Wrapping up Clare, Clary, and Clockworks
Titles: City of Heavenly Fire
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: Fantasy/ Teen
*SPOILERS*
So I was finally able to wrap up two series, The Mortal Instruments and the prequel series Infernal Devices. It was kind of refreshing to finish something and know that I know as much of the story that is available to know at the moment.
City of Heavenly Fire was exactly what I expected. Great closing to it all, not a lot of surprises. The only thing that did surprise me were the number of new characters that were introduced, seemingly to kick start another set of books. But Clary and Jace are finally basking in their glorious together-ness, the readers got a wedding (Clary’s mother and Luke of course), and the teen couple finally sealed the deal which was expected, gratifying for the masses, but also disappointing for me – the girl who waited.
Clockwork Princess was not nearly as satisfying. It went as expected (the ending sort of spoiled by having already read City of Heavenly Fire), but also disappointed me in the sense that sometimes a girl should actually have to do a little more choosing. No one gets everything they ever wanted that thoroughly, and Tessa being allowed to love both boys so completely thrusts you outside of the book’s reality and back into your own by the sheer fact that no one should be allowed such a fairy tale. Even in happily ever afters, a girl has to pick a prince. You didn’t see Clary marrying Jace and running into the ever after with Simon or vice versa. It was sweet and wonderful, but too sweet and too wonderful, and therefore fell flat to me.
I’m glad I read them the way I did though, I am. Even if things were a little anti-climactic, I understand stories and the fact that the characters simply have to live their lives and sometimes those lives are anti-climactic. I’m just also a little relieved that both series have ended.
I still adore Cassandra Clare, I still look forward to reading more of her writing in the future. But for now, I think I may have burned myself out. Or maybe Clare burned herself out. I’m not sure and it’s probably not fair for me to decide right now.
And She Went There – A City of Bones Review
*Spoilers!*
Title: City of Bones
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: McElderry Books (http://imprints.simonandschuster.biz/margaret-k-mcelderry-books)
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Length: 485 pages
Oh my… geeze Louise. What the heck! I totally saw the insinuation of the plot developing, and I completely anticipate that this particular plot development will prove to be false… But Clare totally STAR WARSed us! Except with Luke and Leah there was relief that came with the knowledge of their familial ties (after the ewww moment), because at least then we felt ok about hoping that whiny Luke didn’t get the girl and that Leah and Han Solo were meant for each other. Clary and Jace! Really? Did Cassandra Clare have to go there? Yes, yes, I fear she did. Although I’m not buying the story line, it worked hook, line, and sinker and I’m itching to find out what happens next.
Of course, now, perfectly livid and irritated at my fascination for this series, I’m both addicted and torn.
What am I torn about? And why am I still addicted?
1. I was not a Twilight fan. Meyer captured her target audience, and it was a fun little fairy tale – so in that aspect I can respect it. But Bella is useless and I pretty much hate her character, Edward is ridiculous and I pretty much hate his character, and their whole relationship, I think, is absurd and sends the wrong message. Cassandra Clare’s work definitely goes in the same genre, so in that sense I don’t want to like these books. Still, Clare is just so much better with her character development, her story telling, and her writing. Granted, I could do without all the teenage melodrama romance, but the adventure and the world she has created is wonderfully fascinating. (Read my Twilight review here: https://anakalianwhims.wordpress.com/tag/flaubert/)
2. These books are complete fluff. In general, I am particular about my fluff. I am very judgy, and frankly, a bit of a book snob. Apparently, though, I’m in the mood for some complete and utter fluff, and a girl needs a healthy dose of dessert in her life in order to truly enjoy the non-dessert. Clare makes up for the feeling of reading a crap ton of mind numbing cotton candy equivalent books with a healthy dose of literature references, so instead of cotton candy, I feel as though I’m reading a lemon meringue pie (with extra cool whip).
3. I absolutely protest having half naked boys on the front cover. It’s a huge turn off when it comes to my book buying tendencies. I was duped by Infernal Devices and the gentleman in the top hat. Happily duped.
4. Then, which to read next? City of Ashes? (Book 2 of Mortal Instruments) or Clockwork Prince? (Book 2 of Infernal Devices). Infernal Devices is the better series so far in my book, mostly because its Victorian and steampunk and all that delicious goodness, but I’m in a little more distress over the Mortal Instruments story line in this moment. Does Clare pull a few more twists and rectify this ridiculous love story into the something morally acceptable I feel she is alluding to – or am I going to writhe my way through an incestuous romance? And if this situation is resolved as I suspect (and hope) it will be, how does she do it?
Side note: Contrary to recent and probably most frequent posts, this is not a blog dedicated to childrens or young adult titles. I read them a lot, therefore review them a lot, mostly because I have a child and partly because I enjoy reading what has been published since I was a child myself. In the coming month(s), my readers/ followers can (fingers crossed) expect to find reviews and commentary for Book 3 of Les Miserables, Coming of Age in the Milky Way by Ferris, Merchant Kings by Brown, a surprise title sent to me to review by an author, and the latest discoveries in my Astrology research project.
The Part Where I Admit I’m a Sucker…
…for any book cover featuring a gentleman in a top hat.
Title: Clockwork Angel
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: McElderry Books
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Steampunk
Length: 478 pages
I am very skeptical when it comes to current popular young adult titles. Anything published in the aftermath of the Twilight Saga makes me pretty inclined to doubt that the story will be anything but unequivocal crap. In fact, when I first saw the covers of Cassandra Clare’s original series The Mortal Instruments (City of Ashes, City of Bones, etc.), I had no interest whatsoever in the nearly naked teens displayed on the front cover in all their thin, muscled perfection. Clockwork Angel, on the other hand, the first in the prequel series The Infernal Devices taunted me for months. This front cover is still shimmery and radiates young adult paranormal pop culture crap, but the teen isn’t naked, he’s in full on Victorian era attire, coat, top hat, the whole shebang. I was torn. How did they know they would suck me in like this? How did Cassandra Clare know that this book was basically screaming at me: YOU, You pompous, self-righteous, book snob, YOU, try to NOT read THIS one!
I rebelled. I refused. It continuously called my name. And if it hadn’t been for 1) S. Smith renewing my faith in *new* young adult fiction with Seed Savers and 2) Felix J. Palma enchanting me with a love hate relationship with The Map of Time (that a. ended in love and b. also featured a somewhat shiny top hatted man on the front cover), my rebellion would have won out and in turn I would have lost out.
Cassandra Clare, if you are reading this, I loved Clockwork Angel. I didn’t want to, because I’m a book snob, but you won me over, with – of all things – book love.
Clockwork Angel is a little bit paranormal, a little bit steam punk, a whole lot of adventure, and even more book worship. Clare’s characters are well read in all my Victorian and pre-Victorian favorites. No matter how predictable or typical they behave, they win me over every time with their references to Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, A Tale of Two Cities, countless poets, and more. The feelings are that of typical teens without over exaggerating the melodrama. And the adventure and fight scenes are just down right fun. How do you pass up automatons, vampires, warlocks, and gadgets? You can’t, especially when its been so long since the vampires have actually been bad guys, not sparkling, cheesy love interests. Thank you Clare, for putting those vamps in their place. In Clockwork Angel we know they are bad guys, dangerous, but they don’t over run the story… it’s not entirely about them, they’re just part of the landscape… Thank God.
Now, of course, I have the entire Mortal Instruments series sitting on my end table to be read, despite their front covers. I’m suckered, I’m hooked, I have to know the whole story.
End Note: I’d put Clare’s writing at about a 6th-7th grade level, content probably for a 14+ but I’d have no problem letting anyone younger read it because there’s nothing inappropriate or anything, it just might take a slightly older child to catch all the literature references.
Anakalian Whims 