Book Review: City of Fallen Angels

Warning! The synopsis is filled with spoilers from the first three books & the review is filled with major spoilers from this book!

"The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old 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 importantly of all - she can finally call Jace her boyfriend. But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering 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 that 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 that's 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 one.

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"

Title: City of Fallen Angels
Author: Cassandra Clare
Year of Release: 2011
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal
Sequel(s): City of Lost Souls & City of Heavenly Fire
What motivated you to read this book?: I loved the first three books of this series, so I had to read the fourth one
Book Version: Hardback
Where did you get the book?: Library
Orginal?: Yes
Preditable: Not really, I figured somethings out a paragraph or two before they actually happened, but other than that, no.
Favorite Character: Jace

Least Favorite Character: Lilith

Thoughts on Cover: At first I didn't like it but it has grown on me just as Simon has grown on me. I love Clary's hair, dress, and necklace, which Jace gave her. I like how the dress is exactly like the one she wore in the book. It made it easier for me when picturing it.
Recommended to: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson fans, & Fantasy/Urban Fantasy Fans
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Review: I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. It was definitely quite different from the first three, but that is understandable since Valentine is dead. The story line and plot were still both very good and it kept me reading. It got really intense during some parts especially at the end with the battle between Lilith, Jace, Simon, and Clary. I honestly thought Simon was going to die. I have grown to love Simon, and it was very upsetting for me. I didn't like how the chapters were so choppy. Most of these books are written this way, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I like seeing things from other character's point of views, but I am still unsure how I feel about how Clare cuts off and then starts the next paragraph from another character's perspective in a totally different scene. It made me keep reading though, with all the mini-cliff hangers. It made me want to see what happened next, but then I would get annoyed when I wanted to know what happened next to a certain character, and then having to read 15 or 20 pages before it returns to that scene.

I really like how all the characters have grown and developed throughout the series. They are obviously the same people, but in different ways. For example, Jace is obviously the same person he was in City of Bones, however, he is has changed quite a bit. He sort of has become friends with Simon. I like their relationship. It's amusing. They are more accepting of each other and willing to risk their lives for each other because of Clary. I thought it was pretty hilarious how Jace even pretended to be a bodyguard for Simon. I also liked seeing the vulnerable side of Jace. He normally hides his emotions from everyone, but he expresses himself clearly to Clary, and it is obvious that he really is not that conceited. This line of the story explains Jace's emotions well from Simon's perspective:

                                       

              "Though Simon imagined that Jace ran the gamut of facial expressions when he was alone with Clary, his default one around other people was a fierce sort of blankness."

I definitely felt bad for both Jace and Clary throughout the story. Jace was going through so much mental misery which caused in turn Clary to be miserable because he never told her what was wrong. I was very surprised later on when Jace was being controlled by Lilith. I never expected that to happen. It was quite upsetting. It reminded me somewhat of characters who were controlled/brainwashed in other books.The ending was quite a shock too. I never thought that would happen! I wasn't quite sure what to think once I finished the book.

Favorite Quotes: Will definitely write another post with my favorite quotes! There are just so many!