Monday, January 6, 2014

Book Review: City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Pages: 424
Genre: YA Fantasy
Pub. Date: April 5, 2011
Source: Personal Copy
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "Simon, Daylighter vampire teen is protected by the Mark of Cain, a pillar of fire from Heaven blazes attackers into salt, but an enemy gets at him through his first love Clary, who must face consequences, and maybe lose Jace. A Greater Demon infects nights of her Shadowhunter beloved for control, and sends grey-garbed minions for Simon himself."
Readers pick up right after the big battle in the City of Glass and we hope that things have calmed down for the gang, but of course, that is not the case. Simon is a vampire, but he is not just any vampire. He possesses the Mark of Cain, which pretty much means he is invincible; nonetheless, someone is trying to kill him and they must figure out who is and more importantly why as Simon really doesn't bother anyone.  However, his new roommate, Kyle, is definitely mysterious and holds many secrets of his own.  Then there's Jace and Clary; they are still dating so things should be great for them, but Jace is a recurring nightmare where he kills Clary and has no control over himself. Obviously this freaks him out and he starts to back off from Clary a bit, which sends her into a tailspin of insecurity and questioning.  The fourth installment of The Mortal Instruments series, City of Fallen Angels, is engaging and overall pretty good, but it's not my favorite of the series.

Ultimately, City of Fallen Angels is Simon's book, which I thought was a nice breath of fresh air, but I found myself wanting more of Jace and Clary and less of Simon and his vampire drama.  He is dating two women, someone is out to get him, and he has the Mark of Cain, so things are crazy for Simon. While I like him a lot, I felt like I just wasn't as absorbed as I wanted to be when it came to his plot and constantly found my mind wandering to Jace and Clary's plot.  

Although City of Fallen Angels wasn't my favorite in the series, there is no doubt that Clare is an awesome storyteller. I love her writing style and the different webs she weaves.  She always surprises me and provides a jaw dropping cliffhanger and fantastic action, so fans of The Mortal Instruments won't be disappointed in that sense.

In sum, City of Fallen Angels was a fun read, but it lacked that special something that all the other books in the series had. Will I be reading the next book in the series, City of Lost Souls? Most definitely and I'm sure Clare will bring it.

6 comments:

  1. I didn't like this one as much as the first three either. I liked Simon's character but I did miss the focus on Clary and Jace. I sometimes think it would have been better if the series ended with the third book. I do plan to read the next book someday, hopefully before the final book is released.

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    1. Me too! I feel exactly the same way and I agree that maybe they should have ended the series at book three. I plan on reading the next book as well and hoping that it doesn't disappoint. Thanks for visiting, Christina!

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  2. I agree with your opinions. She is an excellent storyteller and very creative, and it's cool to get a book that is so Simon-centric, but each book in this series loses a little more oomph compared to the one prior. I can't quite put my finger on it and I read each one anyway, but something that was so enticing about Book 1 is missing as the series progresses.

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    1. Yesss! I totally agree. It's kind of sad, because I am such a huge fan, but you are right…it's missing something. I am going to try to read her other series, Infernal Devices, and hope to capture that magic again. I sort of just wish she ended the series after book three. :( Thanks for visiting, Maggie.

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  3. This one my least favourite so far. In fact, because I didn't love it, I haven't finished this series and have instead been pretending that it ended with book 3.

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    1. Yes! That is what I am afraid might happen to me. It's a shame b/c books 1-3 were fantastic. Thanks for visiting, Megan!

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