City of Lost Souls

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare (audio book)

Clary Fray has left the love of her life, Jace, alone on the rooftop of the New York Institute with their dead “brother’s” body thinking that the latest crisis has been averted. Alas, dear me, it has not. Sebastian is not dead. The demon, Lilith, Sebastian’s mother, managed to complete her ritual inextricably linking Sebastian and Jace together with Jace subservient to Sebastian. The two have vanished without a trace and are untraceable even.

Knowing how dangerous Sebastian is, free in the world, the Clave of Shadowhunters had made finding him a priority until new and pressing dangers surface. The wards protecting our world from the world of demons are collapsing. When the Shadowhunters suspend their search, Clary and her team of teenagers determine to continue the hunt. Jace must be found and saved.

Not only are Sebastian and Jace bound to each other, much like Shadowhunter parabatai, but they are connected by flesh and blood as well. If a wound is inflicted upon one, the other will receive the same injury. Sebastian cannot be killed without Jace dying as well. The Clave is determined to capture and kill Sebastian and accept that Jace will be a casualty. Of course, this is unacceptable to Clary and her team.

Clary’s teams consists of the usual: her best friend Simon, the vampire who can walk in the sun’s light; Alec, Jace’s brother and parabatai; Isabelle, Jace’s feisty sister; Magnus, New York’s Head Warlock. Werewolves, Jordan and Maia, have taken on a somewhat greater role as members of the team as well. Clary provides herself as bait to lure Jace and Sebastian home. The rest of the team is given the challenge to find a way to separate the two once found and captured. Nothing on earth can break the link. How about something of Heaven or Hell?

Clare, the author, spends more time in this book advancing the relationships of the couples, than advancing the plot. In fact, some couples go so far as to actually have sex – I believe this is a first in the series. Not graphic, but certainly realized.

The author also makes big deals about doing things as if they have never been done before – raising demons and summoning angels – things that should be rare and rarely undertaken. But they actually occur many times within her series so it feels less than awe-inspiring or fear-inducing. Oh, and we also have to kill the main character. Several times. But don’t worry, they are always brought back to life.

Unfortunately, the same thing cannot be said about the series. It feels quite dead. Clary and Jace’s relationship has become quite static and boring which is a shame for it is their relationship that drives the whole machine.

Very clearly, the series did not need another volume and certainly not this one. The series should have remained a trilogy. The author should be concentrating on The Infernal Devices which is the more lovely of the two. Unfortunately, we already know that there is a sixth in the works. Angels help us.

The Infernal Devices Series: Clockwork Angel

The Mortal Instruments Series: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels