CASSANDRA CLARE’S “CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS”: WHERE’S THE STORY?

RATING GUIDE:

 

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

Cassandra Clare’s “City of Fallen Angels” is the fourth installment in Cassandra Clare’s highly popular “Mortal Instruments” series.  I wish I could give you an idea of what the book’s story/plot is about.  The problem is, I could hardly find any story in this very disappointing book. 

“City of Fallen Angels” gives us a glimpse of life for the Shadowhunters, post-Valentine.  Unfortunately, Clary and Jace still don’t have their happy-ever-after ending.  For some inexplicable reason, Jace has decided to keep his distance from Clary, which just tears Clary up inside.  Meanwhile, Simon has to contend with the problems of being a (hottie) vampire.  That includes having to fend off the attention of fan girls, keeping his mother from discovering his true vampire nature, and having to choose between two girlfriends.  As for Alec, his “bro-mance” with Magnus is (presumably) blossoming, for Alec is almost nowhere to be found within the story.  But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, problem-wise, for all of the Shadowhunters.  For the powerful demon Lilith, a creature more powerful and evil than Valentine, wishes to create an army of demon babies/“reverse Shadowhunters”. 

If you’ve ever watched any of the local telenovelas on TV, then I’m pretty sure you can tell when a network decides to extend the run of a telenovela that has run its natural course so its profitability can be maximized.  You get introduced to new characters, there are suddenly new major villains … I get the impression that this is what happened in the case of Cassandra Clare’s “Mortal Instruments” series.  I suspect that Clare meant to create a trilogy, but some wise guy suddenly realizes there’s more money to be made from the series, so the wise guy asks Cassandra Clare to churn out more books.  The result?  A book that’s not very hefty in terms of plot or character development.

Call me conservative, call me a prude, but I really have don’t like it when sex is treated so cavalierly in books that are supposed to be for young adults.  I know it’s a romance, a young adult romance, but when sex is presented as something that’s romantic and natural between then young adults without any reminders or consequences, then it just really, really bugs me.  I know, this is probably the Generation Gap at work here.  But still, I don’t want readers to get the impression that sex is just all romance, because it isn’t … especially if a young person gets pregnant. 

In this book, Jace and Clary make out like there’s no tomorrow, and I almost wondered if I was reading a steamy romance paperback novel, given the action (I half-expected Jace to devirginize Clary in a deserted alley) … however, Cassandra Clare stopped the action just in time for any actual orgasms and penetration to take place (so the parents wouldn’t object to their kids reading this book?).  I know we live in less conservative times, many teens are actually experimenting with sex, but still … I wouldn’t want any author to impress upon any young reader that sex is all romance and doesn’t have any consequences. 

The best part about this book was Cassandra Clare’s depiction of Simon after he was transformed into a vampire.  Unfortunately, Cassandra failed to follow through on that promising storyline, no thanks to her introduction of new characters/villains, and the almost-sextravaganzas between Clary and Jace.  Thankfully (for me), alas (for Jace fans), Simon remained my hero in this book.  Love must truly render anyone blind (and stupid), for I found myself thinking how Clary must be such an idiot for choosing Jace over Simon.

Squeamish readers, be warned, for the gore and disgust factor remains high in this book (what Cassandra Clare wrote about babies is enough to give you nightmares).

I wouldn’t necessarily keep young readers away from this book.  However, if I were a parent, I’d make sure their children know that the sexy bits in this book are as fantasy-laden as the other elements of this story … meaning, having sex with your first love doesn’t guarantee you won’t get pregnant … even if you have Shadowhunter powers. 

RATING:  2 1/2