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lily47270's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
xcaity's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it! I wish this series wasn't over. I love losing myself in the Shadowhunter world.
drakebenefield's review against another edition
5.0
By far the best book in the series so far! It felt like this book just got better and better as it progressed. Like after the demon invasion in alicante happened I COULDN'T PUT THIS BOOK DOWN. But also Max's death ripped my heart to pieces. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP WITH SEBASTIAN. JONATHAN. not really what to call him now. BUT OVERALL this book was fantastic! I can't wait to see where the rest of the series goes!
eponineeurydice's review against another edition
3.0
Okay...? So I'm a little terrified to write this review, and by a little I mean a lot, because there are. TONS. Of people who like Cassandra Clare and The Mortal Instruments trilogy and it comes highly recommended (my sister's been begging me to read it for years.) Which isn't to say I didn't like it, it's just- well, let's talk about it in detail, though apologies in advance for my lack of formatting skills. I'm gonna try really hard not to get spoilery because it just makes things more complicated and I hate being spoiled, though if you want me to elaborate let me know I guess! First and foremost, the following thoughts are going to be just a mishmash of mixed feelings, HOWEVER, my point is not to offend anyone, diminish people's respect/love for the series, or discourage people from reading it. This is just how I felt about it (and don't worry, it's not all bad, it's just a LOT of feelings so I'm not sure how ranty I'll get?) Should I be writing my English argumentative essay right now? Absolutely. But I'm a procrastinator so here we go.
THE CHARACTERS: Let's talk about the stars of our show, Jace, Clary, Simon and everyone else. First, I did think Clary improved throughout this book, though sometimes the things she says are just outright silly and I do feel like she doesn't think through things sometimes. For example she asks a certain vampire three times if he's cold and every time he reminds her that he can't feel cold, and yet she KEEPS asking. This is just a random tidbit but I don't understand how the other characters remain patient with her, especially Simon. Also I feel like things just happen to her as opposed to her making things happen, or like she just sits there when she could do something to help, but that's just me! However I do appreciate that she stood up to people and didn't let herself be pushed around as much, that was cool of her. Simon is still just my all-time favorite character, he's great, I wish I could see much much more of him but alas. And Jace. Jace Jace Jace... here's what I think about Jace. Just because he has a dark past full of terrible angst and sadness, it does NOT justify him being a total jerk to everyone he meets, especially his family! And I honestly wouldn't be disappointed if he died; in fact he made the story ten times worse, kinda ruined my experience, and if he wasn't there everything would have been so much better. He read more as a villain that I was supposed to totally despise them as a compelling protagonist I was to pity, and not in a good way unfortunately. Everyone else is cool too, none of them besides Simon I'm extremely attached to but each were interesting!
ROMANCE: Ohhhh gosh. Can I even put this into words? From my perspective the romance between Clary and Jace was just extremely unhealthy. I mean at one point in the story Clary told Jace not to kiss her and he got a, and I quote, "predatory" look in his eyes. Can I get a NO THANK YOU? I don't understand... someone mentioned in their review that it was the forbidden romance trope but in the worst way, and I totally agree. However I don't wanna dwell on that too long, it was just something that was kinda disconcerting to me and lessened my personal experience.
THE PLOT: So usually I find Clare's books to be quite engaging, but this time around I was a little less impressed? Her plots seem to be counter-intuitive, as soon as something big happens it's like "JK! That didn't happen" thus defeating the whole purpose of making it happen in the first paace, at least in my oppinion, though I'm no expert in plotting or anything, I'm a teenager don't forget, but that's just the way it felt to me. And none of the big battles were actually on-page usually, which was kinda sad and anticlimactic for me. However, let's get to the good because I'm making myself sad lol.
THE WORLD-BUILDING: I loved all the mythology and lore going on! The angels, the fae, all the other creatures and the world itself were very cool and something I'd like to see much more deeply delved into! I love Fantasy as a rule but the supernatural elements in this story were a highlight for me. I also loved the writing and the way things were sort of all connected, the complex family trees and the other supernatural creatures besides the Shadowhunters were so cool to read about!
Overall I think this was a cool series to jump into. The world-building and creatures were strong points for me, as were the characters and plot... sometimes. However, the way the characters acted and the unhealthy relationships between them kept this from being a favorite. Fingers crossed that I'll have more luck with Clare's other series, as I've been promised!
THE CHARACTERS: Let's talk about the stars of our show, Jace, Clary, Simon and everyone else. First, I did think Clary improved throughout this book, though sometimes the things she says are just outright silly and I do feel like she doesn't think through things sometimes. For example she asks a certain vampire three times if he's cold and every time he reminds her that he can't feel cold, and yet she KEEPS asking. This is just a random tidbit but I don't understand how the other characters remain patient with her, especially Simon. Also I feel like things just happen to her as opposed to her making things happen, or like she just sits there when she could do something to help, but that's just me! However I do appreciate that she stood up to people and didn't let herself be pushed around as much, that was cool of her. Simon is still just my all-time favorite character, he's great, I wish I could see much much more of him but alas. And Jace. Jace Jace Jace... here's what I think about Jace. Just because he has a dark past full of terrible angst and sadness, it does NOT justify him being a total jerk to everyone he meets, especially his family! And I honestly wouldn't be disappointed if he died; in fact he made the story ten times worse, kinda ruined my experience, and if he wasn't there everything would have been so much better. He read more as a villain that I was supposed to totally despise them as a compelling protagonist I was to pity, and not in a good way unfortunately. Everyone else is cool too, none of them besides Simon I'm extremely attached to but each were interesting!
ROMANCE: Ohhhh gosh. Can I even put this into words? From my perspective the romance between Clary and Jace was just extremely unhealthy. I mean at one point in the story Clary told Jace not to kiss her and he got a, and I quote, "predatory" look in his eyes. Can I get a NO THANK YOU? I don't understand... someone mentioned in their review that it was the forbidden romance trope but in the worst way, and I totally agree. However I don't wanna dwell on that too long, it was just something that was kinda disconcerting to me and lessened my personal experience.
THE PLOT: So usually I find Clare's books to be quite engaging, but this time around I was a little less impressed? Her plots seem to be counter-intuitive, as soon as something big happens it's like "JK! That didn't happen" thus defeating the whole purpose of making it happen in the first paace, at least in my oppinion, though I'm no expert in plotting or anything, I'm a teenager don't forget, but that's just the way it felt to me. And none of the big battles were actually on-page usually, which was kinda sad and anticlimactic for me. However, let's get to the good because I'm making myself sad lol.
THE WORLD-BUILDING: I loved all the mythology and lore going on! The angels, the fae, all the other creatures and the world itself were very cool and something I'd like to see much more deeply delved into! I love Fantasy as a rule but the supernatural elements in this story were a highlight for me. I also loved the writing and the way things were sort of all connected, the complex family trees and the other supernatural creatures besides the Shadowhunters were so cool to read about!
Overall I think this was a cool series to jump into. The world-building and creatures were strong points for me, as were the characters and plot... sometimes. However, the way the characters acted and the unhealthy relationships between them kept this from being a favorite. Fingers crossed that I'll have more luck with Clare's other series, as I've been promised!
veeva's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
This is it; my favorite book from the TMI series. It was when I read it for the first time in 2012 and it remains on this reread in 2024.
I love how everything that was set up in the first two books gets resolved in this book, I love how it even sets up little threads for the sequel. Honestly, 100% biased towards this one, but I absolutely love it.
I love how everything that was set up in the first two books gets resolved in this book, I love how it even sets up little threads for the sequel. Honestly, 100% biased towards this one, but I absolutely love it.
ryanreadsfantasy's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
zapkode's review against another edition
4.0
{my thoughts} - The description within this book is amazing. I again was not let down. I truly enjoyed the storyline and cannot wait to read the next story in the series. I promise you will not be disappointed if you read this book.
Clary is still on a mission to save her mother. Jace and the Lightwoods are on their way to Alicante the Shadowhunter City. She is suppose to go with Jace makes everyone leave before she has a chance to go. She does what any reckless ruin writing Shadowhunter would do she makes her own portal to get there. She is mostly a recipe for disaster when it comes to her desire to do as she pleases when she pleases. Given, that is her nature this book takes us on an interesting journey with some twists and turns that really help to contribute to the essential story line.
{reason for reading} -I had a lot of friends that were raving about these books so I read them based on the belief that they were probably a good set of books and I have to agree they were a really good read.
Clary is still on a mission to save her mother. Jace and the Lightwoods are on their way to Alicante the Shadowhunter City. She is suppose to go with Jace makes everyone leave before she has a chance to go. She does what any reckless ruin writing Shadowhunter would do she makes her own portal to get there. She is mostly a recipe for disaster when it comes to her desire to do as she pleases when she pleases. Given, that is her nature this book takes us on an interesting journey with some twists and turns that really help to contribute to the essential story line.
{reason for reading} -I had a lot of friends that were raving about these books so I read them based on the belief that they were probably a good set of books and I have to agree they were a really good read.
kah035's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
fionacashell's review against another edition
4.0
TPL Challenge 2023: A book you would recommend to your younger self
Thank you to Sarah for pushing me to read this! This initial trilogy was fun if flawed, in ways I will get into in the spoiler part of the review. I can definitely see why it has such a cult following and how the world established in these books was ripe for spin off series. I think I definitely would have got more out of it if I read it at the time it came out, but I still found myself reading 100 pages or so a day, something incredibly rare for me these days.
The aspect of the book I found most interesting was how it didn’t shy away from the religious implications of living in a world where demons exist. It’s certainly the first time I have seen real world religion be examined in a YA fantasy, and I am glad the author decided to go there.
That said, there is one boundary I really wished Cassandra Clare hadn’t chosen to push.
There are other aspects of the book I wasn’t a fan of - the love triangles, the initial lack of female friendships, the way fat people were depicted - that were more a result of 2000s culture than the fault of the author. In spite of any of these complaints, I can’t deny I had fun reading this. I am glad I finally got to see what the fuss was about and look forward to seeing how the author’s work improves in her newer works!
Thank you to Sarah for pushing me to read this! This initial trilogy was fun if flawed, in ways I will get into in the spoiler part of the review. I can definitely see why it has such a cult following and how the world established in these books was ripe for spin off series. I think I definitely would have got more out of it if I read it at the time it came out, but I still found myself reading 100 pages or so a day, something incredibly rare for me these days.
The aspect of the book I found most interesting was how it didn’t shy away from the religious implications of living in a world where demons exist.
Spoiler
I thought it was really interesting to see Jace reckon with demons yet not be religious versus watching Simon mourn his inability to practice his faith when he became a vampire. I appreciated seeing Simon’s Jewish identity, something the Clave used against him, ultimately became his saving grace. His character transformation over the trilogy was definitely my favourite.That said, there is one boundary I really wished Cassandra Clare hadn’t chosen to push.
Spoiler
I knew pretty much from the start that there was no way Jace and Clary were actually siblings, and would like to believe my teen self would have figured that out early on as well. That didn’t stop romantic scenes in this book and the previous instalment physically turning my stomach. That subplot went on for way too long in my opinion. I wish there had been another reason that the two of them could not be together that didn’t involve them being related, as I think it is the main reason I won’t be pushing other people to read this series.There are other aspects of the book I wasn’t a fan of - the love triangles, the initial lack of female friendships, the way fat people were depicted - that were more a result of 2000s culture than the fault of the author. In spite of any of these complaints, I can’t deny I had fun reading this. I am glad I finally got to see what the fuss was about and look forward to seeing how the author’s work improves in her newer works!