Rated YA-MA discussion
PNR & Urban Fantasy
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Mortal Instruments & Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare
Clary is kind of driving me nuts in this book. I think I like it more than CoFA, but I can hardly remember it so I am not sure. The middle is kind of dragging for me. I loved the first three so much, maybe there is no way to top CoG...
So I finished
a while back and meant to come here and talk about this but totally forgot.Does anyone else think that Brother Zachariah is (view spoiler) Part of me wonders if she just wants us to think that so she can mess with our minds. But I think it anyway.["br"]>["br"]>
Yes. I'm not sure which one but it seems like it would have to be. Although, I wouldn't put it past her to mess with our heads.Since Clockwork Princess is next and it's the final ID, this makes me wonder how much will be answered then. At the very least, it would seem like we'd find out what direction Tessa is headed in.
I finished Clockwork Angel. Now I'm going to read CoFA. Work my way to catch up so I can join in discussions.
Just saw this theory about Isabelle, what do you guys think?http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/9...
Hmmm, I think it's possible, but I also think it's possible that she just didn't think about it and just wanted Isabelle to be different.
Ehh. Eye color is influenced by more than one gene and also melanin, which is also determined by multiple genes and works to determine things like skin and hair pigment as well, so some weird things can go on with it. It's also possible for eye color to change due to various things, some of which include traumas or illnesses and other weird things. I have a brother and sister with brown eyes, a brother with gray eyes, a sister with green eyes, and my eyes are green with hazel centers (I have a central heterochromia thing going on in both of my eyes). My dad's eyes are brown and my mom's are hazel.Weird and complicated eye color science aside, I've thought of this theory before just because her eye color being different is mentioned more than once, and anytime anything is repeated, I pay attention to it.
What color are her parents' eyes? Does it say someplace that both of the parents have blue eyes as well? If one of them doesn't have blue eyes then that person's reasoning isn't exactly sound. But the repetition of it still bears paying attention to, either way.
That person says that both parents have blue eyes, and while it may not be genetically sound, in the case of a book or movie, I think it's a definite hint that something else is going on that will later be revealed. It's one of those things authors use fairly often to tip off those paying close enough attention. If it's true that both parents have blue eyes, then yeah, I bet something will come out of it.
I'm just not so sure. The series was originally only a trilogy, and i can't imagine that if it was a plot device it wouldn't have come out then since it was technically supposed to be the end.I think maybe it's just random and it's coincidence.
This amused me. Cassandra Clare got this note at one of her book signings.

She said : You think I don’t keep these things? I SO DO.
My brother's right handed and his handwriting looks like that. It may just be a pencil grip thing.(Sidenote - that's definitely not actually my brother's handwriting, FYI, even if his girlfriend is a fan)
Jenny's brother writes like that but with a slant and is right handed. I blame it on "boy impatience." Most of them write like they should be in elementary school. I do know some guys with wonderful, clear writing...just some.../shudder
The other brother writes like that but he is left-handed. You can tell this person is left-handed too by some of the angles and pressure points. And he writes his o's, x's and d's backward.
Interesting! Is that just something you've noticed, or do you actually do handwriting analysis stuff?My mom and I had a conversation about how we make the letter 'd' once. She thought it was absolute barmy to make the bottom part first, then do the line up and down, but that's how both my brother and I were taught in school.
I don't do handwriting analysis, though I know a decent bit about it from reading and a section on it in a class I took once. I guess that is part of why I pay attention to the heavy strokes vs. lighter ones in the letters. But mostly it's things I've observed from having to always be reading the stuff my older brother wrote (we exchanged a lot of letters when I was little because he was a Marine) and watching the way he makes the letters and then noticing that almost all of the left-handed people I encounter do it the same way he does.
Holy crap. Just saw the film trailer and I think I need to read the books. I've only read the first two, but it was so long ago, I should probably refresh myself before continuing the series. The only thing that concerns me: newest installment won't be out until 2014. What the heck is that?! Dude. I'll be graduating college by then.
Trailer looked awesome! besides the fact that lily collins is way to pretty.
Im going to have to do a re read as well
Im going to have to do a re read as well
Alright, so I just finished City of Bones and it was kind of like reading it for the first time since it's been so long since I last read it. I figured out that I actually haven't read City of Ashes, and if I did, I only read part. So, that's on my list next. :DDid anyone notice the subtle Harry Potter similarities? Am I completely insane?
Bunny wrote: "Alright, so I just finished City of Bones and it was kind of like reading it for the first time since it's been so long since I last read it. I figured out that I actually haven't read City of Ashe..."
your not insane, I notice the starwars ones more though
your not insane, I notice the starwars ones more though
Melanie wrote: "your not insane, I notice the starwars ones more though"Ah, I never got super into Star Wars, so that makes sense I wouldn't catch that. But for realsies though, Valentine is pretty much Tom Riddle. And The Mortal Instruments themselves makes me think of horcruxes? I don't even. Mind was blown when I put it together.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MonomythJust wanna throw that out there, what with all of this x is like y talk going on.
Jenny wrote: "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MonomythJust wanna throw that out there, what with all of this x is like y talk going on."
Nah, I understand it all follows a basic pattern. But you just made me think of this image I saw on reddit a few weeks ago. :D
I got distracted and totally forgot to say that I think the Mortal Instruments are more similar to the Deathly Hallows than to the horcruxes.
Jenny wrote: "I got distracted and totally forgot to say that I think the Mortal Instruments are more similar to the Deathly Hallows than to the horcruxes."Aw man, now that you mention it, yes! I didn't think of that. It's been WAY too long since I read Harry Potter.
So, something weird I didn't notice my first time reading City of Glass but stood out to me this time was that (view spoiler)
Stacia (Ace of Skates) wrote: "City of Glass? Or do you mean City of Bones?"Crap! Yea, brain fart. Lol. I meant City of Bones.
Stacia (Ace of Skates) wrote: "I do that all the time. You're on a roll tonight with the CoB/Holland thing though!"Dude, right? LOL. Man, I need to go to bed. No, I need to finish this book. fml.
I read the series right after watching Buffy the Vampire slayer, and I kept finding off the cuff remarks that sounded remarkably similar to stuff from that. I didn`t really catch any Star Wars, but I`m with you on the HP.
She's actually had some controversy around people feeling like her books walked too close to the line when it comes to copying stuff from Star Wars/HP/Buffy. LOL. I've actually seen this discussed in a few groups.
She also has been accused of plagiarism. She used to write HP fanfic under the name Cassandra Claire and I believe that is when the plagiarism accusations came into play. Also, I've read that it was one of her HP fan fiction pieces that later was adapted to become City of Bones. So...make of that what you will.I don't know all the nitty gritty about all of that stuff, because I generally don't give half a thought to fan fiction and also because my brain wishes to conflate fan fiction and plagiarism. But I'm sure a Google search would pull up plenty.
Yep, that's the controversy I was meaning.I didn't hear that City of Bones may have started out as a fanfic, but I did read about how her fanfic was actually a Draco Malfoy fic.
I will say that when I read the comparisons and the reason they called it plagiarism it was pretty... well, it made me stop and pause.
Yeah, I don't think there was any doubt that parts of her fanfiction were totally plagiarized. I think the debate was more over if it was purposeful or accidental, which I've got my own feeling of.As for her published works, I don't think her editors would have let her get away with it if anything was too close. There can definitely be similarities (as Jenny pointed out, the Hero's Journey is pretty standard) but as long as it's not word for word, it's pretty hard to prove anything. What always threw me off in her published works was how smart comments would be inserted randomly for the comedy of it, but didn't really sound like something the character would say (imo) which made me leery.
But I mean, I enjoyed the books and they're quite clever, whatever the source. And yeah, it sucks for her this is so widely known about and discussed.
Well, I think for me the similarities between MI and HP were great enough that I was annoyed reading it. And not necessarily just the Hero's journey, which I agree is usually the same. But many books will share a similar 'Hero's journey', it's the specifics that make them unique. And for me it was the specifics that were too similar. It's Harry's scar, and Simons mark. (Not to mention their similar descriptions of hair that always looks messy and the glasses.) It's the flying motorcycles. It's Valentine being so much like Riddle. The Hallows and the Mortal Instruments, and more... Do I think that's plagiarism? Nah, but it was definitely enough to make me like the books less than other readers.Though, it hasn't kept me from reading her books, lol. I've read them all. I just prefer ID to MI, because it reads more original to me.
Also, I did mention in my review for Clockwork Angel that it's so sad that Clare does have this hanging over her head, because I think she has a lot of strengths as a writer. Her humor for one. For me, I love that aspect in all of her books. I think there are people who do use humor in inappropriate situations because that's how they deal with stuff. And no matter what irritates me, and so much does especially in CoFA, I still find myself laughing.
I just try to ignore what irritates me and remind myself that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and that just mean she's a huge Buffy/HP/Star Wars fan. :)
Can't knock her for that! I am too!
Wendy F wrote: "it hasn't kept me from reading her books, lol. I've read them all. I just prefer ID to MI, because it reads more original to me."This. Plus, Clary is a Hufflepuff.
I didnt catch on to the HP similarities till after some one pointed it, to be honest I was kinda of excited I got to read starwars in a different way haha.
I'm weird like that, probably the main reason I liked the Hunger Games is that its Tekken in book format.
I'm weird like that, probably the main reason I liked the Hunger Games is that its Tekken in book format.
Oh wow...I had heard about the "similarities" to Harry Potter, but never seen them my self.Having them pointed out like that...well damn. I had no idea.
Hmmm, I don't know how I feel about this.
For me, the most strong similarity in her books to HP has been Charlotte and Henry. I totally picture them exactly like Molly and Arthur Weasley. I cant get their (movie) faces out of my head when I picture Charlotte and Henry haha.
LOL, interesting. I actually never thought of Charlotte and Henry as Molly and Arthur. I think probably because Charlotte and Hanry's relationship felt so different from Molly and Arthurs. Meaning in that (view spoiler).
For me the greatest similarity is Simon's description and mark of Cain being so identical to Harry's description and lightning bolt scar.
Books mentioned in this topic
Clockwork Princess (other topics)Clockwork Princess (other topics)
City of Ashes (other topics)
City of Bones (other topics)
City of Fallen Angels (other topics)
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Right? lol
Have you read her Infernal Devices books too?