{Review} City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

City of Heavenly Fire
by Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments #6
Pages: 725
Release Date: May 27, 2014
by Margaret K. McElderry

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In this dazzling and long-awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary's own brother.

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.

The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?

When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...

Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments!

*REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*

They are whited out so you can only read them if you highlight the text

*Also contains an Allegiant spoiler (will be marked)*

 

I don’t know how to put into words my feelings right now.  I finished this beautiful book at 1:30 in the morning with tears streaming down my face.  What an amazing conclusion to an amazing series.

I will admit, I was not a fan of the first book in this series…or the fourth book.  But I’ve got to say, Cassandra Clare sure knows how to write.  I honestly can’t wrap my head around how on earth she thought up all these plot twists and the world and all the history.  She literally created a whole world in the space of 6 books, complete with a full history and so many twists.  This book was a perfect conclusion.  Most of the time when I’m reading a Cassandra Clare book I tear through it and don’t take the time to read every single sentence, where she does most of the descriptions.  I know it’s bad, I know I don’t get the full experience of the book.  But in COHF I took my time, I read every sentence…and man is her writing beautiful.  It flows perfectly and her description scenes are so beautiful and flawless.  Also, her imagination when it comes to the story line and solutions to the problems that the characters face is really impressive.  I loved the twists and turns in this book and the thrilling adventure that we all went on.  The story line was a perfect mixture of fast-paced action and beautiful scenes all mixed into one.  It was perfect.

To be honest, [SPOILER (allegiant): I was expecting a lot more heartbreak and dead characters.  After Allegiant, I don’t trust authors.   But, I shouldn’t have worried.  Thank goodness Cassandra Clare has a heart. ] I feel like there was a lot of character development, even in this last book.  We got to see a different side of Alec and Magnus.  I also really liked the improvement of Clary’s character, because honestly, in the other books she really annoyed me.  But in this book she was such a strong, brave character, and I loved her.

Jace has changed so much over the course of this series, from snarky boy to intelligent man – still with a bit of snark.  I loved his journey and how he matured.  It’s obvious how much he loves Clary, and they’re so perfect together.

Alec really grew on me in this book.  Before he was kind of a so-so character but in this book him and Magnus were kind of showcased and I really liked that.

Simon…oh my gosh.  Simon.  I will admit, I wasn’t a huge fan of Simon’s character in the beginning of this series…and also in the fourth book [SPOILER: (*cough* player *cough*) ] but in this book he really grew on me and showed his character.  And that ending.   I was crying so freaking hard. [SPOILER: I couldn’t believe when Simon offered to sacrifice so everyone could leave the demon realm and it really showed his character and how selfless he was and how much he loved everyone.  I cried so hard afterwards when Clary went up to him at his school and he didn’t recognize her.  And then Magnus went and visited him and he said he knew something was different and THEN HE CAME TO THE WEDDING AND HE REMEMBERED AND GOSH I WAS CRYING SO HARD.  So I guess I lied, I secretly really loved Simon.  I just kept thinking of all he had been through and how many times he had sacrificed something to save everyone else and it just killed me that he wouldn’t remember anything.  But it ended fine, he remembered, and I was SO HAPPY! ]

Now I have to talk about Sebastian.  First off, he is the creepiest villain I think I’ve ever read.  His scenes of dialogue were bone-chilling and terrifying.  [SPOILER: Honestly, I didn’t see that whole tear-jerker scene with him becoming Jonathan coming.  That completely destroyed me.  I felt so bad for Jonathan/Sebastian.  He really didn’t have any choice, he was made into something horrible as a helpless baby, in the womb, and he was thrust into evil.  That scene where he became Jonathan and was so sad and apologetic killed me – and him too because he died haha. And I really didn't expect him to die because I thought that would be too predictable.  But the way he died was so sad, and I think it was a good decision to have his character be killed. ]

Somehow, I don’t know how, but somehow Cassandra Clare made that amazing ending work.  Just when you think there’s no possible way for this all to work, it works. [SPOILER: I loved the way Clary and Jace tricked Sebastian. ]

Also, I have to talk about Chapter 14. [SPOILER: It was such a sad chapter.  It was so painful to see all the characters with their secret desires and then it was ripped away and it was so sad.  Clary's dream got me the most because it showed a happy world where her and Jace were getting married and Jonathan was normal and it was so sad!!!  And Alec's got to me too, because all he wants is for his father to praise him, and I feel really bad for Alec and how he's always in the background, never really getting much credit.  That scene made me appreciate him even more. ]

ALSO!  [SPOILER: Clace sex scene!  YES!!!!  I’m not a pervert, but I think we all can agree that the Fourtris maybe-sex-scene in Allegiant was extremely disappointing, but this scene was AMAZING!!!  It was so beautiful and touching and well described.  Not in the pervert “well-described” way, but in the “this scene was written so beautifully and you could feel the love” way. ]

I can’t believe this series has ended.  Next thing we’ll be hearing is there will be ANOTHER 3 books added to this series.  But the world that Cassandra Clare has created, and the characters she has created and developed are so well-loved and extraordinary…truly this series is a masterpiece, and I can’t think of a better way to end it off.  Even though there were some sad things, this series ended with hope, and I think that is a beautiful way to end it.

 

 

 

5 stars

 

 

Other Books by Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments                                                        The Infernal Devices

   City of Bones - Review                                                                 Clockwork Angel

   City of Ashes - Review                                                                 Clockwork Prince

   City of Glass - Review                                                                 Clockwork Princess

   City of Fallen Angels - Review

   City of Lost Souls - Review

{Review} City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

City of Lost Souls
by Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments #5
Pages: 535
Release Date: May 8, 2012
by Margaret K. McElderry (an imprint of Simon & Schuster)

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The New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments continues—and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary, and Simon. What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost?
Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

This series just keeps adding to itself. At this point, the world is so well explained and the story is so complex that you really have to concentrate to pick up everything. And this book added so much to the series. A lot of crap went down in this book, and it was absolutely crazy. After the ending of the last book, one big thing had to be fixed or else I was going to throw this book across the room and cry forever (those of you who have read this series know what I'm talking about). And, thankfully, it was all fixed. So great. The writing was, as usual, pretty good. However, I did get kind of annoyed with all the different romances going on, and when Clare would switch points of view and go to Jordan and Maia, who basically had nothing to do with the story. The story line, staging, and explanations for the events were all very well done and very well explained. And omg that ending! Gosh I felt like I couldn't breath as I was reading it. Also, I will forever remember this book because of the last lines of the last page. Best finish ever.

As you all may or may not know, Jace is my fictional boyfriend. I don't care what you say or who tries to take him away from me, he's mine. He's a smart-ass, blond god who has a great personality and is totally full of himself. Plus he's sexy and kick-ass. So I've come to the conclusion that if I can't find a blonde Shadowhunter sometime in my life that I am going to die alone. Thank you Jace for ruining my life. Clary keeps on growing on my as the series goes on. Even though she made some really stupid decisions in this book, I really like her strength, drive, and personality.

I can't wait for the last book. Seriously, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN! Ugh the suspense is killing me!!



4.5 stars

{Review} City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

City of Fallen Angels
by Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments #4
Pages: 424
Release Date: April 5, 2011
by Margarte K. McElderry Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster)

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he Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And - most importantly of all - she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price. Someone is murdering Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine's Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary's best friend, Simon, can't help her. His mother just found out that he's a vampire and now he's homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side - along with the power of the curse that's wrecking his life. And they're willing to do anything to get what they want. At the same time he's dating two beautiful, dangerous girls - neither of whom knows about the other one. When Jace begins to pull away from Clary without explaining why, she is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: She herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

Originally I wasn't going to finish this book. But then I got some comments saying that it got better, so I finished it. And really liked it.  I was kind of on the fence about whether or not I liked that Cassandra Clare added 3 more books to a series that, it looked to me, had wrapped up perfectly in book 3.  I wasn’t going to finish this book, or the rest of the series, until a commenter said that [SPOILER: Sebastian came back ], and after that I was sold.  At this point in the series, the Shadowhunter world is so complex and well explained that I feel like if I went to New York I would totally find Jace and Clary.  The writing, I’ve noticed over the course of the series, is very good, but at times I feel like it’s a bit dense, as in Clare feels the need to explain things in great detail, and every little event, such as searching a building, has to be very precise, and sometimes when there’s a ton of action or a really cliffhangery part of the book, I just can’t read that boring description stuff.  So I do find myself sometimes skipping parts, but that really isn’t Clare’s fault because it’s just how I am and how I read.  So I’m not really complaining.  The Clace drama and also Simon’s drama was kind of annoying in the beginning (well actually Simon was annoying the whole book) but the Clace drama really made sense and added to the story.  The story really wasn’t going anywhere for the first half of the book until BAM holy shit [SPOILER: Lilith is raising Sebastian from the dead] and after that it’s just great.  AND OH MY FREAKING GOD THAT LAST PAGE, THAT LAST PAGE OF THE WHOLE BOOK FREAKING KILLED ME.  [SPOILER: What does it mean?!  Sebastian and Jace are connected now, so does that mean that Jace is controlled by Sebastian again and that Jace has demon blood now?!  Holy shit!  (please don’t actually answer those questions in the comments below lol I don’t want spoilers for the next book).  But OMG that completely floored me.]

Basically I’m in love with Jace.  Not kidding, I love him.  I even dream about him.  All night.  Yes.  My brother thinks I’ve gone insane, and he said that Jace is ruining my life.  WELL HE IS!  Jace is perfection.  I have never wanted a fictional character to be real as much as I want Jace.  I’M TELLING YOU GUYS UNLESS I CAN FIND A BLONDE, SEXY, HALF-ANGEL SHADOWHUNTER I’M GOING TO DIE ALONE!  And OMG have you guys seen Jamie Campbell Bower?!  HE IS PERFECTION!  God okay I need to stop.  Basically I love Jace so much it hurts.  It really does.

As for the other characters, I feel like with every book Clary becomes stronger and stronger.  I think she really grew in City of Glass so by this point she is a really great character.  And then you have the rest of the Shadowhunter gang, Isabelle, Alec, Magnus (I TOTALLY SHIP MALEC BY THE WAY), and, of course, Simon.  Who I no longer like.  He’s been kind of getting on my nerves for a while, but after this book I just don’t like him at all.  [SPOILER:  To me he came off as a jerk because he was dating both Isabelle and Maia, a werewolf.  I thought that was just really sleazy of him. ]

I am now fully invested in this series, and will most definitely finish it.  Jace is ruining my life, but oh well.

4 stars

{Review} City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass
by Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments #3
Pages: 541
Format: Paperback
Release Date: March 24, 2009
by Margarte K. McElderry Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster)

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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 Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters 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 newfound powers to help save the Glass City—whatever the cost?
Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the third installment of bestselling series the Mortal Instruments.

Wow.  This book.  Wow.  So many feelings, so many emotions.  I was literally screaming and yelling as I was reading this book.  It’s just one of those few books that just make you crazy.  This was supposed to be the end of the trilogy, and it closed off everything so well.  The series got better and better as the series carried on, and this one was really awesome.  The world and story was so complex during this whole series, and this book perfectly explained everything and tied off all the loose ends.  Everything that I wanted to happen happened, and everything I wanted explained was explained.  The story flowed so well and every single event and little detail made perfect sense, because it had been explained in the books before.

Let’s address the elephant in the room – or should I say, in the review.  [SPOILER: JACE AND CLARY BEING RELATED!  Obviously I knew there was no way that could be because THEY ARE MEANT TO BE TOGETHER!  But I still wasn’t positive.  There was a possibility that they could actually be related, but I’m SO FREAKING GLAD THAT THEY AREN’T!  Honestly it was killing me.  The whole book I was waiting for the moment when Clare would set things straight, but I was NOT expecting it when it happened.  It was during the big info-dump Jocelyn did to Clary before the big battle at the end.  The whole time I was expecting Clare to drop the bomb, but she didn’t.  Then Jocelyn started talking about how Clary’s brother was so evil, and Clary was like “No he isn’t’.  Jace is really nice” and Jocelyn was like “Oh no Clary, I wasn’t talking about him.  I was talking about your brother” Clary’s like “But Jace is my brother?” and Jocelyn was like “No he isn’t” and at that point I was going crazy.  I was in the car with my family so I was literally rolling around on the back seat with a blanket stuffed over my mouth as I screamed my head off.  The way Clare did it was so amazing, and it totally caught me off guard.  Oh my God.  But it made perfect sense.  I was really hoping that Clare would come up with good history and a good explanation for why Jace was thought to be Valentine’s son, and she totally did that, and more.  She completely blew me away with that!

Then there was the twist about Sebastian Verlak not being the real Sebastian Verlak, and after the big info-dump from Jocelyn I totally guessed that Jonathan (the real Jonathan, not Jace) was impersonating Sebastian.  Oh yeah! ]

As I’ve said before, I’m kind of in love with Jace.  [SPOILER: If he and Clary really had been related, I would have been okay with that because then Jace would be a free agent and I could marry him and we could have a ton of little Shadowhunter kids and live happily ever after…I am so sorry, I drifted off into dreamland for a bit there.  Back to the review.  ]  Jace is awesome.  So.  Freaking.  Sexy.  I love his personality, his snark, his kick-ass-ness.  God, he’s perfect.  And, also, I really loved how much Clary has grown over the course of this series.  I didn’t really like her much in the first book, but I really loved her in this one.  She was very, very strong.  I also really loved all the supporting characters like Alec, Isabelle, Magnus, and Simon.  They really make the book awesome.

Honestly I can’t figure out why Clare has written 3 more books for this series.  I don’t see the point. This book closed off the series perfectly, and there really is no need for any more books.  But, I’ll still check them out and see how I feel :)

A very awesome 4.5 pink flowers. Close to 5 stars, but not quiet.

Quotes:

“It’s my cologne.  Eau de Recent Injury,” said Jace.

“There is no pretending,” Jace said with absolutely clarity.  “I love you, and I will love you until I die, and if there’s a life after that, I’ll love you then.”

{Review} City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes
by Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments #2
Pages: 453
Release Date: March 24, 2009
by Margaret K. McElderry Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster)

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WARNING: Don't read this summery unless you've read the first book!  It gives away ALL the plot twists!!

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? Clary would love to spend more time with her best friend, Simon. But the Shadowhunters won't 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. When the second of the Mortal Instruments os stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor suspects Jace. Could Jace really be willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

I’m becoming more and more invested in this series.  I’m starting to really, really love it and become addicted to it.  This book was much, much better than the first one.  This one was much darker, faster paced, and was a lot darker.  It added perfectly to the story, and I absolutely loved the world.  I was very impressed with the story line, and I have absolutely no complaints about that.  I liked how Clare focused on different characters in turn.  That made the book so much more interesting and made you want to keep reading.  The staging was really great, and the story flowed beautifully.  The ending was so, so amazing, and the description scenes where Clare is describing the setting or something were very well done.  I could imagine everything so clearly because of her great writing.  The ending was so amazing and thrilling, and the perfect climax to the story.

I love this cast.  Like, really love them.  Every single character is so special and entertaining.  In this book Jace was much more subdued than in the first book, and also very dark and damaged.  [SPOILER: I thought that was very appropriate after what happened at the end of City of Bones and also because he’s being accused of so many things that he didn’t do. ]  I loved seeing this other side of him because it makes him seem human and also adds to the story.  I wasn’t that impressed with Clary in the first book, but I freaking love her after this one.  She was much more of a factor in this book, and definitely showed herself as a strong, independent, kick-butt character.  She still isn’t as developed as the other characters, but she’s getting there.  I really love Luke being featured more in this book because he really is such an important character.  Isabelle, Magnus, and Alec just top of the cast with a ton of personality and spunk.  Amazing, amazing cast.

This book was so freaking good!  The combination of a really great story line, awesome characters, and great writing really made this book into something special, and I can’t wait to see what happens in book three!

4.5 pink flowers

Quotes:

“I don’t want to be a man,” said Jace.  “I want to be an angst-ridden teenager who can’t confront his own inner demons and takes it out verbally on other people instead.”

“Enormous?” said Jace. “Did you just call me fat?”
“It was an analogy.”
“I am not fat.”

“I can’t believe he didn’t have the dignity and presence of mind just to get drunk and pass out in some gutter,” said Jace.  “I must say, I’m disappointed in the little fellow.”

“I thought I’d lie on the floor and writhe in pain for a while,” he (Jace) grunted.  “It relaxes me.”

“I get the feeling,” Alec said, and smiled, “she hasn’t forgiven me for betraying you, as she sees it.” “Good girl,” said Jace with appreciation. “I didn’t betray you, idiot.” “It’s the thought that counts.”

“Because,” Clary said with grim certainty, “only Jace can piss someone off that much.”

{Review} City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones
by Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments #1
Pages: 485
Release Date: February 15, 2008
by Margaret K. McElderry Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster)

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When Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder. Much less a murder commited by three teenagers covered with odd markings. This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons--and keeping the odd werewolves and vampires in line. It's also her first meeting with gorgeous, golden-haired Jace. 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 an ordinary mundane like Clary? And how did she suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...

This book isn’t the best I’ve ever read, but it also has some very good qualities that I don’t always see in YA books.  For one, the world building is amazing.  The world that Cassandra Clare created is so complex and interesting and well explained, it allowed her to manipulate the events and history to make one heck of an interesting book.  The writing was really great, and the staging was really great, and the story line was really great, but sometimes I felt like it was a bit too easy.  [SPOILER: Like when the gang had just figured out that Magnus Bane could unblock Clary’s memory and Isabelle just happened to have an initiation to a party that Magnus was hosting that night.  And when Jace and Clary are trying to get into the hotel that the vampires are living in to rescue currently-a-rat Simon there just happened to be a guy there named Raphael who knew how to get in.  And then, when it turns out Raphael is really a vampire and the leader of the group that is currently hiding out in the hotel Jace and Clary use him as a hostage so the other vamps don’t kill them.  He’s the clan leader and the rest of the vamps have to listen to him.  And then when the gang has figured out where the Mortal Cup is and Alec chooses to bring a bow and then when the gang gets to where the Cup is he decides to use a staff instead and leaves the bow with Simon, who just happens to have taken 6 years of lessons in bow shooting.  So Simon goes in and shoots the demon and he’s a hero.  ] Those things were really annoying, but other than that the book was very well done.  AND THAT ENDING!  OH MY GOD!  I couldn’t believe it.  Like I said earlier, the world that Clare created was so well done and explained that she was able to manipulate the history, and she dumped a whole shit-load of history on us in the end.  Wow!  I was yelling the entire time.  [SPOILER: I couldn’t believe that Jace and Clary were both Valentine’s kids!  I SHIPPED THEM SO MUCH!  Ugh. ]  I loved the big info-dumps of the history between all the different characters and wow, the ending was just amazing.

The cast for this book is one of my favorites ever.  There is so much personality!  Jace is freaking hilarious!  I was laughing my head off at the things he said.  HE IS A BLOND, KICK-ASS, SEXY GOD!  With snark.  Perfect.  I loved his big mouth, snarky comments, inability to shut up, and just all-around bad-ass-ness.  Plus I can’t shut up either, so I think we’d make a great pair (by the way Jace, I’m totally single!).  He was such a well-developed, entertaining character, I loved him.  Isabelle was really great too.  She had her own reputation going on, a reputation for being a bad-ass.  She was a really strong, confident character, and I loved seeing that in a girl character.  Alec and Simon were also really cool characters that really spiced up the book.  I’ve been thinking really hard about this, and I’ve decided that Clary wasn’t supposed to be the main character in this book.  First off, the book is told in 3^rd person, so it follows all the characters.  Clary is a pretty good character, but I think she really gets overshadowed by all the other characters that have so much more personality than her.  I felt like she wasn’t as developed as the others characters, but at the same time she was a pretty strong, interesting character.

All in all, this was a very enjoyable book.  I really loved the world and the characters, and I really can’t wait to see what happens in book two.  After that ending, I have a feeling that a lot is going to happen in the next book.

3 pink flowers

Quotes:

“Jesus!” Luke exclaimed. “Actually, it’s just me,” said Simon.  “Although I’ve been told the resemblance is startling.”

Clary turned instant traitor against her gender.  “Those girls on the others side of the car are staring at you.” Jace assumed an air of mellow gratification.  “Of course they are,” he said.  “I am stunningly attractive.”

Jace cleared the top of the fence and sprang down the other side, ladning in the bushes to the accompaniment of an earsplitting yowl.  For a moment Clary thought he must have landed on a stray cat.  She heard Jace shout in surprise as he fall backward.  A dark shadow— much too big to be a feline— exploded out of the shrubbery and streaked across the yard, keeping low.  Rolling to his feet, Jace darted after it, looking murderous.

“Oh, he’s rude to everyone,” said Isabelle airily.  “It’s what makes him so damn sexy.  That, and he’s killed more demons than anyone else his age.”” (talking about Jace, of course)

“And my hair is naturally blond,” said Jace.  “Just for the record.”

“If you knew how to cook, maybe I would eat,” Jace muttered. Isabelle froze, her spoon poised dangerously.  “What did you say?” Jace edged toward the fridge.  “I said I’m going to look for a snack to eat.”

“I figured you’d be less cranky if you had something nice to look at.” “Meaning you?” “What else?” (Jace, of course)

“If you wanted me to rip my clothes off, you should have just asked.” (Please Jace, rip your clothes off)