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Book Review of City of Glass (Mortal Instruments, Bk 3)

City of Glass (Mortal Instruments, Bk 3)
skywriter319 avatar reviewed on + 784 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


Cassandra Clare delivers a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy that has both Twilight and Harry Potter fans alike on their feet and drooling. In CITY OF GLASS, pressing questions from the first two books are answered and loose ends are tied up, albeit a bit too neatly for my taste. (But more on that later.)

The Mortal Instruments trilogy has really relied more on appealing characters and their development rather than an outstanding plot or story idea. The characters are ones you simply WANT the narration to revolve around: they are quirky and smart-mouthed, yet vulnerable and, inexplicably, human. Clary, short and hot-tempered, is the kind of female protagonist we'd all like to be if we were in an action-fantasy novel--she is resourceful, fun, emotionally turbulent, and unknowingly appealing. Jace is the bad-boy hero of our dreams, whose sardonic comments balance his tough-guy mask to hide his boyish insecurities.

That being said, the story uses a plot that is sometimes slow, oftentimes predictable, and occasionally a bit ludicrous. More than once I felt like some elements were watered-down ones of Harry Potter--most notably being the villain with unfortunate blood ties to the protagonists. The ending in particular was so sudden, so ideal, that I have trouble wrapping my mind around its plausibility.

Overall, THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS is an enjoyable, action-packed, and sizzling paranormal trilogy. Fans of Twilight will adore the love triangles and unrequited/forbidden love angle, while Harry Potter acolytes may find a powerful competitor with their favorite series.