REVIEW: CITY OF LOST SOULS by Cassandra Clare

GOODREADS:

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?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

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MY THOUGHTS:

Up until now, My favorite book of this series had been City of Glass, but now I think City of Lost Souls is my favorite. It is wrought with tension and each character faces intense consequences, difficult decisions, and life altering events.

Maia and Jordan: Well, they obviously had some interesting things to work out after City of Fallen Angels. In CoLS their relationship changes and their feelings toward each other are revealed. I really like Jordan, so this relationship was pretty interesting to me. We also get to see a little glimpse of the Praetor Lupus.

Simon and Isabelle: There is ALWAYS something interesting going on with these two. But in CoLS, Izzy's changing. And she's not really good with change. We get to see her character come to some serious realizations when it comes to Simon, and Simon realizes some pretty important things too. He's come so far from the little geeky mundane he once was, and Izzy's is beginning to discover who he really is, while Simon is discovering himself as well.

Jace and Clary and Sebastian: This little triangle is interesting. I don't want to give too much away, but these three are inextricably intertwined in CoLS. Even more so than they have been in the past. Clary must come to terms with some pretty heavy discoveries. The relationship among these three is twisted and convoluted and poor Clary is confused beyond reason at times. I even found myself wanting to believe things that I, just like Clary, knew couldn't possibly be true. Clary has to make the most difficult (which doesn't even begin to describe the seriousness) decision in the serious so far.

Magnus and Alec: Yes, everyone's favorite couple. I love them too, and my heart broke with this relationship. Magnus and Alec have had their problems in the past, but I want so much for them to work out. In CoLS, this is the most strained relationship in my opinion. While the events Alec participates in are more subplot, they play a pivotal role in the overall story. Alec is probably my favorite character in this series, and the poor boy just doesn't know when to stop. The strain in his relationship with Magnus has always been fraught with tension, love, and unexpected surprises and uncertainties. Alec's insecurity really shines (which really isn't a good thing) in this book, and the consequences of his actions are brutal.

Overall, City of Lost Souls left me dying to know what is going to happen next! And even left me with questions about The Infernal Devices series. Some SERIOUS questions! I have a feeling there are MANY more surprises to come in both series.

Check out The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices websites.