I read the reviews after buying the book (never a smart move at the best of times). The ratings were dismal and the opinions ranged from scornful to downright scathing. Another impulsive purchase (I often get blindslided by eye-catching artwork) gone astray and I was geared for the sad fact that my reading of this book would be peppered with the occasional teeth gnashing/ eye-rolling.
But….
But… I liked the book. I really did. So.Shoot.Me.
First up, a little summary:
CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS begins a few months after the epic battle that ended in the CITY OF GLASS. Fellow Shadowhunters, Clary Fairchild and Jace Wayland are in love…an all-encompassing, seemingly secure love that is oddly threatened by a dark secret harboured by Jace. Clary’s best friendSimon is adjusting to his new life as a vampire…a Daylighter, to be precise. Overnight he has turned from a skinny nerd into an unexpected “playa” dating two girls (Isabelle and Maia) simultaneously. This could be the least of his problems because he suddenly finds himself to be the most sought after pawn in the warring Vampire community. Another pressing issue is that murdered Shadowhunters seem to be popping up all over New York City. It doesn’t help that the victims (who were members of Valentine’s Circle) have been killed in a manner that is meant to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters.
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Why I didn’t go *ack!, erlack!, Sacre Bleu!?!!!* while reading the book:
a) I didn’t expect to like the Jace-Clary love story. I agree with the readers who were pretty content with the fact that a trilogy was sufficient to tie up all the loose ends and have the *newly-united-through-wrath-of-hell-and-brimstone* couple saunter off into the horizon.
Happily.Ever.After.
The End.
BUT, I read the aftermath of their love story without feeling the need to rip my arm off and club myself on the head with it repeatedly (a feeling I am well-acquainted with after wading through reams of Twilight Trauma). Jace and Clary may be a self-absorbed pair but it’s not a patch on the mind-numbing selfishness of Bella and Edward. I wasn’t subjected to continuous monologues on how painfully-beautiful Jace was or how perfectly-precious Clary was or how the whole wide world could go take a flying leap so long as Jace and Clary could snog each other senseless.
Sure they did have the odd emo moment. Sure they whined and cribbed and check their silent phones incessantly. But it’s okay. They are teenagers, (super-amped, night-creature fighting teenagers, no doubt); but teenagers nevertheless. How could the author make them sound like a fledgling couple going through some seriously warped issues without throwing in the obligatory teen rant? It’s understandable. It IS tedious, but NOT terrible. Jace endeared himself to me when he went
“If you died, I wouldn’t want to live. But I wouldn’t kill myself, because whatever happens after we die, I want to be with you there. And if I killed myself, I know you’d never talk to me again. In any life. So I’d live, and I’d try to make something out of my life, until I could be with you again.”I liked the fact that it displayed a spunky quality in Clary and a grounded side to Jace. It’s not Shakespeare. But it is oddly sensible.
b) I liked Simon Lewis all through the trilogy. I liked him as the geeky best friend pining over an unrequited love. And I like him now; a seemingly cool, smart-mouthed vampire with an oddly endearing vulnerability. The Mark of Cain which is his cursed blessing was a crucial tool in the story and it was employed effectively. Clare has fledged out his character and loaded him with enough moments to make him a crucial player in the story. Notwithstanding the reluctant warrior role that he portrays, he is the kind of trusty friend every supernatural a**-kicking heroine needs.
c) Isabelle and Magnus Bane were two of my favourite characters and they don’t disappoint. Kyle, the newest entrant to the series has a promising story-arc. There are a host of other characters that lay the groundwork for future chaos and annihilation
d) The plot was well-paced. The tale jumped between the characters without jarring my understanding and was pretty engrossing. The action sequences crackled and the villains were sufficiently vile to send a shiver down my spine.
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In all, I didn’t hate the book. I was hooked from start to finish. I never felt the need to make my unflappable butler (if I had a butler) jump out of his skin as I yelled “WHY GOD, WHY??? Why subject me to this awful abomination, this piteous attempt at milking a reluctant cash-cow, this travesty of a supposed love-story??? WHY?!?”.
No. I liked the book.
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