May 8th 2012 by Margaret K. McElderry
Format: Hard Cover
Source: My Bookshelf!
From GoodReads:
The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.
No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?
Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.
And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?
Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.
My Review:
I have said it before and I will say it again. Cassandra Clare speaks to my soul. I will be the first to admit that okay, this may have not been the BEST BOOK EVER! But, this series is one of my guilty pleasures. And I will admit that the whole Clary and Jace thing has gotten off track. Luckily we have other relationships to feed off of.
First off, Simon! I must say that after the last book I was starting to see Simon in a whole new light and now? Huge, Simon lover here!! Simon really has grown so much over the past 2 or 3 books. The developing relationship between Simon and Izzy is so very appealing. They are both so strong, so funny and so very stubborn. You have to love it. Okay...and the whole biting scene? One of Clare's best scenes ever!
And of course, I am still a huge Magnus Bane lover! He has to be one of the best characters out there. I just love every scene he is in. He brings so much emotion. He makes me laugh, cry, laugh, frustrated, laugh, angry, laugh...well you get the picture. I just love him. Right now, I am feeling very heart broken and worried for Magnus...and Alec. I can not wait for COHF!!
Putting aside my love for this series and this book, I will admit that the biggest portion of this book, dealing with Clary, Jace and Sebastian was a little...well, not really needed and a little weird. I think that most of us can agree that Sebastian's incestial tendencies were a little creepy. However, I get where Clare was going with all of it. Sebastian is crazy and the true definition of evil. I get it. And he does it well. But could the story have gone on without it? Perhaps. It is what it is and it did not deter me from going forward with this series, or lessen my love for this series or for Clare. I still adore them both. And I loved this ending! I know many people out there wanted a nice happy ending to this 5th installment. Not I. Not at all. I loved it! I just wish I did not have to wait so VERY long for COHF!!
In the end, I whole heartily recommend this book and this series. If you have not jumped into this one? Please do. It is one of my top favorite series and always recommend it to everyone I know. Thank you once again, Cassandra Clare.
Rating: 5+ Stars!