Review Detail

You know when there are times you just can’t help but have a slight tinge of empathy for the villain (I’m looking at you Angelica Houston circa Ever After)? Or times when you are just a bit tempted to let your evil side out and do things that are just a tad naughty? Well Cassandra Clare lets us all know the supernatural consequences that can happen when you embrace the Dark Side in "City of Lost Souls," the fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

In this book, Jace is one bad son of a gun. Sure, it’s not by his own volition, but rather the psychotic, demon-worshipping ways of Clary’s psychotic, demon-worshipping brother, Sebastian/Jonathan. It’s a side of Jace readers have never seen before. Clare has always told us the extreme power and strength Jace holds, and she’s always hinted at it being a darn good thing Jace is fighting for the powers of good, ‘cause if he were to turn evil, that would be one strong guy to have to fight against.

Unfortunately for Team Good, that’s just what they have to do. But readers are put in a conundrum because we’ve been taught to know and love (and swoon) over Jace in the first four books of the series. I found myself multiple times in "City of Lost Souls" rooting for Jace to succeed in his dastardly deeds. Until the heart-wrenching, and heart piercing, end of the book, it’s not clear whether Jace’s good side or bad side will prevail, and I for one felt a bit like I didn’t care just as long as he survived. It just goes to show that not everything can be decided in a simple good vs. evil format.