City of Lost Souls: Mortal Instruments

City of Lost Souls is the fifth book in the Mortal Instruments series. There wasn’t as much action in this book as we normally get making its pacing seem a little slow, but the character development I feel that we receive in this book makes it worthwhile. The ending also packs a punch that the rest of the book generally does not. As this is the fifth book in a series, anything beyond this point could be considered spoilers if you have not read the rest of the series.

After the events of City of Fallen Angels, we find our heroes in disarray because they find that both Jace and Sebastian are missing. They find out that Jace and Sebastian have been linked by the dark ceremony, which means that Jace is no longer himself. He feels that anything that Sebastian does it right and assists him, despite the fact that it would go against his true nature.

I really enjoyed seeing Jace and Sebastian’s interactions, because it showed a more human side of Sebastian. There were times when there was no one else around besides Jace, who was linked to him and had no free will of his own, and Sebastian seemed almost normal. He even had rare moments with Clary, which made you question just how much the demon blood affected him.

You know he is evil and that he has the ability to fake human emotions, but it was those actions that make you wonder, what if? Could the bond with Jace be affecting him, even to a small degree, in the same way that it affecting Jace? Giving him some dimension and the slightest influence of good? I loved how Clare made you question everything that you believed about Sebastian, just as Clary did in the book.

The character development also extended to our other favourite characters, which was nice to see since it’s such a large cast. We see Izzy being both strong and determined, and fragile, insecure and hurt. She has a broad range of emotions and her world does not revolve around a boy, which was so refreshing to see. Simon is struggling with his change and who he thinks he is now, still the old Simon or is he cursed now?

Despite the fact that they’re not the focus, Magnus and Alec’s relationship is wonderfully developed in this book. They struggle with both magical and mundane things coming between them but love one another to always persevere. Alec is still very insecure, so he worries about everything that Magnus does tell him about his past and the fact that one of them is immortal and the other not. Their love and their heartbreak is very real, which was such a redeeming characterization in this book.

Although Clary/Jace is my favourite pairing overall, I definitely love the Magnus/Alec evolution throughout this book and those that come after it. They are a very close second and probably a better portrayal of a relationship in the end. In this book, I worry about the portrayal of Clary and Jace’s relationship at times because it’s not always healthy. Obviously, people make mistakes, so it is realistic but it can border on obsessive and controlling at times. I understand that Jace is Clary’s first love, but he is not the only person in the world and sometimes she is worryingly single-minded.

The plot culminates and plans are laid for the fantastic conclusion to this series. Although the book does not end with a cliffhanger, you are still left wondering exactly what Sebastian’s plans are and how our heroes are going to stop him. Or if they are going to be able to stop him. Despite the fact that this is not the most well-written of her three series, I adore it nonetheless and constantly recommend it to people.

I started reading the Mortal Instruments a few months ago and just now finished book 5. I absolutely love the story, but not so much that way it’s told. I hated the first book because it was unnecessarily difficult to read. I was told her writing improves and while I think it does, it’s still sometimes grating to read. Almost every sentence is written in the most intricate way possible. Sometimes it feels like Clare runs out of things to say so she’d get a thesaurus and described the same detail in a different sentence. She details the same things over and over and over again.

I have only book 6 left, and I’m really looking forward to engrossing myself in the story, but if I have to read one more time the description of the inside of the Institute I’m going to hurl the book as far away from me as possible.

And another thing; almost every single time the main character and her love interest see each other there are at least 2 pages talking about how they feel for each other. Every. Single. Time. This would be fine if she had different things to say about it, but she doesn’t. It’s like GOD I know they’re so in love they’d literally die for each other, no need to keep repeating that fact.

Also I hate the main character. I get that she’s supposed to be bad tempered and all but it’s extreme to the point of ridiculousness. I don’t like the way she is as a whole. She’s selfish and childish. I thought she’d grow as her adventures went on, but she hasn’t really. Yes, she’s changed but she hasn’t matured. She’s still a kid, thinks like a kid and acts like a kid, but doesn’t want to be treated like one.

This has been more of an angry rant but here it is. Overall, the story itself is enjoyable and I would recommend this book, but it could be a lot more to the point.

“I was in the dark.
There was nothing there but shadows,
and I was a shadow.
And then I heard your voice.”

In the fifth book of Clares MORTAL INSTRUMENTS series Clary Fray is horrified to discover that her evil brother Sebastianaka Jonathan Morgensternhas used Liliths magic to bind himself to Jace. Now, Jace is completely under Sebastians control, their life forces tied togethercut one and the other bleeds; kill one and the other dies.

As Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle work to find a way to save Jace, Sebastian endeavors to raise the Greater Demon Lilith so he can use her blood to create an army of dark NephilimShadowhunters allied to the demon world. But Clarys playing a dangerous game of her own…and shell burn the whole world down till she digs Jace out of the ashes.

While the pace of the story was a bit slower than the first four books in the series, CITY OF LOST SOULS was still an enjoyable, imaginative read. Clare spends more time focusing on the relationships between Magnus and Alec, Simon and Isabelle, and Jordan and Maia, which was actually a refreshing change. I look forward to her next bookCITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE.

There’s something about not finishing a book that I can’t handle the taste of. Unfortunately for me, after The City of Bones, that bad taste felt like it was guaranteed. Cassandra Clare managed to keep me interested enough with the relationship twists and turns and the destruction of all things evil (cheesy much?) but only barely.

I feel so guilty that I didn’t enjoy this book because I really hoped after finishing book three thinking it was all over that Clare must have come up with something awesome enough to make her think to write three more. Now, I hate to sound cynical but I really hope it wasn’t just a money making ploy because a lot of her other books I’ve actually enjoyed, but this series for me just hasn’t floated my boat.

This book though, set apart from the others as is only fair, does have some really enjoyable elements and I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into them. I love how we get to see so much more of the Shadowhunter world from a more traditional angle; it was great to see the life Clary’s parents must have lived and to learn more about how Clary’s mother and Luke had developed from their more traditional lives before everything happened with Valentine.

I also really loved to see some of the other characters develop. Isabelle and Alec more specifically; Alec and Magnus kept me hooked and Isabelle is just hilarious. However, this brings me to my first negative. Jace as a character has the worst kind of attitude of any main character I think I’ve ever come across. I can totally see how Clare imagined he would come across – cocky but attractive nevertheless. But he is written in a way that his arrogance couldn’t appear attractive at all; he is so obsessed with looks that I couldn’t see the funny side of it any longer.

Clare has written very well in my opinion in some of her books. The series running along side this (The Mortal Devices) is absolutely phenomenal right to the very end of it, I loved every second of reading it. But, TMI just couldn’t match it. Her writing style seems so different in comparison – slow, dull and SO MUCH waffling.

I have high hopes for future work of Clare’s, really I do. I feel terrible that I didn’t enjoy this book because I felt it had so much promise and some aspects of it were great, it’s just a shame about the portrayal of Jace this time. I have faith it will improve ready for the next one though.

I have read and re-read these books. Every time a new book comes out I re-read the series so I can refresh my mind. Out of all the Mortal Instruments this is my absolute favourite.
The way these books are written is amazing. It’s written in the 3rd person but you see things from different characters POV. While following a set of characters on their adventure, finding out about them, and then you see some action. You follow another set of characters on their adventure and you see some action and so on, but then they all meet up at the same time. When everybody is their, still written in the 3rd person but manly through Clary POV.
Clary’s, Jace and Johnathan’s adventure is out of this world. Just their adventure could have been a book on it’s own, it’s that good. The whole book getting ready for the climax.
This book is 6 weeks after City of Fallen Angels and Jace is still missing. You will learn in this book why that is.
I could not put this book down it is amazing, you are introduced to a few more characters, The relationships between each character deepens and a breakup that is really sad. Not only will you NOT be disappointed in this book you will want to re-read them over and over again. This is a fantastic series and this book is the best.

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