by Cassandra Clare
ages: 14+
First sentence: “‘Just coffee, please.'”
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Others in the series: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass

I have to admit after finishing City of Glass, I wasn’t too sure I wanted to read this one. Clare wrapped up everything so nicely (with a bow and fireworks, too), that I figured what more was there to tell of the story?

Oh, ye of little faith.

This one picks up a few weeks after City of Glass ends, and everything seems okay. Simon is dating both Maia and Isabelle (oh silly, adorable Simon), and is trying to eke out as normal a life as possible. Magnus and Alec are dating (have I mentioned how much I adore Magnus? And I really do want to read the short story about why he’s banned in Peru). Jace and Clary are an item. But, because this book would be all sorts of boring without conflict, things start to go south.

Someone is trying to kill Simon. Jace is pulling away from Clary because of nightmares he’s having. And on top of that, Camille the vampire is back. Oh, and someone is trying to make demon babies.

This one, admittedly, is darker and more intense than the previous three. There isn’t nearly enough snark, and while Jace and Clary have some sexytimes (almost), I still wanted to smack both of them over the head. Thankfully, though, it’s not their story. Clare uses this to flesh out Simon (more Simon!) and his transition into being a vampire. It’s not pretty. She also uses it to flesh out Maia — we learn about how she became a werewolf — and Isabelle, who is no longer a stuck up fashionista. I was told it wasn’t as good as the original series, but I have to admit that I liked it as much as the other ones.

Clare’s a smart, fun writer, and she’s definitely got me hooked.