Review: City of Lost Souls

(© goodreads)

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‚City of Lost Souls‘
by Cassandra Clare
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The Mortal Instruments # 5.

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Synopsis:
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?…
(Source: Goodreads.com)

My thoughts about the book:
I‘ve waited long for the fifth book in the Mortal Instruments series and I’ve pre-ordered the book already months before the release date on the internet. Was it worth it? I would say YES!
Of course there were, like in every other book, a few points I didn’t like so much, because an author (almost) can’t catch the taste of the reader to 100 percent. However, the advantage with the books of Clare is that she is able to write incredibly great and her writing style is just to be read nicely and liquidly and well, what could I say except -> ‚the woman can write’ and already because of that I like to read her books with pleasure, even if I don’t go along completely with every twist in the plot of the book.

In the fifth part the story focuses more and turns around Jace and Clary again, instead on Simon, like in the fourth book. But nevertheless the other figures don’t get too short and Clare often changes the character’s POV to the next one in which also Simon, Izzy, Alec, Maia, etc. gets a chance to speak. If I’ve noted it correctly, almost all main characters are allowed this time to tell a part of the story, but unfortunately only Jace didn’t get in the row which I found sad and was a pity. Moreover, for me it was partially that there were too many changes in the perspectives and character, although it has just kept in check.

Furthermore I’ve liked in this book exceptionally well the dynamism between the couples like Jordan & Maia, Izzy & Simon, Alec & Magnus or also the sibling-relationship of Clary and Sebastian. In this book partnership, love and big feelings or also sex were capitalized, even more than in the other books before. Although I have no problem with that, I still think that it is doubtful that the age recommendation (for example on Amazon) is only 12-15 years. It seems to me that this is a little bit too young for the contents of the book. Or what do you think and which opinion do you have on this topic?

But nevertheless I found it fabulous how Clare has made it to introduce some of the new characters of the new series like for example Jules, which will be published after MI and ID.  But she was also able to let some hints of the other characters form the ID series flow into this book. Even if these were only little things or only short cross-references which a non-fan wouldn’t recognize at all, but I as a MI and ID fan loved it and it was so nice to read and has brought me often to the smile.

From here on is a SPOILER for those who haven’t read this book:

Clare has made fantastic job to present Sebastian and also to show the relation between him and Jace, but at the same time also between him and Clary. I must admit, shortly before the end before the big ‘closure’ came, Sebastian has persuaded even me and actually I’ve really liked him as a character. Certainly he was a little eccentric but by the explanation of his childhood / his past it was coherent and it has also persuaded me and I’ve also felt sorry for him. Hence, I would have liked to see that he was purified and that he would play for ‘Team Good’ how…, but unfortunately Clare has other intentions with him and therefore we still have him as our villain in the book *too bad*

What has irritated me very much at the end of the book was that Jace has now this heavenly fire in him and thereby he always has to pay attention whenever he touches somebody. I think this whole sex theme between Clary and Jace and ‚the first time’ of them is too much capitalized here and to be honest, it gets a litter annoying now after 5 books. With the other characters Clare also doesn’t make such a big theatre around it, but with these two main characters it already takes almost unnatural traits. This thing here reminds me very much of the book series ‘The Immortals’ by Alyson Noel and there it was dreadful and also here this fact disturbs me very much that they are now not able to touch each other properly. Why can’t they be happy together for at least one book and fight as a pair together against the bad ones? Is it so much more thrilling to read the book if they must work out their relationship besides the action fights? I don’t think so. But Clare does and she is already searching for problems between them since the first book over and over again and to find reasons why they can’t be together. Although I know that there will be a happy end after the sixth book (I count on it), nevertheless I find it unnecessary that Jace and Clary kept away from each other ‘come hell or high water’.

Cover:
Unfortunately I don’t like is as much as the other covers because I like it more if you can’t see the whole face. Especially here where the shown Jace doesn’t look like the described Jace in the books. 😉

All in all:
Another good book in this fabulous great series which I’ve devoured once again, although the books become thicker and thicker. I had a big reading pleasure, in spite of some small critic points.

Rating:
4 of 5 points

My Recommendation:
to BUY!

For Fans of:
YA, Urban Fantasy, Lovestory, Vampire & Werwolves
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Quotes:

Jace: „You may have the worst timing since Napoleon decided the dead of winter was the right moment to invade Russia.“

Magnus: „Speaking of hope, did you see that shot Alec got off with his bow? That’s my boyfriend.“

Jace: „I never cared,” he said. “I wanted you anyway. I always wanted you.“

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Succession:

# 1: Cassandra Clare – City of Bones
# 2: Cassandra Clare – City of Ashes
# 3: Cassandra Clare – City of Glass
# 4: Cassandra Clare – City of Fallen Angels
# 5: Cassandra Clare – City of Lost Souls »»
# 6: Cassandra Clare – City of Heavenly Fire

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(© goodreads)

About the author – Cassandra Clare:

Cassandra Clare was born overseas and spent her early years traveling around the world with her family and several trunks of fantasy books. Cassandra worked for several years as an entertainment journalist for the Hollywood Reporter before turning her attention to fiction. She is the author of City of Bones, the first book in the Mortal Instruments trilogy and a New York Times bestseller. Cassandra lives with her fiance and their two cats in Massachusetts.
(Source: Goodreads.com)

Visit her Website »»

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