Review: City of Fallen Angels (Mortal Instruments #4) by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis: The Mortal War is over, and Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most important of all—Clary can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her. His mother just found out he’s a vampire and now he’s homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse wrecking his life. And they’re willing to do anything to get what they want. At the same time he’s dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other.

When Jace begins to pull away from Clary without explaining why, she is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: She herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.
 
Review
Plot: I was very hesitant going into this book because I heard that Simon would be a major part of the story. I loved Simon, but I was so used to Clary being in the spotlight that it would be weird to read about someone else. However, Clare did an amazing job with Simon's story. It seemed sensible with sharing his story since he was a vampire with a Shadowhunter best friend and two girls vying for his attention, who have no idea about each other. The plot continues with the other characters' stories as well as new secrets revealed, which is a nice breather rather than reading one person's story. But, Simon was interesting to read about because usually with vampire stories, they leave their families behind or their families were never really around. With Simon's family, he tries to think of a way to tell them, but is too afraid of what they'll think of him. Also, with Simon's abilities, more evil tries to capture Simon's power, which is great for a wedding!
 
Characters: Simon - His storyline was great! I felt like it went in the right direction, however, I felt like it was sort of predictable. I loved that he wasn't afraid to say how he felt and show his love for Clary. When it came to his love triangle, I was very confused. I won't give away spoilers, but it was very obvious which girl he truly liked and the other one he just dated because he still cared for her. Even if he did end up with the same girl, I wish the road there would be a little less predictable.
Clary - Overall, Clary still has a very important storyline in here with dealing with her new Shadowhunter status and Jace's weird behavior. I felt like I was Clary when dealing with Jace because even though you knew things she didn't know, you were still trying to figure out his motives and thoughts in certain scenes.
 
Cover: Clare never disappoints us with brilliant covers. I love Simon and Clary on here and the colors. my only problem is with the dress Clary is wearing. It doesn't necessarily change my mind on the cover; it just doesn't seem as beautiful as described in the book.
 
Overall Rating: I'm giving this book a three out of four. This book was not the best out of the series, but it was nice to get a different perspective and character to look at. Clare appeased my reluctance to read this book. Even though this book didn't fully hit my expectations, I'm so excited for the last two installments. If you haven't read the MI series yet, I would advise you to. It is the kind of series that hits every different type of audience and has something everyone can relate to.

Peace and Fangs,
Alisha