City of Lost Souls(The Mortal Instruments 5)Publisher: McElderry Books, 2012Genre: YA Paranormal
The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.
No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?
Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.
And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?
The search for Jace and Sebastian has been called off by the Clave, but Clary and her friends are not about to give up. Even if it means asking favors from the Seelie Queen, or striking deals with angels or demons, they'll do anything to get their golden boy back. But then Jace himself appears to Clary, and begs her to join him and Sebastian. Reckless Clary decides to go on her own, leaving the gang to find a way to sever the bond that unites Jace and Sebastian. Will they find the answer in time? Will the price be too high to pay? And just what is Clary willing to do in the name of love? As ever, Miss Clare brings on the epicness to a whole new level with this fifth installment to The Mortal Instruments.
If there's one thing I love about these books is all the plots and subplots and POV's going on at the same time. It's like is a 3D book where I'm always seeing many sides and having to connect the dots in my head. I love it. I've been reading this series for so long that the characters are like old friends by now. Friends who I love, but who also piss me off sometimes by their decisions. So I'm going to do this review a bit differently and give my opinion directly to the characters. If you've followed the series, these aren't spoilers.
Jace. I still love you, but I hate your other self. A lot. And don't listen to Clary, she does swoon every time you take your shirt off. It's impossible not to.
Clary. You keep kicking major demon ass girl! But betraying the one you love—even for what you think is a noble reason, like saving his ass from being sliced and diced—is so not cool. Now go work it over with him.
Simon. Way to go vampire man! You're my favorite 'secondary' hero ever. You're my Jace when there's no Jace. I hope that you can see how incredible you are.
Izzy. You are such a strong lady. I role model really. But f-ing hell, Iz. Stop beating around the bush, and tell him already!
Alec. You with a bow…*swoons* But going to your boyfriend's psycho bitch of an ex-girlfriend for advice is idiotic. What the hell were you thinking?
Magnus. You rock. Even wearing yellow pajama pants and alien slippers, you rock. I know that your super mad right now, but I think Alec deserves a chance. And I know you know that.
Maia & Jordan. Live long and prosper. You deserve it.
Sebastian. Please, die. I pity you sometimes, I won't deny it. But you're too evil no matter what. So, you need to die.
This series deserves to be re-read over and over again. I'm hoping to do it next time I get some serious vacations. If you read this series, how much do you love it? 'Cause I love it. A lot. If you haven't read this series…WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?
Favorite Quotes:
~Learning Latin~
"Basia coquum," Simon said. "Or whatever their motto is."
"It's 'Descensus Averno facilis est.' 'The descent into hell is easy,'" said Alec. "You just said "Kiss the cook."
"Dammit," said Simon. "I knew Jace was screwing with me."
~Your Inner Vampire~
"Jordan doesn't really care about the blood," Simon said now. "His whole thing is about me being comfortable with what I am. Get in touch with your inner vampire, blah, blah."
Clary slid next to him onto the bed and hugged a pillow. "Is your inner vampire different from your…outer vampire?"
"Definitely. He wants me to wear midriff-baring shirts and a fedora. I'm fighting it."
Clary smiled. "So your inner vampire is Magnus?"
~Hot Stuff~
"I was hoping they'd put up flyers like they do for lost cats," he said. "Missing, one stunningly attractive teenage boy. Answers to 'Jace,' or 'Hot Stuff.'"
"You did not just say that."
"You don't like 'Hot Stuff'? You think 'Sweet Cheeks' might be better? 'Love Crumpet'? Really, that last one's stretching it a bit. Though, technically, my family is British—"
"Shut up," she said savagely. "And get out."
~I have everything~
She landed on the Vetis demon, knocking him to the ground. One of his eel-like arms snapped at her, and she sliced it off with a sawing motion of her blade. More black blood sprayed. The demon looked at her with red, frightened eyes.
"Stop," he wheezed. "I could give you whatever you want—"
"I have everything I want," she whispered, and drove her seraph blade down. It plunged into the demon's chest, and Mirek disappeared with a hollow cry. Clary thumped to her knees on the carpet.
