Customer Reviews

City of Glass (Mortal Instruments)

5 star:		(176)
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.

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.

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.

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.

Warning, {major spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers}.

So I finished this long book today and felt compelled to give out some warnings to people interested in buying this final installment. To be honest, the overall story is okay at best and borders on being long winded. I would say that the book is worth buying, but only if you're that invested into the story. In all honesty, i feel like the story wasn't very good and i found City of Bones a slightly better read. It's a legit book, but full of major flaws.

We start out with the cons.(spoiler)

-The incestuous part of the story is still pretty uncomfortable. I don't get how any logical person can accept this part of the story. At the end, you discover that Jace and Clary aren't really siblings, so they get together just for the happy ending. Logically, this is the weakest aspect.It's so obvious that Cassandra Clare just wanted to make a convenient happy ending. Pretty weak.

-toooo much exposition.

major sigh. this is a huge flaw with books nowadays. authors work so hard to look intelligent, but it becomes a wasted effort. to be humorous, i won't say much here. I'll just say that there are sooo many explanations about fantasy elements and historical issues. i got bored real easy in some parts.

-The setting is confusing.

For the first two books, we understand that the story is in New York. Clary Fray apparently never even left the state of New York until then. The city of Idris is confusing and all the portal traveling kind of made you lose place of everything. The group splits up at times and you're not sure where people are going. Perhaps one of the greatest strengths of the first book was the fact that the urban setting was so familiar. This so called city of glass is not so familiar.

-We're not exactly sure where the story is going the whole time.

I suppose this is an inheritable flaw for all last installments, but there's this looming feeling we don't know where the story is going. We already know that Clary and Jace are going to fight Valentine so are the 500 pages just filler until then? It's hard to tell.

Of course, there are going to be positive traits. There's a reason why this book is worth reading.

+the characters are given justice this time around.(spoilers)

Maybe three times is the charm, but i really think the characters really flesh out this time. Maybe it's because i finally understand them, but i think the main and supporting characters are actually worth following. Magnus Bane and Alec hooking up is interesting, slightly strange but interesting(apparently Magnus is 700 yrs old). Little kid Max dies and forces Isabelle to show true emotion throughout the book. Jace and Clary show their inner thoughts a bit too much, but as a reader i want to understand the characters. With this trilogy, i had a chance to do it.

+provides closure.

As strange as the entire plot and direction could be, i found the ending satisfying. It works. I can't say it's perfect, but some series just don't know how to end or try to tease the readers. I found the ending here decent enough to be acceptable for fans. At first, i thought the ending would be terrible but i was okay with it. I think if you're reading a series, the ending is important.

A final point about the series. Jace and Clary's relationship was pretty illogical and it really marked a moment of no return. We discover that Jace is actually born from a dead woman and Valentine decides to raise him as his own. To be honest, the moment we discover Jace and Clary COULD BE related, there was no way to make the story perfect. Everyone knows it. I think another fantasy story in this vein will come around again. Don't sweat it if you think you're missing out.