Review: The Mortal Instruments Trilogy
I've been meaning to write a review for The Mortal Instruments series for some days now, but the words wouldn't come. You know when you love something so much and you can't express your feelings the way you would otherwise? That's how I feel about those books.
First and foremost, thank you elliania for recommending these to me. I am forever indebted to you.
If any of you have read it, do tell me (if only to alleviate the crazy that built up in me). If you haven't and young adult fiction is of some interest to you, then do yourselves a favour and pick it up. I'm serious! It is action-packed, riveting and completely engaging. The author, who was once a popular LotR and HP fanfiction writer, knows exactly how to keep her plot interesting and original, her characters unique and relatable and a love story at once angst-ridden and heartfelt (I'm holding my breath because I don't want to reveal too much! lol)
Believe me, I had a hard time putting these books down. Even during the busiest of times, the only things on my mind were... OMG JACE. OMG CLARY. OMG SIMON...
So, yeah. Read them and report back to me. If you need more convincing, let me know ;)
The Author
Cassandra Clare. That name was so familiar to me when I first heard it. It wasn't until I was through with the second book that I found out she was once a BNF. And then it clicked! Anyway, I'm truly happy she now publishes her own novels, because... well, because she's good! As a writer and as a storyteller.
The Plot
I should've taken notes, because I'm pretty sure I've forgotten everything. In all seriousness, I thought the story was well-crafted. There was obviously a lot of thought, planning and research put into these novels, as should be, and one cannot be read without the other.
The Shadowhunter world is an enticing and fascinating one. And although vampires, werewolves, fairies, warlocks and demons are very much present in the series, it felt a little different from most stories told these days. It is fresh, vivid and brilliant! In many ways, it was very reminiscent of BtVS on occasion (which was lovely), but it was completely its own thing as well. I applaud Cassandra for recognizing and respecting quality storytelling.
The touchiest and most compelling plot-device for me were family relations. If I were capable of doing it, I would write a paper on this! Unfortunately, I'm not. In fact, I can't even find the words to explain how much I loved the plot. The fact that Valentine, the evil of all evils (well, no, but he's still pretty demonic), is Clary's father was kind of a bomb. And all the time we were lead to believe that Jace too was his son? That was such a cruel joke that was painful to read and what got me hooked at the same time. As to why I torture myself like that, I do not know!
The experiments that Valentine performed on Jace, Clary and Sebastien were maybe intended for good, but totally insane in nature! I thought this was amazing. What with Clary's ability to create new runes and Sebastien's complete lack of humanness, mind-blowing material right there! Reading about normal people is great and all, but people who are different, who are special, who have hero qualities, those make for a better story. Harry Potter, Buffy... y'all know what I'm saying. Another amazing thing about this series is how unpredictable it can sometimes be (except for Jace/Clary not being brother/sister. I totally called that!). Edge of my seat, people. Edge of my seat.
City of Bones was hilarious. The action on the boat in City of Ashes was epic and everything in City of Glass was spectacular. The scene with the angel, Ithuriel, was so tragic, but clarified so much. And everything after that was bloody brilliant that I'd need a dozen more paragraphs to cover it all.
Overall, the plot was great. If I had any prompts, I could probably elaborate some more, but I think this is sufficient. When people start reading these novels, I will gladly have lengthy conversations about them. I assure you that.
Jace and Clary
Mostly, my reaction to Jace and Clary is !!!!!!!!11!! followed by !!!!!!!!!@!!!!!!!11! I guess this summarizes my love for them, if you can call it that. It's hard to be eloquent when you're in fandom mode, which I can't seem to switch off.
When I first started City of Bones, I didn't particularly care too much about Clary. Then again, I never care about main characters. They kind of have to earn my love. And well, she did. Jace, on the other hand, was love at first sight. I was mesmorized and taken aback by his charm. And then the two of them were entirely too cute together. She couldn't get him off her mind, and he couldn't get her off his and it was all so very adorable.
Until they find out they are brother and sister and then their world (and mine) SHATTERS. I am not lying when I tell you that I just dropped the book when I first read that. I was in complete shock. "WTF WTF WTF" was the only coherent thought in my mind. So I'm reading City of Ashes, and I'm nervous and desperate and slowly dying. All the while, I'm so sure that Jace and Clary are NOT brother and sister. Because why the fuck would a writer do that to their readers!? I mean, unless you're Thomas Hardy and incest is kinky to you. Seriously though, I was 100% sure they weren't related, and although I enjoyed every single moment between Jace and Clary, I felt sick to my stomach because it was so wrong. Oh, so wrong. I tend to be very logic in the way I think, and still this was messed up. And yet, Jace/Clary = OTP 4 LIFE.
Too many heartbreaking scenes. At the Seelie court when the queen made them kiss. OMFG. At the Wayland estate when Jace realized he had demon blood in him. And at Amatis' house, when he wanted to spend the night with her. Too fucking sad. Ugh, this series is so angsty.
Basically, I absolutely love those two. Thank you so much, Cassandra, for writing such a wonderful story and bringing Jace and Clary into my life.
The Other Characters
I can't write this review without mentioning everyone else, because all the characters in these novels are well-developed and very lovable.
Simon: My precious little Simon, whom I adore above all, is the third wheel in this love story. I'm not worried about him though. If book IV is in fact about him, then I can't wait. He's too sweet, too funny and too good not to love.
Isabelle: Isabelle actually reminded me of Isabelle from Roswell (but with black hair). She can be a snob, but she's got quite a lovely personality. Loved her.
Alec: Oh, Alec. You brooding and sexy man. I loved the progress this character has made throughout the series. He showed real strength and was fearless when the time required it.
Luke: If he were anyone else, I'd tell him to stop sulking and just move on with his life. But it's Luke, and he's great. Love makes you do crazy things sometimes.
All the other characters were superb as well. Can't go through them all, sadly.
Memorable Quotes
There are too many, but here are a few funny ones I had taken note of while reading.
"The 'hey' thing that you guys always do. Like when you saw Jace and Alec, you said 'hey', and they said 'hey' back. What's wrong with 'hello'?"
She thought she saw a muscle twitch in his cheek. "'Hello' is girly," he informed her. "Real men are terse. Laconic."
"So the more manly you are, the less you say?"
"Right." Simon nodded. [...] "That's why when major badasses greet each other in movies, they don't say anything, they just nod. The nod means, 'I am badass, and I recognize that you, too, are a badass,' but they don't say anything because they're Wolverine and Magneto and it would mess up their vibe to explain."
City of Bones, p. 339-340
…Have you fallen in love with the wrong person yet?’
Jace said, “Unfortunately, Lady of the Haven, my one true love remains myself.”
“At least,” she said, “you don’t have to worry about rejection, Jace Wayland.”
“Not necessarily. I turn myself down occasionally, just to keep it interesting."
City of Bones, p. 345
Isabelle looked dubious. "Mom and dad won't be pleased when they find out."
"That you freed a possible criminal by trading away your brother to a warlock who looks like a gay Sonic the Hedgehog and dresses like the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?" Simon inquired. "No, probably not."
City of Ashes, p. 150
"Simon!”
The voice was Clary’s. He would know it anywhere. He wondered if his mind was conjuring it up now, a sense memory of what he’d most loved during life to carry him through the process of death.
“Simon, you stupid idiot! I’m over here! At the window!”
Simon jumped to his feet. He doubted his mind would conjure that up."
City of Glass, p. 265
I love Simon and his run-on sentences. Jace has some pretty good lines too, but I had a harder time tracking them.
The Potential Movie
Although I'm not against the prospect of The Mortal Instruments being adapted to the big screen, it will kill me if it isn't done right. Because, unlike Twilight, I actually REALLY care about these novels and their characters and it would be totally disrespectful to the author if the movies are butchered. Now I now they've been auctioned off to Unique Features (the people behind the the LotR movies run this production company), so there's hope. I have faith that they won't ruin it, lol. As for casting, I visualize Alex Pettyfer as Jace and maybe Emma Roberts as Emma (haha, unlikely!), but I'm super flexible. Of course, Alex Pettyfer as Jace would be FANTASTIC.
I guess this pretty much sums it up. I hope I didn't overwhelm you or anything.
I need a new series to read. They're the only ones I can get absorbed in. Got any? Preferably sans vampires and werewolves. I think I need a break from those, lol. Or if there's a novel you think I'd like, let me know!
First and foremost, thank you elliania for recommending these to me. I am forever indebted to you.
If any of you have read it, do tell me (if only to alleviate the crazy that built up in me). If you haven't and young adult fiction is of some interest to you, then do yourselves a favour and pick it up. I'm serious! It is action-packed, riveting and completely engaging. The author, who was once a popular LotR and HP fanfiction writer, knows exactly how to keep her plot interesting and original, her characters unique and relatable and a love story at once angst-ridden and heartfelt (I'm holding my breath because I don't want to reveal too much! lol)
Believe me, I had a hard time putting these books down. Even during the busiest of times, the only things on my mind were... OMG JACE. OMG CLARY. OMG SIMON...
So, yeah. Read them and report back to me. If you need more convincing, let me know ;)
The Author
Cassandra Clare. That name was so familiar to me when I first heard it. It wasn't until I was through with the second book that I found out she was once a BNF. And then it clicked! Anyway, I'm truly happy she now publishes her own novels, because... well, because she's good! As a writer and as a storyteller.
The Plot
I should've taken notes, because I'm pretty sure I've forgotten everything. In all seriousness, I thought the story was well-crafted. There was obviously a lot of thought, planning and research put into these novels, as should be, and one cannot be read without the other.
The Shadowhunter world is an enticing and fascinating one. And although vampires, werewolves, fairies, warlocks and demons are very much present in the series, it felt a little different from most stories told these days. It is fresh, vivid and brilliant! In many ways, it was very reminiscent of BtVS on occasion (which was lovely), but it was completely its own thing as well. I applaud Cassandra for recognizing and respecting quality storytelling.
The touchiest and most compelling plot-device for me were family relations. If I were capable of doing it, I would write a paper on this! Unfortunately, I'm not. In fact, I can't even find the words to explain how much I loved the plot. The fact that Valentine, the evil of all evils (well, no, but he's still pretty demonic), is Clary's father was kind of a bomb. And all the time we were lead to believe that Jace too was his son? That was such a cruel joke that was painful to read and what got me hooked at the same time. As to why I torture myself like that, I do not know!
The experiments that Valentine performed on Jace, Clary and Sebastien were maybe intended for good, but totally insane in nature! I thought this was amazing. What with Clary's ability to create new runes and Sebastien's complete lack of humanness, mind-blowing material right there! Reading about normal people is great and all, but people who are different, who are special, who have hero qualities, those make for a better story. Harry Potter, Buffy... y'all know what I'm saying. Another amazing thing about this series is how unpredictable it can sometimes be (except for Jace/Clary not being brother/sister. I totally called that!). Edge of my seat, people. Edge of my seat.
City of Bones was hilarious. The action on the boat in City of Ashes was epic and everything in City of Glass was spectacular. The scene with the angel, Ithuriel, was so tragic, but clarified so much. And everything after that was bloody brilliant that I'd need a dozen more paragraphs to cover it all.
Overall, the plot was great. If I had any prompts, I could probably elaborate some more, but I think this is sufficient. When people start reading these novels, I will gladly have lengthy conversations about them. I assure you that.
Jace and Clary
Mostly, my reaction to Jace and Clary is !!!!!!!!11!! followed by !!!!!!!!!@!!!!!!!11! I guess this summarizes my love for them, if you can call it that. It's hard to be eloquent when you're in fandom mode, which I can't seem to switch off.
When I first started City of Bones, I didn't particularly care too much about Clary. Then again, I never care about main characters. They kind of have to earn my love. And well, she did. Jace, on the other hand, was love at first sight. I was mesmorized and taken aback by his charm. And then the two of them were entirely too cute together. She couldn't get him off her mind, and he couldn't get her off his and it was all so very adorable.
Until they find out they are brother and sister and then their world (and mine) SHATTERS. I am not lying when I tell you that I just dropped the book when I first read that. I was in complete shock. "WTF WTF WTF" was the only coherent thought in my mind. So I'm reading City of Ashes, and I'm nervous and desperate and slowly dying. All the while, I'm so sure that Jace and Clary are NOT brother and sister. Because why the fuck would a writer do that to their readers!? I mean, unless you're Thomas Hardy and incest is kinky to you. Seriously though, I was 100% sure they weren't related, and although I enjoyed every single moment between Jace and Clary, I felt sick to my stomach because it was so wrong. Oh, so wrong. I tend to be very logic in the way I think, and still this was messed up. And yet, Jace/Clary = OTP 4 LIFE.
Too many heartbreaking scenes. At the Seelie court when the queen made them kiss. OMFG. At the Wayland estate when Jace realized he had demon blood in him. And at Amatis' house, when he wanted to spend the night with her. Too fucking sad. Ugh, this series is so angsty.
Basically, I absolutely love those two. Thank you so much, Cassandra, for writing such a wonderful story and bringing Jace and Clary into my life.
The Other Characters
I can't write this review without mentioning everyone else, because all the characters in these novels are well-developed and very lovable.
Simon: My precious little Simon, whom I adore above all, is the third wheel in this love story. I'm not worried about him though. If book IV is in fact about him, then I can't wait. He's too sweet, too funny and too good not to love.
Isabelle: Isabelle actually reminded me of Isabelle from Roswell (but with black hair). She can be a snob, but she's got quite a lovely personality. Loved her.
Alec: Oh, Alec. You brooding and sexy man. I loved the progress this character has made throughout the series. He showed real strength and was fearless when the time required it.
Luke: If he were anyone else, I'd tell him to stop sulking and just move on with his life. But it's Luke, and he's great. Love makes you do crazy things sometimes.
All the other characters were superb as well. Can't go through them all, sadly.
Memorable Quotes
There are too many, but here are a few funny ones I had taken note of while reading.
"The 'hey' thing that you guys always do. Like when you saw Jace and Alec, you said 'hey', and they said 'hey' back. What's wrong with 'hello'?"
She thought she saw a muscle twitch in his cheek. "'Hello' is girly," he informed her. "Real men are terse. Laconic."
"So the more manly you are, the less you say?"
"Right." Simon nodded. [...] "That's why when major badasses greet each other in movies, they don't say anything, they just nod. The nod means, 'I am badass, and I recognize that you, too, are a badass,' but they don't say anything because they're Wolverine and Magneto and it would mess up their vibe to explain."
City of Bones, p. 339-340
…Have you fallen in love with the wrong person yet?’
Jace said, “Unfortunately, Lady of the Haven, my one true love remains myself.”
“At least,” she said, “you don’t have to worry about rejection, Jace Wayland.”
“Not necessarily. I turn myself down occasionally, just to keep it interesting."
City of Bones, p. 345
Isabelle looked dubious. "Mom and dad won't be pleased when they find out."
"That you freed a possible criminal by trading away your brother to a warlock who looks like a gay Sonic the Hedgehog and dresses like the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?" Simon inquired. "No, probably not."
City of Ashes, p. 150
"Simon!”
The voice was Clary’s. He would know it anywhere. He wondered if his mind was conjuring it up now, a sense memory of what he’d most loved during life to carry him through the process of death.
“Simon, you stupid idiot! I’m over here! At the window!”
Simon jumped to his feet. He doubted his mind would conjure that up."
City of Glass, p. 265
I love Simon and his run-on sentences. Jace has some pretty good lines too, but I had a harder time tracking them.
The Potential Movie
Although I'm not against the prospect of The Mortal Instruments being adapted to the big screen, it will kill me if it isn't done right. Because, unlike Twilight, I actually REALLY care about these novels and their characters and it would be totally disrespectful to the author if the movies are butchered. Now I now they've been auctioned off to Unique Features (the people behind the the LotR movies run this production company), so there's hope. I have faith that they won't ruin it, lol. As for casting, I visualize Alex Pettyfer as Jace and maybe Emma Roberts as Emma (haha, unlikely!), but I'm super flexible. Of course, Alex Pettyfer as Jace would be FANTASTIC.
I guess this pretty much sums it up. I hope I didn't overwhelm you or anything.
I need a new series to read. They're the only ones I can get absorbed in. Got any? Preferably sans vampires and werewolves. I think I need a break from those, lol. Or if there's a novel you think I'd like, let me know!