City of Glass

by Cassandra Clare
published: EcElderry Books
page: 541

The time has come for the Clave to oppose Valentine, but he has no intentions of submitting, putting both the Shadowhunters and the Downworlder on edge.  Clary, Jace and the gang travel to Alicante to warn the Clave of Valentine's immense power. But will the Clave be convinced and take the necessary precautions against him?

I was very happy to see the familiar characters in a new setting. It was a great way to stretch their character and explore the world we heard about for two books.  I really enjoyed the descriptions of this beautiful, sacred land for Shadowhunters. What a fun world Cassandra Clare has created. 

Being in Alicante lends itself to back-story. There is a rich history in Idris that reveals more about characters that grew up there like Luke and Clary's mother.   We also get to find out more about Valentine and his followers in the place that they formed and then were exiled.    It is awesome to finally get answers to the questions that came up in the first two books.

I knew this was supposed to be the end of the trilogy and it wrapped up the story very nicely (I'm not saying that everything is peaches and cream) so I'm interested to see how Cassandra Clare will continue this story.

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"Clare's concluding volume of The Mortal Instruments trilogy is complex and striking.  Not to be missed."
     --Kyrs Tourtois, Schuler books & Music

"Derivative though it may be, melodramatic emotional wollowing has never been so much fun."
     --Kirkus Review

City of Ashes

by Cassandra Clare
published: EcElderry Books, 2009
pages: 453

Clary, now fully sucked into the life of a shadowhunter, just wishes she could forget everything. She wishes she had never met the evil Valentine or the handsome yet annoying Jace and his friends. She wishes her mom was awake and that she could go back to spending more time with her best friend, Simon.  However, her wishes are just that, wishes. Clary has found herself in the middle of a crazy revenge plot that includes the deceiving Inquisitor, who has it in for Jace. The Inquisitor accuses Jace  of being in league with Valentine and creates chaos that leaves a window open for Valentine to attack. Is it possible that Clary, Jace and the other shadowhunters no longer possess the ability to overcome Valentine's evil plot?

This sequel held a lot of promise and more importantly some of the answers to questions the first left me dying to find out.  However, there were definitely some scenes that were painfully awkward to read, but not because of the writing, more so because of the situation in which the characters have cornered themselves.  I would have preferred that they weren't in the story, but those scenes added to their character so I sucked it up.

Character development!  The one thing I absolutely cannot stand is characters that don't develop, that don't learn and grow.  (I know sometimes those kinds of characters make great antagonists, but still.)  Clary, Simon, Jace and the whole gang DO show character growth.  They change, some much more so than others,  but everyone seems to exhibit some sort of personal growth. We, as readers, learn more about them and become more attached.  I can firmly say that I am invested in the well being of Clary and her mother now.  I care. 

This books leaves room for conclusions to be drawn, and because I am unable to not theorize what's going to happen next I've made my educated guesses.  At this point in the series, I cannot wait to find out what happens next, and I only hope that some of my more optimistic theories are true. Cassandra Clare don't let me down!

Stars 4/5

Praise:

"A gorgeous fantasy that's so good, it's dangerous."
     --Holly Black

"Trust us, you'll be so into this smart, funny, romantic read taht you won't even be frustrated at at the cliff-hanger ending."
     --Cosmo Girl Magazine