Review: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Release Date: May 8th, 2012

Source: Purchased

My Rating: 4/5

What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost?

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

I will say this up front: I didn't really want to read this book. If you know me, you'll know I'm an absolutely huge Mortal Instruments fan (been reading them for five years, have lines memorized, recommended it to everyone I know, am obsessed). You'll also know that my love of the series dimmed after City of Fallen Angels. I didn't like it. I hate saying that. It actually feels like a stab when I say it but it's true. I didn't like City of Fallen Angels. And I didn't want to read City of Lost Souls because I didn't want to be disappointed again. And at first, I wasn't a fan. The storyline wasn't my favorite, and I was getting annoyed with my favorite characters. But, slowly and surely, Cassandra Clare won me over and now has me desperate for the finale.

The plot was constantly moving and involving in this book, but not always for the better. For a portion of this book I wanted to change the name from City of Lost Souls to Clary Fray Needs to Make Better Life Choices. Seriously, this girl was suffering from Stockholm Syndrome while wearing rose-coloured glasses. It was getting a bit ridiculous, and I wasn't such a happy camper. But, Clary Fray lived up to my high expectation of her in the end, and I went back to loving her with abandon. I understand that what happen had to happen, but it took a bit of getting used to. I loved the plot of the first three, so it's a bit hard to completely love this one. I can tell that this one is going to build and build and will end with a bang though, which is keeping me on edge.

I have an honest investment in these characters. I've loved them for years and truly CARE what happens to them! So, my emotions were running on high throughout the novel. Clary and Jace were just ripping my heart to shreds both in anger and in love.They've been through so much and I adore them as a couple. I get all warm and fuzzy whenever they have scenes together. They're fantastic characters with real depth and beautiful strength and I've loved watching them grow throughout the series. Then there was Simon and Izzy. I've always liked both of them, but this book made me want to sing there praises from the rooftop! They were absolutely fabulous. I couldn't get enough of the hilarious banter, undeniable chemistry, and those little glimpses of their uncertain sides of them. Isabelle is so fierce yet she has a soft fragile core that's been hurt over and over again. But she keeps fighting and I admire her for it. Simon makes me laugh out loud constantly but it was great to see the more serious and lost side of him. Magnus will forever be one of my favorite characters and he didn't disappoint in City of Lost Souls. Alec, on the other hand, caused my already iffy opinion of him to plummet. He just made poor decision after poor decision and I can't even feel bad for him. Finally (cause really, I could go on about the characters in this novel for days) there's Sebastian. You have to understand: I was a HUGE Valentine fan. Not in a "Woo Valentine! Destroy the Shadowhunters!" way but in a "Wow you are a brilliant entrancing villain and such a fantastic character" way. So, although I think Sebastian is much more sinister than Valentine (like, my skin crawls whenever he's in a scene) he isn't a character I am as interested in. That said, he's a great villain in general and I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of havoc he brings to the story.

The things I will always bow down to Cassandra Clare for are her boundless imagination and perfect dialogue. Creativity she has in spades and she never fails to bowl me over with it. City of Lost Souls was very well thought out, interesting, and imaginative. Her dialogue was superb. Each character has their own unique voice and I feel like I can visualize them perfectly. Cassandra Clare is a skilled, skilled writer and she did fantastically with City of Lost Souls. She made me committed to the story. I was addicted at one point, staying up until the wee hours of the morning because I had to know what was going to happen. Even in the slower moments the story flowed well and I was always interested in reading it (even if I was angry at it).

City of Lost Souls restored my faith in this series, and I really did enjoy it. It made me feel all the emotions across the board which I think is an accomplishment. I'm happy I read it...although the wait for City of Heavenly Fire might just break me.

- Ciara (Lost at Midnight)

P.S. If you haven't seen the City of Bones trailer yet....you should do that....like NOW.

Find This Book: Amazon | Chapters-Indigo | Goodreads | Cassandra Clare's Website