Customer Reviews

The Mortal Instruments 4: City of Fallen Angels

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's 6 weeks after CITY OF GLASS and Clary's training to be a Shadowhunter, she and Jace are finally going out and her mother is getting married to Luke. But then Jace begins pulling away from her and actively avoiding her. Confused and hurt she turns to her best friend Simon, but he has problems of his own. Camille, the true leader of the New York vampires has returned and wants to use Simon's mark of Cain to help her gain control back from Raphael, he's double-dating Isabelle and Maia and random people are trying to kill him.

Soon Clary, Jace and Simon discover that Clary's actions in CITY OF GLASS have set in motion a horrific chain of events that threaten everything and everyone she loves.

Cassandra Clare's follow-up to the successful MORTAL INSTRUMENTS TRILOGY ties together unresolved plot strands from CITY OF GLASS with elements from THE CLOCKWORK ANGEL (the first her Victorian era prequel trilogy). It's an ambitious book with a large cast and a lot to pack in, but the story (for the most part) cracks on at a fast pace and I liked the way Clare interwove elements from the other books (which you need to read to get the most out of this) but there were some clunky moments of exposition, which deadened the pace.

My problem with the series has always been Jace, who I found too arrogant to care about. Here he's more vulnerable as he's forced to confront his feelings for Clary and his fear of losing her, although the device used to convey this is hackneyed and I never believed in his refusal to explain to her what's happening (or her refusal to press him on it, instead assuming the worst).

Simon plays a bigger role in this book and while I could have done without the love triangle (mainly because the conclusion is telegraphed), his story does have the most potential and I really liked the addition of Camille who is an unknown quantity working to her own agenda.

The last quarter feels a little rushed, with Clare packing too much in and some of the emotional scenes in the book veer towards soap opera and the cliffhanger will drive the fans mad. However, I enjoyed this more than I did the previous books as the story is more original and as such I'll be reading on.

The previous books had more substance, and this felt more like something added on to the end but the story still interested me and I will definitely be reading City of Lost Souls - love it!

If it wasn't for the fact that this was the only thing I had to read on an 8 hour flight, I would never have finished it. I kept hoping for it to get better but alas, it didn't.

The characters were annoying and the plot felt like an afterthought to the rest of the series. The first 3 books flowed well but this was just terrible. Clary and Jace's relationship/problems just showed how annoying each of them were and Simon's storyline was weak. So many times I found myself sighing and thinking, seriously is this it?

I think it's time for Clare to work on another series because Clary and Jace have ran their course.

I read the Clockwork Angel book first, loved that and have also loved the first three of the Mortal Instruments. This one wasn't as strong as the others. Also like some readers, I notice the similarities between Clary and Jace and Tessa and Will, here's to hoping that the The Infernal Devices series continues as strong as it began, unlike the Mortal Instruments and also that Tessa and Will don't go down the same course as Clary and Jace.

As a fan of the first three books in Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series I was very excited about it's release and pre-ordered it on Amazon months ago. If you haven't read City of Bones, City of Ashes and City of Glass then I really recommend that you go and read them - the series has the creativity and magic of Harry Potter and the romance of Twilight. Clare has a real knack for really gripping her readers and my head was stuck in the first three books for a whole week. The old cliche of "I simply couldn't put them down" really does apply here. Her characters are varied and her plot is so action packed and creative that when another three books were going to be added to the original trilogy I jumped for joy.

But this book has split my feelings and I'm afraid that it didn't quite meet my expectations. There were good things and bad things about it and even now I'm still undecided as to whether I loved it or hated it. It is truly the Marmite of books.

First of all, I really appreciated the fact that Clare gave Simon a much bigger role in this book because I was a huge fan of him in the first 3 books. It was really interesting to see how he coped with his status as a Vampire and Downworlder and Clare has done an amazing job of showing how his character has developed and grown from book 1 to book 4. I'm even more of a fan of Simon now then I was before.

However, I really didn't like the way that the book's point of view shifted all the time. One minute I was just getting comfortable with Simon and then I had to switch to Isabelle and then to Clary and then to Jace and then to Luke and then to Magnus and the list goes on. I know that the POVs did shift in the previous books but not by that much. Everyone seemed to have their own plot and it just seemed that there was just too much going on and some of it really wasn't necessary. The book seemed to mirror an episode of 90210 or Gossip Girl with Clare suddenly writing about the relationship drama of every character: Simon and Isabelle, Simon and Maia, Maia and Jordan, Clary and Jace, Magnus and Alec bla bla bla. After a while it all really started to get on my nerves as there was too much whining and I was starting to get irritated with characters who I had absolutely adored before. To be fair Jordan Kyle, the new character, was a good edition to the series and freshened it up a bit, though I really didn't care too much about his relationship issues if I'm honest. I was also really disappointed that Magnus and Alec didn't appear in the book until much later. I found that I really missed both of their funny remarks and observations.

Of course I still absolutely loved even just the mention of Jace. In my eyes he can do no wrong. He's a really great character and one of the reasons that I love the series so much. I really clung onto his dialogue and witty, sarcastic comments though in this book I don't think there was as much of those as before! I wished there was more of his POV as I didn't think that there was enough of him. I loved the romantic element of Jace and Clary in books 1,2 and 3 and when they got their happily ever after at the end of book 3 I was so overjoyed for them. But of course their happy ending wasn't to be. Now suddenly they have more drama and I don't know if I liked it or not because at times it would simply infuriate me. One minute it was "I love you," and then "I don't believe you" and "Ohhh I'm not good enough for you," and finally "No, no I'm not pretty enough or good enough for you but I love you so much!" and it all started to get a bit annoying. Get a grip! A part of me wishes that Clare would just leave them alone now as they've had enough drama in their relationship.

The story ended on a huge cliffhanger that could also result in the complete destruction of their relationship. The way in which Clare writes her action scenes are very impressive as they are fast paced and eventful. The ending was very strong, though a little predictable - why is it that evil characters never want to stay dead? It was an ending that really infuriated me both in a good way and a bad way. It left me banging my head and throwing the book away from me out of pure anguish, and then I had to reread it again to believe what had actually happened. It really did take a while for the ending to sink in. I will HAVE to read book 5 now because I want things to work out and be ok again. A part of me wishes that I could go back to the happy ending of book 3 for Jace and Clary and pretend like it didn't happen. I honestly can't cope with the idea that things might end badly for them after all.

The parts of the book that I most enjoyed were the references to the characters from Clockwork Angel, which is from Clare's other series about the Shadow World called The Infernal Devices. I actually found myself reading these small snippets over and over again to try and find a clue as to what may happen in the next book. I think I'm more excited about the release of Clockwork Prince now, which will be the second book of that series.

Overall, I liked CoFA and I have generously given it a 4 out of 5 purely because of Jace, Simon and the action, but it was not my favourite book in the series. The plot is ok but nowhere near as strong as the plot of the first three books, but I will read the next one because I do want to find out what happens to Jace and Clary, though I'm not as eager for it's release now. Hopefully, I will enjoy it more if I lower my expectations.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

*Warning - this review contains spoilers from the previous books in the series. I don't suggest reading this review unless you've read the other books. Of course, if you enjoy spoilers then go right ahead! This review is also kind of a rant. I apologise in advance.*

City of Fallen Angels picks up a short six weeks after City of Glass ended. The first chapter - which you may well have read online - is told from Simon's point of view. That's right, a whole chapter dedicated to one POV! Unheard of in this series, right? Until now at least.

During the first few chapters, the reader really gets a feel for how much the world - and the characters - has changed. First off, Simon is now dating both Isabelle and Maia. Yeah, I felt the same way. What the hell, Simon? I lost a bit of respect for him there, to be honest.

The main plot is that a series of Shadowhunters have been killed, and this in itself sounded very similar to the plot of City of Ashes. I did enjoy the storyline, but it wasn't until the last few chapters of the book that it picked up and I started loving it.

Also, I must point out something about Izzy and Alec. As you know, their brother was killed in City of Glass - a mere six weeks ago - and yet the only person who seems to be showing any emotion about this is Maryse. I can't remember one instance in which Izzy or Alec think about Max, let alone grieve him. This part almost killed me, because I know for a fact that if my brother or sister had died, I would NOT have dealt their death in six weeks. Probably not even in six months.

Jace is also having a few problems that I will not go into, but I'll just say that it was very frustrating to say the least. His relationship with Clary is still as complicated as ever, and that got on my nerves. Why can't they just be happy? Must the woes of their relationship be dragged through another three books? It's not necessary. I'd rather see them as a happy couple - which you don't see very often in YA!

Clary, who was once a brilliant protagonist, didn't have much to do in this book. And it wasn't until the ending that she actually reminded me of the old Clary from the first half of the series.

I loved that there were some references and mentions from Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices series)! I got so excited, I almost jumped around and happy danced whenever Will was mentioned!

Like I said, the ending is probably one of the only parts of this book that reminded me of the first half of the series. And yet, even this was lacking somewhat. There is a HUGE cliffhanger ending, so if you don't like cliffhangers then I don't suggest reading this book until the next book is out. But then again, you'd have to wait a whole year.

Overall, whilst I did enjoy City of Fallen Angels, it didn't feel like The Mortal Instruments to me. So many things had changed, and the characters seemed to have completely lost their personality traits. Even the writing seemed very rushed, with lots of commas thrown in everywhere. I did enjoy this book, but nowhere near as much as the others. I kind of wish that Cassandra Clare had just left the trilogy as it was - a trilogy.

When I finished this book it took me a while to decide on how to rate it. On one hand, it wasn't all bad. On the other, compared to the first three books (which I really liked) this one was a disappointment.

As a fourth book tacked on to a supposed trilogy, "City of Fallen Angels" was better than Stephenie Meyer's abysmally-bad "Breaking Dawn" (which remains the only book I disliked so much that I still wish I could "un-read" it --- just scratch it out of my mind completely!). And yet, I can't say that I really enjoyed reading it. For one, the characters felt flat and often behaved like spoilt and immature little children.

For another, nothing much happens in the book!!! I mean, seriously, more than 400 pages and there really isn't anything happening!!! Add to that the fact that several storylines that are started in the beginning of the story just sort of trickle away over the course of the book and that there are plot holes the size of Lake Michigan --- well, it all makes for a story that feels forced and a little bit like a first draft, not the final version of a book.

One of the plot lines in this book is the murder of several shadow hunters. But hey --- there's a wedding coming up so of course it's much more important to focus on finding the right dress than on finding the killer. Gotta have priorities, right?

There was some witty banter that was fun, but most of the dialogue felt wooden and contrived (and in some scenes even cringe-worthy ...). The writing felt choppy which certainly didn't help. At times it felt like I was watching an episode of a badly-written soap opera --- all angsty relationship-drama and not much of a plot.

Getting back to the characters ... I'll come right out and admit it --- I *loved* Jace in the first books. Yes, he could be arrogant and often eyeroll-inducing, but despite it all I really liked him. This time around, though, he grated on my nerves. In fact, he made me want to smack him over the head most of the time --- preferably with something heavy.

For example, Jace suffers from horrible nightmares in which he always ends up hurting/killing Clary. Now, what do you do when you have continued nightmares about the same thing? Talk to someone? Get help? Therapy, maybe? Or you could just behave completely jerk-ish (and I realize that's not really a word), not give any explanations, not talk to anyone and make yourself and everyone around you miserable. Jace went for the latter of those options. Why I have no idea.

Clary and Simon also have their moments of utter stupidity, and Alec's jealousy of all of Magnus's exes was ridiculous. I mean - the guy's immortal and has been around for a really long time ... Alec must have know before he started dating Magnus that the guy would probably have a string of exes.

To sum it up, "City of Fallen Angels" had good parts and bad parts. It's not like I wanted to quit halfway through or anything, but I don't feel compelled (or even tempted ...) to read the next book, either.

It's been a long time since reading the last book, almost 2 years ago and assuming that was the end of the trilogy. But as soon as I found out that there was a forth I was so excited to get it!

With the end of the Mortal War which had some destructive consequence, this book lets us we see how these have impacted apon Clary, Jace, Simon and Izzy. Not to mention Mia and a few new characters too. A lot has changed, one being that Simon who Clary placed the Mark of Cain upon in order to save him is now a 'Daylighter' vampire and it is taking its toll on him. Its all a lot harder to accept than he first thought it would be with friends and family especially his mum who he hasn't told yet. Trying to hold onto his previous 'normalness' he fails to see that he is no longer normal. This book sees Simon almost refuse to accept who he is and his importance as well as danger to others until it is literally happening. He struggles with accepting that life is never going to be the same and he isn't either. Of course, another problem for Simon, who would have once killed to be with a girl is still two timing both Izzy and Mia, a love triangle with a Shadowhunter and a werewolf which as you can imagine doesn't help him any when they inevitably find out.

Simon's love life is not the only one having problems. Mia has her on problems when she is shocked to see someone from her past who had a hand in the way she is. And after Clary asking the Angel Uriel to make her wish to have Jace back, thus bringing him back to life. At the beginning of the book we see them both happy and clearly in love with a few hot under the collar moments but it is clear as the book progresses that there is some underlying issue with their relationship that even they are not sure about. Growing distantly apart when they both need each other the most, Jace being his usual self, keeps his problems to himself in an inner battle which drives us up to climax which sees twists and turns everywhere and a shocking ending which says give me more!!!!

As usual, Clare manages to make us feel like every character is a close friend, like we know them She lets us into their thoughts and feelings in a stylistic way which makes you feel apart of it all instead of separate from all the action aswell as characters that you really care about. And with the ending we are given, you can't help but care, worry and want to know what happens next.

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This book is a second phase in the series. It starts 6 wks after City of Glass. But there are different stories being told, and the focus isn't soley on Clary and Jace. I would say this is Simon's story. He is learning to be a vampire, and also trying to live a normal life. Which is hard to do and causing a lot of problems. Clary and Jace are still here and are having their own relationship struggles.

I'll say this wasn't my favorite in the series at all, but it was still good. I almost feel like if you are going to resurrect a series to have another 3 books, you'd better have a good reason. I'm hoping the next 2 books, yet to be released, will be much better. I thought there was so much going on here, too many different stories. I wasn't glued to this as I was the other books in the series. But I still love anything that has to do with Jace and Clary, so I loved all their interaction in this book. It was still good, but not the best.

I only recently (as in a few days ago) got into the Mortal Instruments series after they've been stuck on my wish list for some time now. I was happy to find out I wasn't disappointed with them - in fact, I'm completely hooked! The first three books were brilliant and I haven't been able to tear myself away.

This book took a very different direction than the others since most of the problems faced in the the previous stories were - seemingly - resolved, meaning that now there are entirely new elements. However, even though I found it just as gripping and enjoyed the mystery, I am slightly disappointed by the ending. Not just because of the cliffhanger, but because I feel that it's beginning to feel like Jace can never catch a break. I like him as a character because most of the things he says make me crack up, but he seems to always be in pain.

Risking sounding completely contradictory, I believe Cassandra Clare has done an amazing job of getting fans brains to explode with the stress of not knowing just how Clary and Jace (and everyone really) will manage to come through this latest GIGANTIC hurdle. I really just want to see Clary and Jace be able to spend time together without something awful hanging over their heads and I'm desperate for the next book to arrive!

I really enjoyed the mortal instruments series. I have just given the books to my sister (note: we are both not teenies anymore :) and she is also absolutely stuck in to the books already. I read City of Fallen Angels within a week!

I can only recommend these books to anyone who enjoyed Twilight and who like Shadowhunters, fairies, vampires, werewolfs etc.

I wish Cassandra would write a 6th and 7th book! But in the meantime I will start with the Clockwork Angel!

Enjoy the read!