Review: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

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.

My Review:

As a huge fan of both The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices, I could not wait to read this book.  As usual, I ended up loving this Cassandra Clare book.  Now, I have to wait until 2014 for the next book in the series.  

POSSIBLE SPOILERS

I'm going to start by mentioning the romance in this book.  First, there is the Clary and Jace romance.  Throughout most of this book, he was not the real Jace, but there were a few good moments between the two of them.  Second, Magnus and Alec.  Alec really needs to learn to get over his insecurities about Magnus' past.  Magnus did date before, but that was before he met Alec.  Third, I was glad that Maia and Jordan became a couple in this book.  Four, Isabelle and Simon.  Their romance is my favorite by far.  They are obviously in love with each other, but neither of them are telling the other that.  I can't wait to see their relationship in the final book of the series.

Now, I have to mention the plot.  There was a great plot line in this book.  Sebastian was evil, but occasionally, he would seem more human.  Though I really disliked him at one point near the end.  Anyway, Sebastian's plan is to make a new Mortal Cup and use demon's blood to create a new group of dark Shadowhunters.  His plan works, and the Shadowhunters who drink the blood become messed up and different.  At the same time, all the characters back in New York are trying to find a weapon to separate Jace and Sebastian.  Simon raises the angel Raziel who gives him Michael the angel's sword.

This was an amazing book.  Don't read it unless you have read the first four books in the series.  If you like YA paranormal, read the series.

Katie