Woman Reading

Contains spoilers!

Cons

1. So, I was pretty sure that the cover of this book was Simon and Clary... please, correct me if I'm wrong. Regardless, what the heck is the dude doing with arrows on his back?! I don't remember any scene where Simon (or anyone) was shooting a bow and arrow. Honestly, am I missing something?

2. Enough already with the tormenting of Jace! It's not even that I'm so in love with his character that I can't stand the idea of his torment. Really, it has just started feeling like the 'go to' plot forwarder in this series. What can we do in the next book, oh I KNOW! Let's drive Jace insane some more! While perhaps a part of me tried to care in the beginning, it became less and less as the book went on. And the cliffhanger... well, not much of a cliffhanger if I'm left just rolling my eyes thinking 'here we go again'.

3. I really hoped that City of Glass pretty much closed the book on Jace and Clary, (of course not, apparently the story still needs Jace as its whipping boy). I thought that going into the next three books it would focus more on Simon. Granted, it did, he still had to share equal page time with ‘Clace’. I understand that they are fan favorites, and as such they should still be in the book. But wouldn't it have been nice if their story wasn't so angst filled, this time around? Couldn't they have just been a couple and had a small story (think Jordan/Maia sized), and we just got some happiness from them?

4. Let Sebastian die already!!! With Simon and the Marc of Cain, we have the beginnings of a story that doesn't need to include Valentine.

Pros

1. I read Clockwork Angel, and loved it, so any time Will was mentioned pretty much was the bee’s knees. When Magnus was thinking back and picturing Will and Tessa I giggled and grinned. I'm a crossover girl, all the way.

2. Magnus Bane and Alec. Lordy be, they entertained me to no end. The first half, getting to envision the pictures that Alec was sending Jace. I could see Magnus in all these crazy costumes, and Alec looking amused and in love. They were just adorable. Then they come back and Alec is hit with the fact that Magnus is going to stay the same age while Alec grows old. He's faced with Magnus's past, along with the lack of future that they have. I felt for him, it was tragic. Knowing that Magnus is having the same feelings of worry and pain, this is an amazing story.

3. The addition of Jordan I thought was a good plot move. I thought he was interesting, and it was nice hearing his side of the Maia story. I would have liked to see this developed slower, broadening it, making it deeper. Course not, because then it would have interfered with the Jace torturing.

4. Simon. I've always thought Simon was an interesting character. His turmoil over wanting to be a normal kid, and being stuck as a vampire was a great story-line. Add to that the Mark of Cain, and the brutal way it killed anyone who tried to hurt him. You could feel Simon's pain. In addition to this Simon is starting to feel disconnected from his Shaderhunter friends. What's harder is his feelings for Iz are getting stronger, but he's starting to sense her (and the rest of their) immediate dislike of any Downworlders. Poor Simon is stuck in a very hard spot right now, and I feel for him.

5. Regardless of any complaints I might have about Clare's storytelling, that woman can sure write some snark and wit. Jace consistently made me laugh. The way Simon and Jace would bounce off each other, regardless of how they feel they're definitely becoming friends and it's cute.

Kyle shook his head, "Fine. Whatever it is you're not telling me, I'll find out eventually." He got to his feet. "And now, I'm beat. I'm going to sleep. I'll see you in the morning," he said to Simon. "You," he said to Jace, "well, I guess I'll see you around. You're the first Shadowhunter I've ever met."

"That's too bad," said Jace, "since all the ones you meet from now on will be a terrible letdown."

To Summarize...Four stars for all the Pro's, two stars for all the Cons... Bringing this installment to an underwhelmed 3 star rating.

Clare wrote a series of books that were supposed to BE a trilogy. Glass was supposed to be the last book. It had a good ending. It was satisfying. It could have picked back up with a whole new story, featuring the same characters. Think, Percy Jackson, and then the spin off Heroes of Olympus. Same characters, NEW PLOT. Reading this I felt just like she was stringing me along, milking it. That was annoying. These books already had a ready made, completely new, plot with Simon that could have still contained Jace and Clary. But instead of capitalizing on these fresh story-lines and really interesting characters, we're reading the same old story arcs we read in the first three books. I found it disappointing. Okay... moving on...

Edit----- I have since marked down to 2 stars, my feelings about the book deteriorating even more as time progressed.