Review: City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments, #5) by Cassandra Clare

The New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments continues—and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary, and Simon.

What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost?

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

With any series, authors run the risk of their readers becoming bored or losing interest over time with the characters and plot layouts.  This series is a true testament to Clare's ability to engage her readers and continuing to keep them coming back for me each and every time.  I'll admit that despite loving the first four books in the series, for some reason I lost track of the release date of this book and was a little bit behind in reading it after it had hit the shelves.  I did my best to avoid reading or coming across any spoilers on line because as much as I enjoy the series, I had a feeling that if I knew what happened before cracking the cover that I'd likely put it aside in the TBR pile and might never get to it.  So with my caution, I was able to find the time to get this book started without seeing what others thought beforehand.  And once I got started like with her other books, it was difficult to put down. 

When there's any kind of romance, I'm a sucker through and through.  So having two of my favorite characters be separated or go through so many obstacles and challenges was a tough pill to swallow for me.  But as always, Clary and Jace kept me entertained from start to finish and Sebastian remained quite the villain in my opinion.  Each character had their moments of foolishness, times to shine, and episodes where I questioned who they were and if their good vs. evil side of the coin was changing.  I enjoyed the anticipation Clare built with this installment and her well developed plot and constantly evolving characters kept things fresh and exciting for me from the first page to the very last.

Again the side characters (if you can even call them that) were very much on point and kept things moving when readers were given a break from the intense situations Clary and Jace were facing.  Humor was added as well as suspense and as always a roller coaster of emotions was played out for readers and fans alike.

I'm not sure how Clare keeps finding ways to surprise me or have me remain on the edge of my seat, but I'm not complaining at all.  I'm still playing catch up with the series, but now that the sixth and final installment is out of the shelves, City of Heavenly Fire, I'm anxious to find out where Clare will take her characters, and how she'll wrap this series up.  Fingers crossed our favorite characters can outlast her obstacles and somehow fight their way through to their much deserved happily ever afters.

Countdown: 2012 Releases (4)

You guys know the drill by now...I'm always on the lookout for new finds and exciting new reads and below are just a few that I've come across this week. With how busy everyone gets if I don't write the titles down immediately I'll never be able to remember them later when I'm ready to download a new book to my kindle, or pick one up in the store wondering which shelf to look through first. So by posting these countdowns I give myself one more place to look when I need to be reminded of the titles I've been looking forward to.

And as always if you guys hear of any that you haven't seen me post let me know. Like I said, I only have so much time to search for future reads on my own, and to be honest, the majority of my favorite titles I owe to friends/bloggers/author recommendations. So leave a comment, shoot me an email, etc...if there are any books or authors you think I should have on my radar.

Countdown Pick #1: City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments, #5) by Cassandra Clare ( 5/8/2012)

The New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series continues - and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary, and Simon. Can the lost be reclaimed? What price is too high to pay for love? Who can be trusted when sin and salvation collide? Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

I just adore Clare's writing and her Mortal Instruments series had me hooked right from the beginning of book one, and four books later, she's got me counting down and craving book five, just so I can find out what happens next to Clary and the rest of the shadowhunter gang.

I'm still not sure how she does or how she manages to continuously come up with new plot lines and twists that leave readers reeling, but regardless I'm grateful. She's one of those authors that has the gift of an addicting voice, writing that flows so fluidly that you don't even realizing your reading a book, rather you feel like you've been transported into the pages of her world and are interacting with the characters themselves.

Countdown Pick #2: The Clockwork Princess (Infernal Devices, #3) by Cassandra Clare (11/1/2012)
In Clockwork Princess, Tessa and her companions travel all over the world as they race to stop the clockwork army before it's too late. As Jem's health worsens alarmingly and his friends search desperately for a cure, can Tessa choose between the two boys she loves - even if it means never seeing the other one again?

Sticking with the Cassandra Clare bandwagon on this one, if you're a fan of her Mortal Instruments series, than I'm sure if you've discovered her Infernal Devices series, the same can be said. It's impossible to stay clear of Clare's writing once you've gotten a taste. I was skeptical as to whether her Infernal Devices series could stand up to the clearly awesome Mortal Instruments series, but it does just that. And to be honest, as much as I love Clary, Jace and Simon, along with everyone else in her other series, there's something about this series that trumped it for me. When I figure out what that something is, I'll be sure to spread the word, but in the meantime, I just want Clare to continue to churn these masterpieces out as quickly as she can manage, because I'm not sure that I'll ever be able to get enough.

Countdown Pick #3: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green (1/10/2012)

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumors in her lungs...for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumors tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Now if there's anyone out there reading this synopsis and isn't already feeling protective about Hazel, I'm not sure how you did it. One read through of this description and I was invested. I've yet to read anything of John Green's but everyone I talk to seems to say the same thing; he's a genius! His writing seems to speak to people on a level unlike what we're all used to or have come to expect. This story might not be a laugh out loud kind of read, but if you can prepare yourself for an emotional and probably difficult to get through kind of read, than to be honest this one sounds like it would be well worth it. No need to countdown on this find since it came out earlier this month, but I couldn't resist adding it to the list so that I'd be able to remind myself not to let this one slip through the cracks.

Countdown Pick #4: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, #1) by Marissa Meyer (1/3/2012)

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl...

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother, and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

I wasn't sure how I felt about this one originally. I had gotten wind of it a while back but moved on quickly for what reason I don't know. I've always been a fan a remakes and retellings, but it might be because while I enjoyed Cinderella as a kid, it was never my absolute favorite fairy tale. So I didn't give this take a fair chance. So when I came across the title again this week on several blogs and was hearing positive feedback, I figured I should probably look into it one more time. Now that I've got a more open frame of mind, I think this one sounds kind of cool. Retellings can always go in any number of directions, but I really think this spin that Meyer's is working with sounds more unique than most. So if you've had the chance to get into this one, let me know what you thought, and in the meantime, I think it's about time I got myself a copy of my own.

Countdown Pick #5: The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith (1/2/2012)

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything? Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second changes and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

I'm already picturing major romance here and the excitement is building. How could I have missed this one? I'm not familiar with the author, but I will be soon. This read sounds like one of those stories that no matter what happens with the main characters, you can't help but walk away feeling a little bit more optimistic than when you first started. Sounds crazy right? Regardless of what transpires between Hadley and Oliver, just as the synopsis says, just the idea of true love find everyone when they're not expecting it, possibly not even believing in it, well how can anyone not think that sounds like a winner? So it's been added to the list, and I think I might just need to turn my kindle on a.s.a.p. and have this one beamed over to me right away, because who doesn't need an excuse to feel a little bit more optimistic on a daily basis?