CASSANDRA CLARE’S “CITY OF LOST SOULS”: MUCH IMPROVED, BUT …

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!

“City of Souls” is the fifth installment in Cassandra Clare’s “Mortal Instruments” series.  The story begins with Simon, who has just arrived home following that big showdown with Lilith in the fourth book.  It’s immediately angst-laden, for Simon is barred from his own home by his mother, who thinks he is a monster that has killed and taken over his real son’s body.  In the middle of his grief, Simon receives information from Clary that Jace has gone missing.

Clary and the rest of her friends turn to the morally ambivalent Seelie Queen for help in locating Jace.  Clary strikes a deal with the Seelie Queen:  Her help in exchange for two faerie rings that have telepathic power. 

Jace returns, but isn’t his “usual” self.  Because of this, Clary uses the faerie rings instead of giving them to Seelie Queen as promised.  She keeps one of the rings for her own use, gives the other to Simon, and runs away with Jace in order to find out just what it is that’s going on with him.  She soon realizes that Jace is under her brother Sebastian’s power … but is Sebastian just as evil as Valentine was, or is he someone out to create a new world order?

Thankfully, unlike the fourth installment, “City of Fallen Angels,” this book is much improved in terms of characterization and plot.  Cassandra Clare made an effort in making the characters “grow up” (finally, Clary stops being a selfish idiot … towards the end of the story).  Simon remains as lovable as ever, and readers finally get to see Isabelle’s vulnerable side, Jace’s selfless nature, and Alec and Magnus’ weaknesses.  It was also very enjoyable to read this book, because for once, I had no idea what Sebastian’s true nature was until the end.  And the battle towards the end was fan-TAS-tic. 

However, I still have advise the parents of young readers to guide their children if they are to read this book.  As with the fourth installment, the steamy scenes are still … well, steamy, considering it’s a book for young adults.  There are other equally steamy moments between the other characters (moments that include actual implied sex), as well as an actual live-in arrangement between Alec and Magnus.  I know these things are standard practice in the Western world, and yes, I know everything has gone global with the internet … but I would still like Filipino young readers to think twice about going to bed with one’s boyfriend/girlfriend or shacking up with somebody simply because these are what the Shadowhunters did in the book. 

The gore/disgust factor remains high in this book, and the book is also laced with profanity.  So, parents might want to caution their children against adopting swear words as an alternative dialect.

RATING:  4

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

CASSANDRA CLARE’S “CITY OF GLASS”: RATED “SPG” FOR SLIMY, PUKE-INDUCING GORE

“City of Glass” is the action-packed, incredibly slimy and gore-filled climax to Clary’s story.  In this book, Clary travels to Idris, the City of Glass, in search of the spell that would waken her mother from her comatose-type sleep.  It is an impulsive move that immediately places Clary and her loved ones in danger, for entering the City of Glass without permission is against the law and punishable by death. 

Clary and Luke seek refuge in the house of Amatis, Luke’s estranged sister.  As Clary searches for the spell that will set her mother free, she is drawn to Sebastian, a dark and mysterious Shadowhunter.  Meanwhile, Valentine moves closer to fulfilling his plans of destroying the Shadowhunters.  The only way the Shadowhunters can fight Valentine is by striking an alliance with the Downworlders, their mortal enemies.  But will the Shadowhunters and Downworlders trust each other enough to fight against a common enemy?

“City of Glass” is fairly telenovela-predictable.  I suppose the readers who were up in arms over Clary and Jace’s “incestuous” relationship don’t have enough telenovela exposure to recognize that of course, there’s a plot twist to make sure Clary and Jace have their happy ending.  There are also other telenovela elements within the story that have no shred of logic, at all --- such as the recovery of Clary’s mother (quite unsatisfying) and what happens to Jace during the big showdown with Valentine (if that’s not something that you can find in a telenovela, I don’t know what is!).  If you’re a hard-to-please, nitpicky kind of reader, then you will definitely hate this book.  However, if you’re the type of reader where anything goes, then you might forgive Cassandra Clare for this book.

Romance-hungry readers will not be disappointed by “City of Glass,” for it is filled with numerous angst-ridden romantic moments between Clary and Jace.  However, I wouldn’t advise parents to allow their children to read this if they’re still quite young.  There are many, many instances in this book that are quite gory and violent (that scene alone with the guardian angel Ithuriel made me quite nauseous).  Also, there are a few scenes here and there that are too intimate for young readers to read.  No actual sexual intercourse, but still hot enough for parental guidance.  Touchy subjects such as homosexuality, homosexual relationships and parental abuse are also present.  Parents might want to closely supervise their children if they are going to read this book. 

RATING:  4  1/2

CASSANDRA CLARE’S “CITY OF ASHES”: THE PLOT THICKENS ... AND SO DOES THE GORE FACTOR …

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!

 

“City of Ashes” is the second installment in Cassandra Clare’s highly popular “Mortal Instruments” series.  In this book, Clary and the rest of the Shadowhunters have to stop their mortal … immortal (?) …. Valentine from creating his own evil army and destroying the world.  It isn’t an easy task for the Shadowhunters, especially Clary and Jace; for other than saving the world from their own father (really?), they have to deal with the humongous changes in their personal lives.  Clary, for one, not only has to adjust to her new world which is filled with strange and deadly creatures (namely, werewolves and fairies), she also has to suppress her feelings for Jace, who happens to be her brother (really?) AND deal with Simon’s love confession.  Meanwhile, Jace has to learn how to deal with his own heartbreak over Clary without the help of his family, which has disowned him.  It’s a similar situation Clary also has to face, for her mother remains in a coma.

To be honest, reading this book was tedious.  I found myself distracted many times while reading this.  I really hope it’s not due to age!  In any case, I think this is a book that’s best savored in moderate “chunks” instead of marathon sessions.  For some reason, the terms Cassandra Clare introduced in this series just didn’t stick.  The places, the new kinds of instruments … several times while reading this book, I felt like taking down notes.  What?  What were you talking about, Ms. Clare?

Thankfully, the Harry Potter similarities don’t seem as pronounced as it was in the first book.  It appears like Cassandra Clare’s story has begun to take shape at last the way SHE wants it.  However, I wonder if there’s any way she can “level up” those cliché creatures in her series.  Is there a way she can make her werewolves, fairies and vampires more interesting?  And while we’re on this subject, I just have to ask:  Is there anyone out there who wants to write a great book for young adults that DOESN’T involve all these creatures? 

Teenaged girls will have a FIELD DAY reading this book, for this is a showcase of sorts for the two heroes in Clary’s life:  Jace (the Bad Boy Hunk) and Simon (the Boy Next Door with the Heart of Gold).  It is in “City of Ashes” that we get a deeper look into the hearts of minds of these two boys who are both head over heels in love with Clary (I guess it’s every female’s fantasy to have at least two boys competing for her affections). 

Personally, Jace is so easy to dislike, given his bad boy antics.  If you’ll read some of the readers’ feedback, there are readers out there who just think he’s an asshole.  Had Cassandra Clare not given us glimpses into his REAL self (the one that’s not mouthing off all the time, or picking fights), I would have hated his character. 

However, in my opinion, it’s Simon who wins my heart in this book.  It’s hard not to like a slightly nerdy boy who’s that funny and loving and devoted to a girl.  Girls will LOVE the transformation that happens to Simon (I won’t tell you what it is, you’ll have to read the book to find out what it is).  Before that happens, though, readers are treated to a whole lot of angst and torture for Simon.  You know what it is, ladies.  The kind that makes you go, “Aaaaawwwww, let me hug you and make it all better!”

While there are still shades of Harry Potter in this book, it’s much better than City of Bones in terms of character and plot development.  Definitely much better than Twilight.  However, parents who want to screen the reading material their kids are reading must know that this is a book with a number of gory scenes.  This is not a book for the squeamish or the faint of heart.  Definitely not for very young kids who easily get nightmares from scary stuff.  I’m a grownup and even I found myself shuddering inwardly at some of the passages in this book (poor Brother Jeremiah!).

In addition, parents would probably need to advise young readers if they read this, for the book touches upon not-so-kiddie subjects, like abuse within one’s family.  It also hints at a homosexual relationship between a young man and someone who’s much older (though I really believe Cassandra Clare is just trying to throw us off-track), and (gasp!) incest (though I also believe Cassandra is just pulling our leg and will drop a bombshell when the last book comes out).  I’m actually quite amused that there are readers who were/are freaked out by the inclusion of these themes in the book.  I’m pretty sure she wrote this, telenovela fashion, and the twists will come (and restore the status quo!) very soon! 

RATING:  4 1/2

CASSANDRA CLARE’S “CITY OF BONES”: VERY GOOD, BUT SEEMS VERY FAMILIAR …

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 Bones” is the first installment in her “Mortal Instruments” series.  It is the story of Clary, a young girl who always thought she was just ordinary … until she starts seeing things that an ordinary human isn’t supposed to see.  It turns out that Clary is actually a Shadow Hunter, a creature that’s half-angel and half-human whose role is to protect humankind from demons and to protect the Mortal Cup. 

The problem is, the Mortal Cup is missing.  Apparently, the Mortal Cup is in the hands of Clary’s mother, who is nowhere to be found.  Clary has no one to turn to in helping her deal with her new identity or her mother’s disappearance.  Her uncle, Luke, has left her on her own, and so Clary has to deal with her problems with the help of Simon, her geeky but sweet and devoted best friend, and her fellow Shadow Hunters, Jace, the wise-cracking but secretly angst-ridden hunk, Isabelle, the beautiful bitch with non-existent cooking skills, and Alec, who just simply hates her guts (it turns out he’s gay and secretly in love with Jace).

As Clary tries to search for her mother, she finds herself falling for Jace.  Which presents a complication, for Simon is actually secretly in love with her.  But there’s an even bigger complication, which I won’t tell you about (if I do, it will only ruin the surprise).

I really enjoyed reading this book.  I think it’s something the young readers will enjoy (even though overall, the book seems predictable at some points).  To me, the best thing about this book is the dialogue.  There are a lot of quotable quotes here that are just so humorous.  For instance, Simon asks Clary what kind of coffee she’d like, and she answers, “Black … like my soul.” 

The characters are well-defined and the plot advances clearly and quickly.  Overall, it is a very entertaining book.  However, there are some elements where I couldn’t help but be reminded of Harry Potter, such as the following:  (1) The use of the word “mundane” (sounds a lot like “muggle”); (2) The use of wands (pretty wizard-like to me); (3) Making one’s self invisible (only in this book, a spell is cast, no Invisible Cloaks around here); (4) The “look” of the Silent Brothers (they reminded me of the Dementors); (5) Luke’s secret identity (a lot like Lupin’s).  Then again, Cassandra Clare was originally a Harry Potter fanfic author, so that’s probably just the Harry Potter influence seeping into her story.

It would be interesting to find out how Cassandra Clare develops her story in the other installments, and see whether this series would be able to stand on its own as an original, or fall flat on its face as a Harry Potter wannabe. 

RATING:  4