Review: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass 

Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments, Book Three
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Format: Hardcover, 560 pages
Release Date: March 24, 2009
Source: Mid-Columbia Libraries
 

Synopsis: 
 
Clary has finally figured out a way to save her mother, but to do so she must travel to the City of Glass. Entering the ancient Shadowhunter city without the permission of the Clave means breaking the Law which could result in death. To complicate things even further, Jace doesn’t want her there and Simon has caught the attention of the Clave and not in a good way. Clary is feeling pretty hopeless until she meets Sebastian, an unlikely ally who helps her find the one person who may be able to wake her mother up. Meanwhile, Valentine is busy summoning a demon army to set against the Clave. The only way to beat him is for Downworlders and Shadowhunters to work together. But can they put aside their hatred for each other in order to save the lives of thousands? Clary must harness her new powers to save them, but will she figure out what she needs to do in time?

My Review: 
 
After I read City of Ashes, I braced myself for disappointment because in my mind there was just no way that Cassandra Clare could top that book. She is incredible! This book was even better than City of Ashes, something I thought was impossible. Each of these books just gets better and better. I was up way too late last night because I couldn’t put this book down. My eyes were glued to the pages and I simply couldn’t tear them away until every last word was read.

Clary is on a mission to find a warlock that knows how to wake her mom up. The only problem is that he lives in Idris and you have to have the Clave’s permission to enter the City of Glass. Of course, we all know Clary by now; she pretty much does whatever she wants to. Naturally she breaks the Law and enters the city anyways. Jace is his normal moody self and is livid that she is there and stomps around angrily the whole book. In most characters I would find this extremely annoying, but with Jace it is somewhat endearing.

Just like the first two books, this book is action-packed and full of mystery. Cassandra Clare is such a talented author. I wish I could crawl inside this world that she has created and live in it. Her writing is so descriptive that I felt like I could smell the stench of demons and feel the fear and adrenaline coursing through her characters during every battle or confrontation.

We are introduced to a few new characters in this book, but the most important one is Sebastian. Clary meets him in Idris and he agrees to help her find the warlock that can help her mother. He is the only person who is nice to her in the entire city. She feels a strange attraction to this boy, and wants to trust him. He is dark and mysterious and very calm and collected. Even Jace can’t get this boy riled up and we all know that’s saying something.

I loved that we got to know Clary’s mother better in this book. We get to hear her side of the story for the first time which was quite eye-opening. Her story gave the overall plot new twists that were shocking and exciting. We also hear about Valentine before he was completely evil and we learn where the turning point was for him. It makes us sympathize with him even more so than we already did. He’s so infuriating to me. He believes in his cause even if his method is wrong and at times you can’t help but agree with him until you realize what you’re agreeing with and then you just want to slap yourself across the face for succumbing to his charms.

A couple things I was disappointed in in this book: the first was a certain battle scene. It was really hyped up and then only lasted about ten minutes and no details of the action were included which I thought was very anti-climactic. However, the events that Clare focused on while the battle was occurring elsewhere was probably more important than the battle itself, but I still wish that we had heard a little more about what happened, even if it meant a character simply recanting his or her experience. The second thing I was disappointed with was the ending. I liked the way she ended the book, but it wasn’t very suspenseful. The first two books ended on such a cliffhanger that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the next one. This one seemed to end with almost all the loose ends tied up, with only one small illusion that things may not be exactly as they appear. I am still really excited to read the next book, City of Fallen Angels, but don’t feel like my head is going to explode if I don’t immediately pick it up and begin reading.

Overall though, I loved this book. The action was non-stop and the relationships between characters are complex, beautiful, and enticing. I loved learning more about the Clave and how they are organized and getting to see the City of Glass was amazing. It is such a beautiful place; I only wish that it was real. I can’t wait to get lost in the Shadowhunter world once again in City of Fallen Angels and am excited to see the direction that Clare will take the story next, because after the events in this book, I have no clue where we are going next. Wherever it is, I’m sure it will be an awesome ride. Happy reading all!   

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