Review: City of Glass

by Cassandra Clare
publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
date published: March 24, 2009
format: eBook
pages: 391
source: gift
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N
challenges: Goodreads 2011 Reading Challenge; 2011 E-Book Reading Challenge; 2011 YA Reading Challenge

From Goodreads:

To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadow-hunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadow-hunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her new found powers to help save the Glass City -- whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling trilogy The Mortal Instruments.

What I Thought

I have several questions by the time I finished City of Ashes and I was hoping against all hope that they would be answered in City of Glass. I had my theories, but no absolute conclusions. Cassandra Clare didn't leave me hanging. I knew from the very beginning of the book that I was going to have my questions answered. This was accomplished in such a manner as to leave me reeling and blow many of my previous theories as to how out of the proverbial water.

City of Glass picks up where City of Ashes left off. The Shadowhunter world has been left reeling after the events upon Valentine's ship and the hunt is on. The Clave knows now that Valentine will not give up and that his capture is imperative. Unfortunately, they can't seem to let go of their individual agendas and an investigation opens up. There is a new Inquisitor (a smarmy weasel of a man), and he is out to fulfill his own motives. The relationship between Jace and Clary is as tenuous (to put it mildly) as ever and there are still several issues that cause conflict between them. As they set out to try to save Jocelyn, save Alicante, and stop Valentine, the pair will be put to the test. All the while, a new adversary is lurking, waiting to make their move.

Though several days passed before I could finish City of Glass (not the book's fault; just juggling too much, so to speak), I was riveted, nonetheless. The further into the story I got, the more immersed I became. By the time I reached part 3, there was no way I was going to willingly put the book down. There were so many elements that made this book captivating. From the ultimate question (What is the real situation surrounding Jace and Clary?) to the many instances of heartbreak, I had to know what was going to happen. Several parts left me either stunned or with tears in my eyes (not trying to sound like The Mysteries of Udolpho there, but it's true). This installment in The Mortal Instruments series was packed with so much emotion that I was often left with a feeling of incredulity.

The way the story line panned out was almost like a tapestry to me. All of the individual threads began to intertwine until the bigger picture finally came into view. The characters expressed themselves in such ways as to evoke a wide array of emotions. I was heartbroken for Jace and Clary due to the suffering each was undergoing and I kept hoping that something would come along to take that suffering away. I'm not going to say whether it did or not. That would give away too much, I think. Suffice it to say that the entire journey was enough to completely draw me in and keep me there. I can truly say that the characters have won me over and I am now a big fan of Cassandra Clare's writing.

Though the above synopsis states that this is the last book in the series, that is not the case, much to my relief. I'm not quite ready to stop reading about these characters or the world they live in. I will be moving along to City of Fallen Angels next and am looking forward to seeing what Ms. Clare has for us next. As for City of Glass, I award 5 hoots.