Tuesday, May 31, 2011

The Mortal Instruments Series

City of Bones ****
by Cassondra Clare
Book Type: YA, Urban Fantasy 
Summary: When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know.... 
summary found on goodreads
My Review: I don't really know how to categorize this book. It was very different from anything I've read in a lot of ways, but it had a similar feel to the Hunger Games. It has a completely different subject matter though, it's all about demons, werewolves, vampires, shadowhunters... Crazy stuff like that! It's action packed and exciting. There is a little romance, but the main characters are about 15-18 years old so it's not adult romance. And there is a sick twist at the end of the novel. But overall I really enjoyed this book. It was supposed to be part of a trilogy but the author lied! It's a 6 book series and not all of the books have come out yet. The last two books come out in the next two years. So if you decide to read this series wait a while to start the series unless you are a seriously slow reader. Then I guess you could start now... :)

City of Ashes ****
by Cassandra Clare
Book Type: YA, Urban Fantasy
Summary: A murderer is loose in New York City ...  and the victims are Downworlder children. Clary Fray and her fellow Shadowhunters have a strong suspicion that Valentine, Clary's father, may be behind the killings. But if he is the murderer, then what's his true motive? To make matters worse, the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, has been stolen, and the mysterious Inquisitor has arrived to investigate, with his eyes vigilantly targeted on Clary's brother, Jace.
summary found on goodreads
My Review: Oh my goodness. I did NOT realize I could get so addicted to a book. I mean, Harry Potter was bad, but there was so much time between the books coming out that I never spent more than a day at a time on them. And then there was the Hunger Games but, once again, we had a year between each book coming out so like before I didn't spend more than a day at a time on those books. I don't even know if these books are the type that I would suggest to other people... But I seriously could NOT put them down! I just HAD to keep reading!! More and more! I couldn't wait to read the next part of the story. I could not get enough! It was ridiculously engrossing for me. Blegh! One thing I have to say is that these books do wrap up really well for a super engaging series. Most books that are written like these don't really wrap up at the end which is partially how they keep you so interested! This one doesn't really do that, but it still keeps you super engaged!

City of Glass ****
by Cassandra Clare
Book Type: YA, Urban Fantasy
Summary: To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.
As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadow-hunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadow-hunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her new found powers to help save the Glass City -- whatever the cost? 

summary found on goodreads 
My Review: Turns out this series WAS originally written to be a trilogy so this book wraps up the story incredibly well and FINALLY left me feeling satisfied. The relationships all end pretty happy and the bad guy is utterly destroyed. Overall the trilogy was really fun and engaging and I literally had the hardest time putting it down! So it was good to finish :) Now... There is another trilogy that is attached to this series that you don't HAVE to read... But I probably will once the last two books have come out. I can't start the next one or I will go crazy waiting for the books that come after! So, if you want a dark, exciting story that has relationship drama, demons, vampires, werewolves, demon fighters, and a lot of twists and turns... This is the series for you!

City of Fallen Angels **1/2
by Cassandra Clare
*Book 4 in series, start with City of Bones. . . actually, stop after book 3. These are NOT worth it. Just saying.
Book Type: YA, Urban Fantasy
Summary: The Mortal War is over, and Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most important of all—Clary can finally call Jace her boyfriend.
But nothing comes without a price.
Someone is murdering the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her. His mother just found out he’s a vampire and now he’s homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse wrecking his life. And they’re willing to do anything to get what they want. At the same time he’s dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other.
When Jace begins to pull away from Clary without explaining why, she is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: She herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.
Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

summary found on goodreads
My Review: Okay so if you have read my reviews of the first 3, which means that you've read the first 3 books... You may agree that they are ridiculously addictive! And you can't even necessarily say why. They really are silly! Because i couldn't get enough of the first three I decided to try out the next 3. The first one is out, I thought two of them were out so I decided I could go ahead and start reading it. Turns out it is just the one that is out... But that's okay. Because the first three were addicting and I couldn't put them down. BUT this one was not that way. It was written the same so I didn't want to put it down, but it was really driving me crazy. Why can't Cassandra Clare just let the main characters be happy? Let the minor characters have the difficult scary situations that the main characters from the first 3 have to help with. You know? What is with all of the DRAMA? Plus there wasn't nearly as much action in this book. So i don't even know if I'll read the next two. Is it worth it? I'm not sure... Anyway, there is so much drama between Jace and Clary, and Simon has a lot of his own drama in this book. Stop with the lying and deceiving! Just talk to each other! GOSH. Yeah I wouldn't read this book unless you absolutely LOVE the first 3. Which I didn't. I liked them. They were addicting. Didn't LOVE them.

City of Lost Souls **
by Cassandra Clare
*Book 5 in series, start with City of Bones and STOP at book 3. Don't go on to this book!!
Book Type: YA, Urban Fantasy
Summary: The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace freed from captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing, so is the boy she hates: her brother Sebastian, who is determined to bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.
The Clave's magic cannot locate either boy, but Jace can't stay away from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith's magic has wrought - Jace and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other.
Only a few people believe that Jace can still be saved. Together, Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle bargain with the sinister Seelie Queen, contemplate deals with demons, and turn at last to the merciless, weapon-making Iron Sisters, who might be able to forge a weapon that can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. If the Iron Sisters can't help, their only hope is to challenge Heaven and Hell - a risk that could claim their lives.
And they must do it without Clary. For Clary is playing a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing not just her own life, but Jace's soul. She's willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?
Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

summary found on goodreads
My Review: I have a serious problem. I have the HARDEST time starting a series and not finishing it. The first 3 books in this series were seriously fun. Not well written necessarily, not well developed even... But for some reason... I liked them! So pathetic... But I kept reading the series because I liked the first 3 books. The fourth book was retarded. This one wasn't much better. I think I've now gotten it out of my system and won't feel a need to read them anymore. Blegh. So this book has so much "almost sex". I mean, really? How much teenage sex drive are you suddenly going to throw into your story?? It's like the author thought that could control and drive the story. Oh and the whole gay and lesbian drama, they added way more of that. And it was irritating. I mean, the story itself wasn't that great and then they add all of this inappropriate material and you just want to slam your head against a table. So yeah. Pretty sure I am completely done with these books. I can't take any more of the drama!!

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