City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Series: The Mortal Instruments (#6)

Publisher: Walker Books

Published: May 28th 2014

Summary: “Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world changed in the sixth and last instalment of the internationally bestselling The Mortal Instruments series.
Erchomai, Sebastian had said. I am coming.
Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in this world can defeat him – must they journey to another world to find the chance?”

Review

I’ve waited 2 years to read this book. Why, you ask? Because I was devastated by Clockwork Princess, which came out in 2013, and have been since plagued by its ending (you can see why in my review). So, I knew from the epilogue that some stuff would go down on City of Heavenly Fire (CoHF) and was scared shitless of what I was going to find out. That, and I couldn’t make myself read anything in the shadowhunter world without thinking of Will, so there’s that. Anyway, CoHF was a great book to read (not during midterms like I did), and I laughed, sighed and teared up a bit. However, there were some things that left me thinking and wondering whether this book could have been better.

Now, I’m going to be spoilerly as can be so I’d refrain from reading more if you are planning on reading City of Heavenly Fire (although most people have read it a long time ago, I’m just late for the party woohoo!)

CoHF begins with the shadowhunter’s world at the footstep of a war even they can’t imagine what’s going to be like. Sebastian is on the move, Jace and Clary can’t do the deed without burning up (literally burning up), there’s trouble in paradise for Alec and Magnus, and who the hell knows what’s going on between Izzy and Simon. In all my honesty, when Cassandra Clare announced that some important characters were going to die, I thought immediately that it was going to be either Alec or Magnus. Let’s just say, CC has a flair for the dramatic and after Clockwork Princess I was expecting the worse (yes, one of them dying after their breakup would be the worst thing for me). But fear not, none of these precious characters have died! Now, I was incredibly surprised with the death of dear Jordan, who I honestly couldn’t remember that well but still felt an affinity for. I was shocked when Sebastian killed him in front of Maia, along with the massacre that had happened in the Praetor Lupus (hope I’m writing that right). I was expecting war and devastation, but Sebastion went full bloodthirsty psychopath and reached extremes even I didn’t think were possible.

The Endarkened, shadowhunters turned bad by the Infernal Cup, were a surprise as well. I thought there was going to be a way to cure them, some sort of turnaround for them. It was heartbreaking to see warriors mourn their lost and even worse having to kill their relatives, their friends, just because there was no way of bringing them back. Worst of all, Amatis. I was hoping for a salvation for Luke’s sister, but the way it all ended, I was left heartbroken with the last look of recognition.

I loved Simon’s jokes, and absolutely adored Alec when he was in a good mood. Who doesn’t, he’s hilarious too! One thinh I pitty was not remembering Maureen, at all! Well, didn’t matter that much, though.

Now now, there was some stuff that just didn’t bode that well with me. First of all, when the gang is in Edom, they are in the caves. Some stuff happened before and Jace is now free of the heavenly fire (I told you there were big spoilers). So, obviously, he can finally have sex with Clary. Sexy times in a cavern in the middle of a demon realm, who wouldn’t? The question here is, why did Jace go prepared and have a condom with him. Now, let’s think. The gang had to prepare real fast to leave for Edom. They were gathering water, food and essential stuff. Did Jace really think “well, I have heavenly fire inside be that lights up whenever I feel things but maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to do the deed with Clary there, who knows, it might happen, so I should just take this condom with me.”. I know that Cassandra Clare was probably promoting safe sex, which I completely approve of! However, it was so ridiculous! These scene was completely out of context, and I bet Jace had other worries other than finding condoms when he was preparing for a suicidal mission.

The other thing that I did not like, even though it was the one that brought most tears to my eyes and made me feel things, was making CoHF an extension of The Infernal Devices. I loved that series with all my heart. But please, it ended there. I wanted more Tessa and more Jem, sure. I wanted them to have a happy ending and the epilogue in Clockwork Princess happens in The Mortal Instruments’ world, I know. But it all felt like a cheap shot. Like the author was trying to make the readers feel by making them think about the book that wrenched their heart before. And now, we have to think about Jem being mortal, while Tessa remains immortal, AGAIN. Also, all those William Herondale references. Are you trying to kill me? Again, cheap shot. There are other ways of making the readers feel. Like Simon. I was spoiled on that because I opened on the very last page of the book when I bought it, knowing it wasn’t part of the story, but what I got was an ad for Shadowhunter Academy thingie that told me Simon was a Shadowhunter and we could follow his story there. Come on, that’s just stupid! Who puts that at the end of the book, when that’s the major ending of the story?? For fucks sake. Well, at least we got to meet the real Jonathan Morgenstern, without the demonic eyes and psychopathic soul. I feel for Jocelyn having lost her son again, and I’m sad that we didn’t get to see more of Jonathan.

I will read Lady Midnight to know more about Emma Carstairs. I didn’t know she was going to appear so much on CoHF but I’m intrigued. Also, I’m predicting more Tessa and Jem there (and Church!). If I think Shadowhunter series should end, yes I do. The author should stop writing about the world. But I like it, and will probably read more. It’s my guilty pleasure.