I've finally caught up on all of the Cassandra Clare books currently in print, having just finished City of Fallen Angels. It is the 4th book in her Mortal Instruments series.

When we left off at the end of book 3, City of Glass, Valentine was dead. His army of demons was defeated and the world of the Nephilim was safe again. And to make things even better, it finally came out that Jace and Clary are not brother and sister.

All should be right for Clary and her friends...but as they say, "There's a storm a-brewing."

Despite being able to finally call Clary his girlfriend, Jace starts pushing her away. Simon's mom throws  him out of house when she guesses he's a vampire, forcing Simon to make an unlikely friend that sets Maia on edge. Alex and Magnus are forced to deal with the growing pains of their blossoming relationship and Clary bites off more than she can chew when she looks into a cult that's knee-deep in demonic activity.

I have to admit that this book was easier to put down than the previous installments. I'm not sure if that's due to more self-restraint on my part, or the chance that it's just not as interesting as  books 1-3.

Simon's story is front and center this time which is both good and bad. On the good side, making Simon a major part of this book allowed Cassandra Clare to expand the world she has created. She brings in more points of view, more details, etc.  All things that add depth to the reading experience. And since I'm the kind of person that likes books to feel well-rounded, I really enjoyed seeing the story evolve beyond just the Jace and Clary plot line. 

On the bad side, I've never been that attached to Simon. He reminds me a lot of a couple guys I ran around in with in high school which makes him relatable and endearing, but in the end he just doesn't really get my blood pumping. In fairness though, perhaps my lack of interest is simply due to the fact that Simon's story has never been in the lime-light until now.

All that being said, I like how the story has continued on past the end of Valentine and his war. Cassandra Clare has been intentional in her use of fore-shadowing and I'm excited to see how it continues to play out. I have a feeling dark times are coming for our shadowhunters friends and I for one will be waiting not-so-patiently for book 5, City of Lost Souls,  to come out on May 8th. 

I'm already on the waiting list at my local library. Are you?

Continuing on my Cassandra Clare kick, Clockwork Prince finally came in at the library the other day. Released in December 2011, it is the second book in the Infernal Devices series.

In this book, Tessa continues to search for answers to her past as outsiders attempt to take control of the institute where she is currently sheltered. If they have their way, Tessa will be out on the street with no protection from the Magistrar and his demonic clockwork army. Along the way Tessa gets help from Jem who is quickly becoming more than a friend, and Will whom she drawn to despite his moody behavior. Together, they must follow the trail of the mysterious Magistrar to save the institute and discover what they can about who Tessa really is.

While the first book in this series had a sinister feeling that blanketed this story, this book follows more along the lines of the Mortal Instruments series. Clare took more time developing the background of her characters in this story, leaving me with a better sense of why I should care about them in the first place. The tension that she writes between the Tessa-Jem-Will love triangle is spot on and you can equally see why Tessa would want to be with either boy.

I am enjoying these stories and I'm looking forward to the next book Clockwork Princess which is due out in December. However, I do think that the story line in these books needed to be flushed out a bit more. I find that I am not as attached to the characters in these books despite it being a pretty interesting idea. For me, the Mortal Instrument series is better.

What do you think?

Thank goodness it's spring vacation because I've had  more than one late night reading session recently. And I have to say that I just couldn't help myself. I picked up City of Bones by Cassandra Clare just over a week ago and since then I have been on a mission to consume every single word she has written. Not an easy task since her books are very popular and can't always be picked up quickly from the local library. But I digress...

Having read Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, I had a pretty good idea what I was getting myself into when I started this series. What I didn't realize is how captivating her tale would be. 

Set in modern-day New York the story follows 15-year-old Clary Frey as she discovers something truly amazing about herself. She can see demons...and vampires...and werewolves...and all the other mystical creatures that make up your everyday fairy tale. But discovering the truth about herself holds consequences for her and the people that she loves. Cast into a world of chaos, she must put her trust into a group of Shadowhunters, the warriors that hunt demons, including a brooding and alluring boy named Jace to find the truth and save all that she holds dear.

I loved the first three books of this series (City of Bones, City of Ashes, & City of Glass), and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Cassandra Clare's writing keeps me turning pages late into the night and I'm excited to read the fourth book, City of Fallen Angels when it finally comes in at the library. Plus, I'm already on the waiting list for the fifth installment of the series, City of Lost Souls, due out in May.

If you're looking for a happy distraction these days that is fast paced and gripping with demons, angels and a bit of romance, check this series out. You can find plenty of info about it out there on the web since all of the books have been on the best seller list.