Book Review: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments #6

 Published By: Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 725
Rating: 3.5/5

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.

The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?

When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...

Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments!

*Review contains some spoilers for previous books and series*

 There was something about this book that didn't click like the previous ones have. I think it was because everything just felt too a little too easy and coincidental. For instance Brother Zachariah's regaining his humanity to become Jem again. I honestly thought there would be something more behind it but it was explained away as an unexplainable coincidence, that it probably only worked on him because of his personality. Really? Freak accident? This kind of coincidence happened a number of times through the book but that final one really got to me. I get the fact that Clare wanted to give everyone a happy ending and please her readers but I just find this kind of repetitive magical solution a little hard to swallow.

I'm also a little torn about the climax. In some ways I liked it and in others I didn't. Again it was a little too easy. I always thought Sebastian was smarter than that. For it to end like that was quite sweet, it was nice to see that side of him and I think the characters did need to mourn what could have been.

It was nice to see Alec and Magnus sort out their issues because they are just too darn cute together and to have them separated just wasn't right. I do admit there was a moment in the book where I was hoping that things wouldn't turn down the path they were heading. It was a quite intense few pages for me and the chemistry between these two had a lot to do with it.

There is a lot about this book that sets up the next series in the Shadowhunter world The Dark Artifices. Not only do we get to see the point of view of Emma and her relationship with Jules but we get a solid idea of what the plot and main conflict will be. Truthfully, I hope that something will make these characters distinctive because at this point their personalities feel a little recycled, there's not much to make them distinctive from the characters we've already come to know.  Really, I would be more interested if the book centered around any of the other Blackwood children, especially the twins. I feel there is something different and interesting there. But it seems like we'll get more Jem and Tessa though, so that's a win.

Overall, the book was an enjoyable read and conclusion to The Mortal Instruments. It was a little too happily-ever-after for my liking in a lot of aspects but I do hand it to Clare that almost not all the answers were handed to the characters on a silver platter.

Book Review: To All the Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han

To All the Boys I Loved Before #1

Published By: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 288
Rating: 4/5

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

To be honest I don't think I would've liked this book as much as I did IF I was not a fan of K-Dramas because this book reads like one. In fact I probably would've disliked this book but this is my life:
 




















So for those of you who do not watch K-Dramas, they tend to be very formulaic to the point that you can guess how it will probably end and identify the tried-and-tested plot devices. So why are they so addictive and why do I watch them, well...



So because of my drama watching I found this book on the predictable side of things. It uses one of my favourite K-Drama plot devices, the contract marriage (or in this case contract dating), and as soon as that appears you know where it's gonna lead and you know you'll probably end up with a case of SLS (second lead syndrome). And while SLS didn't affect me that much this time, I was liking the OTP. What I did like and what is usually absent in K-Dramas of the same vein is that Peter wasn't a complete tool bag to her and he did put in effort, even if I wanted to slap him every time he went crawling back to Gwen And I was excited when this happened:

While I found the overall experience of reading this book enjoyable it was not without it's faults. I really disliked Margot. I found her to be really selfish and self-absorbed. I did understand where these feelings were coming from but there were times she just grated on my nerves. Furthermore, there wasn't enough Gwen. I expected her to have a bit of a bigger role, making Lara Jean's life hell and being the bitch we were told she was. Finally Josh. There was a chance for SLS to hit hard but he fell a little flat as a love interest. By the time he became a possible competitor it was too late, he was too absent from Lara Jean's life after his breakup with Margot to be convincing. That being said I was kinda glad I didn't have to deal with another Ji Hoo...

Seriously I'll never get over this case of SLS, it was devastating :(

That being said there is another is sequel so there is plenty of time for characters to up their game, for romance to blossom fully, an amnesia scene  and a brooding shower scene with the male lead...

Wait what was I talking about?

Overall, this book is a quick fun read. Not everyone is going to enjoy it as you do have to set aside the idea of the events being realistic but if you can ignore that you might just like it. Also that ending is kinda horrible even if I can somewhat predict what will happen

Now I'm off to re-watch Boys Over Flowers because Ji Hoo! and procrastinate over homework.
 

Book Review: Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3

Published By: Little, Brown Company
Pages: 613
Rating: 5/5


By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.

Common enemy, common cause.

When Jael's brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.

And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.

But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz ... something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.

What power can bruise the sky?

From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy.

At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter?

This was me by the end of this book:


Taylor has once again produced a piece of work that is just pure magic. This series has never failed to be vivid, imaginative and an excellent example in world-building. And just like Days of Blood and Starlight built upon Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Dreams of Gods and Monsters builds on again. It was a joy to read and see this universe continue to expand until the possibilities became endless. It was particularly interesting to read an account of how humanity might react to an invasion of angels and monsters, and the possible fallout of differing theologies.

However, despite my enjoyment I did question some of the writing decisions Taylor made (although these did diminish as the book progressed). From the first chapter we are introduced to a new point-of view (one of a couple), a fact that was very confusing for most of the book. I was waiting and waiting for an explanation for this, to see what part these characters could possibly play in the grand scheme of things. And I got one. Was it satisfactory? My feels are still all over the place about this. Their inclusion makes sense but that completely depends on how you feel about the end of the book.

Truthfully, I'm not sure how I feel about the end of the book or understand all of it. In some ways it feels that the trilogy was just a lead up to the big reveal rather than the battle with Jael, in other ways it felt like Taylor trying to tie up loose ends quickly and in another way the ending felt right for the story. By the time you sort out your feels I think you'll either love or hate the ending. For me I think I'm leaning towards the love, after all there is a sense that  it isn't the end and we can get more books but if not I can still be satisfied.