City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

From Goodreads.com The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace freed from captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing, so is the boy she hates: her brother Sebastian, who is determined to bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

The Clave's magic cannot locate either boy, but Jace can't stay away from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith's magic has wrought - Jace and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other.

Only a few people believe that Jace can still be saved. Together, Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle bargain with the sinister Seelie Queen, contemplate deals with demons, and turn at last to the merciless, weapon-making Iron Sisters, who might be able to forge a weapon that can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. If the Iron Sisters can't help, their only hope is to challenge Heaven and Hell - a risk that could claim their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary is playing a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing not just her own life, but Jace's soul. She's willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

I’ve said it many times and I’m going to say it again, Cassandra Clare brings an authenticity to her writing that transports the reader to the world she’s created—real or imagined. 

For example: “They released one another, and Clary glanced around. She had been here before, in this dark brown, shining corridor that looked as if it had been carved out of a tiger’s eye gemstone. The floor was smooth, worn down by the passage of thousands of years’ worth of faerie feet. Light came from glinting chips of gold in the walls, and at the end of the passage was a multicolored curtain that swayed back and forth as if moved by wind, though there was no wind here underground. As Clary drew near to it, she saw that it was sewed out of butterflies. Some of them were still alive, and their struggles made the curtain flutter as if in a stiff breeze.” ~City of Lost Souls, pg 32-33. Cassandra Clare. 

The above is one of many intricate details that make Clare’s books incredible. She makes it seem effortless, creating fantastical worlds within a our real one, and taking the reader on a journey that lingers long after the book is closed.

City of Lost Souls is the fifth book in The Mortal Instruments series and, in my opinion, the most thrilling yet. The beauty of being the fifth book is that we already know the backstory and can jump right into the action. And this book is packed with action. There is barely any rest for our characters and even when it appears they might get some rest, there is something lurking behind the corner, readying itself to pounce. 

I read this book in a matter of days and it only took me that long because I have a job, a puppy, and I’m required to sleep. If not for those things I would’ve read it in one sitting—that is how intense it is. It read like a thriller, with the writing sharp and fast, and the stakes at an all time high for the characters. There is a continuous question plaguing the reader throughout, “How are they going to get out of this one?” And that is a page-turning quality. 

The romance is also intensified in this book, between all characters, and each has a different kind. Some are new relationships, some are re-kindled, some are strained, and others are solid. It is refreshing to see a variety of types and it amps up the tension in a fantastic way. 

Clare continues to amaze me. Just when I think no book can be better than the last, boom! She hits me over the head with another incredible read that leaves me hungry for the next.