Review: City of Fallen Angels ~ Reading in Paradise

WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS!

Gooreads: The Mortal War is over, and Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most important of all—Clary can finally call Jace her boyfriend.
But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her. His mother just found out he’s a vampire and now he’s homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse wrecking his life. And they’re willing to do anything to get what they want. At the same time he’s dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other.
When Jace begins to pull away from Clary without explaining why, she is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: She herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.
Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

Review:

Okay, this has to be the best on out of them all so far. (Well, for now.) There was more action, drama, romance, and twists that send our characters on new adventures than most of the other books. So, let's start with the beginning.

First, VALENTINE IS DEAD!!!! WOOHOO!! Finally. I was so excited. But the trouble doesn't end there. Immediately in the beginning, Simon is introduced to a very old vampire, Camille, the former head vampire of Manhattan. And she wants to her spot back. She tells Simon if he's on her side, then the vampires of the Manhattan coven will have to come over to her side, and kill off Raphael. Is that her true plan? NO! In fact, her plan is part of a much larger one than that. To that later.....

New character: Kyle. Status: hot singer part of Simon's new band. Reality: werewolf named Jordan that's been assigned to protect Simon and help him get started on the right foot as a vampire. I liked Jordan. He's part of the Praetor Lupus, or Wolf Guardians, guardians that help new-born vampires/werewolves/blah blah blah get situtated and restart their life. Well, Jordan also happens to be the werewolf that turned Maia into one. And they meet, so there's drama there. At some points, I thought Jordan's role as a Praetor wasn't needed, but it was also a way for him to try to make up for what he did. And his story, it's so sad! I would have forgiven him after I heard it.

Next dilemma is Jace and Clary. After three books, they're finally together. But that's not the problem. Problem is that Jace starts having these strange dreams of him and Clary, and at the end, he kills her. And then, to avoid them, he stays awake constantly, and because he thinks he's becoming a monster, a.k.a. Valentine, he avoids Clary and tries to protect Simon from whoever wants to kill him to try to make it up to Clary (even though she doesn't know it). This pisses Clary off because of what the Queen said to her one time in the park when she and Jace were training (oh yeah, Clary dropped out of high school to become a Shadowhunter. Forgot to mention that.). She said that Clary and Jace are bonded by their angel blood, and that might be the only reason why he's with her (Queen's a bitch.) Anyway, Clary's worried about Jace breaking up with her. And at one point I actually thought they were going to break up (after a very steamy allyway scene). Jace acting like all of this leads to the bigger plan......

Shadowhunters are being killed too. Why? By who? Well, we find out that Camille is doing it. One, for revenge, and two, because she was told to. Now Camille, as said before, is a very old vampire. As old as Magnus. How can someone command her? Well, that were things get strange. Turns out Adam had a first wife, Lilith, who didn't obey God and Adam and was turned from the Garden of Eden and casted as a demon. And as a demon, she became the demon Valentine summoned to get blood from for Sebastian/Jonanthan. And when Sebastian and Valentine summoned all those demons from City of Glass, she came through, and as an ancient demon, she has a lot of power. And this power includes: Tormenting Jace, possessing Jace, perserving Sebastian's dead body to bring him back because she thinks he's her son, ruling over a demon-worshipping cult, injecting pregnant mothers with demon and shadowhunter blood, and destroying lives. Put that all together and you get a kickass plot that blows your socks off. Wish I was a Shadowhunter. I'd love to kill her.

I've already said things about Jace and Clary's relationship (which was fixed). They did have some hot scenes in the book, don't dispair. But it was Simon and his relationship that got heated up. So, Luke and Jocelyn are getting married. YAY! Well, both Maia and Isabelle are invited, and Simon is too. Now, as girls, they both expect Simon to take them to the wedding. 1: They never said they were dating exclusively (which is stupid). 2: they are good friends. 3: they both really like Simon. 4: Simon likes them too and doesn't want to hurt their feelings. Well, when it all gets discovered, it's not pretty. Both girls hate him, but Maia hates Jordan a bit more now that he's back in her life. Now, as a girl, I'd be on the girl's side, but in this case, I'm not. 1: they never did say they had to date exclusively. 2: Isabelle said she was out of his league, and that she expected him not to date anyone else, and that just pissed me off. 3: Maia and Simon, their relationship was like his and Clary's. Video games, comics, Manga. Done. I don't blame Maia as much as I blame Isabelle, but Simon still should have said something.

Now, Magnus and Alec. I haven't forgotten! In this one, we find out that Magnus has dated a lot. And when I mean a lot, I mean a lot. Like maybe over 200. Well, this makes Alec mad, especially when he finds out he's dated both boys and girls. Well, to Magnus, spending eternity alone isn't so fun, even if he has an adorable but mean cat. To Alec, it's just a reminder that someday he's going to be old and dead and Magnus is going to look the same. Camille gets a hold of this information and.......well, that's in the next book. Oh, and some old feelings of Magnus about his past come out, and most of them reflex back to The Infernal Devices series. OMG!

Well, there's not much to tell about the characters. They're all the same. Some start to show a soft side (isabelle) and a defiant side (Clary) and a jealous side (Alec), but other than that, the characters are the characters, just with more drama and fighting in their lives.

The ending made me scream:

Seriously, I was about to tear my hair out. Sebastian is one of the most evil people on Earth. Wish Jace would have chopped off his head alond with stabbing him in the back.

Future: City of Lost Souls. :D

Quotes:

Dialogue between Alec and Magnus in front of Maryse, Simon, and Camille, who's in jail.

"'You're girlfriend?' Alex looked astonished. So did Maryse. Simon couldn't say he was unastonished himself. 'You dated a vampire? A girl vampire?'

"'It was a hundred and thirty years ago,' said Magnus. 'I haven't seen her since.'

"'Why didn't you tell me?' Alec demanded.

"Magnus sighed. 'Alexander, I've been alive for hundreds of years. I've been with men, been with women--with faeries and warlocks and vampires, and even a djinn or two.' He looded sideways at Maryse, who looked mildly horrified. 'Too much information?'

"It's all right,' she said, though she sounded a little wan." pg. 251

Dialogue between Jordan/Kyle, Simon, and Jace.

"'Jesus,' said Kyle. 'You're a Shadowhunter?' He looked at Simon. 'The cute redheaded girl who was with you in the garage---she's a Shadowhunter too, isn't she?'

"Taken aback (which is a stupid word, by the way), Simon nodded.

"'You know, some people think Shadowhunter are just myths. Like mummies and genies.' Kyle grinned at Jace. 'Can you grant wishes?'

"The fact that Kyle had just called Clary cute did no seem to have endeared him to Jace, whose face had tightened alarmingly. 'That depends,' he said. 'Do you wish to be punched in the face?'" pg. 140

Cassandra Clare is a must read author. More action and drama and romance sweep off the pages of the City of Fallen Angels. I can't wait to read what's in the City of Lost Souls.

Rating & Cover: