This is the second time I have read this book, and I enjoyed it immensely. I don't know if I loved it as much as the second book in the trilogy, but it was still immensely entertaining. The characterisation and humour still flowed strongly in this tome and made it a very entertaining read. All of the characters were written brilliantly, all lending their own unique story lines to the tome. The plot twists can be predicted by people who are paying enough attention because of the hints given, but they were still written beautifully. I loved the story and the creation of the world, it was all just wonderful. Idris is such a beautiful place that you can practically feel with all of your senses. It is the kind of worls that stays with you after you leave it.
I loved the relationship between Alec and Magnus and how it was understandably complicated and yet sweet at the same time. Magnus clearly has a lot of patience to wait for Alec to make his mind up about what he wants, and what he is prepared to give, but he is a Warlock who has seen many centuries so clearly he knows what he wants! The love triangles (Octagons?) had my head spinning! I could barely keep up, it showed the characters painful humanity and I loved it!
The relationship between Clary and Jace is beautiful and painful. It demonstrates gloriously the wonder of what true love is, the way it can make a person feel and how it can affect their body and soul. Yet it is forbidden, it is openly discussed that it will be perceived as disgusting for most people and that they would have to run away if they were to ever be truly together. But they themselves know it is wrong so they manage to abstain and hide their true feelings for one another. After all, incest is not something that they can accept and move on from, especially when they find themselves only being able to love one another. It is awfully beautiful and yet agony at the same time, in the hands of a more juvenile author this could have been a disaster, but Cassandra Clare handled it brilliantly, and in my opinion she got the balance just right, the characters had a level of love that most could only dream of, and yet it was bitter sweet as they faced the realisation that they could never truly be together, even though being apart would be a harsh experience for both of them. It was a daring, unique love story and I don't think I will read one that is similar to it, any time soon.
The dialogue in this book is some of the best I have ever read. The character's interactions are engaging and can make you laugh out loud. And the wit! Oh dear the wit! The humour in this book was brilliant, I loved the banter and the one liners. Their quips are enough to make you jealous and their emotions are so intense that you can do very little to stop yourself being carried along on the journey with them. From Jace's biting sarcasm and pointed wit to Simon's casual self deprecation this book will have you chuckling and gasping along with the character's that the comments are directed towards. They could take a very dramatic scene and still leave you chortling at a character's bare faced cheek and brilliant comments.
The character of Sebastian created a new twist to the story, and even with the revelation that occurs just over half way through the book the ending reveal about his character still tops it. He was a fresh new personality to see in the series and in my opinion increased the pace and the drama. The action of the book doesn't slow down, and every twist is written wonderfully enough to make you dizzy. I love the way that Clary slowly develops from a somewhat comfortable, almost shy, character to a powerful lead capable of great inner strength and skill. She shows herself to be loyal, determined and an unlikely heroine of the Shadowhunter world, and yet she is at no point perfect or over confident, which can be over powering in some stories. This is a balance that Cassandra Clare has achieved brilliantly, and Clary is a character that I really like to read about.
There was not a part of this book that felt a chore to read, which given it's length is quite an achievement. It covers more than one battle, and many twists and turns for the individual characters and yet doesn't feel over filled with information or description. From the heartbreaking emotional moments to the sections that make you feel triumph along with the characters, this book is a great read. I would recommend this series to anyone and I genuinely can't wait for the next book or the prequel trilogy to be released. I just know that anything by this author will be a joy to read.
Currently Reading: White Cat By Holly Black
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