Book #56 - City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments #5)

City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5), Cassandra Clare
536 pages
paranormal romance, urban fantasy
Started 5/10/12
Finished 5/12/12
4 STARS

Jace and Clary are back! *doing my happy dance* I missed them so much, and frankly, I was a little disappointed by the last installment of their story. I had high hopes for City of Lost Souls, which hit the stands on May 8 this year. If I'm going to be honest with myself, I don't know if it would've mattered terribly if this book was not a great one. I love the characters that Cassandra Clare has created and the world in which they live so much - Jace, Clary, Simon, Isabelle, Alec and Magnus have become a bookish family of mine.

Jace is missing. Everyone is desperate to find him - especially Clary, as one might assume. Not only that, but big baddie Sebastian is missing as well, and everyone assumes they are together - NOT a good thing. And, in fact, when they are finally found, nothing is as it should be. Our rag tag group of heroes splits up, both trying different ways to right the wrongs. It all culminates in the end with an epic battle and some more confusion. Which, of course, I'm sure, will be all cleared up in the sixth and final book, due out next year.

For the first time, I'm really taking an invested interest in the peripheral story lines. For the first three books in TMI, it was all Jace and Clary with a few tidbits thrown in about the others. Starting with the last book, we started exploring what Simon's new lifestyle means to him, how Alec and Magnus are getting on now that they're "out," and the softer side of Isabelle. Although Jace and Clary are still the characters at the forefront of our story,  the others deepen the overarching story and help build the world even further. I absolutely love it.

If I had any complaints about City of Lost Souls it's only that I'm honestly getting a little tired of Jace and Clary constantly being pulled apart. For the love of all that is holy, can't these two kids just be happy together for ONCE?? They love each other so much, and it's so heartbreaking that they just can't seem to find that happy place and settle down and just BE. If I could imagine a perfect ending for this epic story, it would be for Jace and Clary to fight side-by-side to bring down the enemy, and then go on vacay to Hawaii for a month or so before coming home and getting married. You hear me, Cassie? Let's get these two together forever finally!