Review: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Lost Souls
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: Mortal Instruments #5
Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance (YA)
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The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away–not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought–Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved–and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell–a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love? Summary from Dust Jacket

There are a few minor spoilers for City of Fallen Angels and City of Lost Souls in this review.

I was so nervous going into City of Lost Souls because the ending of City of Fallen Angels left everything in such a chaotic state. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what happened without being able to finish the series right away. Now having read City of Lost Souls, I’m glad I didn’t wait to read it until after City of Heavenly Fire comes out in September 2014.

I adored City of Lost Souls. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. It has definitely earned a place on my Favorites shelf and adds so much to The Mortal Instruments series. City of Fallen Angels is still my favorite of the series, but City of Lost Souls follows closely behind it.

I didn’t think anything could top the anxiety of Clary and Jace thinking they were brother and sister, but I was wrong. This book was so much harder for me to swallow because of the situation they found themselves in. So many times I wanted everything back the way it was, but I still thought it was interesting to see how the events in the book played out and affected their relationship.

I love that Clary is growing as a Shadowhunter in the second half of the series. She’s getting so much better and it’s awesome to see her succeed and find her element and be able to fight along side her Shadowhunter friends and family.

There were so many fun visuals in this book, especially of Magnus. Some of my favorite parts were the way the other characters described him. He’s so eccentric and I love waiting to see what he’ll wear next!

Just like with City of Fallen Angels, I loved being inside more than just Clary, Jace, and Simon’s heads. And, I especially loved the references to The Infernal Devices trilogy and getting to know Sebastian better, even if he was creepy. Sebastian gave me the hebejebes big time! But, I found myself wondering, like Clary, if he was really different. I knew deep down inside that he wasn’t, but Cassandra Clare did a great job of getting me to doubt myself and wonder.

All in all, City of Lost Souls is a fantastic book! And, I’m definitely anxiously awaiting the release of City of Heavenly Fire in a little less than two years.