City of Fallen Angels [Hardcover]

Written without spoilers.
With the Mortal Instruments trilogy all wrapped up Clare decides to expand the series and bring back all our favourite characters. I was originally hesitant, I enjoyed all of the first books but wasn't sure what else she could possibly to bring to the table. Was I disappointed? No, but I do have a bone to pick with Clare.

Clare's books are books I enjoy to read and this installment was no different, however my main problem with it is there isn't a lot of pay off. There's no satisfaction when you reach the end. In a book that is part of a series I expect it to accomplish two things, it needs to have wide story arcs that expand across the whole series, but it also needs mini-episodes, arcs that are resolved in the book itself. Otherwise an installment doesn't feel like a book in its own right, but just a fragment of a larger work. That's what Fallen Angels felt like to me, it doesn't stand on its own.

Understandable maybe, after finishing City of Glass everything was wrapped up so neatly that Clare is now forced to open some more doors. And does she ever! There are a ton of loose ends and question marks all over almost every young characters life.

A final qualm, the main conflict which we find towards the end of the book, which really sets up the rest of the series felt recycled. I still think it will work, just I felt a little disappointment when I realized "Oh, this is how she's going with it".

An enjoyable read overall, I just wish we'd had at least a couple minor resolutions.

Our merry gang of teenagers is now back in New York city after the crazy Idris events and are trying to go on with their lives. Alec and Magnus on a lovers trip, Clary training to become a Shadowhunter, Simon and Isabelle dating while he tries do deal with vampirism and his new mark, but Jace, on his part, is having a hard time. He is plagued by nightmares in which he is hurting Clary. Top that with his family heritage and his grief over Max and we are light years away from a good time. There's no time for dwelling though, Shadowhunters are found dead, someone is trying to kill Simon and a very powerful vampire is in town. Could there be a new Nemesis to defeat? Can they win this time? And what will be the price?

Oh. My. Freaking. God. This is textually what I said aloud after reading the last word of City of Fallen Angels. Can we frame Cassandra Clare for massive murder attempt? Because this, my friends, is a KILLER cliffhanger. WOW.

Ok now that it's out of the way, let me tell you how amazing City of Fallen Angels is. What hit me the most in this installment is that every character seemed to be reestablishing their identity. They are trying to find their basis after everything that happened and it opens to a lot of vulnerability from all of them. I feel like I know the characters in a much more profound way now than I did before, and it's amazing.

When Cassandra was talking about CoFA she said this book was a lot more about Simon. And while he does have a much bigger part and his struggles are super interesting, Jace stole the show for me. Not because he was his cocky flamboyant self but quite the opposite. His pain and vulnerability was sometimes hard to bare. I just wanted to give him a hug and never let him go. His misery was heart-shattering. I have to say Clary kind of annoyed me. I can't say I blame her because I don't know how I would've reacted in her position but I wanted to smack some sense into her sometimes.

A new character I'm quickly growing fond of was also introduced. And for those of you who've read Clockwork Angel, two of its characters are also present/mentioned, which makes me that much more anxious to read The Clockwork Prince. I was also super happy to see Magnus, and I can never get enough of him so I wished he was a bigger part of the book but hey, can't have it all!

The plot moved at a steady pace and the intrigue was really strong. There were so many things going on at same time that I was breathless just for reading and I had to put the book down a couple of times because the tension was just too much. Everything happens at freight train speed and Cassandra doesn't give you time to try and figure out what's going on. It's Keep on Rolling and stay on the bench.

As mentioned previously, the end is a killer. I felt drained and full of dread after the final battle and then Cassie ties-up the loose ends, you're hopeful for a brighter future and when you let your guard down.. BAM! Cassandra Clare strikes again!

The Mortal Instruments is one of the best YA Fantasy series out there and if you haven't read it yet, you are seriously missing out.

City of Fallen Angels is fast, furious, emotionally draining and oh so fabulous! I want to read it all over again!

Here are some of my favorite quotes, fear not they are spoilers free:

- "You're just worried they'll hire a male instructor and he'll be hotter than you."
Jace's eyebrows went up. "Hotter than me?"
"It could happen," Clary said. "You know, theoretically."
"Theoretically the planet could suddenly crack in half, leaving me on one side and you on the other side, forever and tragically parted, but I'm not worried about that, either. Some things," Jace said, with his customary crooked smile, "are just too unlikely to dwell upon."

- "That's not necessary," Jace said. "I can keep a perfectly good eye on Simon, thank you. He's my neophyte Downworlder to mock and boss around, not yours."

- "You love each other -anyone can see that, looking at you- that kind of love that can burn down the world or raise it up in glory"

***Spoiler Free!***

When I first opened my package this afternoon and held the book in my hands my first thought was "It's so small!" and I was kinda disappointed because less book= less Jace for me to love (I'd say that it is a good 1/4 shorter than "City of Glass" is). But then I had to remind myself, "Hey Avery... 'Member that time that you thought that this series, your most favourite book series in the entire world and the book series that pretty much defines your life was going to be three books and now it is six book? Yeah, you remember that? So you CANNOT COMPLAIN THAT IT IS SHORT BECAUSE YOU WERE ONLY ORIGINALLY GOING TO GET THREE BOOKS. YOU GOT AN EXTRA THREE BOOKS SO JUST GET READING IT ALREADY!" So yes...

I don't think that I have ever experienced such an emotional roller coaster than I did while reading this book. On one page I could be laughing my butt off at snarky comments from equally snarky characters and the next page my heart could be stomped upon so hard that nothing, not even an iratze, could heal said heart.

Upon finishing this book I have come to realize how flat the characters truly were in the earlier books and it sounds kinda dumb when I say it, because I wouldn't have in a million years considered them to be flat- but compared to this book? Yep, totally flat. Why I say that is because in this book each character's personalities shined and flourished like they never have before. Each and every character has grown enormously and characters that in the earlier books I felt only "meh" towards? Well, I feel head over heels for them in this book (ie. Alec and Izzy) and the characters that I previously loved? Jace, Clary, Simon, Magnus? Well I fell even harder for them (which I didn't think was possible).

As for the Jace front? Well, it is obvious that he loved Clary in the earlier books, but I never fully understood to what extent he did. I didn't fully grasp exactly how much she meant to him until last week (or around then) when Cassie posted the scene from "City of Ashes" when Jace, Clary, and the gang go to see the Seelie Court in Jace's POV (To find this extra scene Google "Cassandra Clare Because It Is Bitter"). And in this book? Well it is totally obvious how much he truly cares for her this book.

Though this book give us the lovey-dovey-ness that we all expected, it is by far the most action packed and darkest book of the series, and as mentioned, one page you will be laughing, the next you will be bawling your eyes out and hyperventilating. I don't think that anyone will be disappointed by this book.