Life of Bry

Halfway there! Here are my thoughts on City of Glass, the third installment in Cassandra Clare’s series The Mortal Instruments.

This book could’ve been a great finale to a trilogy (which we established it was kind of supposed to be). A LOT happened, so hang tight ‘cause I have many thoughts and many feelings on City of Glass.

I want to start by saying, “I told ya so.” I predicted a major plot twist in my last blog post. I want to keep things in order, so we’ll get to that later.

The key to waking Jocelyn, Clary’s mother, lies with a warlock named Ragnor Fell who resides in Alicante— the capital of the Shadowhunters home country of Idris. The Lightwoods have agreed to take Clary to Idris, mostly because the Clave wishes to meet with her. But wait! Jace is being overprotective per usual and doesn’t want Clary to go. In turn, he plays the oldest trick in the book by telling his adoptive family that Clary has decided she doesn’t want to go and then telling her the wrong departure time.

Love makes you lie, am I right? At least that’s what the Seelie Queen told Jace and what Jace tells everyone else to make him feel better about being super controlling. Simon and Jace both love Clary, so they need to lie to her to keep her safe. 

Jace pulling an injured Simon through the portal even though Downworlders aren’t accepted in Idris is pretty sweet. Though I think he did it more for Clary’s benefit than his own. Also Simon didn’t agree to his plan, so he didn’t really have a choice but to keep an eye on him. This all ends up with the Clave putting Simon in jail because they’re super corrupt and shady.

Clary is consistently selfish throughout the series. She puts saving her mom above everything else, even the safety of herself and those around her. She created a portal in the midst of a temper tantrum over being left behind, and it almost ended with her drowning. Just because things turn out in her favor down the road, doesn’t mean it’s OK for Clary to continue being selfish and rushing into things before thinking. That’s how people die.

Jace doesn’t get a pass on being an absolute jerk either. The way he screamed at Clary after she caught him making out with another girl was gross. Yes, he was upset. Yes, Clary shouldn’t have barged in. Yes, they both had a right to be angry. No, it’s not OK to humiliate and belittle Clary. Also, he doesn’t have a right to tell her what she can and can’t do. 

“‘You’re a disaster for us, Clary! You’re a mundane — you’ll always be one; you’ll never be a Shadowhunter. You don’t know how to think like we do, think about what’s best for everyone — all you ever think about is yourself! … I don’t have the time or inclination to follow around after you, trying to make sure you don’t get one of us killed!’”

Jace to Clary, page 123

And while we’re on the topic of Jace being an asshole to people he cares about … 

“Exactly. Despite my staggering good looks, you actually don’t like me that way. And if you’re blowing off Magnus, it’s not because of me. It’s because you’re too scared to tell anyone who you really love. Love makes us liars,” said Jace. “The Seelie Queen told me that. So don’t judge me for lying about how I feel. You do it too.”

Jace to Alec, page 138

Alec had it right, Jace deserved to heal like a mundane — slow and ugly. 

I actually realized something personal while reading. If I read this series when I was 14 or 15, I definitely would’ve been drooling over Jace. His bad boy self would’ve been plastered on my walls right next to Jacob Black and Gale. But as a 24 year old, I absolutely adore Alec. He’s a sweet guy just trying to find himself while still attempting to uphold what his family expects from him. He has a good head on his shoulders and cares so deeply for those around him, and, as much as angsty and irrational teens drive the plot forward, it’s nice to see a character that thinks before he leaps into battle both literally and figuratively.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming … 

Sebastian was sus from the start. Unlike Jace whose wit and arrogance comes off charming (most of the time), Sebastian always had a creepy edge to him. He just happened to know the exact location of Ragnor Fell despite not being in Idris since he was a child (also someone killed Fell right before they arrived), he held onto Clary too tightly when they kissed and then there’s the very suspicious hair dye. Never trust a guy whose hair dye comes off on your fingers.

The scene where Clary and Jace are in the Wayland Manor library retrieving the Book of White for Magnus and they start knocking down the books that Valentine didn’t let Jace read as a child is one of my favorites. It’s just a tiny moment they share that reminds readers that they’re still just teenagers. 

Too bad that moment turned into them discovering Valentine’s torture chamber that held a real life angel. An angel that shows Jace and Clary how Valentine experimented on children (presumably them) with demon and angel blood. Jace thus thinks he’s a demon — the exact thing he was trained to kill — and tries yucking his sister (consensually) because that’s what monsters do apparently. 

And then Alicante is up in flames because, who could’ve guessed it, the wards are down and demons have invaded the Shadowhunters’ safe haven.

Poor, sweet, Naruto-loving Max is murdered during the attack — not by a demon. Max’s death was crushing in a way I didn’t expect. He’s a pretty minor character, but the little details we did get about him made me appreciate his presence like the way he could fall asleep anywhere or the fact he carried around Jace’s Shadowhunter figure. Max was so young and innocent. I’m sure that the weight of his death will hang on the Lightwood family for a while.

This is when things really start picking up.

Clary gives the Book of White to Magnus in an agreement that he will use it first to cure her mother. Hodge ended up being Simon’s crazy prison friend. Upon gaining freedom, Hodge went to the Clave to warn them about Valentine’s plan. Of course they didn’t believe him, which is a shame since Hodge figured out where to find the Mortal Mirror. Sebastian shows up and kills an unarmed Hodge, further proving that he’s a psychopath and admitting that he’s Valentine’s spy.

It seemed painfully obvious that the Mortal Mirror was Lake Lyn. The legend stated that the angel Raziel came out of the lake holding only the Cup and Sword … it only takes a tiny bit of deductive reasoning to put those pieces together.

Sebastian escapes and our gang learns a few things about him. He’s not the real Sebastian Verlac, he’s the one who killed Max and attacked Izzy, and he’s going to tell Valentine about Lake Lyn.

Valentine pulls the typical bad guy move of giving the Shadowhunters two terrible choices and a firm deadline. Either the Shadowhunters surrender themselves over to Valentine or there will be a war that most likely ends in the destruction and death of all Nephilim. 

Jace decides that he need to take matters into his own hands (suprise, suprise) by heading out on a solo suicide mission to track down Sebastian and Valentine and kill them both since he’s the only one that can get close enough to his father. But first, Jace sneaks into Clary’s room and confesses his love for her one last time and begs to spend one night with her because he doesn’t know if they’ll survive another day. Gotta shoot your shot, I guess. This would be adorable, if, ya know, they didn’t think they were siblings. 

Clary wakes up the next morning and Jace is gone, but her mother is alive and awake. What should’ve been a beautiful reunion turns out to be Clary screaming at her mom for lying about who she is for her entire life. I actually understood why Clary was so upset. Her life changed so drastically so quickly but she used the mission of saving her mom as a way to ground herself. Now that her mother was standing in front of her, Clary was able to release all of the other emotions she was holding onto since her world was turned upside down. 

The key to defeating Valentine is friendship. Well, not exactly. The Shadowhunters can’t defeat Valentine’s army alone, but, if they team up with the entire Downworld, they have a shot. Too bad the Clave is racist AF and would rather turn themselves over to Valentine than work with Downworlders. That is until Clary shows everyone her ability to create runes and that she had a rune that could allow Shadowhunters and Downworlders to share each other’s powers. 

Now that Jocelyn is awake and Clary is done being a pouty teen, we get the truth. Jace isn’t Clary’s brother. He’s the son of Stephen Herondale (meaning Jace is the old Inquisitor’s grandson — that’s my ‘I told ya so’ moment). Valentine was giving Jace’s biological mother potions mixed with angel blood while she was pregnant. When she committed suicide, Valentine didn’t want his experiment wasted, so he saved the baby and raised it as his own.

Magnus and Alec kiss in front of everyone. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH. I love it.

Dude, the Mark of Cain seems so messed up, but at least it saves Simon from the other Vamps.

The fight between Jace and Sebastian — the real Johnathan Christopher — is sick. Hands down my favorite part of the series so far. These two boys were raised by the same man. One has demon blood and the other angel. Jonathan constantly tells Jace that Valentine gave him away because he was too soft and could never be a true warrior. Jace in return tells Jonathan that their father is ashamed of him and, while he might love his son, Valentine also hates what he is.

“‘You’re the angel boy. I had to hear all about you. You with your pretty angel face and your pretty manners and your delicate, delicate feelings. You couldn’t even watch a bird die without crying. No wonder Valentine was ashamed of you.’”

Jonathan to Jace, page 426

Good thing Valentine gave these boys the same present for their ninth birthday — knowledge of a spot on a man’s back that you can “pierce his heart and sever his spine, all at once”. Jace barely survives his fight with Jonathan, but his determination to find Clary (who he now knows isn’t his sister) and stop Valentine drives him forward.

BIG SPOILER!!!

Jace finds Clary tied up at Lake Lyn with Valentine who tells Jace that he’s too gentle and empathetic to kill him. Valentine then drives the Mortal Sword straight into Jace’s heart, but he does seem to show a bit of remorse for killing his adoptive son. He holds Jace in his arms as he dies, but then drips his son’s blood into the Mortal Cup and summons the Angel.

Sad realization from Clary … “Hail and farewell, Jace Wayland? That name was not truly his. He had never really been named, she thought with agony, just given the name of a dead child because it had suited Valentine’s purposes at the time.” page 450.

Wait! Clary is a badass rune wielder. She manages to get her stele and overpower the runes that Valentine drew to summon Raziel. When the Angel appears, he wants absolutely nothing to do with Valentine’s bullshit. Raziel reminds Valentine that Downworlders are not just demons; they still have souls. But … but … but … Valentine sacrificed his son just as Abraham almost did to prove his allegiance to God in the Bible.

“But no one asked you to sacrifice your son, Valentine.” page 454. You tell him, Raziel!

Raziel kills Valentine and offers to grant Clary one request since she’s the one who summoned him after all. Her request? Bring Jace back to life. Now that we know they’re not brother and sister, they’re very cute. 

The war is won, Valentine is dead and Jace and Clary aren’t siblings. Time to celebrate! 

But first, we get a glimpse of Valentine’s funeral. Clary doesn’t attend, but Jace does and he admits to Luke that he’ll miss Valentine despite everything. Jace also says that he’s been wondering if he would have turned out like Jonathan if Valentine hadn’t given him to the Lightwoods.

“‘I think Valentine sent you to the Lightwoods because he knew it was the best chance for you. Maybe he had other reasons too. But you can’t get away from the fact that he sent you to people he knew would love you and raise you with love. It might have been one of the few things he ever really did for someone else.’”

Luke to Jace, page 467

So, Jace’s identity crisis is far from over even though he knows who his biological parents are.

Now it’s time to celebrate for reals (with a big ole’ block party). 

I’m extremely happy that Jace and Clary aren’t siblings, because what he says to her at this party made my heart melt and I really don’t want that tainted by incest.

“And you’re asking me if I still want you, as if I could stop loving you. As if I would want to give up the thing that makes me stronger than anything else ever has. I never dared give much of myself to anyone before — bits of myself to the Lightwoods, to Isabelle and Alec, but it took years to do it — but, Clary, since the first time I saw you, I have belonged to you completely. I still do. If you want me.” Jace to Clary, page 489.

Jace to Clary, page 489

Oh, Luke admits his feelings for Jocelyn, as well. Honestly, I just didn’t care about their whole love story. It just felt like a reason to keep Luke close to Clary through everything.

Simon and Jace have a weird little rift, so I guess they’re friends now? And the Seelie Queen asks a favor of Clary in return for a favor of her own, but our girl turns the Queen down because she already has everything she wants. That’s probs not going to bear well for Clarissa in the future.

-Fin-

This was incredibly long, so, if you made it this far, kudos for sticking through it. I’m giving City of Glass a perfect 5 out of 5. It was fabulously paced and suspenseful, held powerful messages about protecting those we care about, not hiding our true feelings, and that we are more than the blood that runs through our veins, and continued developing characters in ways that pushed the plot forward.

I’m just concerned that the City of Fallen Angels will be awfully slow moving forward since Clare needs to essentially build up to another major plot climax. We shall see!