City of Lost Souls: Volume 5 Paperback – Big Book, 1 September 2015

My younger one got extremely happy by getting this perfect book👌🏻👍so big thanks again to amazon✌️

There's something about not finishing a book that I can't handle the taste of. Unfortunately for me, after The City of Bones, that bad taste felt like it was guaranteed. Cassandra Clare managed to keep me interested enough with the relationship twists and turns and the destruction of all things evil (cheesy much?) but only barely.I feel so guilty that I didn't enjoy this book because I really hoped after finishing book three thinking it was all over that Clare must have come up with something awesome enough to make her think to write three more. Now, I hate to sound cynical but I really hope it wasn't just a money making ploy because a lot of her other books I've actually enjoyed, but this series for me just hasn't floated my boat.This book though, set apart from the others as is only fair, does have some really enjoyable elements and I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into them. I love how we get to see so much more of the Shadowhunter world from a more traditional angle; it was great to see the life Clary's parents must have lived and to learn more about how Clary's mother and Luke had developed from their more traditional lives before everything happened with Valentine.I also really loved to see some of the other characters develop. Isabelle and Alec more specifically; Alec and Magnus kept me hooked and Isabelle is just hilarious. However, this brings me to my first negative. Jace as a character has the worst kind of attitude of any main character I think I've ever come across. I can totally see how Clare imagined he would come across - cocky but attractive nevertheless. But he is written in a way that his arrogance couldn't appear attractive at all; he is so obsessed with looks that I couldn't see the funny side of it any longer.Clare has written very well in my opinion in some of her books. The series running along side this (The Mortal Devices) is absolutely phenomenal right to the very end of it, I loved every second of reading it. But, TMI just couldn't match it. Her writing style seems so different in comparison - slow, dull and SO MUCH waffling.I have high hopes for future work of Clare's, really I do. I feel terrible that I didn't enjoy this book because I felt it had so much promise and some aspects of it were great, it's just a shame about the portrayal of Jace this time. I have faith it will improve ready for the next one though.

Sadly I feel like this series of books feels like it dragging on by the time you get to this book. The characters and story all felt fully developed and rounded up by the end of book three and by this one (the 5th) doesn’t feel needed at all. Still well written and easy to read I just no longer feel gripped.

This is the fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series. The story picks up right after the events in the previous book. Jace has gone missing with Sebastian who has come back to life. Clary and the gang decide to their own search after the Clave decide to give up the search after 2 weeks. They realize that the ritual that brought Sebastian back to life has linked both Jace and Sebastian together in body and soul. To save Jace and find out what Sebastian's plan is, Clary decides to infiltrate the pair. On the other hand, Simon and the gang with the help of Magnus has been searching for ways to separate Jace and Sebastian, and a way to kill Sebastian without killing Jace.It is a very good read and kept me entertained throughout. I like the idea of the rings for Simon and Clary to communicate and also the "house" which can travel through different dimensions as a hideout. And we also get to know about the Iron Sisters-the weapon makers for the shadowhunters.Apart from an exciting storyline, the author also explores more on the relationships between some of the major characters. We can see further development between Simon and Isabelle, Magnus and Alec and even for Clary and Jace.Isabelle has always been the girl who refuses to give or love but you get to see she is slowly warmed to Simon and they finally become close.I also quite enjoy reading the relationship between Alec and Magnus and the conflict Alec faces when thinking about the future of their relationship. Magnus is an interesting and mysterious character that we also love to find out more about. I do feel sorry about how it went in the end.As for Clary and Jace, they have certainly become closer and in a way, through Jace, Clary gets a better understand of Sebastian, and also her father Valentine.There is a big cliffhanger at the end of the book. Sebastian will come back and there will be a change in the power struggle in the vampire community. I can't wait for the next and final book to come out!

A slower start than the others and I really thought this was the last book but no, they are dragging it out but hey, I'll keep reading as they are very exciting (even to a 40 yr old!).(Trying not to do spoilers here:) The character of Jace is done so well. I was getting a bit bored of the moaning Jace but when he was 'happy' I realised it wasn't right but went with it, when he suddenly wasn't 'happy', it actually hit me how much the old Jace was great and how clever the writer was that well, she conned you. Well done :)

I love this series of books, they are so fast paced and exciting. The characters are lovable and I really enjoy the plot twists. The City of Lost Souls is very good in its own right, but in comparison to the rest of the series it is not as fast paced and does not flow quite as well and I was a little disappointed with the ending. However, this is not the last book so I remain hopeful for an actual ending rather than another cliff hanger.