This book is from my brother’s bookshelf. He read the series years ago. My good friend is also a big fan of the series, so I figured it was next on my list.

Read: February 18 – March 6, 2022

Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural
Audience: Young Adult
Book contains: dark elements/themes, demons and monsters

Purchase a copy from Amazon.ca

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Unexpected Plot Twists at Every Turn

Clary Fray and her friend Simon go out to an all-age nightclub (they have those?) when Clary sees something strange—three kids her age committing a murder. Even weirder, no one can see the teenagers but her. After an argument with her mom later that night, Clary runs off and meets the weird teen again, only to find out that her mom is missing. Then she gets sucked into a world of demons, vampires, werewolves, warlocks, and most importantly—the people who hunt them down.

This book has some interesting lore. It mainly focuses on Nephilim, people who contain the blood of the angels or something along those lines. The descriptions of the vampires, warlocks, and werewolves are unique to my previous encounters, which is refreshing. I like that they also remain recognizable.

This book not only used chapters to separate the text but was also divided into three parts. It’s not something I see often, but it fits with the story, and it was cool to see the quotes in each section.

Something I appreciated about this book was the inclusion of LGBT+ characters. There’s more representation nowadays, but this book was published back in 2007, so it’s nice to see, especially as the inclusion shows some of the struggles that members of the community face.

The characters each have unique personalities, and though there are times when I disagreed with some of their actions, I found myself getting angry at the characters, not the author (as one sometimes does). Their actions were understandable and consistent, and Clary as the main character—while annoying at times—works well.

Her story makes sense along with her motivations. Clary doesn’t want to be a part of the world that she’s just been thrust into, but her mother is missing and the only way to find her is to go along with the demon hunters, only for her to find out that her mother has been keeping secrets from her. The mysteries of Clary’s past are great motivators for moving the plot along, and I have to say, I did not expect the reveal at the end. I called part of it, sure—the part about Clary—but the rest caught me blindsided, and while I’m still trying to decide whether I like it or not, I think it works well for the story as a whole. There were hints throughout the book that I can look back on now, so it’s not one of those reveals that are thrown in for the sake of it; it’s well incorporated.

I wasn’t too sure of the slight love triangle throughout the story, so I’m glad that it was sorted out by the end of this book. I don’t know if I’d have liked it being extended throughout the series.

I definitely recommend this book to other paranormal fantasy readers. It’s a great example of teen fiction—simpler, but not too juvenile, with a bit of romance and action and humour.

Related Reviews:

The Mortal Instruments Book 1: City of Bones
The Mortal Instruments Book 2: City of Ashes
The Mortal Instruments Book 3: City of Glass
The Mortal Instruments Book 4: City of Fallen Angels
The Mortal Instruments Book 5: City of Lost Souls
The Mortal Instruments Book 6: City of Heavenly Fire
The Infernal Devices Book 1: Clockwork Angel
The Dark Artifices Book 1: Lady Midnight
*The Other Side of Daylight by Nicole Chartier*