City of Lost Souls

5/5

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare may have just become my favorite of the Mortal Instrument series. I really wasn't a fan of City of Fallen Angels, it felt like it didn't need to exist. But now that I've read this one it completely makes sense. Also the fact that you're not supposed to read them in order makes it more enjoyable as I could kind of see how it was supposed to be two separate series within the Mortal Instrument series almost. 

This book takes place a couple of weeks after City of Fallen Angels. Jace is still missing, and no one has heard from Sebastian. But they come after Clary, and in the process, wound Luke with a poison dagger. Clary doesn't go with them, but just as Jocelyn suspected, Jace comes back for Clary again, and this time she goes with him. She goes into this new place thinking that she has the advantage because she has fairy rings to talk to Simon through, but eventually hers goes missing. It's painfully obvious where it went, but we don't find out for sure until towards the end. 

Jace is very much under Sebastian's control. He's like a puppet that just agrees with what Sebastian says, and it doesn't help matters that Sebastian can't be harmed without hurting Jace also. While Clary is with them traveling all over Europe, Alec, Izzy, Simon, and Magnus hunt down a way to separate the two Jonathans. 

This book was a wild ride and I loved every minute of it. Sebastian may be my favorite villain because he's just so dark. Also it feels like his plan may actually succeed (even though hero's always win in the end, right?). In the previous books he had a single focus of helping Valentine, but now his backstory has evolved and he's more complex and I love it. I loved learning how Shadowhunters almost seem like they mate in a way with how intense they're relationships are. Clary and Jace are inseparable and definitely one of my OTP's. I'm really looking forward to City of Heavenly Fire with how this one ended.