City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5)

2014 so close yet so far away...

This book left me unhinged! I felt that this was the one book in the series so far I had to push through. So why did I rate it a four star? The story line is amazing! With that being said, I cannot grasp the reason Clare would ruin this with the perversion of this book. I was extremely put off with the relationship Clary and Sebastian had in this book. It was just uncomfortable to read. Along with the fact that Clary never seems to think any of her “plans” through. I just hate to see people run head first into things. I feel that this book took away from the series. I lost the things I fell in love with in the book: Jace, Clary’s relationship with Jace, and Alec and Magnus’ “love at first sight”. Jace became and obedient lapdog, his relationship with Clary was a perversion, and Alec and Magnus are becoming extremely distant (not to mention the heart wrenching situation they end up in at the end…). Clary is also being quite unbearably gullible. The tables have turned in this book and Simon seems to be the “hero of the day”. The darkness is coming and time is running out for everyone. Will their efforts be enough in the end?

Jace has become bonded with Sebastian (Jonathan). Whatever they do to one effects the other. The Clave calls off the “hunt” for Jace which of course forces Izzy, Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Clary to form their own search team. Like always, Clary makes a reckless decision to try out one of her plans and the search for an answer is on. The book focuses around finding a way for them to release Jace from his soul bound hell, and on putting a stop to whatever plan Sebastian (Jonathan) has come up with. The end result? Well you will just have to read to find out. I am just a little put off that we have to wait a whole year to find out what finally becomes of our duo. Will Simon and Izzy hit it off? Will Luke and Jocelyn finally get married? Will Maia and Jordan make it last? What will become of Alec and Magnus? Guess we will just have to wait in anticipation for the final book to hit shelves.

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.

Everyone remember that HORRIBLE, GUT WRENCHING cliff hanger from the last book? Well, we finally get to find out what happened to Jace! *applause*

In this book, all the main characters had someone they were loving. I mean, Clary's mum had Luke, Clary had Jace (although hers was more of an obsession love), Alec had Magnus, Simon had Isabelle, and so on.

Although I love Clare's writing (I mean, who wouldn't), I think this series is just dragging out a tad too long. I reckon that it should have ended when Valentine died. But now we've got this whole thing with his evil demon-child and I'm kind of wondering whether this series is going to go on forever. It is declining a little, because it seems that all Clary seems to do is obsess/worry/chase after Jace Wayland/Lightwood/Morgenstern, and all that Jace seems to do is either get possessed or run away because he wants to "protect" her. Really?

Clary and Jace's relationship has become majorly weird. Like, literally, in some parts of the book she just WOULD NOT SHUT UP about Jace this, and Jace that, and I was just like, GET OVER IT ALREADY!!! She has totally got to realise that there is more to the world than Jace.

(*Spoiler*) OMG WHY DID ALEC AND MAGNUS BREAK UP!!!! Their relationship was probably one of my favourite in this series, but then of course Alec just had to get obsessed about keeping Magnus to himself and try to make him not-warlock WITHOUT telling him. I was like NOOOO!!!! Hopefully they will get back together later, or I swear I will go find Clare, wherever she is, and demand a rewrite. (*End of Spoiler*)

Don't get me wrong, this is an amazing book. It just draws you in, and makes you want to keep reading (like all of Clare's books)

I don't know how I am going to wait for the next book, which comes out in 2014!!!!!! How will I wait that long?! Just a bit of advice, don't start reading this series if you don't want to get addicted and have to wait for ages for the next book to come out. At least Clockwork Princess (another great Clare series) in coming out in '13, otherwise I would just DIE waiting for this.

READ THIS BOOK (actually no, let's rephrase that.) READ THIS SERIES (because if you read this book before you read the other ones that would be a bit stupid.)

READ IT!!!!!

City of Lost Souls was so worth the wait, it was amazing! We got to find out what happened to Jace after that terrible cliff hanger in the City of Fallen Angels.

Though I really enjoyed this book, I really think it should have ended at the City of Glass. Cassandra Clare is now just dragging out the story, where it would of been better just ending at the third book. Though the next books are good, it really should of ended. I also think that Jace and Clary's relationship has become awkward for me, and when she was loving the 'not-Jace', all I could think of was, how stupid can you be? He's not the real one, and yet you still love him like crazy?

Although, this book is so worth reading if you loved the other books. I think they may be another book after this (jeez, when are they going to end?). So, READ IT!!!

City of Lost Souls took a while to digest. All night I could feel it in my gut like deadweight. All the subplots and characters and relationships and the fact that so much was going on made this book hard to break down.

But, finally, I woke up this morning and it all made sense. So, seeing as the book has been split into separate filing cabinets in my brain, I'm going to replicate that onto this review:

When I recieved this book I immediately started reading it, and I didn't put it down. At all. This book is dangerous for you! You will not eat, sleep or talk to anyone for as long as it takes you to finish it! Don't start reading it the night before finals. You'll fail them...!

Clare has done it again! A whole new shadowhunter book, and some new massive turning points in the plot that kept on surprising me. How on earth can she think of this?! I try to explain TMI to my friends sometimes, but they don't get it. There are so many crazy things happening. I'm like: 'So there is this girl, and she is a shadowhunter. Then her mother is abducted by some evil guy who turns out to be her father. Then she meets this gorgeous boy, and she falls in love, and then he turns out to be her brother. Then there is this other boy she kisses. The first boy she loved isn't her brother after all, the second boy ís. He turns out to be evil, like her father. Then there is the best friend, who becomes a powerful vampire. And he is friends with some werewolf girl. Meanwhile, they save the world from demons a couple of times, meets some very strange people, gets some special powers, ... . Then they free her mother. The mother marries her best friend, who is a shadowhunter / werewolf. Then the boyfriend of the girl dies and is resurrected by the angel. But he is bound to the evil brother, who also died. They both live. -end of part 4 -" and they're like DAFUQ did you just say?!

Sometimes it annoys me that Clare's books are so crazy, sick. This is the 7th shadowhunter, and the idea is getting older and older. I love shadowhunters, don't get me wrong, but 7 books and 2 more that are coming soon is a little bit overdone.

The characters show development. Some just a little, some changed 100%. My feelings about certain characters definitely changed while I was reading this book! Some of them were acting enormously selfish 'in the name of love'. Give up your life for your lover's life is stupid. I mean, when you die either (s)he becomes extremely depressed and wishes (s)he had died, or (s)he doesn't give a sh*t and just goes on with his/her life, so (s)he wasn't worth dying for.

The thing with all the dramatic romance is the thing that really freaks me out about this book. Yeah, love exists, we know that. But seriously, it seems as if no-one can be single. Almost every possible combination of 2 has been used in one of the 5 books in this series. And the worst thing is, you read more bad than good things about their relationships.


CoLS is told from multiple points of view, but still is very easy to read. I read it in a couple of hours only, which is pretty quick for me. Next book I so hope I can read parts from Magnus's point of view! He is like, the most awesome character of this whole series! Team Magnus

This book was a little disappointing(just a little)to me. Maybe that's what happens when you look forward to a book and have high hopes and when you read it the outcome isn't as great as you expected.

We get to find out what is going on with Jace and Sebastian and i won't say much cuz if i do, i can get carried away. To me, it gets boring at some part and i just take a break which made me take longer than i should reading this book.

I still loved it but not as much as the first ones and i think Cassandra Clare is dragging it a bit. Still, i can't wait for the next and hopefully the final book in the series which comes out in two years and i hope it is as good as the rest.