City of Lost Souls

Title: City of Lost Souls

Author: Cassandra Clare

Published: 8th May 2012

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Fiction, Paranormal

Number of Pages: 534

Start Date: 23rd May 2022

Finish Date: 25th May 2022

Summary

The New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments continues, and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary, and Simon.

What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own. 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?

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

Review

After I read City of Fallen Angels (which I was extremely disappointed with) I wasn't really looking forward to City of Lost Souls. I felt as if the whole Jace/Sebastian thing was quite random and did not need to happen and I was just unhappy with the turn the series took. However as I have started reading the series I may as well stick with it and hope it gets better. I was wary upon starting it, but once I did, I really enjoyed it! I'm glad that I read it and now I am waiting to get a copy of City of Heavenly Fire! City of Lost Souls picks up a few hours after where City of Fallen Angels left off. Clary phones Simon in a frenzy saying that Jace and Sebastian have disappeared off the rooftop where they were standing hours before. As this man hunt continues, many of the Shadowhunters in the Clave start doubting if there is any of the real Jace left in there, but Clary, Isabelle, Magnus and Alec believe that he can be saved. Clary puts herself through life-threatening risks to try and find a possible way to save Jace, and to also discover what Sebastian's plan is...what she finds out is too terrifying to comprehend. I really enjoyed this, I did have one issue, but it didn't completely overshadow my overall enjoyment of the book. I loved learning more about the characters and seeing their personalities develop, as well as seeing the romantic developments that were taking place. The writing was really good and the action scenes were extremely well written! I really have grown to love the characters in this series. It took me awhile to warm up to some of them in the first two books, but since then I've really adored watching them grow and live their lives. Clary generally annoys me, but in City of Lost Souls I liked her and she gained my respect. The steadfast unwavering love Clary and Jace have is touching and mesmerising. Although I get frustrated with Clary for putting her life at risk, I admire her for going to impossible lengths to try and save Jace. Clary is really strong-willed and stubborn and doesn't often think through things very clearly, and although that mostly annoyed me in the past books, I respected her for that in City of Lost Souls. We haven't seen much of Jace in City of Fallen Angels and City of Lost Souls which is a pity as his dry humour and sarcasm never fails to make me laugh! Although we don't see that much of the normal him in this book, we do see glimpses of the real him and it made me fall in love with him all over again. The other Jace that is linked with Sebastian is a complete jerk and it was a pity that he was the main Jace throughout the book. I really dislike Sebastian, he is disgusting and twisted and I can't get over the things he has done in the last two books. His infatuation with Clary is just weird and he seem hell bent (HA. Get it?) on burning down the world for for absolutely no reason. My love for Simon, Izzy, Magnus, Alec, Jordan and Maia really grew even bigger throughout City of Lost Souls! I have love Simon and I just love watching his character grow, he's still the same Simon and I love how that even though he is a vampire now, his cute, geeky, personality is the same. I LOVE Simon. I also really adore Isabelle! She's so spunky and strong-willed and I just love her whole attitude. It was really nice seeing her sensitive side in this book, as I'm so used to seeing the battle-ready Iz. Magnus is a character that really brings a lot of fun to the story, I love his sparkliness and his fun, energetic personality. It was quite odd seeing him so hurt and dejected towards the end and it made my heart clench with hurt to see him like this. I haven't warmed up the Alec much throughout the series, I just haven't really been able to connect to him all that much, but I like him better in this book. He has all these insecurities and doubts and being with Magnus has definitely made him a better, more confident person and now with that ending...I hope he doesn't go back to being the way he used to. I also really like Jordan and Maia. When I first met Jordan/Kyle I didn't like him due to what he did to Maia, but after learning about why he happened and his backstory I really started liking him. I also really like Maia and I love how she reads and she seems quiet sometimes but she's always ready to jump into the action. I love how the relationships have developed in this book and I was fangirling a lot of the book. I absolutely love Sizzy, like I said, Simon and Isabelle are probably my two favourites and to see them get together is just too cute. Jace and Clary's relationship is beautiful and I love how they are always willing to do anything for the other and to protect one another. You can see the bond they share and how unbreakable it is, and it's beautiful to read about. I like Maia and Jordan too, they're absolutely adorable together but I don't feel like I know them that well. I really would like to learn more of their backstories and learn more of them instead of just about their relationship.

Magnus and Alec...that ending though.

I liked the plot and it kept me interested. The fight scenes were extremely well-written and my heart rate sped up more than once in this book. The epilogue was also beautifully written and it tore at my heart. I love Jace and Clary together and they were just so wonderful in the epilogue!

My only complaint is, is that the continuous making out scenes were happening a bit too often and it made some parts seem as if they dragged on. I love my Mortal Instruments OTPs but if there is a make-out scene disrupting the flow of the novel I will become slightly bored.

Overall, I really enjoyed City of Lost Souls! I feel as if it has reignited my love for the series and I am very happy that I didn't stop at City of Fallen Angels. I'm eagerly waiting for City of Heavenly Fire and hopefully I will be able to purchase it this weekend. City of Lost Souls was heartfelt and at times, heart-breaking. It shows the lengths a person will go to to save the ones they love, even if it means death itself. Fast-paced and action packed with romance and humour, I've once again been reminded why I really adore this series!

Cassandra Clare is great at twisting characters so that you never quite know who is who or what they’re going to do next. You might think you do, but then Clare shows a whole other side to their character. Morally gray characters are so much more interesting than bland heroes and villains, especially these morally gray people who all have some connection either to heaven or hell that shapes them in uniquely powerful ways.

And I suspect it will just keep getting better in the final volume, when everything comes together at last.

There are some unanswered questions left at the end though, which is making me more eager than ever to finally reach the end of this series. I’m invested in a lot of these characters now, and I can’t wait to see where they’ll all end.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️