..haha :D.
It was nice to see Simon starting to work out his love life. I didn't actually buy him and Izzy as a couple, or him and Mia, but I think after this book, I'm feeling one of those two relationships a little more. Seeing Simon change from a guy who needs protecting, to a guy who is a pivotal player, and protector ended up being great.
Overall, here's how I feel about this book. If you were happy at the end of City of Bones, and you don't want to read about Jace and Clary having an entirely new set of problems, then definitely stop reading. If you go into this book, just know that things will be shaken up, and that this is only the beginning. It ends in a SERIOUS cliffhanger, and/or your jaw will hit the floor, and you might just want to find Cassie and coerce her to tell you what's going to happen, and that Jace isn't going to lose it completely. You have been warned! But for those who just can't get enough of this world, this manual is a must read. A whole new can of worms is opened, and you'll be glad you opened it!
