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Book Review of City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments, Bk 5)

City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments, Bk 5)
virago avatar reviewed on + 267 more book reviews


A Very Low 3 Stars. If it wasn't for Simon in all his awesomeness it wouldn't have even gotten 2 stars.

Lots of rambling and possible spoilers ahead:

*ugh* Where do I even start?! This wasn't as terrible as a lot of people say it is...once you sift through the ridiculous amount of Clary whining over Jace. Can I just say that Jace under Sebastathan's control was much more likable than normal Jace?! CC really wrote him as an unlikable character. And it's funny because his love for himself and confidence could be compared with Magnus', but where Magnus is sassy and hilarious, Jace is conceited to the point where he seems like he's truly in love with himself, and it's just U.G.L.Y. (He ain't got no alibi!)

And is it wrong that I LOVE Sebastathan? Where I hated Valentine because he was just a crazy zealot, I love Sebastathan because he's just pure evil. Valentine mistook his crazy self righteousness for pure intentions. Sebastathan knows he's evil and is surprisingly okay with it. Although deep down I think he does wish he was capable of love and being loved--specifically by Jace and Clary. That just may be his downfall. Or maybe not. More than likely Jace and new his heavenly fire along with Clary's blind, dumb luck will be the end for Sebastathan.

And once again Clary races off into danger to save Jace without regard to herself or anyone else. Simon, Alec, Isabelle, and Magnus all risked their lives by summoning a greater demon and an actual angel of the lord, but at least they went in with a plan and they all worked together. Clary sees Jace in trouble and just goes running blindly into the unknown leaving everyone else to (potentially) pick up the pieces if her non-plan is an epic fail. Which it usually is. I get love, love so deep and passionate that you would potentially let the world burn to save your beloved, but that's only in thought not in deed. Once she stopped and thought about what was happening, she realized what a ginormously huge mistake she made by not letting Jace sacrifice himself. Jace knew what the cost of saving himself would be, and he didn't want to pay it. Now Sebastathan is on the loose with an Infernal Cup and revenge on his mind. He will very likely make a huge shadowhunter-hunter army. There will be a huge war and lots of people who didn't have to die, will in fact die. I'll say it again, Clary is selfish and thoughtless. It would have probably broken her to lose Jace, but the world would have kept on turning, Magnus is proof of it. I just feel like her selfishness is constantly rewarded. The amount of angst this couple exudes is just too much. I know it's teenage love, but DAMN!

Isabelle needs to get over herself and tell Simon how she feels. She's the first one to think men should be tripping over themselves for her--that no one is worthy of her greatness, so why would anyone feel like they could truly have her? Why would they express their undying love if they know they're unworthy of her? That they'll just be shot down? She's another one with just a little too much conceit for my taste. I love a strong, confident, badass woman, but there's a thin line between self assurance and narcissism.

And poor, sad, clueless Alec. I feel so, so bad for him. He's never done a relationship--even his familial relationships seem to be seriously lacking in the relationship department. Magnus was one hundred percent right to break-up with him--I sure as hell would have--but I still feel bad for Alec. He doesn't know what to do with these feels he's having, and quite frankly there isn't any one to talk to about them. His parents are useless, his sister is too self involved, Jace and Clary can't see past one another, and he has no other true friends--he'd ever go to Simon. He was scared, and jealous, and confused, but it didn't make what he did right, even if he did realize what a dumb ass he was and decided to do the right thing in the end. It was so wrong to try to make such an enormous decision for Magnus. He should have spoken to Magnus about it; if he had been honest, he would have learned that Magnus was already considering it, and that would have probably been enough to ease his fears. But he didn't talk to the man he supposedly loved and ended up losing him. Poora, poora, pussy cat. (Anyone who gets that reference has my respect as a lover of old school!)

And poor Magnus! How must he feel being betrayed by someone he loves so deeply. He never wanted to, or thought he could be in love with a shadowhunter, but he made an exception for Alec--not that he could have stopped himself from loving him, but he could have stayed away from him. Magnus risked a lot getting involved with a young, inexperienced, closeted, shadowhunter. He risked his heart, his life, and quite frankly his sanity to be with Alec and he was repaid with treachery. And what's worse, he was actually considering giving up his immortality so that he could grow old with Alec. That's like the ultimate slap in the face!

Now with all that being said, Alec didn't mean any harm, and he really had come to his senses before he did anything irreparably stupid. I truly hope Magnus doesn't take too long to realize this and they get back together. But I'm sure the road to a Malec reunion will be long and full of *shudder* angst. I never knew there could be too much teenage angst in an YA series and yet we have this series. I'm committed now; five books deep, there's no turning back. There had just better be an epic reunion of Alec and Magnus in the next book...and less Clace wangst!