City of Fallen Angels

I cried when I finished the third book of this "trilogy".  After all, why not?  Cassandra Clare had created lovable characters who were easy to relate to, and really fascinating storylines and plot twists.  So whilst browsing Amazon a few weeks ago looking for new books for my Kindle, I came across this book and bought it without a second thought.  It was a good buy.  Although I didn't really feel the need for another sequel after the third book was so nicely wrapped up, Clare didn't disappoint, and actually pointed out some loose strings that she had left untied at the end of her last novel.  New characters are introduced and really add to the story; overall, I'd say this is one of the best books in the series.

The story is largely told by Simon, giving you a better shot at knowing and understanding his previously-undeveloped character.  He has more guts and says some really funny lines and is one of my new favorite people in the saga as he struggles with teenage relationships, family problems, and of course, being the most powerful vampire in existence.

Before I bought this book, I read some of the reviews from Amazon.com.  Many people stated that Clary is whiny and her relationship with Jace is overly strained - they should just be together, period.  I actually liked the new problems that came between them and found Clary to have matured since the last novel.  Although there were a few dry pages of "He loves me/he loves me not" on Clary's part, the majority of their relationship is accurate to real teen drama, and Clare delves into the action pretty quickly.

I finished this book in a day and a half and absolutely can't wait for the next one to come out.  My only problem:  Magnus and Alec didn't play a very big role and only made an appearance in the last quarter of the book.  You can infer from the mild cliffhanger, however, that they will be back and important in the next part of this story.

All-in-all, Clare did a seamless job blending mythology and religion in this new book that will leave both avid readers and less-enthusiastic teens wanting more.

Hungry Lionel gives this:

4.5/5