Customer Reviews

City of Glass (Mortal Instruments)

5 star:		(175)
4 star:		(51)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Although my expectations were too high for City of Bones, I have to say that the series has gotten better with every book, leading to a very satisfying City of Glass read. Questions get answered; plot points get tied up, and you're left with a happy fuzzy feeling in the end.

I really enjoyed the characters in the books, especially CoG. Each character has really come a long way, and even when I disagreed with a character, I felt that they were completely within character; their personalities drove the plot, rather than a having series of random events they were just responding to. I also love that - with a few exceptions (Malachi, Sebastian) - they were all so multidimensional, shades of gray in a morally ambiguous world.

On Jace and Clary - I'd give this a 4/5, mainly because I've always felt a little awkward about their relationship, and it's not just the sibling thing. There were some beautiful and heartbreaking moments - again, back to characterization, I was definitely thinking "That's so Jace!" sometimes - but I also got the feeling that their relationship was unnecessarily drawn out. Maybe it's because I never got a good sense of Clary's relationship to the Lightwoods (early on, Clary saying to Isabelle, "But I thought you liked me!" and then later confronting Isabelle about not liking her, for example). But even though I'm happy with how things ended up, I think Clary and Jace really shined brighter when they were apart in this book, than in their scenes together.

On the other hand, some of the "minor" characters were wonderful. Alec and Magnus are a riot ("Your city is under attack...The wards have broken, and the streets are full of demons. And you want to know why I haven't called you?"). Aldertree reminded me of Umbridge. Simon grows up, while still maintaining his nerdiness.

I was not as fond of the thematic progress of the book, possibly because I'm re-reading Harry Potter right now and it seems so familiar, and the same ideas are in almost every fantasy book. You are the sum of your actions, not of your birth. Do what is right, and not what is easy. Villians always end up defeated because they just had to show off, and forgot some key thing. People are never who they say they are, and never trust a death to be final.

So I tend to be an impatient reader, and this might just be my fault, but I also found that skipping pages in the book didn't really make me miss much. You'll get the whole story just from reading Joceyln's talk with Clary and then the last chapter. The middle of the book was great, with some great moments, but I didn't feel the same compunction to read every word, the way I do with some other books.

Overall, even with my negative points, I'm really happy with this book. You'll laugh (Cassie has some great lines, and I'm a fan of anything nerdy). You'll be frustrated with the characters. Sometimes, you'll wonder why you didn't think of it first. In the end, this book delivers a very satisfying read - I'd imagine it sort of tastes like butterbeer.

After finishing City of Glass, I finally understand why these books are best-selling. The first two books were average, with just enough to keep me interested but nothing special. This volume knocked it out of the ballpark. The main characters become fully developed and the plot kicks into high gear with nearly non-stop action. Book two ended on a cliffhanger with someone telling Clary how to wake her mother. This book picks up immediately from there with everyone traveling to the fabled Alicante. The last Mortal Instrument is here, and Valentine will come for it. I was very happy to see the other characters (Luke, Alec, Magnus, et al) get fully involved in the story, as well as their relationships solidifying along with Jace and Clary's.

The book wasn't perfect. There are still more than a few info dumps, and the "forbidden love" between Jace and Clary dragged on way to long before being resolved. Still, the good significantly outweighed the bad. The mythology of Shadowhunters is expanded upon. Valentine's plot is more convoluted than previously hinted at and our heroes actually formulate plans in response to it, rather than just reacting to individual incidents. I especially loved that Valentine's downfall was so perfectly executed (the how and the who). Though the conclusion is very satisfying, there are just a few threads left with potential for more books. Overall, this trilogy was well worth reading and I look forward to the forthcoming City of Fallen Angels (Mortal Instruments, Book 4), and the spin-off series "Infernal Devices."

I couldn't have asked for a better ending. I got everything I wanted. I don't want to summarize the book, I'll leave that to others, but I will say that there are some heartbreakingly beautiful scenes in this book. The characters became more developed and more endearing, especially Jace. His sarcastic wit is certainly present in this book; however, he is no longer hiding behind his carefully constructed facade. His torment over Clary is glaringly obvious from the first chapter.

I noticed that another review stated that she wished Clary and Jace hadn't have been as close as they were until they knew the truth about not being related, but I have to disagree. Clary was the only person in the world that made Jace feel like he belonged and she was the only person he belonged to and the fact that she didn't turn away from him when he told her that he loved her probably meant more to him than her waiting until she knew the truth to love him back the same way. He had resigned himself to love her always, no matter what, and I'm glad that he got to know that she had resigned herself to the same fate.

Cassandra Clare works magic with this novel. The excitement begins on the first page and doesn't stop until the final sentence. She brings everything full circle for a completely satisfying ending - even though fans would be more than happy to read about these beloved characters forever, I know I will miss them.

Firstly, I have to say that back in the days, I was a massive fan of CC and all her work, especially the infamous Draco Trilogy which I'll bet by now, she really just wants to forget all about. I'm not here to talk about that trilogy obviously, but it is important to have read it to get a decent grasp of the author and her work.

Having said that, I must admit I was very much drawn in by the prospect of City of Bones; I had greatly enjoyed her fanfiction and her LotR parody. I enjoyed City of Bones after a few chapters and became intrigued by the story. However, there were immediate red flags as to the sheer lack of originality, ones that follow on through her entire series and it is incredible how many professional reviewers have clearly never seen BtVS or read Harry Potter.

I'll get to this book in particular later, but first let's look at the essentials, shall we?

The heroine of the piece is Clary Fray. Sigh. Clary bears no striking resemblance to your own last name, eh, Cassie? And Fray is the name of the future slayer in Wheedon's comic but never mind that. Clary Fray is also redheaded and stubborn, much like Clare's interpretation of Ginny in The Draco Trilogy. The leading man in The Mortal Instruments is Jace - silvery haired, pale and arrogant - is without a shadow of a doubt, the Draco of her fanfiction era. The Harry Potter at first appears to be Clary's bespectacled, dark haired friend, Simon but on closer inspection of the relationship between Jace and his 'Parabatai', Alec it seems that true to the subtly hinted at slashiness of her Draco Trilogy, Alec is suited and booted as the Harry of the scene. And even though a Hermione was clearly lacking, another female character was added. Isabelle Lightwood, one of my favourite characters, is sadly based very evidently on an original character in CC's fanfic; Rhysenn Malfoy. And so before the story has even begun, there are heavy flaws.

The book relies heavily upon CC's strengths; humour and male angst. In this, I believe she is greatly talented. Anyone who has read her 'The Very Secret Diaries' would know that she is often able to make you spit your drink out laughing at certain little quips - only ever from her main male characters, sadly. The plot itself is broad enough that most 'Big Twists' are foreseeable miles away. The people who were shocked that in this book, City of Glass (SPOLIERS AHEAD!)....

....Clary turned out NOT to be Jace's sister after such unnecessary build of interaction with Sebastian, are the reason she's published and has a film on the way. The sexual tension between the two leads is also rather awkwardly written as Fray *cough!Sue!cough!* is unlike-able and unsympathetic in most cases. The Ginny of her fanfic was exactly the same; she got in everyone's way, messed a lot of things up but ultimately, she saves them all. Sigh.

There are other striking similarities to Buffy and Harry Potter along the way. Hodge was clearly the Giles of her first book, with a little bit of a Sirius Black thrown in for good measure. The Institute was Hogwarts and not even well disguised. Not to mention flying motorcycles.

Oh yes and the Big Bad's name is...

V-A-L-E-N-T-I-N-E
or
V-O-L-D-E-M-O-R-T-
as he could easily be known as, with a simple CTRL-Replace in MS Word.

The establishing of a gay relationship in these books has been the highlight for me and one of the reasons I continue to read her stories, but again it echoes her own desires to have pushed her fanfic that little bit further and have it be slash. It was always known in the fandom as 'The Ambiguously Gay Fanfic' after all and yet again, she leans on her previous success too heavily. This, at least, though is a promising love story within these books and one that can be followed easily because of the sheer splendour of Magnus Bane. A character entirely her own, as far as I can tell, and one that shines brightly in a book otherwise full of blunted rewrites and purple prose. Her other books, the Clockwork Angel, are much better; she begins to pull away from her reliance on fanfic ideals and characters. It would be nice if she had applied the same effort to this cycle.

The honest truth is that while these books have promise, the complete lack of originality is a serious downfall for anyone who was a fan of CC before her rise to the world of publication and yet, one must assume that her fans had something to do with her unwillingness to stray away from her comfort zone. After so many years of writing the Draco Trilogy and of amassing thousands of loyal followers, perhaps CC was afraid of losing her target audience and so stuck very closely to the work that made her really famous and, despite how much she must hate it, what she will always be known for in the book world.

Ultimately, the YA gen will love them until they stop being YA's. I will always read them because one or two characters have me hooked, but I will always be a little disappointed whenever I flip a page and see yet another reference the infamous trilogy of her fanfic heyday.

am so excited that I finished this book just in time for the 4th one to be released. This series is incredible! City of Ashes was my favorite installment so far but I did love this one too.

I will admit there were a handful of scenes that I found myself skimming over; but only because I was so anxious to find out what was going to happen next.

You learn so much about Jace in this book, and I love that! He is such a great character. Clary too, but Jace is my favorite.

There are so many characters and new creatures and settings in this book. Cassandra Clare has really created a magnificent new world that I want to get lost in. I have not found another book world so complete since Harry Potter. I love when authors create their own universe. And she does such a great job with it too.

This book also kept me guessing. More than once, I caught myself being completely surprised by a turn of events. I did not want to put this book down, and yet I did not want to finish it. I would force myself to stop reading at points to try and stretch out the amount of time I could live inside the city of glass.

in City of Ashes, the idea of Simon as a vampire seemed weird to me, and I was not 100% on board, but in this book he really seemed to develop so I like him much better now.

and ahh I know this is a spoiler alert but I can't bring myself to care...they are NOT BROTHER AND SISTER! I had an inking that this would happen but it did not lessen my elation when I read it. I literally squealed and re-read the paragraphs. I heart Jace and Clary! :)

I love Cassandra Clare! This series has quickly climbed up the ranks of my favorite books of all time!

-Michelle @ [...]

If you have never read city of ashes,bones or glass you are in for a treat . this book really makes you care about the characters and there out come.this book is def. a page turner full of excitement romance and witty humor. one of my favorites.

*SPOILERS*

What I loved about this series is that each novel is progressively better. Certain reviewers called Clare's writing purple prose, but compared to S. Meyer, she is fantastic. That was the greatest relief to me: here is a love story, and a fascinating world along with in depth characters that keeps the reader hungry for more. Some scenes are just so beautifully written that I have to admire Clare's storytelling prowess.

That said, Clary was a bit flat. She's likable enough, but I just felt that Clare could have made her real the way Harry Potter is real. Clary is described as feisty, but you don't really get that from her actions, more Jace's and Luke's ascertations that she is that way. The other characters- Simon, Jace, Alec, Magnus, and Isabelle - the reader knows them, and most importantly, Clare knows them. But Clary... she's just there to explain the finer points of the plot as a weakish literary device. I do love that she isn't so frail at the end of the series- going after the Book of White, sneaking out of Amatis', getting up in front of the Clave with her "save Alicante" spiel, etc. It's characterization that we don't get in books 1 and 2.

The imagery and the folklore behind Idris is so amazing. Clare's construction of a world of shadowhunters, downworlders, demons, and the ethereal is well done. It's complete. Five stars.

The plot takes away from this at points. I hated that Jace and Clary thought they were siblings. You know all along that they'll find out differently, and the revelation isn't all that stunning. There are too many forced scenes in the plot- the endless dialogue to explain people's pasts and actions for example. Luke is usually the vessel for this, although Jocelyn winds up revealing the truth about Jace and Clary when she wakes from her potion-induced coma. And we knew that was coming, of course. Sometimes there are too many interweaving plot twists so that it seems Clare is trying too hard to make the story complicated and compelling. The characters are compelling enough, leave it be, Clare!

Overall, the series is worth reading. Clare is the kind of writer who will only get better, as evidenced by the progression of the novels both in prose and storytelling. The characters are unforgettable and worth knowing, if only that you will miss them when you've finished. It's a breath of fresh air, especially after the garbage S. Meyer has been churning out.

I enjoyed the first two books in this series, but I had some issues with this one. I FELT all 500+ pages, unfortunately. It seemed to take forever to get to the point of the book and then once we got there it was just okay. I was getting into the book a bit more toward the end, but I found myself thinking, geez, how many more pages do I have to go. I was annoyed with the death in the book. I felt very much that it was a death just to have a death and it didn't really add anything to the story.

I also found myself skimming a lot in this book. Clare really likes describing scenery and that's not a problem but when it seems to go on for pages then it's just too much. I never really connected with Clary either. That has been a constant throughout the series. I felt like she was just there to allow Clare to explain her world and we never really get who she actually is. Simon said she was fiesty or something like that, but I never really saw it that way. She was mostly passive and after a while I lost her completely.

I did think there were some creative things in the book. The world building, the biblical/angel details, all of that was very interesting to me. I am not familiar with alot of the things that people were saying the books resembles so I can't complain about any lack of originality. But with that said, I wasn't really suprised by anything that happened so maybe it did read like something I'd read/seen before.

And was it just me or was the epilogue longer than it needed to be? I Some of the information didn't seem at all needed. The scene with the Faery Queen was totally a waste of a page and a half. So many different pov's that didn't really show us anything we needed closure on.

All the same, I didn't hate the book, and I didn't want to throw it across the room like I did with Eclipse, but I don't see me reading it again. I will probably pick up the next book Clare releases because I do like aspects of her storytelling.

Before I start critiquing, I want to say that I enjoyed this book. I was pretty much glued to it for a day, so it is a page turner. I did have problems with it that prevent me from giving it a higher rating though.

Clare was very repetitive, which I partly attribute to bad editing. I got very annoyed with Clary and Jace because of it. One scene of over angst-y declarations of love would have been quite enough, but I lost count of how many were actually in this book. It was hard for me to believe that two people who have only known each other a month could be so deeply in love. It was more like physical attraction mixed with infatuation. I started disliking Clary's character more than ever because of her rash decisions. She always got herself into trouble and had to be rescued. It's a problem when the main characters of your story are annoying.

There was no surprise factor for me because I figured out the "twist" before it was revealed and the ending was just as predictable. But what really ticked me off was one particular death that was absolutely unnecessary. It made me angry that Clare chose this person to die when she could have easily picked someone else less like-able.

I don't know if I'm being too hard on this book. I guess I expected more and it's frustrating because it could have been a lot better with a bit of tweaking. I would have liked the ending to be less happily ever after and just a little tragic. I may not agree with Clare's decisions, but parts of the story were great and that redeemed it a bit for me.

I was hoping that City of Glass would end the triolgy with a bang, but just like Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn, the last book from Cassandra Clare failed to live up to its potential.

Everything about the book was predictable. Yes, from the beginning of the second book I knew that Jace and Clary were more than likely not brother and sister. Why else would a YA author be pushing an incestuous relationship if in the end they were going to be related? Personally, I would have preferred they stayed brother and sister, that would have been extremely original and pushing the envelope, but Clare wimped out on that potentially interesting idea.

Second, having Sebastian be Valentine's son, not Jace, was so easy to figure out. The foreshadowing of that "revelation" was not well done, as other reviewers here have stated. I have to admit that when Isabelle cuts off Sebastian's hand in a fight scene towards the end of the book, I LAUGHED. It was bloody awful. I expected Darth Vader to show up and say, "Luke, I'm your father!" Can Clare please stop stealing from George Lucas' universe? Sebastian's betrayal and eventual death at Jace's hand, again predictable.

Quite frankly, by the end of this book, I did not care who lived or died. I was not involved with Clare's characters as I was with J.K. Rowling's amazing characters in her Harry Potter series. I mourned each and every death in Harry Potter Book 7, but in City of Glass the only two people I even remotely liked were Alec and Magnus.

Alec and Magnus are the only reason I gave this book 2 stars instead of one. Their relationship was original, fun and injected some much needed humor into the story. If Clare wanted to write a book just about them, I'd buy it, but if she writes another book about the dull, boring and insipid Jace and Clary - I'll pass. Reading about them and their "great romance" is like taking a Valium - snooze city.

Get this book at the library, don't waste your money.