City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Reviewed by: Palak
Publisher: Margaret K. Elderry
Release Date: May 8th, 2012
Pages: 536 (Hardcover)
Cover: 4/5 Stars
Plot: 5/5 Stars

ALERT: There will be spoilers for the other books in the series!

    The demon Lilith has been destroyed, and Jace is free from her. But then he disappeared... and so did Sebastian's body. Sebastian's back, and he holds Jace's soul prisoner. They are bound, and you can't kill one without killing the other. And you bet Sebastian has a plan to bring the downfall of Shadowhunters... with Jace right behind him 

    It's been two weeks, and now only Clary and her friends are still searching for him. She knows she will go to the end of the world to get him back, even if it means diving into the core of the darkness itself. They'll have to seek the Iron Sisters for help, make tricky deals with the Seelie Queen, and risk their very lives just to get him back. But can the lost be saved.... and at what cost?

Before I start this review, let me gather my breath! City of Lost Souls was brilliant and it completely blew my mind! Cassandra Clare has been one of my favorite authors for years, but recently she has been completely overwhelming me with emotions! City of Lost Souls had me flipping pages really fast, and I can't quit bothering my friends to pick it up!

What's a Cassandra Clare novel without sizzling romance? She makes you root for the characters, and then brings you down with heart break, hard. In City of Lost Souls, things get even more complicated. (Yes, even more than usual!)

It's been a while since I've read the other books in the series, and I completely forgot how much I love the characters. Usually a book will have an ok plot or ok characters, but Cassandra Clare gives us the full package! It slipped my mind how dynamic and amiable they are. It's not the story that define the characters, it's the characters that shape the story, and Clare's never fail to put a smile on my face.

I promised myself I would devote a paragraph to the infamous Sebastian. He's such a spectacular villain that it gives me shivers. He's got the whole mysterious aura and curious intentions. Sebastian is the kind of evil that creeps up on you and has you guessing up to the very last minute what he's going to do. His influence was really strong in this book.

Another thing I would like to bring to attention is the incredibly fast pace and insurmountable suspense! These days, I'm not so easily shocked by books. Cassandra Clare ALWAYS manages to have me on my knees, and her writing is only getting better. At the end of each chapter, heck, at the end of each paragraph, I feel that that foreboding feeling that gives me a reason to use the "one more chapter!" excuse. It's like looking down into a dark abyss, wondering what's inside, but too you'll afraid to fall in.

You have your Shadowhunters, you have your Malec, you have your fantastic writing, you have your dynamic characters, you have your Jace, and much, much more. What else can you ask for? Do a girl a favor, and drive over to your local library or bookstore and pick it up! Do it now, and you won't regret it!