My Thoughts On City Of Glass by Cassandra Clare

SHOW BOOK DETAILS

THE BOOK -

City Of Glass
by Cassandra Clare
Bk. #3 of The Mortal Instruments
First published in 2009 by Margaret K. McElderry
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Avg. Rating: 4/5 stars

EDITION I PURCHASED -

Hardcover, 541 pages
Published in 2009 by Margaret K. McElderry
My Rating: 5/5 stars

THE PLOT -

To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glss, 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 that can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters 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 newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

ADD TO GOODREADS.

Clary and Jace have been through hell since this series started, but the conclusion to this novel brought peace to my mind. I went into this book knowing that it was originally planned to be the end of this series, so with this knowledge behind me, I went in prepared - and excited - to finally get some long overdue answers. Cassandra Clare managed to make everything feel worth it in the end - all the heartbreak and suffering, all the tears and laughter. Everything came together nicely and I'm excited to see what she comes up with next. I know it's going to be a bumpy ride, but I'm ready.

Clary's ability to give normal runes destructive power is something that's intrigued me ever since she blew up Valentine's boat. I always figured there was something special about her, but I couldn't have even begun to imagine what that something was. With the return of Jocelyn, we finally hear her side of the story, and the truth is even more brutal than I was expecting. What Valentine did to his children... I don't know of a single author that could have come up with that twist. Clare is a genius and I can't wait to discover what other twists she brings to the table.

With the introduction of Sebastian, I braced myself. Here it is, I thought, here's the dreaded love triangle. Despite the whole Simon, Clary, Jace fiasco, there has never been a serious love triangle in this series thus far. Fortunately, my fears were quelled pretty quickly. Sebastian was, for lack of a more eloquent word, creepy. He definitely had an ulterior motive, and I wasn't surprised in the least when this proved to be true. Though I couldn't figure out his endgame, or his reasoning, I had faith that Clare would come up with a spectacular plot twist. And boy, was it a doozy. I could have never imagined that ending, and I'm fully expecting to get more answers in the following books.

My feelings towards a couple of other characters have done a complete one-eighty since their introduction in City Of Bones. Isabelle is no longer an immature brat, and Alec has finally stopped whining. Both are fast becoming loved characters and I can't wait to see what happens in their storylines next. Simon, however, is definitely the character that has come the farthest. Despite still being a little awkward and geeky, vampirism suits him. He's a little less sensitive and really stepped up to the plate. His ability to walk in the sunlight finally got an explanation in this novel, and it brought various parts of the plot together wonderfully. Clare has absolutely outdone herself with Simon's development, and I can't wait to see where she takes him next.

Valentine as a villain still felt right to me throughout this book. It's clear that he has no limits, though he's definitely not evil. I genuinely believe that he loves his son in his own way, and he honestly thinks that what he's doing is the right thing. Summoning Raziel is no easy feat, however, and finding the final Mortal Instrument - the mirror - is giving him pause. Of course, Valentine will never be stymied for long, and when he discovers the location of the final piece of the puzzle, it's a race against time for everyone involved.

Tense, fast-paced, and filled to the brim with action, Cassandra Clare has created a world that you will fall in love with. Jace and Clary are fantastic main characters and your heart will break for them multiple times. Jace's vulnerability and Clary's unexpected ability to kick some ass are completely unlike them at the start of this series. Clare's character development is out of this world and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Despite this novel being a pretty definitive conclusion, I know Clare will come up with more marvelous ways of hooking her readers. This series is absolutely phenomenal and I will be continuing it with no hesitation. Absolutely stellar.