Customer Reviews

City of Fallen Angels

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

J'ai adoré ce 4e livre de la série. Je suis prise par l'histoire de Jace et Clary, j'ai hâte de lire la suite!

CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS by Cassandra Clare

City of Fallen Angels is the 4th instalment in Cassandra Clare's 'The Mortal Instruments YA series. Continuing the adventures of Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon and Alec, Cassandra begins this story a few weeks after the demise of Clary's father and brother, Valentine and Sebastian, and the 3rd book -The City of Glass.

Clary Fray and Jace Herondale/Lightwood/Wayland are in love-fated to be together forever, but something continues to hold Jace back. Throughout this series, Jace has been plagued with self-doubt in regards to his ability to protect and defend those he loves, especially Clary. As Nephilium (children descended from the mating of humans and angels) the Shadowhunters seek out evil and protect the humans, but Jace has doubts. He is forever exposing Clary to a world of demons, vampires and fey-all of whom, want to know-the daughter of Valentine, one of the strongest ex-Shadowhunters known and a monster without equal. Clary is not without her own powers as she is capable of designing protective runes-one's that seem to hold much power over those who would otherwise try to injure or kill the Shadowhunters.

If you are a fan of the Mortal Instrument series, you are well aware of the continuing struggle between good and evil, love and hate, Clary and Jace. This novel begins with the disappearance of several one-time members of Valentine's 'Circle' and their bodies are turning up in different territories of New York. Werewolves, vampires, fey and Nephilium are all being blamed by each other for the ritual murders, but when the bodies of new-born babies, possessing demon-like features are discovered, the investigation is turned towards Valentine. These babies are eerily reminiscent of the experiments that Clary's father had performed on his own children-resulting in Clary's demonic-like brother Sebastian.

Clary's mother Jocelyn is about to marry Luke, the alpha-male for the local werewolf pack, but something isn't right. A visit from the Queen of the Fey warns Clary about her choices in love and life, and she is concerned when her beloved Jace begins to withdraw his affections and seems trapped in a world of angst and self-recrimination. When Clary's best friend Simon (a reluctant day-walking vampire) disappears from the pre-wedding party, she goes looking for her life-long pal. But Simon has a few problems of his own-he has been dating 2 supernatural beings-Isabelle Lightwood and Maia, the young female werewolf, from Luke's pack. Clary, presuming Simon has fallen victim to his dual life with the two women, goes hunting but finds herself trapped and threatened by love of her life, Jace. Waking up, Clary discovers she has been brought to a rooftop garden, in a building under construction and she is soon to be the pawn in a game of life and death.

An ancient vampiress and 'old' girlfriend of the Warlock-Magnus Bane has surfaced, and is looking to regain control of the vampires in New York. But when Camille is fingered in the deaths of the Shadowhunters and the babies, she is taken into custody, but not before, she tries to enlist Simon, in her plans to fight Raphael, the interim leader of the vampires. Camille's disappearance and the subsequent re-appearance of a more deadly, ancient threat, have the Shadowhunters on guard. But when the Demon-Lillith gains control over Jace, Clary becomes a weapon with which Lillith uses to manipulate both Simon and Jace in her game to resurrect Clary's brother, Sebastian. Simon's power as a day-walking vampire and Jace's connection to Sebastian through his resurrection in City of Glass, are the catalysts used to bring the former demon 'child, back to life.

Cassandra Clare's YA writing styles are similar to most YA authors. The teen angst between the major characters, as well as the, negligent parental guidance, is always a factor in writing these storylines. I like The Mortal Instrument series, but as many of you know, I am not a big fan of the 'whoa is me' --young adult stylings. It is enough that I lived through it in my teen years, as well as with my own children, but my anxiety level seems to skyrocket, when ever I read about the crushes and love-lives of these fantasy characters. I want to take every one of these young adults and put them in a room together for counseling. Sadly, if that were the case, there would be no need to continue any of these series. I am enjoying this series. I want to see these characters happy, but at the present, everyone is heading for depression. I look forward to Cassandra's next instalment in this series'.'City of Lost Souls' in May 2012 and 'City of Heavenly Fire' in September 2014'.if --I can hold out that long.

***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.

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"

I made sure I got my hands on this book the first day it came out. I of course had to re-read the 3-books before it again so when I dove into this one, it would be like I never left Idris, or the institute, or wherever the characters took me. I LOVED this book so much. I just could not bring myself to put it down! The characters just seemed to flourish in City of Fallen Angels. I mean of course I loved Jace, Clary, Simon, Isabelle and Alec before but, they just seem to get better all the time. Simon is a riot; I don't think I have laughed so much while reading a book. Jace and Simon are so witty and sexy the sarcasms they both have are stupendous. I found the writing in this book somehow -if even possible- was better then the previous three. It was like I could actually feel what the characters were experiencing -the terror, the love, the adrenaline and even the sweaty palms and racing heart beats in the engrossing love scenes.

A lot happens in this book, I don't know how Cassandra Clare can keep coming up with so much adventure. It always seems to fall into place perfectly and leaves me thinking 'WOW, I didn't see that coming'. This book has so much more with Simon and his story about how he's dealing with being a vampire, and how important he really is as a day walker. Everyone seems to want something from him, and it isn't usually good news. Jace and Clary have their own set of issues... and oh my god, the chemistry is even better in this book between them! This book ends on a cliff hanger as expected, I knew it would end on a big note so I wasn't too depressed when I got to the last page... just utterly and completely bummed out that I'm gonna have to wait a year for the next book.

If you are a fan of the first 3-books in The Mortal Instruments series, you will not be disappointed. I couldn't have asked for a better book. Now the hard part is going to be waiting for City of Lost Souls in May 2012.

And just an end note; It was nice to see mention of characters in The Clockwork Angel in this book - I guess I'll only have to wait until December 2011 for The Clockwork Prince which I'm sure will be amazing. *sigh*

It didn't grab me as much as the others...though I still love the "story" and want to read the next two in line, I had a harder time reading this one because of how badly it was written (or edited!)...so many mistakes...the second last page did me in...thank goodness I was at the end because I was about to throw the book!!

My rating drops because of the editing...because again, I love the story - I'm sure by the time the next book comes up I'll have forgotten the cliff-hanger ending and she'll suck me in again. :o) Hopefully it's edited better though. :o(

I love this series. I love the fascinating world Clare creates, the characters, the story, the inner struggles. I wasn't sure what to expect of City of Fallen Angels, but it did not disappoint. Clary is a well rounded character and continues to learn, grow, and develop nicely, as does Simon. I was worried this book would focus too much on Simon and I'd miss Jace, but the switched points of view are well handled and fit seamlessly into the overall story. Nothing feels cut off or jumped around. It all fits nicely together.

Speaking of our favorite blood sucker, Simon getting more page time (not too much but more than the other books, and certainly more focus on him and his urges, shall we say) was nice. Simon's continuing struggle between his old life (not wanting to give it up) and accepting his immortality and adapting accordingly is emotional to read, and made to be relate-able somehow. Like say to a young adult entering the real word after university.

We meet a new character in this book, and I love him and how gradually the pieces of who he is come together.

Magnus, as always, is spectacular. I wish he entered the picture sooner...but it's worth the wait. His character is phenomenal and manages to bring humor into every situation.

The reason I gave this book 4 and not 5 stars is because of Jace's character. I felt that, not only did he not develop, he retreated. I love Jace, and did feel for him big time, but the whole brooding thing was a little much. This could have been rectified by a few extra pages of Jace's point of view and more in depth descriptions of his inner struggles so the reader better understands why he is acting so foolishly. Perhaps you are not meant to know (it is revealed eventually) but I couldn't help but be annoyed with him more so than I felt for him.

The ending is incredible and sets up the remainder of the series nicely.

** Contains Spoilers**

Before reading City of Fallen Angels I pretty much kept away from any spoilers, reviews and tweets (or at least tried to) so going into I didn't know what would happen or what to expect.

From the ending of City of Glass it seemed like Clary and Jace will have their happy ending but of course with more books in the series they can never catch a break. Clary has started training at the Institute with Jace as her trainer. Jace is pulling away from Clary and she senses something is wrong but doesn't know what. Even with the relationship issues there were some steamy scenes between the two...and yes I did squeal like a fan girl while I was reading it. In the previous books, Jace has always been a little guarded about his feelings for Clary but in City of Fallen Angels there is no doubt that about the love he has for her and how important she is to him.

I was very eager to see how the Simon, Isabelle and Maia relationship would work out. He's still adapting to being a vampire and the relationship provided some girl drama as he's dating both of girls. I was just waiting for it to blow up and see how both girls will react to it. There's more depth to both Maia and Isabelle. More about Maia's past comes to light while we see another layer to Isabelle, as the tough girl exterior she presents slowly peels away. Magnus, one of my favourite characters in the series wasn't around nearly as much as I would have liked. Him and Alec are away and don't appear until halfway through the book.

One thing I noticed were the perspective changes. There were perspective changes in the previous books but in City of Fallen Angels it happened a lot more frequently that I was more aware of it. With each new book there's more depth to the characters and the world of the Shadowhunters gets increasingly complex. Its so easy to get lost in this series. There were a couple subplots going on that were all somehow connected and came together for one explosive ending. It'll be a long wait for the release for the next instalment. Needless to say this is a must read series for all YA fans.

I really enjoyed this book and how it emphasized other characters besides Jace and Clary.

However, I found the constant drama in Jace and Clary's relationship tiring at this point, after everything that has happened in the previous 3 books. There's already so much else going on that I just found their relationship exhausting to hear about again. I kept wondering how long Clare is going to drag this out when there were more interesting things going on in the plot and I was disappointed with the ending because of this (I won't say more than that as to ensure no spoilers).

I'm not sure I'd buy this in hardcover, and I didn't feel like I had to read it so soon that I couldn't wait for paperback.

For those readers already dedicated to the series, it is nice to have another book and Simon finally given his spotlight. I also liked getting to know Maya a bit more.

Those with younger teens may be wary because of the way Jace and Clary's relationship is starting to progress (depending on how you feel about sexual tension and relations. It does come up, which is appropriate seeing as they are older teens dealing with these issues).