Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare

Summary:
Cordelia Carstairs seems to have everything she ever wanted. She’s engaged to marry James Herondale, the boy she has loved since childhood. She has a new life in London with her best friend Lucie Herondale and James’s charming companions, the Merry Thieves. She is about to be reunited with her beloved father. And she bears the sword Cortana, a legendary hero’s blade.
But the truth is far grimmer. James and Cordelia’s marriage is a lie, arranged to save Cordelia’s reputation. James is in love with the mysterious Grace Blackthorn whose brother, Jesse, died years ago in a terrible accident. Cortana burns Cordelia’s hand when she touches it, while her father has grown bitter and angry. And a serial murderer is targeting the Shadowhunters of London, killing under cover of darkness, then vanishing without a trace.
Together with the Merry Thieves, Cordelia, James, and Lucie must follow the trail of the knife-wielding killer through the city’s most dangerous streets. All the while, each is keeping a shocking secret: Lucie, that she plans to raise Jesse from the dead; Cordelia, that she has sworn a dangerous oath of loyalty to a mysterious power; and James, that he is being drawn further each night into the dark web of his grandfather, the arch-demon Belial. And that he himself may be the killer they seek.

Review:
If you don’t already know, Chain of Iron is the second book in The Last Hours trilogy. This is a sort of follow up series to The Infernal Devices. I think what’s interesting about The Last Hours is that I really love this series so far, but I didn’t really care for The Infernal Devices. Anyway, you can find my review for Chain of Gold here.
Chain of Iron begins a few months after the ending of Chain of Gold. I didn’t love this, as I wanted to see James and Cordelia out in Shadowhunter society as an engaged couple, not just after they’re already married. But that was a small thing and didn’t really take away from my enjoyment of the story. I think the overall plot was interesting, but it’s absolutely not what kept me invested in this story. This is a character focused series, much like Clare’s other books, and oh boy, have I fallen in love with these characters.
I talked mostly about why I liked the characters in my review for Chain of Gold, which I linked above, so in this review I don’t want to do that. I think their relationships are so intricate and wonderful. The Merry Thieves are James, Christopher, Thomas, and Matthew. These four are the best of friends, some of them even cousins. I loved that we get to see them all together, but I especially liked seeing when they were one on one. Matthew and James are complicated. They’re parabatai, but Matthew is struggling. It’s very obvious that he drinks too much, but no one knows how to address that without causing problems. So, they just don’t address it. I think Matthew is still my favorite. We learn why he is so unhappy and drinks so much. Clare did a really great job of filling out each character’s development with more backstory for each of them. I love how odd Christopher is considered in the Shadowhunter society and I love that the Merry Thieves accept and love him for exactly who he is. Thomas, my whole heart, has a really interesting plotline that involves romantic relationships and I really loved it. I absolutely ship him and that character. Then there’s Cordelia and Lucie. Lucie, James’s sister, is going to be Cordelia’s parabatai. But Lucie has her own shit going on. I love that Lucie is a writer. It’s believed that Shadowhunters cannot create art, but I adored the bits and pieces of Lucie’s writing that we get to see. I think her plotline is going to take her on a very compelling path and I cannot wait to see where it goes. Cordelia has become such an integral part of this friend group and I loved it. I really liked how easily accepted she was into the Merry Thieves. I liked that it felt like she was friends with everyone too rather than them just humoring her because she’s getting married to James or because she’s Lucie’s friend.
Now, Alistair isn’t painted in a very nice light in this book or in the first book. But I still just really loved him. I think his growth has been nothing short of excellent. I really like how he knows that he’s done hurtful things, but he isn’t asking anyone to forget that. He’s working on his growth and only asking that others see that he’s growing and somehow work to maybe forgive him. His love for his sister, Cordelia, is one of my favorite parts of this story. I love a good sibling relationship and this book is full of that.
I still hate Grace. I think Clare was maybe trying to get readers to sympathize with her, but I just couldn’t.
There are so many other characters and relationships I could mention, but I feel like this review is already super long. So, really quick. I love Anna. I liked Ariadne and I think her part in the story will play out interestingly. I adore that we get to see Magnus and that Jem is such a big part of the story. I still hate Tatiana.
Overall, I have nothing but good things to say about this book. I love the setting, the clothing, the descriptions, but most of all I love these characters with my whole heart. I love how diverse the characters are. We get lots of sexual identity diversity and I love that. Some are gay, some are lesbians, some are bisexual. I appreciate all of it. I’ll have to reread The Dark Artifices, but The Last Hours might become my favorite of the Shadowhunter series.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

GoodReads Summary:
Welcome to Edwardian London, a time of electric lights and long shadows, the celebration of artistic beauty and the wild pursuit of pleasure, with demons waiting in the dark. For years there has been peace in the Shadowhunter world. James and Lucie Herondale, children of the famous Will and Tessa, have grown up in an idyll with their loving friends and family, listening to stories of good defeating evil and love conquering all. But everything changes when the Blackthorn and Carstairs families come to London…and so does a remorseless and inescapable plague.
James Herondale longs for a great love, and thinks he has found it in the beautiful, mysterious Grace Blackthorn. Cordelia Carstairs is desperate to become a hero, save her family from ruin, and keep her secret love for James hidden. When disaster strikes the Shadowhunters, James, Cordelia and their friends are plunged into a wild adventure which will reveal dark and incredible powers and the true cruel price of being a hero…and falling in love.
Review:
I’ve read all of the Shadowhunter books so did anyone really expect that to not include this one? I went into it not expecting much because I didn’t really love The Infernal Devices. Something about the time period just isn’t my favorite. But I’m happy to say that I really loved this book and I’m very excited for the series to continue.
I love that we get to see will, Jem, Tessa, and a few others from TID. I love it when books connect with other series. There are such great friendships and relationships in this book. I loved being back in a (mostly) familiar world with a whole new cast of characters.
Obviously, Cordelia was the mysterious one. Our lady on the cover. I adored her. She’s fierce and passionate. She’s full of love for her family and the new friends that she’s making. I loved her friendship with Lucy. I’m also super invested in her relationship with someone I won’t mention. Her brother Alistair was a character that I went back and forth so many times sometimes hating and sometimes loving. I think by the end of the book I really love him. He grows and that matters.
Lucy Herondale is the sister of James and I love both of these Herondales. Lucy is a writer. She’s a good sister and a loyal friend. I love seeing her with Cordelia and the gang. I’m excited to see where her story is going to go. Because she is a child of Tessa, she has some warlock blood in her, so I think that’s where her extra ability to see ghosts comes from. I’m interested to see where this aspect of the story will go. Then there’s her brother, James. Our messy, messy James. I really adored him except when he was thinking or talking about Grace. We know about their relationship from one of the novellas. I vaguely remember liking her in the short story, but I almost immediately did not like her in this book. I wish she would go away and that’s all I’m going to say about her. James was messy because of Grace. But other than that, he was an extremely loyal brother and friend. His relationship with his parabatai, Matthew, was my favorite. James will do anything for the people that he cares about and it’s very clear. I adored seeing the friends together after getting to know them a bit in Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy. Christopher, Matthew, James, and Thomas. These four are best friends and though they each face their own issues, none of them ever has to do it alone. I really liked Matthew, personally. But that’s because of my own issues. I could go on and on about all the different characters that were involved in this story, but I won’t. I just don’t have the time or attention span for that.
So, I’m just going to say that I really really loved this book. I loved the friendships. I loved the characters. I loved the mystery and drama. I loved every single minute and I am already dying for book two.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Ghosts of the Shadow Market by Cassandra Clare

GoodReads Summary:
The Shadow Market is a meeting point for faeries, werewolves, warlocks, and vampires. There, the Downworlders buy and sell magical objects, make dark bargains, and whisper secrets they do not want the Nephilim to know. Through two centuries, however, there has been a frequent visitor to the Shadow Market from the City of Bones, the very heart of the Shadowhunters’ world. As a Silent Brother, Brother Zachariah is a sworn keeper of the laws and lore of the Nephilim. But once he was a Shadowhunter called Jem Carstairs, and his love, then and always, is the warlock Tessa Gray. And Jem is searching through the Shadow Markets, in many different cities over long years, for a relic from his past.
Follow Jem and see, against the backdrop of the Shadow Market’s dark dealings and festival, Anna Lightwood’s doomed romance, Matthew Fairchild’s great sin, and Tessa Gray as she is plunged into a world war. Valentine Morgenstern buys a soul at the Market and a young Jace Wayland’s soul finds safe harbor. In the Market is hidden a lost heir and a beloved ghost, and no one can save you once you have traded away your heart. Not even Brother Zachariah.
Review:
Will there ever be a Shadowhunter book that I don’t love? Unlikely. I even love the ones I don’t like that much. That sounds like nonsense, but unless you are part of the Shadowhunter fan club, you wouldn’t quite understand.
This particular novella collection, Ghosts of the Shadow Market, was not my favorite of the novella bind ups, but I still really enjoyed it. I think I love Jem a bit more because of this book. The Infernal Devices was never been my favorite series, I liked them well enough but I don’t love the time period it was set in. So I really enjoyed getting to see Jem on his mission throughout the years. I completely adored any and all interactions with Lily Chen. She had me cracking up. I especially loved the stories with Alec and Magnus (duh!)
Overall, I really enjoyed getting some further insight into the Shadowhunter world and particularly The Dark Artifices tidbits that were given. There were some hints at what will be happening in the final (?) Shadowhunter series, The Wicked Powers, and I just ate it all up. So, if you like the Shadowhunter universe go pick this up and you won’t regret it.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare & Wesley Chu

Summary:
All Magnus Bane wanted was a vacation.
A lavish trip across Europe with Alec Lightwood, the Shadowhunter who, against all odds, is finally his boyfriend. It doesn’t seem like too much for the centuries-old High Warlock to ask for. But no sooner have they settled in Paris than an old friend arrives with news about a demon-worshipping cult called the Crimson Hand that is bent on causing chaos around the world. A cult that was apparently founded by Magnus himself. Years ago. As a joke.
Now Magnus and Alec must race across Europe to track down the Crimson Hand and its elusive new leader before the cult can cause any more damage. As if it wasn’t bad enough that their romantic getaway has been sidetracked, demons are now dogging their every step, and it is becoming harder to tell friend from foe. As their quest for answers becomes increasingly dire, Magnus and Alec have to trust each other more than ever—even if it means revealing the secrets they’ve both been keeping.
The first book in the Eldest Curses series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Cassandra Clare and award-winning science fiction author Wesley Chu, The Red Scrolls of Magic is a fast-paced adventure bursting with magic, humor, and (if demons stop getting in the way) romance that offers a fresh look at the world of the Shadowhunters.
Review:
Part of me wants to just write “I loved this book” over and over again as my whole review because I loved it so much. I have been a fan of the Shadowhunter world since The Mortal Instruments. I read those in high school and anxiously awaited each book as they were released. I was beyond excited when I found out Cassie was writing a series for Magnus and Alec.
I adored every part of this book. Being back in the Shadowhunter world is always a good time. But especially with Alec and Magnus. I loved seeing their inner dialogue. The way they think about one another is swoony and I love that they love one another so much. It was really such a pleasure to see their relationship develop and the antics they got up to.
I thought the plot was fast paced and exciting. I never found myself bored or wondering when things would pick up. Every time I sat down to read; I was sucked right into the story.
Overall, I adored this book. I enjoyed the characters, the story, the setting. I do not have a single bad thing to say about it. I cannot wait for the rest of this series to come out because I cannot get enough of Magnus and Alex.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

Summary:
Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the disease that is destroying the race of warlocks. Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined. Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love.
Review:
Queen of Air and Darkness is the finale of The Dark Artifices. This is why I’m just now reading it five months after it was published. I was not ready to torture myself with the things I knew were going to slay me. I was absolutely correct. I somehow read this 900-page beast in three days. I did pretty much nothing but read. I just couldn’t bring myself to stop. I needed to know what was going to happen. This honestly was the whole mood for the book and I think it really says a lot about a book. The Shadowhunter world is one that never fails to do this. The story and the characters suck me in and I enjoy being in the world so much that I just can’t seem to stop until I’m finished with the story.

“You may not yourself be luminous, but you are an extraordinary conductor of light.”

There is so much that happens in Queen of Air and Darkness that it’s impossible for me to talk about each part. All of the characters each find themselves off on their own sort of missions. They all have a part they need to play to prevent a civil war among the Shadowhunters. Or if your Ty to completely ignore everything around you to do something that is the most unwise. Every time I found myself thinking about how the current plotlines were going to weird places they were soon brought back to the rest of the story and the other characters. This is why the book was so big. There were certain parts that I thought maybe this wasn’t really needed and could have been taken out to make it a bit shorter, but after finishing I knew that every piece of the story was needed and made it exactly what it is.

“None of us are okay,” she said. “Maybe that’s part of it. When you’re hurting, it’s sometimes hard to see how other people may be hurting differently or worse.”

I do have to mention that I’d love to live in Cassandra Clare’s brain. The things and ideas that she’s come up for this story were WILD. I cannot wait to see what she’s going to do next with the next (last?) series. I’ve heard it follows Kit and Ty and the fact that there is no release date or even year makes me die a little on the inside.

“We all stumble around in the dark and we cause each other pain and we try to  make up for it the best we can.”

The characters are as loveable as always. I don’t know what it is but I find myself loving the supporting characters more than those that are supposed to be the main focus. In TMI I didn’t care all that much about Jace and Clary, but now when they appear in this series, I freaking adore them. I didn’t love Emma and Julian. As the books went on, I liked them less and less. I adored Emma in the first book and then as they fall in love I just didn’t like them as much. I’m not saying I don’t like them, but I honestly prefer every everyone else.

“Grief can be so bad you can’t breathe, but that’s what it means to be human. We lose, we suffer, but we have to keep breathing.”

I wanted more of Drusilla and Ty and Kit. I still liked them and I was happy with how their story turned out, but I know I’m going to love them more when/if they appear in The Wicked Powers. We get to see so many characters I love from previous books like Magnus and Alec, Simon and Isabelle, Jem and Tessa. I loved every page that these beloved characters appeared.

“You made me understand that love creates far more joy than any pain it causes.”

Overall, Queen of Air and Darkness might be my favorite Shadowhunters book to date. I loved the full cast of characters, new and old. I love the wild adventures they found themselves on. I love the racially and sexually diverse characters that we get to know and love. I cannot think of anything that I did not like about this book other than the fact that it ended. I’m really sad that this story had ended but I’m excited to see what Cassandra Clare is going to come out with next.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

Summary:
A Shadowhunter’s life is bound by duty. Constrained by honor. The word of a Shadowhunter is a solemn pledge, and no vow is more sacred than the vow that binds parabatai, warrior partners—sworn to fight together, die together, but to never fall in love.
Emma Carstairs has learned that the love she shares with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, isn’t just forbidden—it could destroy them both. She knows she should run from Julian. But how can she when the Blackthorns are threatened by enemies on all sides?
Their only hope is the Black Volume of the Dead, a spellbook of terrible power. Everyone wants it. Only the Blackthorns can find it. Spurred on by a dark bargain with the Seelie Queen, Emma; her best friend, Cristina; and Mark and Julian Blackthorn journey into the Courts of Faerie, where glittering revels hide bloody danger and no promise can be trusted. Meanwhile, rising tension between Shadowhunters and Downworlders has produced the Cohort, an extremist group of Shadowhunters dedicated to registering Downworlders and “unsuitable” Nephilim. They’ll do anything in their power to expose Julian’s secrets and take the Los Angeles Institute for their own.
When Downworlders turn against the Clave, a new threat rises in the form of the Lord of Shadows—the Unseelie King, who sends his greatest warriors to slaughter those with Blackthorn blood and seize the Black Volume. As danger closes in, Julian devises a risky scheme that depends on the cooperation of an unpredictable enemy. But success may come with a price he and Emma cannot even imagine, one that will bring with it a reckoning of blood that could have repercussions for everyone and everything they hold dear.
Review:
If you’re new here, the first thing you need to know is that I’m complete and total Shadowhunter trash. If you’re not new here then you’ve probably read all my other reviews for all the previous Shadowhunters books. So, this won’t come as a surprise to you, but I absolutely adored this book. Check out my review for the first book in the series, Lady Midnight, here.
Just like in my review for the first book in The Dark Artifices, I’m going to say that I think these books are my favorite of all the Shadowhunter books so far. I attribute this fact completely to the fact that so many of the characters we already know and love are part of this story or at least make an appearance in the story. We see Clary and Jace, Tessa and Jem, and we even get a bit of Magnus and Alec. Though I still really adore the main characters that we follow in TDA.
Emma is sassy, fierce, loyal, and kicks butt. She’s constantly said to be the next Jace Herondale and I love that. She and Cortana are a serious force to be reckoned with and she proves that again and again. I can’t wait to see who’s butt she kicks in the final book. Then there’s her parabatai, Julian. I love Julian because he does anything and everything in his power to protect his family and to do the right thing. He is smart and charming. I adore these two as a pair and as individuals.
The rest of the Blackthorn clan add all the good things to the book. Livia and Tiberius are totally my favorites. Then add Kit into their madness and they’re the best squad out there. They get up to all kinds of trouble and I loved every page of their antics. They had me laughing and crying and my heart full of all the emotions. Livia and Ty’s relationship were so great. They just understand one another on totally another level. Then there’s Kit and Ty and they are the most dynamic duo there ever was. I can’t wait to see what they get up to next. Then there’s Drusilla. She is the character I can’t wait to see more from. She played her own part, but it just wasn’t enough for my liking. I’m excited to see what she gets up to in the final book. Also, there’s Mark Blackthorn. He is one of my favorites too. Honestly, I just love every single one of the Blackthorns. I would die for all of them.
There are so many other characters in Lord of Shadows that I could mention, but I’m only going to mention two more. Cristina is another that I just love. She’s so full of love for everyone. She wants good things for everyone and will help in whatever way she can. I wish that Emma and Cristina were parabatai instead of her and Julian. Finally, there’s Kieran. He’s the cause of so much conflict, but I can’t help but love him anyway. I just need to know where the story is going to go next.
The way that Lord of Shadows ended was NOT OKAY WITH ME. Not in the least. So, I’m really glad I already own Queen of Air and Darkness so that I can start it as soon as possible. If you haven’t read any of the Shadowhunter books, what are you waiting for?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare

Summary:
Simon Lewis has been a human and a vampire, and now he is becoming a Shadowhunter. But the events of City of Heavenly Fire left him stripped of his memories, and Simon isn’t sure who he is anymore. So, when the Shadowhunter Academy reopens, Simon throws himself into this new world of demon-hunting, determined to find himself again. Whoever this new Simon might be.
Join Simon on his journey to become a Shadowhunter, and learn about the Academy’s illustrious history along the way, through guest lecturers such as Jace Herondale, Tessa Gray, and Magnus Bane. These ten moving and hilarious short stories, each with an accompanying illustration, give a satisfying epilogue to the Mortal Instruments series and provide tantalizing glimpses into the Dark Artifices.
Review:
I absolutely adored these novellas. I think they are so well done and add so much to the overall Shadowhunter world. I don’t understand how people can skip reading these novella bind ups because there are so many HUGE details they will be missing out on. I prefer Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy over The Bane Chronicles but only because Simon is my all-time favorite character in this universe. He’s overcome so much as at first just a regular mundane and then dealt with becoming a vampire, then the daylighter, saving the world, and losing his memories. Simon really doesn’t get the appreciation he deserves until this book. I loved every page. I laughed. I cried. I was surprised. I had my ice-cold heart warmed. We really got new insight into Simon. Seeing the challenges he faced at Shadowhunter Academy was great, but even more, we see his personal challenges while dealing with his memory loss and trying to figure out who he is after everything. There were so many familiar faces we got to see that I was happy about. Clary and Isabelle obviously, but we also got to see Caterina in more depth and I enjoyed her parts. We also saw more of Tessa which I liked. The characters that came to visit shared stories we didn’t know about characters we knew in the past. I thought these stories were just as interesting as Simon’s experiences. I loved the story about the Lightwood’s dad (I can’t remember his name) and him sharing about his time in the circle. Then there were the secrets we learned. I think it was so interesting and creatively done that the events in TMI were connected to too various things in TDA. I think this was exactly as the synopsis says, “A satisfying epilogue to the Mortal Instruments and a tantalizing glimpse into the Dark Artifices.” But there are also connections made to the Infernal Devices and it somehow warmed and broke my heart at the same time.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare

Summary:
Immortal warlock Magnus Bane’s life has been long adventure-filled, and never dull. Though snippets of his past have been hinted at in the Mortal Instruments and the Infernal Devices, here his deepest secrets are revealed: his involvement in the French Revolution, his witness to the speakeasies are sleaze of Prohibition, and his place between Valentine and the New York Institute…the first time around. Bug smuggling Marie Antoinette out of France is nothing compared to his befriending vampires like Camille Belcourt…or his first date with Alec Lightwood.
The eleven stories in this collection fill in many a delightful gap in Magnus Bane’s colorful history. Shadowhunter fans won’t want to miss a single delicious detail!
Review:
This novella bind up was honestly so fun. I listened on audio and each of the stories had their own narrator, but I would much rather have listened to Jesse Williams narrate the whole book. I laughed out loud while listening more times than I could keep track of. I really enjoyed this view deeper into Magnus’s character. It made me all that much more excited for his and Alec’s book coming out later this year. Seeing Magnus in these historical settings like the French Revolution, meeting Will’s dad and hearing his origin story, and then Will’s son and seeing a piece of his story (but are we going to see more of him in Chain of Gold??), Prohibition, and seeing the beginning of the first battles with Valentine. I just overall really liked these small peaks into stories that we’ve been given little tastes of in the full series, but here we get a bit more. My only complaint would be that they’re too short. I want more. I want more of Magnus and Alec’s first date, of Magnus panicking about what to get Alec for his birthday. I loved learning more about Magnus, but I just feel like I didn’t get enough. I’m hoping that will be cured by The Red Scrolls of Magic coming out later this year. If you love the Shadowhunter books but haven’t read the novellas you definitely need to. They just add so much to the experience.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Summary:
Tessa Gray should be happy –aren’t all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army if pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan.
He needs Tessa.
Charlotte Branwell, head of the Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa’s heart, will do anything to save her. For though Tessa and Jem are engaged, Will is still in love with her.
The last words of a dying Shadowhunter provide the clue that might lead Tessa and her friends to Mortmain. But their small group cannot stand alone, and the powerful Consul doubts that Mortmain is coming. Deserted by allies, the Shadowhunters find themselves trapped when Mortmain seizes the medicine that keeps Jem alive. With his best friend at death’s door, Will must risk everything to save the girl they both love.
To buy Will time, the warlock Magnus Bane joins with Henry Branwell to create a device that could help defeat Mortmain. As they all work to save Tessa and the future of the Shadowhunters that resides with her, Tessa realizes that the one person who can save her is herself—for, in the discovery of her own true nature, Tessa could become more powerful than she ever dreamed possible. But can a lone girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army?
Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment, and the tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.
Review:
Guys, I’m FINALLY finished with this freaking series. I’m so happy to have finally finished these books. I’m over this story. I’m over these characters. I’m over the horrible and terrifying robot clockwork creatures. The first half of Clockwork Princess was painful. There was so much running around trying to figure out what to do next, trying to deal with political drama, trying to plan their next move against Mortmain. Which is all well and good, usually I love that kind of stuff in fantasy books, but I don’t like the time period. I don’t like the mindset that is put onto the women in this series. I hate the Consul because he’s a sexist jackass and causes so much unnecessary conflict and I wanted to punch him. I did like how Charlotte did her best to combat this attitude and Tessa comes around also trying to defy these kinds of expectations.
The people that die in this book are not okay. I’m not okay with it and I never will be. Like, I hated one of them anyway, but that didn’t mean I wanted them to die. And the other was a death I was expected. It was talked about as something inevitable so I wasn’t too worried about it. I just had to mention these because I had completely forgotten about one of them.
I liked Tessa more in this book than the others. Aside from the whole love triangle, I liked Tessa by herself. I think she grew a great amount throughout the series and I love me some character growth. I really enjoyed finally learning about who and what she was. I also totally wasn’t mad about the ending that gave us a view into the rest of her life until ‘present day.’ Jem is still and will forever be a soft boy and that’s all I’m going to say about him. Will is still annoying. I wasn’t really invested until his sister came around. I absolutely adored his relationship with his sister. They made me laugh. I love sibling relationships is books almost every time. Gabriel and Gideon were another sibling pair that I loved. I totally loved their conflict with each other. They had some really great character growth. I also absolutely adored both of their love interests. And then my favorite, Charlotte and Henry. They are really my absolute favorites. I love them to pieces.
No surprise here, but I liked the supporting characters more than the main characters. This is something that seems to be a trend with Cassandra Clare’s books. The same thing happened when I was rereading The Mortal Instruments books. Overall, I don’t want to say that I didn’t like this series because there were some things I didn’t like and some things that I did. I think the ending of this final book really brought everything together for me. My absolute favorite was all of the connections made toward the end of this books (READ: The Ghost of the London Institute & Cortana & “That’s a story for another day about a different set of Lightwood’s and Heronale’s). I totally loved all the little tidbits that nodded toward the other series in the Shadowhunter worlds. It’s just incredible how complex and connected these books all are. Cassandra Clare is an incredible author and I’m so excited to keep going with the books in this world.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Summary:
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting rouge forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position Tessa will be out on the street-and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jam, Tessa soon discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister knows their every move-and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more. to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will-the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
Review:
I’m honestly so over this series. I don’t love these characters like everyone else seems to. I’m over them. I just want them to catch Mortmain already. Will is annoying. I don’t feel bad for him. I get why he acts the way he does and then 180s that behavior after he learns the big twist. I also don’t love Tessa and Jem together. I don’t remember who said it, but Jem starts as a soft boy and ends as a soft boy. He’s not developing already. His whole story arc is that he’s addicted to drugs. I just don’t love it.
Much like The Mortal Instruments, I totally am finishing this series for the side characters. I’m obsessed with Charlotte and Henry and I LOVED the bit of news we got at the end of this book. I love their relationship and that they both seem to think the other doesn’t return their feelings. They’re definitely my favorite part of this series.
I also love Sophie. She’s sassy without stepping over the line of what’s appropriate and what isn’t. And then there’s the Lightwood boys. Gabriel and Gideon are rude and ridiculous and it wouldn’t be the same without them. They add the best kind of conflict in the sense that I love to hate them.
I still hate Jessamine. I’m not a huge fan of this time period in general. I also hate automatons. They’re freaky and I hate robots.
Overall, I like this series because I am forever trash for Shadowhunters, I’m invested in the story just for the fact that I love Jem in the later books. I have read this series before, but I remember liking them so much more.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Summary:
When Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the rein of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London’s Downworld, where vampires, warlocks, and other supernatural folks stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark sisters, who are members of a secret organization called the Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa’s power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by-and torn between-two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyes Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm’s length…everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world…and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.
Review:
So, I’m a fake fan. If you’ve read my reviews for The Mortal Instrument books then you know I’m doing a reread of all the books that take place in the Shadowhunter universe because it’s been a while since I’ve read the first two series and Queen of Air and Darkness just came out. So I’m reading in publication order. I am a fake fan because I remembered almost nothing about this book except for the identity of our villain. I was surprised about my feelings while listening to this audiobook.
First of all, I’m not sure why I remembered really liking Jessamine and thinking of her as similar to Isabelle Lightwood. She’s nothing like Isabelle. For one, I liked Isabelle. I did not like Jessamine in the least. She was annoying and I just wanted to shake her and hope that the screws loose in her head would right themselves so maybe she would get her shit together.
I also remembered almost nothing about Tessa’s brother, Nate. So for those of you that have read this know how surprised I was at the drama involving him.
Really that was about it for what I didn’t like.
I did like our female lead, Tessa. Tessa was entertaining and interesting and developed wonderfully. She’s had her whole world turned upside down and she tries to go with the flow as best as she can. Though she was raised a certain way and that’s obvious by how she reacts to how different societal expectations are in the Shadowhunter world. It was interesting to see her adapt to how the Shadowhunters behaved toward one another, slowly changing her behavior as well even though it went against everything she knew. I liked Tessa because even though she’d been beaten down and shaken to her core, she holds her head high and does her best not to be pushed around by anyone else. I just really liked Tessa.
Now, Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs. So many people love these characters so much. Please don’t come for me guys, but I didn’t love either of them. Will was kind of a jerk to Tessa. I hate the hot and cold game and Will plays it with Tessa. He’s full of secrets and rather than finding it interesting and suspenseful I just thought it was annoying. With Jem, we barely even see him. We learn more about his past than we do for Will. But Jem is kept hidden away for too much of the book. I didn’t really feel invested with either one of them. I’m sure this will change in the next books, but for now Tessa should stay away from both of them.
Overall, I liked the story. The clockwork creatures freaked me out. But I liked (some) of the characters. Like Charlotte and Henry. I thought the villain was super hate able and the story kept me interested. I’m excited to read the next one.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Summary:
In this dazzling and long-awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary’s own brother.
Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of a nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.
The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris-but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?
When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim has ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee-even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned…
Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the world in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments.
Review:
This was an excellent conclusion to The Mortal Instruments. The story was wrapped up just enough to be satisfying, but with enough loose ends to know that we will be getting more from these characters. If I were reading this before all the other books were out in this world, I would be dying for more, but knowing what happens in later books I think this was a perfect ending because it leaves all the right loose ends that will be answered in The Dark Artifices. This was a reread for me. Check out my review for the previous book here.
I’m not going to ramble too much in this review. if you want more of my thoughts of this story check out my reviews of the previous books in the series. I feel as if I’ve talked about these characters enough that I don’t need to write too much about them.
Overall I loved all the characters. I’m very invested in them at this point. I think Clary really grew and I think she and Jace grew together as a couple. I liked seeing this development with them because they were honestly so annoying when they were younger. I loved the supporting characters as I’ve mentioned before. Alex and Magnus are the absolute best and I loved their struggles and developments and seeing them figure out who they are together despite their differences was great. Simon is still a million percent my favorite character in this series and I really thought Cassandra Clare was going to do him dirty like that, but she saved herself and I’m excited to read about him in the later books. I also totally ship Simon and Isabelle so hard. I think they’re so good for one another.
There are two new characters (well several but two that need mentioning.) that are introduced in the beginning of this book (which I didn’t like but I’ll talk about that later) Emma and Julian are two characters that I know will be important in TDA, but I didn’t like the way they were introduced. I didn’t like that this book started with them. I would have preferred the story start with Clary and Jace and squad instead of new characters that had me wondering WTF was going on. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Emma and Julian, I just didn’t like that we started Heavenly Fire with their point of view. I liked how it ended though because it left all the perfect loose ends to lead into TDA with these characters.
City of Heavenly Fire probably would have gotten five stars from me on GoodReads had it not been for the narrator. For some reason that I can’t think of because it just makes no sense to me, the narrator was changed. The narrator of this final book was different from the last book and I really didn’t like that. I may have liked the narrator more had I been listening to something else, but the change in narrators really bothered me so I noticed quite a few things I didn’t like. First, the narrator has an English accent. This isn’t something that usually bothers me except that these characters live and grew up in New York. None of them are English in any sense. Along with that, some of the characters were narrated without an English accent and some with it. For example, Clary was read without an accent but her mother, Jocelyn, had one and this just really bothered me because it was totally different from the previous book. There were a few other voices that were weirdly accented and it just really bothered me. I couldn’t forget about it through the whole thing. I think this really affected my enjoyment of the story sadly, but I still liked the book and I would like to try to find something else with this narrator and give her another try.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

*Want to buy this book? Just click the image of the book cover! As Amazon Affiliates we will get a percentage of any purchase, feel free to support us.

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Summary:
The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace freed from captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing, so is the boy she hates: her brother Sebastian, who is determined to bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.
The Clave’s magic cannot locate either boy, but Jace can’t stay away from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s magic has wrought-Jace and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other.
Only a few people believe that Jace can still be saved. Together, Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabell bargain with the Seelie Queen, contemplate deals with demons and turn at last to the merciless weapon-making Iron Sisters, who might be able to forge a weapon that can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. If the Iron Sisters can’t help, their only hope is to challenge Heaven and Hell-a risk that could claim their lives.
And they must do it without Clary. For Clary is playing a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?
Review:
Okay, I’m starting to remember why I was such trash for this series when I was in high school. I’ve been rereading all of the Shadowhunter books now that I’m older and with the newly release Queen of Air and Darkness. Check out my review for the previous book here. I haven’t been loving the last few books, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. It might even be my favorite of the TMI series. I will let you know my thoughts once I finish listening to the final book, City of Heavenly Fire.
I think the best part of City of Lost Souls is the fact that Cassandra Clare has somehow made me actually care about Sebastian. Reading about Clary being around him and interacting with him and learning more about him, we somehow come to love him. I think this is really interesting because I can get behind a good villain, one that lets their humanity show and has a good backstory, but Sebastian doesn’t have any humanity. He does have a really good backstory, but the horrible things he’s done should make me not care about that. Somehow Cassandra Clare writes this book in such a way that I start to actually care about Sebastian and that’s crazy to me.
I also started to hate Clary a little less in this book. She sort of actually started to think about her actions before reacting. I started to appreciate the lengths she will go for those that she loves (READ: Jace). I think she really went through a lot in this story, had to think about a lot of hard things, make hard choices and was made better for it.
I think Jace’s story was the hardest for me. He really got the shit end of the stick. I felt so bad for him, being pulled into Sebastian’s world without the ability to make any choices for himself. I liked seeing him overcome this though.
Once again, I still loved the supporting characters more than the main characters. I was fully invested in Magnus and Alec and was super sad with the drama they were going through. I absolutely adore Simon and Isabell, I ship them so hard. I also ship Jordan and Maia. I like that they’ve overcome their past. I also really liked that we get to see more of Clary’s relationship with her mother. Jocelyn is an interesting character and I liked seeing her deal with Clary becoming involved with everything Jocelyn never wanted. Jocelyn and Luke are also goals. The best friends to lovers story ever.
Overall, the characters once again overcame some really hard and traumatizing things. I think there was so much growth with all of our favorite Shadowhunters and I really enjoyed this book. I’m interested to see if I like the final book better or not.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

*Want to buy this book? Just click the image of the book cover! As Amazon Affiliates we will get a percentage of any purchase, feel free to support us.

Blogmas Book Review – City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Summary:
The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She’s training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.
But nothing comes without a price.
Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her. His mother just found out that he’s a vampire and now he’s homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse that’s wrecking his life. And they’re willing to do anything to get what they want. Not to mention that he’s dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other one.
When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.
Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.
Review:
Once again, I’m underwhelmed by this book. I honestly remember loving these books so much. I thought I would start to enjoy them more now that it wasn’t icky for Jace and Clary to love one another. That was not the case. Clary was still as annoying as ever and Jace joined her ranks in this book. It was one of my least favorite tropes where a character keeps information from another character ‘for their own good.’ But it’s NOT for her own good. It just causes drama and makes me annoyed at the characters I’m supposed to love. It honestly seemed like Clary developed more in City of Fallen Angels and Jace regressed into an insecure teenage boy. This was annoying because I previously liked Jace a lot.
I listened to the audiobook for this one and I think I will continue to do so with the rest of the series. I liked the alternating narrators. The only complaint was that the male narrator read a little bit faster than the female, so listening on 1.5 speed was perfect for the female narrator and just a smidge too fast for the male narrator.
I enjoyed seeing Clary develop further into her role as a Shadowhunter. I liked seeing her  finally come into this world she so desperately wants to be a part of. The fact that she is being trained in this story was something I enjoyed because all too often characters just are suddenly good at things, but that wasn’t the case here. She was taught things like fighting and languages and other essential knowledge.
Once again, I love the supporting characters. Alec and Magnus are goals, even when they’re fighting they’re still more interesting than Clary and Jace. Isabell is still a kick ass girl that exudes confidence and fearlessness and takes no shit. Simon is honestly my favorite. His story arc is the most interesting to me out of all the characters. He just wants to be a normal guy and can’t seem to catch a break.
The villain in this book is similar, but still different from the first books. He is such a hated villain. He’s honestly just pure evil and he’s up there with Voldemort for most hated in my opinion.
Overall, I didn’t love this book. I liked it, didn’t love it. I’m hoping I like the next books better or I might just lose faith in the reader I used to be.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

*Want to buy this book? Just click the image of the book cover! As Amazon Affiliates we will get a percentage of any purchase, feel free to support us.

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Summary:
To save her mother’s life, Clary travels to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters-never mind that by doing so she is breaking the Law, which could mean death. Even worse, Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by Shadowhunters who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight. Luckily, Clary finds an ally in the mysterious Sebastian, who holds a strange attraction for her. As Valentine musters a demon army, can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their ancient hatred and work together? And can Clary harness her newfound powers to help save them all-whatever the cost?
Review:
Honestly, I remember loving this series so much when I first read it. I read this series for the first time years and years ago. I remember anxiously awaiting the release of each new book because I couldn’t get enough of the story.
Rereading this series so many years later has been interesting. Seeing these characters and this story that I loved so much through older eyes was nostalgic, but also somehow disappointing. I definitely didn’t love this story as much as I did when I originally read them.
First off, our love interests. I’m not going to spoil anything for those who may not have read this series so I’m going to be a little vague here. But I definitely don’t feel the same as I used to about our love interests. It honestly just seemed a little gross to me that they couldn’t seem to stay away from one another. I’m usually all for the forbidden love trope. But just not in this way. I think maybe I feel differently because I knew about the twist going in. I’m wondering how I’ll feel in the rest of the books now that it won’t be gross anymore.
Clary pissed me off for pretty much the entire book. It wasn’t until the last hundred or so pages that I started to not hate her. She was annoying and selfish and childish for most of this book. She causes most of her problems
Jace was not as bad. He was annoying with his “I have to protect you because I know what’s best” attitude. But he actually is an experienced and talented Shadowhunter.
The thing that surprised me the most was that I found myself liking the supporting characters more than the main characters. I loved watching Simon grow into his new self. Finding more confidence, being less awkward. Getting over Clary has done wonders for him. Alec was my favorite for character development. He’s starting to accept who he really is and not care who knows about it. I loved seeing him grow into himself. Isabelle was so fabulously sassy and stylish. She kicks ass. She knows she isn’t like other girls and flaunts it. There are so many more that I loved. Luke, Amatis, Magnus, so many others. I love that they’re so well developed and they all have an important part in the story.
Even our villains. They’re excellently evil. Passionate about what they believe in, despite their beliefs being murdery and crazy.
I didn’t love this book like I used to. There were things I liked and didn’t. Overall it was an entertaining story and I’m excited to see how I like the rest of the books in the series.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

*Want to buy this book? Just click the image of the book cover! As Amazon Affiliates we will get a percentage of any purchase, feel free to support us.