Review: City Of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

City Of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare


Series: The Mortal Instruments (#4)
Pages: 424
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Published: April 5th, 2011
IBSN: 9781442403543

A mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels

[Synopsis by Goodreads]

The Mortal Instruments is one of my favorite series, and so I was pretty anxiously awaiting the release of City Of Fallen Angels. I went and got it on the day of its release, and read it quickly, devouring the pages, desperate to see how it ended.

Like all of Cassandra Clare's other books, City Of Fallen Angels was a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat read.

My favorite thing about all of previous Mortal Instruments books was also in City Of Fallen Angels: a clever plot. Each character has their side plot, and they all tie together in the end for a huge complication. There's so much tension leading up to the end that I had to read the second half of the book in one sitting.

All of the old characters reappear, developed after the ordeals from City Of Glass. New, but old, characters also make appearances, like some from Clockwork Angel. I loved the parts that referred back to the prequel series.

Simon plays a bigger role in this book, and we get a lot of insight into Simon's anguish over becoming a vampire - with the Mark of Caine, no less. Clary and Jace's relationship is constantly strained. The Lightwoods mourn Max's death, in their own ways. And then all new problems arise.

I was happy to see that the events in the previous books tied into this one. I thought the second cycle of Mortal Instruments books would relate to the first only because of the same characters, and I was glad to be wrong.

I feel like I could rave all day about how much I love the Mortal Instruments and this new addition to the series, but really, if you are one of the few YA readers not already on the bandwagon, you should definitely jump on! I give City Of Fallen Angels a 5 out of 5!