Review::The Mortal Instruments Series (5 books): City of Bones; City of Ashes; City of Glass; City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones; City of Ashes; City of Glass; City of Fallen Angels; City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Mortal Instruments Series (5 books): City of Bones; City of Ashes; City of Glass; City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

I found the Mortal Instruments to be a delightful surprise. I was expecting a sort of mix of Harry Potter with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I wasn't disappointed in that. What bonus I received, though; this has several elements that remind me of the Nine Princes of Amber by Roger Zelazny and even a bit of Philip Jose Farmer's Tier Series. What I mean by that is that we have a sort of parallel world living right over ours with families that seem to thrive on fealty and conflict; all driving the characters into epic battles.

Cassandra Clare doesn't waffle a bit and begins the high intrigue right at the beginning. Jase has been brought up as a Shadowhunter and Clary has lived as a normal in our normal world. Their father is possibly the most despised among the Shadowhunters and has been long presumed dead, but not everything is as it appears and Clary's mother Joselyn, who may be the only person alive who can sort this out for them, is in a self induced coma.

Clary Fray-Morgenstern and her close friend Simon are drawn into a deadly world they didn't know existed. A world that coexist with their world and includes Vampires; Warlocks; Werewolves and Faeries all who are controlled by the Shadowhunters who are the sons and daughters of Nephilim. Clary has Shadowhunter blood but has never been trained and Simon is a mere mortal. All of that is about to change when both their live are endangered when it's discovered that her presumed dead father has returned to make one more attempt to overthrow the governing body of the Shadowhunters.

I started with the five pack but after reading them all, for those who want to limit their reading I think that the first three books make one well rounded trilogy that ends satisfactorily but leaves a few threads undone. The next three round out the whole series and complete most of the incomplete threads and make for an epic story of love and betrayal and hunger for power. All the characters are well developed; each with their own strengths and weaknesses that they bring to the table. Many are truly their own worst enemies, but there are hardly any moments where the main characters get a chance to take an extra breath. I think I ended up doing a marathon read on the first three and resting before delving into the last two of this and then finally the sixth novel which comes separately.

This is a great series I think even for those in the Science Fiction Fantasy category. It might be a bit light for those who love the Pure Science Fiction but it is great in the Fantasy and it definitely is epic in length and depth. Cassandra Clare brings her own knowledge from living abroad into her work and weaves it nicely into the narrative. She has even managed to peak my interest in the Book of Enoch.

Though a reader might stop after the first three, I think it's difficult to resist the temptation to finish the next three. And for those who can't get enough of Cassandra Clare's world she has plenty of other stories within the world to offer.

One word of advice if you are reading these on your kindle you should buy them separately as it seems that Amazon and possibly the publisher have decided to punish the reader for buying them in a pack of 5 @ 37.99.
City of Bones 2.99
City of Ash 4.99
City of Glass 4.99
City of Fallen Angels 4.99
City of Lost Souls 4.99
total 22.95
add The City of Heavenly Fire @ 10.67 and you still don't reach 37.99. Maybe some day they might fix this.

J.L. Dobias




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