Movie Review: The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

WARNING! There are tons of spoilers from both the series & movie!!

Starring: Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Kevin Zegers, Jemima West, and Robert Sheehan

Director: Harald Zwart

Day of Release: August 21, 2013

Day I saw it: August 25, 2013

Who I saw it with: Two of my friends and some of their friends

Review: The City of Bones is one of my favorite books. Actually, the entire series is one of my favorite series, so you can imagine how excited and anxious I was to see this film. I really wanted it to stay true to the book, and it did. I liked how many of the quotes from the book even made it into the film!

The sequence of some of the scenes changed a bit, but I didn't mind that, the scenes were still the same. Some of it was a bit different from the book though. In the film, Simon goes with Clary and Jace to the Institute earlier than he does in the book, and surprisingly, I was completely okay with this. The change wasn't that drastic and I actually liked having Simon there. It's weird because in the book I hated Simon, but in the movie, I thought he was adorable and I liked him (Not as much as Jace, though). Robert played him really well. Speaking of Simon, I actually liked what happened to him when the vampires took him better than what happened in the book.
However, I am not sure how I feel about all the shadowhunters going in to save him and not just Clary and Jace. That was a very important scene for Clary and Jace in the book. It showed how much Jace really cared about

Clary and was willing to even help her find the other boy who loves her. Oh, well. There was also some drastic changes towards the end of the film. Some of the changes I wasn't sure why they did, but I'm not complaining. One main change was the venue of where the big fight scene was, which to me, wasn't that important, and obviously if Cassandra Clare approved of the changes, then as a fan, I shouldn't care either. I think the biggest change that surprised me the most (and horrified me at first) was that Hodge told Valentine to lie to Clary and Jace and tell them that they're siblings to make them heartbroken. When that happened, I was like "WHAT?!" Major City of Glass spoiler for those who haven't read the books! However, I assume the reason why they did this is to prevent an uproar occurring from the nonreaders. If that part wasn't in the film, people would actually think that they were siblings and that incest was going on and would be truly disgusted and that would prevent them from seeing the future films. So I understand completely why they made this decision.

However, some nonreaders might not even notice Hodge saying that to Valentine. My friends who haven't read the books didn't and asked me if they really were siblings or not. Needless to say, I told them the truth. There were also some other changes at the end that I'm not going to discuss because that will take to long.

The acting was phenomenal! It's hard to believe that it was just over a year ago when I posted a post about how I felt about the actors whom were going to portray each character. Click HERE if you want to read it. I read through it right before starting this review, and I was pretty hard on Lily (Clary), Robert (Simon), and Aidan Turner (Luke). They all proofed me wrong, and I'm so glad they did! They are all fantastic actors and they all played their characters very well! When I saw Jamie and Lily, I didn't think "Oh, that's Jamie" or "Oh, that's Lily." I saw them as their characters and not themselves!

I simply loved the scenes between Jace and Clary. They were so cute, and it reminded me of how much I like them together and of how much I LOVE Jace. Jamie did amazing as Jace. He was able to portray the rude, arrogant attitude and still be completely likable! Gosh, I can't wait to re-watch those scenes again and see more scenes with the two of them in City of Ashes!!

Overall, I am still in Mortal Instruments mode after seeing this film yesterday. I seriously cannot wait to watch it again and to watch City of Ashes next year!!!

Book Review: Clockwork Princess

       Clockwork Princess

"Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her."

Author: Cassandra Clare

Year of Release: 2013

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal

Sequel(s): None, last in the series

What motivated you to read this book?: I wanted to read the last book to see what happens to my favorite characters!

Book Version: Hardback

Where did you get the book?: Purchased at Barnes & Noble

Favorite Character: Will Herondale or Gabriel Lightwood 

Least Favorite Character: Mortmain

Thoughts on Cover: LOVE it! Tessa is beautiful! Love her dress. I also love that she's holding a book.

Recommended to: Mortal Instruments Fans

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Review: Cassandra Clare is truly a remarkable writer. She has created a world that has grabbed my attention & has made me want even more. Her descriptions of the characters, plot and setting make the book feel so realistic. I felt as though I was really there in the characters' shoes living and feeling just as they did. I even cried twice while reading it. The emotions just felt so real. It is a very emotional book.

What I love about this series is that the characters are so incredibly lovable. I really love every protagonist. I especially enjoy how each character has grown throughout the series. One character who has changed and grown is Gabriel Lightwood. In the first two books, Gabriel is portrayed as the bad guy. Will and him hate each other. I absolutely love when the unlikable bad characters do a complete 180 & change for the better. I went from disliking him to loving him! To me, he is the character that has grown the most.

I will not go into specifics to not spoil any thing, but this book has so many surprises and plot twists. It made it so much harder to put the book down! I deeply loved it! I was really shocked when I read the epilogue. I wasn't expecting that at all! Although this book answered 99% of the questions that I had after I finished Clockwork Prince, a few new questions formed after reading this book which will hopefully be answered when reading the last Mortal Instruments book.

I cannot put into words how much I love this book. It is really challenging to write a review about a book that I love so much without giving anything away, but I loved how Clare was able to tie this book not only to the first two books in this series, but also to The Mortal Instruments books. Clare is very, very talented.

I am sad that this series is over, but I am very glad that there are still more books that will be released in the future from this wonderful world that Clare has created.

My Favorite Clockwork Prince Quotes

I love doing "my favorite quotes" blog posts for books that I truly enjoyed & had humorous quotes in them! .

Please Note: These "quotes" are just that, "quotes"--things characters said. These quotes don't include narration. If they did, this blog post would be HUGE. Second of all, these quotes are in no order at all. It would take me forever to figure out which ones I like more than others. If anything, they are in the order they were written. Example: A quote may come from page 90 and the next one will be from page 96. Thirdly, if it's difficult to tell who is speaking to whom, I put the people's names in parentheses. Finally, all quotes come from the U.S. hardback version.

Warning: These quotes contain spoilers in them!

Now, here are my favorite quotes from Clockwork Prince, book two of The Infernal Devices: 

"Is this a game? We just blurt out whatever word comes next to mind? In that case mine's 'genuphobia.' It means an unreasonable fear of knees." --Will to Jem, p. 33

"What's the word for a perfectly reasonable fear of annoying idiots?" --Jessamine to Will, p. 33

"Trains are great dirty smoky things. You won't like it."

"I won't know if I like it until I try it, will I?"

"I've never swum naked in the Thames, but I know I wouldn't like it."

"But think how entertaining for sightseers." --Will and Tessa, p. 75

"Beautiful. You are beautiful, James Carstairs."--Tessa to Jem, p. 204

"Eggs. I do love eggs. I could eat them all day."--Henry speaking completely off topic to nobody in particular, p.210

"James, you are all the family I have. I would die for you. You know that. I would die without you. If it were not for you, I would be dead a hundred times over these past five years. I owe you everything, and if you cannot believe I have empathy, perhaps you might at least believe I know honor--honor, and debt--"--Will to Jem, p. 248

"I have wanted to do this every moment of every hour of every day that I have been with you since the day I met you. But you know that. You must know. Don't you?" --Will to Tessa regarding kissing her on the balcony at the ball, p. 290

"I would forgive Tessa anything."--Jem to Jessamine, p. 350

"Lies and secrets, Tessa, they are like a cancer in the soul. They eat away what is good and leave only destruction behind."--Aunt Harriet to Tessa in Tessa's dream, p. 395

"I love you. And I don't want to lose you."--Jem to Tessa, p. 398

"When two souls are as one, they stay together on the Wheel. I was born into this world to love you, and I will love you in the next life, and the one after that." --Jem to Tessa, p. 493

"There is only one girl I care to make swoon. The question is, does she?"

"She does."--Jem and Tessa, p. 344

"Your place is with me. It always will be." --Jem to Tessa, p. 428

"Sacrifice? Tessa, I love you. I want to marry you."--Jem to Tessa, p. 429

"I cannot explain love. I could not tell you if I loved you the first moment I saw you, or if it was the second or third or fourth. But I remember the first moment I looked at you walking toward me and realized that somehow the rest of the world seemed to vanish when I was with you. That you were the center of everything I did and felt and thought."--Jem to Tessa, pp. 429-430

"You speak of sacrifice, but it is not my sacrifice I offer. It is yours I ask of you. I can offer you my life, but it is a short life; I can offer you my heart, though I have no idea how many more beats it shall sustain. But I love you enough to hope that you will not care that I am being selfish in trying to make the rest of my life--whatever its length--happy, by spending it with you. I want to be married to you, Tessa. I want it more than I have ever wanted anything else in my life. That is, if you love me, too." --Jem to Tessa, p. 430

"You are home for me now." --Jem to Tessa, p. 432

Favorite Clockwork Angel Quotes

I love doing "my favorite quotes" blog posts for books that I truly enjoyed & had humorous quotes in them! .

Please Note: These "quotes" are just that, "quotes"--things characters said. These quotes don't include narration. If they did, this blog post would be HUGE. Second of all, these quotes are in no order at all. It would take me forever to figure out which ones I like more than others. If anything, they are in the order they were written. Example: A quote may come from page 90 and the next one will be from page 96. Thirdly, if it's difficult to tell who is speaking to whom, I put the people's names in parentheses. Finally, all quotes come from the U.S. hardback version.

Warning: These quotes contain spoilers in them!

Now, here are my favorite quotes from Clockwork Angel, book one of The Infernal Devices:

"When you find a man you wish to marry, Tessa, remember this: You will know what kind of man he is not by the things he says, but by the things he does." --Aunt Harriet to Tessa, p. 33

"Oh, no. I hate chocolate."
"What kind of monster could possibly hate chocolate?"--Tessa & Will, p. 83

"One must always be careful of books, and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us."--Tessa to Will, p. 87

"Whatever you are physically, male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy--all those things matter less than what your heart contains. If you have the soul of a warrior, you are a warrior. Whatever the color, the shape, the design of the shade that conceals it, the flame inside the lamp remains the same. You are that flame. That's what I believe." --Jem to Tessa, p. 283

"Must you go? I was rather hoping you'd stay and be a ministering angel, but if you must go, you must." (Jem to Tessa)
"I'll stay. I can minister angelically." (Will to Jem)
"None too convincingly. And you're not as pretty to look at as Tessa is." (Jem to Will)
"How rude. Many who have gazed upon me have compared the experience to gazing at the radiance of the sun." (Will to Jem)
"If they mean it gives you a headache, they aren't wrong." (Jem to Will) --p. 343


"It is as great a thing to love as it is to be loved. Love is not something that can be wasted." --Jem to Tessa, p. 470

Book Review: Clockwork Prince

Warning! As always, this review contains spoilers. I can't seem to write a review without them. My apologizes. Also, the synopsis has spoilers from Clockwork Angel 

Clockwork Prince

"In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends. With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart."

Author: Cassandra Clare
Year of Release: 2011
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Historical Fiction
Sequel(s): Clockwork Princess
What motivated you to read this book?: I almost always read the sequels to books that I read, plus I wanted to know what was going to happen next!
Book Version: Hardback
Where did you get the book?: Local Library
Favorite Character: Jem Carstairs
Least Favorite Character: Benedict Lightwood or Nate Gray, but I didn't really hate any characters to an extreme
Thoughts on Cover: I really like it. I love Jem. Normally I don't like long haired guys, but I like his long hair on this cover.
Recommended to: Fans of The Mortal Instruments
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Review: Clockwork Prince will leave you absolutely breathless. It will captivate you, draw you in, and you will not stop reading until you are done. It is rare for an author to be able to write a book that is better than the first, but in this case, Clockwork Prince triumphs over Clockwork Angel in terms of character development, romance, plot and story line.

There is a great amount of character development from Clockwork Angel to Clockwork Prince especially when it comes to Will. Will is definitely not the same person he was in Clockwork Angel (or maybe he was, but I just didn't realize it because I didn't know about his curse). Knowing about his curse made me pity him and realize that everything he did and said was a lie but for a good reason. I can't imagine living a life under the assumption of being under a curse that will kill all who love me. What a dreadful curse to assume has been placed on you! Especially finding out that the curse is false and knowing that all the lies you did and said for the past 5 years were for nothing at all. What a horrible, horrible thing. Poor, poor Will.

The romance was also a huge improvement as well. There were quite a few of intense, steamy scenes between Will and Tessa & Jem & Tessa that I loved. There were even a few cute moments between Sophie and Gideon. I especially loved the scene where Jem and Tessa first kissed and the scene on the balcony when Will and Tessa have a very passionate kiss.They were so much fun to read. They were probably my favorite scenes in the book.

The plot and story line will keep you interested as well. They were great in Clockwork Angel, but I found them to be more captivating in this book. It kept me reading and wanting to find out what happens next. Like in Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince consists of many plot twists and surprises. There is even a bit of a cliffhanger at the end that makes me quite eager for the sequel to come out!

I did find it to be a bit ridiculous though that Tessa agreed to marry Jem. I love, love, love Jem and think he is perfect for Tessa, but her agreeing to marry him after only just finding out how he felt about her just a few days before is quite absurd. She shouldn't marry him because she fears hurting him. She should have been honest with him and told him that she needed more time, especially since she has only known him for a few months and mainly because she loves Will, too, even though she hasn't admitted it to herself yet. Her engagement to Jem has only made me pity him because she doesn't love him as much as he loves her. It has also made me feel so bad for Will, too. It broke my heart to see him so sad and heartbroken, but I don't want Tessa to break Jem's heart either. (I hate love triangles.) I want both boys to be happy, but it's obvious they both can't be happy with Tessa. What made this love triangle more interesting than most love triangles is that the boys who Tessa must decide from are best friends, practically brothers. Usually love triangles consist of two boys who hate each other, not love each other. In this series, they both want the other to be happy and would be willing to sacrifice their own happiness for the other. What Will said to Jem when he announced his engagement to Tessa was so unbelievably selfless. I loved it. I truly love their friendship.

I absolutely loved this book. It was quite a pleasant surprise considering that my expectations for it were not that high. I expected it to be good, but not incredibly amazing. I definitely cannot wait to read Clockwork Princess!

Book Review: Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel

Warning!: This review has spoilers in it.

"Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still. 

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all."

Author: Cassandra Clare

Year of Release: 2010

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical Fiction

Sequel(s): Clockwork Prince & Clockwork Princess

What motivated you to read this book?: It's so popular & I loved The Mortal Instruments, so I figured I'd give it a try

Book Version: Hardback

Where did you get the book?: Library

Favorite Character: Jem

Least Favorite Character: Nate or Mortmain 

Thoughts on Cover:I like it. It's very cool. I like how the front of his face is hidden from view, and I absoultely love how you can see the Big Ben in the back ground. 

Recommended to: Fans of The Mortal Instruments

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Review: Despite being in the same world of shadowhunters, werewolves, vampires, faeries, and warlocks, it still had a different vibe to it than The Mortal Instruments books did. I found it to be interesting how things were ran in the shadowhunter world in the 1870's. I also enjoyed learning small bits of how life was in general in the 1870's. Before reading The Luxe & this book I had no idea that everyone, even underage people call each other Miss and Mr (i.e. Tessa was called Miss Gray and Will was called Mr. Herondale even though they were both underage), unless they gave another person permission to call them by their first name. I liked the formality of it.

I also liked how this book tied in to The Mortal Instruments books even though it took place 129 years before them. Like how Henry was the inventor of the Sensor that Jace used in City of Bones. That was pretty cool. I also liked how Magnus and Camille were in it. I also enjoyed the fact that William is Jace's Great-Great Grandpa or something and that there were Lightwoods and a few other characters who were obviously ancestors of some of the characters in The Mortal Instruments.

The story itself was very unique, kept my attention. However, it lacked the spark that The Mortal Instruments books have. It was still quite good. I really enjoyed reading it. I loved the plot twists. Things occurred that I definitely did not expect to happen and those are always nice to have. I love being surprised. I was a bit disappointed in the romance though. I tried very hard to like Will. I really did. I just couldn't get myself to like him. He seemed so much worse than Jace. So inconsiderate and rude. I can't describe how disgusted I was with him. I hope he improves in Clockwork Prince. I really didn't understand why Tessa liked him. When reading the book I expected to fall for him, but ended up falling for the other guy, Jem. I loved his kindness and his gentleness. He seemed so sweet. I loved the part when he kissed Tessa's hand. That was adorable. Probably my favorite part of the book. The scene at the very end was really cute as well. Will acted like a jerk, then Jem comforted her. I really don't understand why she doesn't like him.

All in all, I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't my favorite book of Clare's. I still plan on reading Clockwork Prince to see what happens next!

My Thoughts & Opinions on the City of Bones Cast

I am quite eager for the City of Bones Movie! I can't believe it comes out in just a little over a year and filming starts on August 15th!! What do you all think of the cast for the movie? I'm not sure what to think. I have mixed feeling about it. I will keep an open mind about it though & wait until the movie comes out to see how it really is. I just hope it isn't a bust or a disappointment the way Twilight was. I hope it is more like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games and does the book justice with talented actors and actresses. Here are my thoughts and opinions on the cast.

Lily Collins to play Clary Fray

Before I start, I just want to say that I have nothing at all against Lily. I loved her in The Blind Side & Abduction.  However, I'm still very, very worried about this one. I'm trying to be open minded about it, but I just can't see her as Clary. I don't know if she can pull off the red hair. I know people questioned Jennifer Lawrence at first when she was cast as Katniss in the Hunger Games, but then when they showed photos of her with brown hair, everyone was thrilled. I hope that's how it will be with Lily. I really hope they dye her hair red that will look realistic. I really think they should have cast someone who actually has red hair, but maybe she has a lot of talent as Clary. (I certainly hope so.) I also hope that I think "Oh, that's Clary" when I see her on screen and not "Oh, that's Lily Collins". We'll just have to see what happens.

Jamie Campbell Bower to play Jace Wayland

WARING!: HUGE City of Fallen Angels/City of Lost Souls Spoiler in this paragraph

When I first saw the trailer for City of Lost Souls, I automatically thought of Jamie Campbell Bower as Sebastian because the guy who played Sebastian in the trailer looked so much like Jamie. Then, like the next day, I found out that Jamie was cast as Jace and was horrified. I never thought of Jamie as an attractive guy, and Jace is supposed to be drop dead gorgeous and really, really hot. So, of course, I was disappointed. However, as days pasted, and I saw more recent photos of him, I realized that even though he is not how I pictured Jace & I don't think he's too attractive, I think he can pull it off really well as long as he has the acting skills. I actually look forward to seeing the first photos of him as Jace to see how he will look in the film.

Jemima West to play Isabelle Lightwood

I think Jemima looks perfect for the role of Isabelle! If she has talent, then I will have no complaints!

Godfay Gao to play Magnus Bane

I'm not surprised an Asian was cast to play Magnus. I pictured Magnus as an Asian because it said he was an Asian! Lots of people were surprised that Cassandra wanted an Asian to play Magnus, but they obviously didn't remember when Magnus was first introduced in City of Bones saying that Magnus was part Asian. I think Godfay will do great as Magnus! 

Kevin Zegers to play Alec Lightwood

Not sure what to think of Kevin as Alec. Not how I pictured him, but I think he can pull it off if they dye his hair black. I like how his eyes are blue like Alec's are. 

Jared Harris to play Hodge Starkweather

As soon as I saw that Jared was playing Hodge I knew he would make a great Hodge. He looks perfect for the part! I am sure he will do the part justice.

Robert Sheehan to play Simon Lewis

No. No way. Sorry. I always thought Simon was supposed to be nerdy. Like with short hair and glasses. Not with an Afro. Maybe the producers can make Robert look like a nerd. We'll see. Hopefully my opinion will change once the movie comes out.

Lena Headey to play Jocelyn Fray

I don't know what to think. I think that she may be able to pull off the red hair. Hopefully. I'll just have to wait to see her in character before I make any more judgments.

Aidan Turner to play Luke Garroway

Warning!: Minor Spoiler in this paragraph from City of Fallen Angels

I hate saying this, but this is the biggest mistake the casting director made. I mean, seriously? The guy is 29 years old. Luke is supposed to be Clary's future step-father. Clary is 15, almost 16. It would be horrible if a 29 year old had a 15 year old daugher. Just saying. I don't mean to be rude. I'm sure Aidan is a great actor, but he is just way, way too young to play a father-like figure of Clary's. Sorry. 

CCH Pounder to play Madame Dorothea 

Yes! Yes! Yes! She's absolutely perfect for the part! I can totally see her playing Mme. Dorothea. As soon as I saw that she was playing her, I was pleased. I have no doubts she will make a great Dorothea.

Stephen Hart to play Brother Jeremiah

Not exactly how I imaged him, but I think he'll do well. He definitely has the creepy vibe to him. Can't wait to see him actually in character. Now, that will be creepy.

Valentine & Raphael still haven't been cast yet. I look forward to seeing who will be playing each of them. What are your thoughts so far on the cast? I would like to know what you think! Feel free to comment! 

Favorite City of Fallen Angels Quotes

I love doing "my favorite quotes" blog posts for books that I truly enjoyed & had humorous quotes in them! It's funny because I actually kept a pen & paper with me at all times when reading this to write all the page numbers down just so I could have all the quotes I wanted without forgetting where they were for this post.

 Warning: These quotes contain spoilers in them, so beware!

Please Note: These "quotes" are just that, "quotes"--things characters said. These quotes don't include narration. If they did, this blog post would be HUGE. Second of all, these quotes are in no order at all. It would take me forever to figure out which ones I like more than others. Thirdly, if it's difficult to tell who is speaking to whom, I put the people's names in parentheses. Finally, all quotes come from the U.S. hardback version.

Now, here are my favorite quotes from City of Fallen Angels, book 4 of The Mortal Instruments:

"I suppose you've always been amazing at this stuff."        

"I was born amazing." --Clary & Jace referring to Jace's ability to do flips, p. 38

"No. That's Clary; she's my best friend. And she has a boyfriend. Like, really, really, really has a boyfriend. The nuclear bomb of boyfriends. Trust me on this one."--Simon to Jordan after Jordan asked if Clary was Simon's girlfriend, pp.94-95

"What were you dreaming about?"

"You. I always dream about you."

"Oh, yeah? Because I thought you were having a nightmare."
"Sometimes I dream you're gone. I keep wondering when you'll figure out how much better you could do and leave me."

"I wish I could say things the way you do. Everything you say, the words you choose, they're so perfect. You always find the right quote, or the right thing to say to make me believe you love me. If I can't convince you that I'll never leave you--"

"Just say it again."

"I'll never leave you."
"No matter what happens, what I do?"

"I'd never give up on you. Never. What I feel about you--It's the most important thing I've ever felt." --Clary & Jace, p. 75

"It means that love is the most powerful force in the world. That love can do anything." --Jace explaining an Italian quote that he said, p. 76

"Aren't they supposed to be hiring someone else to train me full-time anyway?"

"Yes, and I'm worried that if you get into the habit of making out with your instructors, you'll wind up making out with him, too."

"Don't be sexist. They could find me a female instructor."
'In that case you have my permission to make out with her, as long as I can watch."

"Nice. You're just worried they'll hire a male instructor and he'll be hotter than you."

"Hotter than me?"

"It could happen. You know, theoretically."--Clary & Jace, p. 77

"I can keep a perfectly good eye on Simon, thank you. He's my neophyte Downworlder to mock and boss around, not yours."--Jace to Jordan, p. 144

"I didn't even think you liked me all that much. Is this one of those keep-your-friends-close-and-your-enemies-closer things?"
"I thought it was keep your friends close so you have someone to drive the car when you sneak over to your enemy's house at night and throw up in his mailbox."
"I'm pretty sure that's not it." --Simon & Jace, p. 145

"What, bored with my company already?"
"Let me ask you something. Do you find me fascinating to be around?"
"What was that? Sorry, I think I fell asleep for a moment. Do, continue with whatever mesmerizing thing you were saying."--Jace & Simon, pp.160 & 161

"Break up with her? Are you insane?" --Jace to Simon, p. 161

"Everything that happens to you matters to me."--Jace to Clary, p. 242

"Clary. You were right. This isn't coming from inside me. Something is doing this to me. To us. You know what that means? If I can be...cured...then I don't have to be afraid of myself when I'm around you anymore. I'd spend a thousand nights in the Silent City for that."--Jace to Clary, p. 272

"You can't forget the things you did in the past, or you'll never learn from them."--Jordan, p. 296

"I could have asked for anything, and I asked for you. And I would do it again. I love you, Jace Wayland--Herondale--Lightwood--whatever you want to call yourself. I don't care. I love you and I will always love you, and pretending it could be any other way is just a waste of time."--Clary to Jace, p. 407

"Remember when I told you that I didn't know if there was a God or not, but either way, we were completely on our own? I still don't know the answer; I only knew that there was such a thing as faith, and that I didn't deserve to have it. And then there was you. You changed everything I believed in." --Jace to Clary, p. 407

"I don't want to let you out of my sight"--Jace to Clary, p. 409

Book Review: City of Lost Souls

Warning! The synopsis is filled with spoilers from the first four books & the review is filled with major spoilers from this book! I also compare it to Mockingjay (from the Hunger Games trilogy), so there are Mockingjay spoilers in it, too.

City of Lost Souls

"The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace freed from captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing, so is the boy she hates: her brother Sebastian, who is determined to bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

The Clave's magic cannot locate either boy, but Jace can't stay away from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith's magic has wrought - Jace and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other.

Only a few people believe that Jace can still be saved. Together, Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle bargain with the sinister Seelie Queen, contemplate deals with demons, and turn at last to the merciless, weapon-making Iron Sisters, who might be able to forge a weapon that can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. If the Iron Sisters can't help, their only hope is to challenge Heaven and Hell - a risk that could claim their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary is playing a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing not just her own life, but Jace's soul. She's willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series."

Author: Cassandra Clare
Year of Release: 2012
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal
Sequel(s): City of Heavenly Fire
What motivated you to read this book?: Well, after reading City of Fallen Angels, you pretty much have to read this one
Book Version: ebook
Where did you get the book?: Bought it on my Nook from Barnes & Noble
Orginal?: Yes
Preditable: Nope
Favorite Character: Jace
Least Favorite Character: Sebastian
Thoughts on Cover: Best cover of the series! Love, love, love it! I love Jace & Clary together. They are so adorable. This cover is gorgeous! Plus, Jace looks hot & Clary looks beautiful!!
Recommended to: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson fans, & Fantasy/Urban Fantasy Fans
Favorite Quotes: Will write another post with my favorite quotes
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Review: "City of Lost Souls is the Mockingjay to the Mortal Instruments". That's the quote I came up with when reading this book. It definitely felt like the Mockingjay of the series to me, but better. Mockingjay was my least favorite book of the Hunger Games trilogy & City of Lost Souls is my least favorite book of this series. I'm not saying that I hated it, I still enjoyed it and liked it. (I did give it four stars.) However, it did remind me of Mockingjay because in Mockingjay Peeta was brainwashed/corrupted & in City of Lost Souls, Jace was possessed/corrupted. I liked City of Lost Souls better because Jace didn't want to kill Clary when he was possessed/corrupted, but in Mockingjay Peeta wanted to kill Katniss when he was brainwashed/corrupted. Also, there was a part in City of Lost Souls when Jace returned to normal & in Mockingjay, Peeta didn't return to normal until the very end.

The rest of my review will not be like my normal reviews. I'm going to list out and comment on the parts of the book that I didn't like and the parts that I liked. I'll start out with the parts I didn't like and end with the parts that I liked.

The Parts I didn't like

Jace When He Was Possessed/Corrupted
Of course, being the huge lover of Jace that I am, I hated this. I was excepting it, of course, after reading the end of City of Fallen Angels, but I still didn't like it. I started missing the real Jace. I didn't like how this version of Jace didn't respect Clary at times or some of the things he said to her. The scene at the club upset me, but it didn't surprise me. I didn't like how he was so obedient to Sebastian and asked him for permission to do things. I especially hated that he killed someone and that he kept Clary in his arms, preventing her from fighting in the battle at the end of the story. That was definitely not like the real Jace at all.

Too Much Romance
Before I say anything else, NO I am not referring to Jace & Clary. I will ALWAYS love the romance between the two of them. They are so cute together. I also liked the romance between Jordan & Maia. They are pretty cute together, too. I am referring to the fact that there was too much romance with all the other characters: Isabelle & Simon and Magnus & Alec. Normally, I LOVE romance, but it seemed like there was romance in every, single chapter of this book. (That would have been okay if it was romance between Jace & Clary, though.) It started to get on my nerves. I normally like books that have romance in it, but not to the extreme, especially between characters that don't seem right together (I'll get to that later). I liked the first four books because the romance occurred less often, so I therefore enjoyed it more. I literally started thinking that this book was a romance book. Again, like I said earlier, if there was a ton of romance between Jace & Clary, I would have loved it, but the romance between all these other characters was getting on my nerves.

The Scene When Simon Bites Isabelle
This scene disturbed me. I was really hoping that Simon wasn't going to bite Isabelle, but he did, and she liked it. That was even more disturbing. I don't even like talking about this. I also don't think Simon and Isabelle go well together at all. I really like both characters a lot, but they just don't suit each other at all. Their relationship is really awkward. I think Simon goes better with Maia, but Maia belongs with Jordan.

Alec's Obsession over Magnus
First of all, let me tell you that I have nothing against gay couples or gay people, (I don't want people getting the wrong impression.) and I like Alec and Magnus as individual characters, (just not together as a couple), but Alec's obsession over becoming immortal & Magnus becoming mortal was probably the most annoying part of the entire book. Alec's obsession of this was starting to remind me of Bella's obsession of becoming a vampire in Twilight. And the fact that Alec was meeting in secret with a murderous vampire to discuss this, was pretty horrible, too. I hated these scenes. I was thrilled when Magnus broke up with Alec at the end of the book.

Jocelyn
I really don't like Jocelyn at all. She's way too overprotective of Clary. She doesn't seem to trust Clary enough to be able to take care of herself. I understand things from her perspective, but she really needs to calm down a bit. I especially hate what she told Clary about her and Jace not belonging together. That really angered me. What Jace did was not his fault at all. First, Lilith was controlling his dreams and was controlling him when Jace put the knife to Clary's throat, and then Sebastian was controlling Jace in this book. Jocelyn had absolutely no right to say that to Clary. She doesn't even know Jace. Jace is not Valentine.

My Liking of Sebastian
I hated that I actually started liking Sebastian. Well, not liking him, but having mixed feelings about him. Obviously, in the end, my feelings were no longer "mixed".

The Parts I did like

The Short Appearance the Real Jace Made
This was a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting the real Jace to return until the very end of the book. This entire scene with Clary was extremely adorable. I loved it. It was probably my favorite part before the battle and the epilogue. I thought it was cute that he even cried. I also found it to be hilarious when he said he was jealous of himself. I especially loved how he gave a mini-speech to Sebastian about how much he hated him. I was so used to Jace acting like Sebastian's friend/brother when he was being controlled, and then he made that declaration. It made me happy.

How the Possessed/Corrupted Jace Had Bits & Pieces of the Real Jace in Him
I wasn't expecting this either. I liked how at times, when he was being controlled by Sebastian, he still respected Clary occasionally. The part when he was reading A Tale of Two Cities to Clary was really cute. Other parts with him and Clary were cute, too. 

Maia & Jordan
As mentioned earlier, I like Maia & Jordan as a couple. I was thrilled when they got together again. I think they are really cute. They are definitely my second favorite couple in this series after Clary & Jace.

Part 3
Part 3 of the story was my favorite part of the entire book. There was so much suspense. It reminded me of the suspense in the City of Glass. I love scenes that are so intense that it makes my stomach hurt. Authors that are able to write scenes that are capable of doing that to readers have a ton of skill. Cassandra is definitely one of them. I loved the scenes with Simon & Raziel, the Battle, & the Epilogue best.

Simon & Raziel
I thought it was very selfless of Simon to risk his life to summon Raziel in order to try to save Jace & help with the war. I really enjoyed this entire scene.

The Battle
The battle scene was the part that made my stomach hurt because it made me nervous for the characters. This part was very intense. I absolutely loved it. I also liked how Clary saved Jace at the end. I love stories when the girl saves the guy. At first when she stabbed him I was shocked out of my mind. I couldn't believe it, but then I remembered that Raziel said the sword would burn all the evil out of whoever was struck by it & realized that Jace wasn't going to die because obviously Jace isn't evil. He has good in him.

The Epilogue
I loved the epilogue! The part at the beginning when Jace recognized someone's voice that was as familiar to him as his own, I thought for sure it would be Clary, but then it ended up being Alec & I burst out laughing. I also liked the part when Clary & Isabelle talked in the elevator of the institute & of course, I thought the infirmary scene with her & Jace was so sweet! I think it's cute how Clary always worries about whether or not Jace likes her. I was kind of wondering why Jace was keeping his distance from her but the reasoning for it--that he still has the heavenly fire in him--was quite interesting & very original. Cassandra is very good at coming up with original ideas for these stories. I definitely wonder how he will be cured of it in the next book! The very ending of the book was interesting, too, with the angel's wings and the note from Sebastian. This ending was a lot better than the ending of City of Fallen Angels. It's not an upsetting ending. However, it definitely makes me eager to see what happens next in book 6!

Overall, I thought this book was a lot better than I thought it would be. I enjoyed it enough, but I didn't love it. There are certain parts that I did love, though. I definitely cannot wait to read City of Heavenly Fire when it comes out March 2014! I wish it would come out sooner!!