Review: City of Heavenly Fire | Cassandra Clare

This review is spoiler free.

“We are all the pieces of what we remember. We hold in ourselves the hopes and fears of those who love us. As long as there is love and memory, there is no true loss.”

Series: The Mortal Instruments
Published: 2015, by Walker Books, Ltd.
Pages: 640
Format: Paperback
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Angels, Fiction, Supernatural, Magic
Contains: Death, Violence, Anger, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Blood/Gore, Imprisonment, Grief, Torture, Arson

‘City of Heavenly Fire’ is the epic conclusion to The Mortal Instruments series, following Clary Fray and co. as they track down Sebastian Morgenstern. He’s on the move, turning Shadowhunters against each other, whilst bearing the Infernal Cup. In order to stop him, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon and Alec must travel to the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned.

I knew the moment I picked up this book that I was going to love it, having loved every novel in the series previous until this point. However, I didn’t expect to love it just this much.

Clary takes a mature turn in this final instalment, taking responsibility for her actions that she hadn’t taken before the events of this book. She’s level-headed, gaining wisdom from those around her and standing up for herself. Although, she was previously known as reckless, that isn’t the case anymore; she’s made accountable for her actions and she owns up to them.
Jace, however, is as charming as ever. Although, having suffered many traumas since the series began, he’s learned from them and continues to shine his humour into the darkness whilst he interacts with the other characters. It’s beautiful to see.
Alec, Simon and Isabelle join the couple in the fight, rising through the flames together and fight alongside their loved ones. It was truly beautiful to read of their relationships, seeing them build and grow across the pages whilst in the battle against Sebastian. Clare makes you feel for these characters, their interactions enticing you to continue reading whilst also gradually immersing you within the world. My heart broke once it ended, knowing that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to read this book for the first time again.

The writing itself is classic Cassandra Clare, being simplistic in description yet enticing all the same. It’s easy to read and follow, making for the perfect afternoon read whilst avoiding reality for a while. The dialogue, however, is the best part. It’s perfectly gripping, managing to entice you into the story whilst laughing and crying along with the characters; Clare knows how to make you empathise with every single character within the book. There’s no one you can’t learn to love.

Overall, I deeply enjoyed this book and series, having fallen in love with the Shadowhunters world regardless of how late I am to the tale. There will forever be a rune shaped hole in my heart where these characters reside.

5/5