Rating: 4.5/5
Great for people who love: Romance, Action, Fantasy, Young Adult
Let me start off with this: I am a HUGE Cassandra Clare fan and I have been for years. Her books have inspired me, captivated me, and been some of my absolute favorites ever since I started reading City of Bones. Her last series, The Dark Artifices, while absolutely an amazing work of writing, just didn't seem to stand up to her two previous series in my mind. Maybe it was the fact that so many of the characters I had grown to love weren't able to make many appearances, or possibly that I was judging the series too harshly because I did miss those characters. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy The Dark Artifices, because I did!! I really really did. I loved those books as well. But for whatever reason, I have been missing something in her books these last few years, and I was hoping with everything in me I found it in this new series.
Well, I did. From the moment I picked up the book to read it, I knew I was going to love it. I was transported into Cassandra Clare's world of gorgeous writing and beautiful characters and I knew, I absolutely knew, that I could not read this book before a test because I just wouldn't study. And so I was forced to wait, a whole month (A MONTH!!!) until I could pick up this masterpiece of a book again and dive into the world I had missed so much in the time since her last book. Now that I have finally finished this beauty, I can gladly say that it was everything I had hoped for it to be, and more. The characters were amazing, the story was unexpected, and the writing was descriptive and beautiful as always. Once you finish the 12 books that come before this one in this world, you absolutely need to read it (I mean you're already 12 books in, so why not?)
Spoiler Review!!
I really had no idea where this book was going. I should've expected that because when does anyone ever know where a Cassandra Clare book is going, but I really had no clue. I went into the first few chapters thinking James actually loved Grace Blackthorn. Man, how wrong was I. How naive of me to not know immediately that in reality it is Cordelia Carstairs that is his one true love. I absolutely do not appreciate this silver bracelet business that's going on here, allowing Grace to control precious James. I have a feeling it'll be around for a while, but maybe if we cross our fingers and hope really hard Cassie will decide to be nice and take it off on the first page of the next book.
Also, I feel it is necessary to discuss the absolute travesty that would occur should this become a love triangle between Matthew, James, and Cordelia when it is obvious that Matthew belongs completely to Lucie Herondale and none other. I will not stand for this Cassie. I see it, I recognize the beginning of the triangle, and I despise it. Matthew and Lucie is the love story we all deserve and I will settle for nothing less. Honestly I think I ship them more than I ship James and Cordelia which is madness considering the amount of page time between Matthew and Lucie was absolutely not enough.
Moving on to more important matters, such as the actual story, I must say I loved it. It was simply marvelous. I loved the friendship between the Merry Thieves, the quick background of Thomas and Alastair, and the beautiful writing of Lucie Herondale. Basically anything that happened in this book, any little detail, I probably loved it. The only thing I think I didn't like was the growing possibility of a love triangle between Matthew, Cordelia, and James, simply because I don't see the point. I found that Matthew's deep lack of understanding of his emotions (at least that is how it came across through the small bits of information we got on it) was unnecessary and not really realistic. He is portrayed as completely incapable of understanding really any of his emotions, which I suppose can be attributed to his affinity to drink, but also not likely. Even James said that he didn't think Matthew knew his own feelings, but if Matthew doesn't then who does? I think they should stop underestimating Matthew, as well as confront him with his problem. Perhaps he would be able to think a bit more clearly without being drunk all of the time. But I suppose we'll have to wait until next book for that story line.
Besides that, I really did love everything and would recommend this book in a heartbeat to anyone I know. The action scenes are some of the best Cassie has written, the storyline is so unexpected, and the romance is beautifully portrayed, as always. Please Cassie, write the next super fast because I don't want to have to wait another year.
Great for people who love: Romance, Action, Fantasy, Young Adult
Let me start off with this: I am a HUGE Cassandra Clare fan and I have been for years. Her books have inspired me, captivated me, and been some of my absolute favorites ever since I started reading City of Bones. Her last series, The Dark Artifices, while absolutely an amazing work of writing, just didn't seem to stand up to her two previous series in my mind. Maybe it was the fact that so many of the characters I had grown to love weren't able to make many appearances, or possibly that I was judging the series too harshly because I did miss those characters. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy The Dark Artifices, because I did!! I really really did. I loved those books as well. But for whatever reason, I have been missing something in her books these last few years, and I was hoping with everything in me I found it in this new series.
Well, I did. From the moment I picked up the book to read it, I knew I was going to love it. I was transported into Cassandra Clare's world of gorgeous writing and beautiful characters and I knew, I absolutely knew, that I could not read this book before a test because I just wouldn't study. And so I was forced to wait, a whole month (A MONTH!!!) until I could pick up this masterpiece of a book again and dive into the world I had missed so much in the time since her last book. Now that I have finally finished this beauty, I can gladly say that it was everything I had hoped for it to be, and more. The characters were amazing, the story was unexpected, and the writing was descriptive and beautiful as always. Once you finish the 12 books that come before this one in this world, you absolutely need to read it (I mean you're already 12 books in, so why not?)
Spoiler Review!!
I really had no idea where this book was going. I should've expected that because when does anyone ever know where a Cassandra Clare book is going, but I really had no clue. I went into the first few chapters thinking James actually loved Grace Blackthorn. Man, how wrong was I. How naive of me to not know immediately that in reality it is Cordelia Carstairs that is his one true love. I absolutely do not appreciate this silver bracelet business that's going on here, allowing Grace to control precious James. I have a feeling it'll be around for a while, but maybe if we cross our fingers and hope really hard Cassie will decide to be nice and take it off on the first page of the next book.
Also, I feel it is necessary to discuss the absolute travesty that would occur should this become a love triangle between Matthew, James, and Cordelia when it is obvious that Matthew belongs completely to Lucie Herondale and none other. I will not stand for this Cassie. I see it, I recognize the beginning of the triangle, and I despise it. Matthew and Lucie is the love story we all deserve and I will settle for nothing less. Honestly I think I ship them more than I ship James and Cordelia which is madness considering the amount of page time between Matthew and Lucie was absolutely not enough.
Moving on to more important matters, such as the actual story, I must say I loved it. It was simply marvelous. I loved the friendship between the Merry Thieves, the quick background of Thomas and Alastair, and the beautiful writing of Lucie Herondale. Basically anything that happened in this book, any little detail, I probably loved it. The only thing I think I didn't like was the growing possibility of a love triangle between Matthew, Cordelia, and James, simply because I don't see the point. I found that Matthew's deep lack of understanding of his emotions (at least that is how it came across through the small bits of information we got on it) was unnecessary and not really realistic. He is portrayed as completely incapable of understanding really any of his emotions, which I suppose can be attributed to his affinity to drink, but also not likely. Even James said that he didn't think Matthew knew his own feelings, but if Matthew doesn't then who does? I think they should stop underestimating Matthew, as well as confront him with his problem. Perhaps he would be able to think a bit more clearly without being drunk all of the time. But I suppose we'll have to wait until next book for that story line.
Besides that, I really did love everything and would recommend this book in a heartbeat to anyone I know. The action scenes are some of the best Cassie has written, the storyline is so unexpected, and the romance is beautifully portrayed, as always. Please Cassie, write the next super fast because I don't want to have to wait another year.