Spoiler-Free Review of "City of Fallen Angels" by Cassie Clare

From Goodreads: "City of Fallen Angels is the fourth book in the bestselling series The Mortal Instruments.

City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.”

When I first opened my package this afternoon and held the book in my hands my first thought was "It's so small!" and I was kinda disappointed because less book= less Jace for me to love (I'd say that it is a good 1/4 shorter than "City of Glass" is- but don't quote me on that, I am too lazy to check the page numbers). But then I had to remind myself, "Hey Avery... 'Member that time that you thought that this series, your most favourite book series in the entire world and the book series that pretty much defines your life, was going to be three books and now it is six book? Yeah, you remember that? So you CANNOT COMPLAIN THAT IT IS SHORT BECAUSE YOU WERE ONLY ORIGINALLY GOING TO GET THREE BOOKS. YOU GOT AN EXTRA THREE BOOKS SO JUST GET READING IT ALREADY!" So yes...

I don't think that I have ever experienced such an emotional roller coaster than I did while reading this book. On one page I could be laughing my butt off at snarky comments from equally snarky characters and the next page my heart could be stomped upon so hard that nothing, not even an iratze, could heal said stomped upon heart.

Upon finishing this book I have come to realize how flat the characters truly were in the earlier books and it sounds kinda dumb when I say it, because I wouldn't have in a million years considered them to be flat- but compared to this book? Yep, totally flat. Why I say that is because in this book each character's personalities shined and flourished like they never have before. Each and every character has grown enormously and characters that in the earlier books I felt only "meh" towards? Well, I feel head over heels for them in this book (ie. Alec and Izzy) and the characters that I previously loved? Jace, Clary, Simon, Magnus? Well I fell even harder for them (which I didn't think was possible).

As for the Jace front? Well, it is obvious that he loved Clary in the earlier books, but I never fully understood to what extent he did. I didn't fully grasp exactly how much she meant to him until last week (or around then) when Cassie posted the scene from "City of Ashes" when Jace, Clary, and the gang go to see the Seelie Court in Jace's POV (READ IT HERE, IT IS AMAZING). And in this book? Well it is totally obvious how much he truly cares for her this book. 

Though this book give us the lovey-dovey-ness that we all expected, it is by far the most action packed and darkest book of the series, and as mentioned, one page you will be laughing, the next you will be bawling your eyes out and hyperventilating. I don't think that anyone will be disappointed by this book.

Rating: 4/5

PS. Dear Cassie Clare, you are somewhat evil. You give us a major cliff-hanger ending and now we have to wait for pretty much forever for "City of Lost Souls". Thanks. A. Lot. ;)