Another Cover Reveal: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

*le gasp* What do you all think? I like it. There are no creepy green eyes in this one. I'm surprised that they didn't chop half of Jace's face off like they did with Simon's on the COFA cover.

Let me know your thoughts on this! It's very different to any of the other covers.

Amber's 'Mortal Instruments' Dream Team

There's been a lot of talk about some of my favourite young adult books being turned into movies as of late, and I am always holding my breath to see who they cast next. Unlike what seems like the majority of the fandom, I am actually pretty happy with the castings for both The Hunger Games and The Mortal Instruments. I, for one, am not bothered about what the actors look like. They don't need to be carbon copies of the character they are playing. The only thing they need to be able to do is act. And act fantastically. The movie studio could have cast Katniss's identical twin, but that would have been useless if the actress portraying her couldn't pull off the part. 

Enough of my blabbering. I've decided to start this new 'feature' on the blog. I'm not sure how long it's going to last, but I love sharing and discussing my dream casts with people and so, as this is a book blog, I thought why the hell not? I'll be sharing with everyone my dream team of actors and actresses for some of my favourite novels and series. I'll be choosing my cast based on both looks and acting talents. Or one or the other. I don't know. It's MY dream team, so I'll just roll with it. 

This time, as the title shows, I'll be showing you all my dream team for The Mortal Instruments. Not that I'm not happy with Jamie or Lily, because I totally am. Okay, let's get started. 

Clary Fray/Emma Stone

Age: 16

Hair Colour: Red

Eye Colour: Green

Why Emma? I think that Emma is a fantastic actress. She can pull of comedy, which I think is needed in the TMI series, and she can also do serious. And look at her! With a bit of movie magic, I think she could pull of a sixteen year old. To be honest, I don't even care if she couldn't. I'd happily settle for Clary looking a bit older. In short: I am in love with Emma Stone.

Jace Wayland/Alex Pettyfer

Age: 17

Hair Colour: Blonde

Eye Colour: Golden

Why Alex? Why not? I'm not a huge fan of AP, if I'm totally honest, but look at that picture and tell me that's not Jace Wayland right there.

Simon Lewis/Kristopher Turner

  

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Brown

Why him? I just think he looks like Simon, don't you? The glasses are absolutely adorable, and I can imagine him being turned into a rat and back again. I can also imagine him being dorky with Emma Stone. (Thanks for letting me know who this guy is, Elzahh!)

Valentine/Jason Isaacs

  

Hair Colour: White Blonde

Why Jason? Do I really need to spell it out? Jason is a fantastic actor. He does evil really well (just look at Captain Hook and Lucius Malfoy!) and  I think he'd be perfect for the role of Valentine. I can definitely see him being creepy, and just a genuine bastard. I've actually met him in real life, and he's such a lovely person, you wouldn't have thought he could play such bad characters!

Isabelle Lightwood/Alexandra Daddario

 

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Dark Brown 

Why Alexandra? Okay, so I had a really tough time trying to find someone who I would choose to play Izzy. The first person that came to mind was a younger Lucy Lawless, but obvious that's now out of the question. I picked Alexandra because I think she's pretty and girly enough to play Izzy, and yet I think she'd also be great at playing a kickass character. Can you imagine her with whips?

Alec Lightwood/Gaspard Ulliel

 

Hair Colour: Black 

Eye Colour: Striking Blue

Why Gaspard? Look at him! He's so adorable. I can totally imagine him as Alec. I don't think I've seen him play in any lead roles, but I think he could easily pull of a supporting character such as Alec. I can't stop staring, seriously. 

Luke Garroway/Gale Harold

 

Hair Colour: Brown

Eye Colour: Blue

Why Gale? I think Gale would make a fantastic fatherly figure for Emma/Clary. I can just imagine him sitting in his house, reading a dusty old book. I can also imagine him turning into a wolf ;)

Aaaaand, that's it. I know I left out Magnus, but I honestly can't think of anyone who could play the glittery warlock. I'd have to do a lot more research into eccentric characters to try to find the perfect match! 

Anyway guys, did you enjoy this post? Would you like to see more? Who would be your dream team for The Mortal Instruments? 

Book Review: City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Release Date:

Publisher:

Rating: 1 out of 5

Recommended? If you're a die-hard fan of the series. Otherwise, I'd give it a miss.

Buy the Book: Amazon US

City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. 

Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels. - Goodreads page

*Warning – this review contains spoilers from the previous books in the series. I don’t suggest reading this review unless you’ve read the other books. Of course, if you enjoy spoilers then go right ahead! This review is also kind of a rant. I apologise in advance.*

Like what seems like everyone else in the YA blogoverse, I was so frikkin’ excited to read this book. I thought the TMI series was over with City of Glass, and yet I was craving more Jace and Clary, and Magnus Bane!

City of Fallen Angels picks up a short six weeks after City of Glass ended. The first chapter – which you may well have read online – is told from Simon’s point of view. That’s right, a whole chapter dedicated to one POV! Unheard of in this series, right? Until now at least.

During the first few chapters, the reader really gets a feel for how much the world – and the characters - has changed. First off, Simon is now dating both Isabelle and Maia. Yeah, I felt the same way. What the hell, Simon? I lost a bit of respect for him there, to be honest.

The main plot is that a series of Shadowhunters have been killed, and this in itself sounded very similar to the plot of City of Ashes. I did enjoy the storyline, but it wasn’t until the last few chapters of the book that it picked up and I started loving it.

SLIGHT SPOILER

One plot point, however, was one that I hated and that I wish had never been included. I won’t say when or why, but Isabelle and Alec end up killing humans. This is so out of character for them, and for all Shadowhunters, because they’re meant to protect humans. And worst of all, Isabelle and Alec DIDN’T CARE?! It didn’t affect them at all.

SPOILERS OVER

Also, I must point out something about Izzy and Alec. As you know, their brother was killed in City of Glass – a mere six weeks ago – and yet the only person who seems to be showing any emotion about this is Maryse. I can’t remember one instance in which Izzy or Alec think about Max, let alone grieve him. This part almost killed me, because I know for a fact that if my brother or sister had died, I would NOT have dealt their death in six weeks. Probably not even in six months.

Jace is also having a few problems that I will not go into, but I’ll just say that it was very frustrating to say the least. His relationship with Clary is still as complicated as ever, and that got on my nerves. Why can’t they just be happy? Must the woes of their relationship be dragged through another three books? It’s not necessary. I’d rather see them as a happy couple – which you don’t see very often in YA!

Clary, who was once a brilliant protagonist, didn’t have much to do in this book. And it wasn’t until the ending that she actually reminded me of the old Clary from the first half of the series.


I loved that there were some references and mentions from Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices series)! I got so excited, I almost jumped around and happy danced whenever Will was mentioned!

Like I said, the ending is probably one of the only parts of this book that reminded me of the first half of the series. And yet, even this was lacking somewhat. There is a HUGE cliffhanger ending, so if you don’t like cliffhangers then I don’t suggest reading this book until the next book is out. But then again, you’d have to wait a whole year.

Overall, whilst I did enjoy City of Fallen Angels, it didn’t feel like The Mortal Instruments to me. So many things had changed, and the characters seemed to have completely lost their personality traits. Even the writing seemed very rushed, with lots of commas thrown in everywhere. I did enjoy this book, but nowhere near as much as the others. I kind of wish that Cassandra Clare had just left the trilogy as it was – a trilogy. 

Book Review: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
Release Date: March 24, 2009
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Rating: 3 out of 5
Recommended? Yes!
Buy the Book: Amazon US |Amazon UK

To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight. 
As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadow-hunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadow-hunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her new found powers to help save the Glass City -- whatever the cost? - Goodreads page

This review contains some spoilers from the previous two books in the series. I don't suggest reading this review until you've read the other books!

City of Glass is the third book in the Mortal Instruments series, however it was meant to be the final book in a trilogy, before Cassandra Clare decided to write three more books. This is very apparent in the novel, as this book holds all of the necessities of a finale! There is non-stop action, along with heart breaking scenes and moments.

I shan’t say much about the plot, because whereas I am usually great at being spoiler-free, I don’t think I’d be able to manage it for this book! Just remember that the plot is fantastic, as are the characters. If you’re familiar with this series then I don’t need to tell you that Clare is a brilliant writer. She has an amazing ability to capture the reader and drag them into her world.

I loved Clary’s part in this book. She has always been very mature for her age, and yet she seems to become even more so as this book comes to a close. And it’s completely understandable considering how much she goes through! Her storyline intertwines with a lot of others, and whilst it's complicated, it's very compelling!

Jace and Clary discuss their relationship as siblings with feelings for each other a lot in this book. The struggles that these two go through is insane – but in a good way! I’m extremely happy with how their relationship turned out but, again, I won’t ruin it for you!

Simon also had a superb role in CoG. I know he was a big part of CoA (book 2) but in this book he seemed to be a lot more active, if that makes sense. There was so much going on with Simon, and his development was so, so intriguing as certain things were done to him, and I loved reading about how he was coping with being a vampire!

Overall, like Clare’s other books, City of Glass is a fantastic read. Like I said, it did wrap up very nicely and left few loose threads. However, there is still a lot more to be explored!

Book Review: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Release Date: February 24, 2009

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Rating: 4 out of 5

Recommended? Yes.

Buy the Book: Amazon US|

Amazon UK

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go -- especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil -- and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings -- and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace.How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

Warning: This review contains spoilers from City of Bones (book 1). I suggest you read that first before reading this review! :)

The overall plot was just as excellent and intriguing as that of City of Bones but although there was a lot of stuff going on, it just didn’t feel like it. After my reread and thinking about how I was going to review the book, I just kept thinking “What actually happened in this book?”

This is in no way because of Cassandra Clare’s writing skills – nothing wrong there – I think that the pacing of some scenes is just a little slow, or even a little rushed.

I didn’t get that much out of Clary in this book, because she seemed very... preoccupied... with Simon. There didn’t seem to be much character growth there, however I did still love her because she’s badass!

Her relationship with Jace was a very interesting topic. I loved reading about their feelings for each other, and how they were both struggling due to them newly finding out they were siblings.

Overall, I loved this book so much, but it just wasn’t up to par with the first book in the series. I’d definitely recommend reading it if you enjoyed the first one – even if you didn’t particularly like the ending. And if you’ve already read this book, then hurry up and get to the third!

Book Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end. - Goodreads




The plot ultimately revolves around Clary discovering that she is, in fact, part of a secret and mysterious world rather than the ordinary human girl she thought she was. The plot moves quickly, Cassandra Clare literally throws you right in on the first page. The fast pacing continues throughout the book, literally right to the very end, yet it still manages to flow very nicely. A huge pat on the back to Cassandra Clare for pulling this off! 


Unfortunately, I was spoiled before I read this book, so that HUGE plot twist at the end did not have a huge effect on me as I knew how everything was going to pan out. I do suggest not reading any spoilers on this book until you've finished reading it.


As a main character, I liked how Clary was strong willed and fiesty. She didn't let anyone push her around, which was great. Clary is an ordinary girl which I suppose a lot of people could relate to in that way - unless you're really a Shadowhunter, in which case, why are you reading my review when you should be out saving the world? However, for some reason I couldn't fully connect with her which slightly took away from my expereince with this book. 


Jace, on the other hand, is who really kept this book going for me. I enjoyed his arrogance - which did sometimes get a bit much, but it was fun nonetheless - and his sarcastic humour. Jace was definitely my favourite character in this book, as he had so many sides to him, and what Cassandra Clare was telling you was barely touching the surface.


Simon, Clary's best friend, was a fun character to read about, and I really liked him. However, he did do some pretty silly things which made me feel sorry for him rather than laugh. 


The other secondary characters such as Isabelle, Alec and Luke all played a fairly large role in this book, which I loved. Often, secondary characters such as these get thrown around and used as plot devices, but Cassandra Clare did a brilliant job with them.


A lot of people were very put off by the ending and the twist that I mentioned earlier. However, I do encourage those people to continue reading to see how everything works out, because the next two books in the series are just as good - if not better - than this one! 


Overall, I really loved this book. If you've read my review on Clockwork Angel then you'll know that I'm a big fan of Cassandra Clare's books. If you've read this book, then let me know what you thought of it!

Rating: 4/5

Buy City of Bones at:

Amazon UK|Amazon US|Book Depository

Format: Paperback, 448 pages

Publisher: Walker Books Ltd.

Publication Date: 2 Jul 2007 (UK)

The Mortal Instruments Series:

City of Bones (2007)

City of Ashes (2008)

City of Glass (2009)

City of Fallen Angels (2011)

City of Lost Souls

City of Heavenly Fire