City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments, #4) in Q&A with Cassandra Clare

Aug 10, 2010 Miss Page Turner rated it it was amazing

I was concerned that the TMI magic might be gone. And I admit that I had a slightly slow start with CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS, but I guess that is because I had to somehow accept or adjust to the main focus on Simon's part of the story.

Cassandra Clare's writing and language are as fantastic as always. Throughout the whole novel Clare applies wise references, supports the novel's character with biblical references, poems and ancient motifs. The plot is structured by parallel strings of action to keep
I was concerned that the TMI magic might be gone. And I admit that I had a slightly slow start with CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS, but I guess that is because I had to somehow accept or adjust to the main focus on Simon's part of the story.

Cassandra Clare's writing and language are as fantastic as always. Throughout the whole novel Clare applies wise references, supports the novel's character with biblical references, poems and ancient motifs. The plot is structured by parallel strings of action to keep the reader's attention and design an interesting and thrilling story.

What makes the THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS series such an interesting read is that we get the chance to read a story told from the different perspectives of our favourite main characters in form of third person narrators, like Simon, Clary, Jace, Magnus or Luke.

No other novel has as many characters that I truly care about. In their very different ways they all have something special and it is a pleasure to watch them interact. I missed them so much that I am more than happy about this new book cycle around the Shadowhunters and their old and new friends.

Some characters are and behave different from the persons they were in the first THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS cycle. I miss their former energy, but totally accept that new incidents have an impact on the character cast and show new aspects of their personalities. I could start criticizing CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS for not featuring exactly the same characters in the same state, with the same attitude as in CITY OF GLASS, but it is exactly that changes in personality due to grave incidents that make CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS such a believable and different- but authentic and worthy sequel to CITY OF GLASS.

CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS also stands for a successful interplay between two different series. THE MORTAL INTSTRUMENTS series is visited or still inhabited by characters that we started caring about in THE INFERNAL DEVICES series, the prequel to THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS.

With the third and original final part of THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS, CITY OF GLASS, the incest taboo that stood between Clary and Jace's relationship came to a natural solution. It was exactly this taboo that put a painful thrill on the three previous novels. But the solution doesn't stop Cassandra Clare from finding other ways to torture her characters and readers.

The end... just wow...like expected it tore at my heart! These sarcastic and romantic delights have violent and torturing ends! No wonder Clare is my favourite author, she knows how to turn your insides upside down! In some way it felt like the first book in a series and at the same time so familiar, needed and good!

CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS is not as good as the previous three novels in THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS series.Still I already miss my favourite characters again and I’m full of positive anticipation. The best about CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS? It's got two sequels in tow which leave me insanely longing. And these next three books in the TMI series deserve their add as second cycle, they promise to be epic!

THE VERDICT

5/5 ***** CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS felt so familiar and yet new and exciting. We love our good portion of sarcasm hot and our novels otherworldly with that special tingly-drugged up feeling that only a Cassandra Clare novel is able to summon.

An absolutely infernal start of the second THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS cycle. The war of Shadowhunters against demons wandering on earth and lurching in the farthest corner of your heart continues. If you were enchanted by CITY OF BONES, trained to endure frustration and shock in CITY OF ASHES and learned to in the end trust in the humanity of a truly wicked author-genius- you should forget that when starting CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS.
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Sep 10, 2010 Bloody Brilliant Books rated it really liked it

OK so I have to admit at first I was a bit doubtful of this book’s awesomeness, I felt that the original 3 were so good that this book would put a dampener to how much I liked them. So I was pleased with the changes made to these books, like the fact that there are 2 main narrators rather than one.

I was a little disappointed by the lack of action at the beginning, as the previous books had a fast pace from the start, however it does pick up later on. I didn’t really feel let down I just felt th ...more

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Sep 16, 2010 Sandy rated it liked it

I adore The Mortal Instruments. I really do. But City of Fallen Angels fell short for me, as did Clockwork Angel.

I can't even describe what it is I feel disappointed in. The plot is interesting enough, the characters are the same lovable characters we've always known, all the conflict and drama is there... but I don't feel the tension. I don't feel that gripping-onto-your-seat-knuckles-turning-white feeling while I read this series anymore. I don't laugh out loud over the jokes or sigh or want t ...more

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