Books in Space: September 2013

21 September, 2013

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones & City of Ashes | the review

I READ THE FIRST TWO BOOKS OF THE TMI SERIES! And I'm really really happy about that!

So here we go with the reviews!

Title: City of Bones
Author: Cassandra Clare
Country: United States
Language: English
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publication date: March 27th, 2007
Pages: 485 pages
Rating: ★★★★★

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I started this book in July, I think. And I read almost half of it and I just couldn't get into it. And then a month later I got the book back from the library and I made myself read it. And I am really really happy I did. Because I ended up loving it!
At first, I really didn't get how this book worked. It's because there is a lot of information about this Shadowhunter world and sometimes you wanna know some things about the world the book is set in, if you know what I mean. And it was really confusing to me. And as I want further into the story I kept over-analyzing everything and that kinda ruined my mood for it. I kept on reading tho, and by the time I hit page 180 I stopped reading and I started reading something else, and after I finished some books, I kinda missed this book and I wanted to watch the movie and I basically made myself read the book so I can watch the movie and overall, the book was really good.
The things Cassandra Clare does best in this book are the descriptions and dialogue. The descriptions are very very well written and imagined. Sometimes I felt that the book could've been shorter because of that, because it wasn't necessary to describe everything so much. But this was balanced out by the dialogue, which was brilliantly done. The characters were very funny and sarcastic, especially Jace and Simon.
The thing that the book lacked, in my opinion, was the character development or at least the fact that their personalities seemed to lack something. And also, Clary was very annoying in this book. And I didn't like her that much.
I loved Magnus! LOVED HIM! Also, I don't understand why Alec and Isabelle were skeptical about Clary being a Shadowhunter (well, I get why Alec hated her), even after JACE MARKED HER AND SHE LIVED! AND SHE.COULD.SEE.THEM!
I was very very scared for Simon after that scene in Hotel Dumort And I just basically wanted to hug him and just kiss him on his forehead and tell him that everything was going to be alright after he saw Clary and Jace kiss.
If you're skeptical about reading this book after watching the trailer of the movie, just read it. It's worth the try.

---WARNING! This review will contain spoilers! Read at your own risk!---

Title: City of Ashes
Author: Cassandra Clare
Country: United States
Language: English
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publication date: March 25, 2008
Pages: 464 pages
Rating: ★★★★★

City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2)

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go -- especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil -- and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings -- and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I liked this book waay better than the first one. This was obviously a lot better written and well plotted. The characters were better, the story line was better and everything was better! I had seriously low expectations for this one and I was scared to start it! And then I couldn't stop.
I didn't want to write this in the CoB review because I didn't want to spoil it too much. I was already spoiled about the fact that Jace and Clary "are" siblings, and the fact is, if I hadn't known that, I would've believed Valentine BECAUSE HE SEEMED SO PERSUASIVE! I didn't believe him when he told Jace that "he wouldn't hurt his sister" when he obviously intended to kill her. I just, nope! I hate Valentine. HE KILLED SIMON! He is like somewhat of a racist son of a byatch, kinda like Voldemort, except that Valentine didn't do it just and only for himself, Valentine wants to do what he does because he truly believe it's for the best of the Shadowhunters, EVEN IF IT'S OBVIOUSLY BULLSHIT! Or let's just call him a Dalek.
I was scared when Jace went to Valentine's ship because I thought he would say yes to his offer, and I knew deep down that he would never do that.
The relationship between Simon and Clary seemed, even if I really made me grin, a bit weird. And all of the sudden. And I was scared that Clary was going to break up with him, not the other way around BUT THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN AND I'M REALLY HAPPY!
The whole changing of perspectives made me more confused than a chameleon in a bag of skittles, but I realised after 50 pages that it was for the best.
About Simon, I LOVE SIMON! I stumbled upon some reviews of the books in which they said that they didn't like Simon. WHY?!?!?!?! He's the most adorable thing ever! And as a nerd, I know he's my type! And I was SHOCKED when I read that part with him being a vampire. As we all know, vampires are usually really "sexy, bad-ass, confident, arrogant", but he's not that at all! He's a vegetarian, which I fucking love (I am not one, but am aspiring to be one), Jewish (it just makes him different), not arrogant, and not necessarily sexy, just cute, and not bad-ass, just witty. And I love him! It's really nice to finally see a vampire that's just not like the typical vampire. He's the only vampire that I would do, basically.
I know I blabber a lot in these reviews. Excuse me.
I just loved this book a lot more than the first one and everything is SO EXCITING! And I genuinely do not know what else to say about it.

I feel like I read about 5 books with reading just these two because they're very action packed and long! Cannot wait to read the next books and The Infernal Devices. AWWWEEYEEEAAH!

Finally, I have to go. Am sorry for the blabbering. I was watching TV while writing this. Judge me.

Goodbye,
E.

03 September, 2013

The Mortal Instruments : City of Bones | Movie Review

So I just watched the CoB movie. And I wanted to talk about it. I read the book and I really liked it in the end.

I didn't really enjoy this movie as I was expecting. I didn't have huge expectations because I watched some reviews on youtube and the movie wasn't promising. I was just excited to see it. I really really enjoyed the book and in my head this book could've been a great great movie.

There were many things I didn't like. Everything was so rushed! I get that they wanted "to please the fans" and get everything major, which they did, in the movie, but it was too much! And waaay to rushed! There were things that they could've ignored and not put.
Magnus Bane's acting was good, but not for this. The character is very fabulous and sassy and awesome. He was too serious. It had all this asian drama vibe, and it didn't do well with the audience, nor with the character. It was really bad. He should've smiled more. That scene when they go to his party, it should've been longer and not as confusing. It was very wtf-ish. So was the scene when they go to the Silent Brothers. That was really, why?! The basically pulled us a Percy Jackson.

Another thing that bothered me from the bundle of mehs, is that even if the stuck a great deal with the book, the things they did change from the plot line were REALLY dumb! Like when Clary sees Jace, Alec and Isabelle kill the demon. THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED! If they had stuck perfectly to the book in this scene, it would've been a lot better. I was always reluctant on reading this book because of the trailer of the movie, and because of this particular scene. I hated the last part with Valentine. HE SHOULDN'TVE BEEN THAT AGGRESSIVE! He should've been charming and mischievous and mind controlling. He was all this little shit in the movie! I like the actor, but not as Valentine. Just no. At the end of the book, everything looks so convenient for Clary. Like, look! I have a stele! I'll just put a rune on my arm and just conveniently clean this place out! HER PLACE WAS FULL OF FORSAKEN! HOW THE SHIT DID SHE GET THERE ALIVE?!

All hail bare chested Robert Sheehan!

I didn't like that Alec and Isabelle were just there, with no actual lines and just chillin' behind Jace and Clary. And THAT was really shitty. They were really important characters and Isabelle wasn't as sassy as in the books. And they should've been more present in the movie, as in talk and stuff.
Cast wise, this movie was almost spot on. Lily Collins is so beautiful! She's gorgeous! She is the perfect Clary after seeing the movie. Jamie Campbell Bower wasn't really the best Jace, but if he were more sassy and sarcastic, he would've been perfect. Looks wise, he was perfect. Kevin Zegers was really good as Alec, his accent being fucking AWESOME! Jemima West as Isabelle didn't blow me away because all throughout the book I was under the impression that she was blond. Yes... AND FINALLY! ROBERT SHEEHAN AS SIMON!

HE.WAS.FANTASTIC! His Irish accent sometimes surfaced, but those was probably just my sharp hearing. Still, Simon is probably my favourite character in the book, even if he's a bit of an idiot, but he's adorable! I like him! He probably is my favourite character because of Robert Sheehan. #judgeme #sorry #notsorry
I just feel like this movie could've been way better. But considering the fact that this book is pretty hefty and also with a shit load of information, I don't think it could've been done another way. I will watch it again in a few months, just to be sure about my opinion.

If you reached this part of the post, I'm really proud of you! YOU READ THROUGH MY WHOLE REVIEW! And I am thankful for that.

DFTBA,
E.

P.S.: I did like the kissing scene. IT MADE ME FEEL THINGS!

TBR Book Jar.

I made a book jar. And have all the evidence in photos!

You can learn more about book jars here:

This is what you need: a jar, scissors, paper, pencils and the list of books you will put in your jar. Also, if you have a "steady" hand like me, you will also need a ruler.

So that has been my book jar, in the making, or behind the scenes.

Here's a list of all the books that reside in my book jar. I only put books that I am sure I will read. I suggest you do the same :D

I finished City of Bones and I now have the right to see the movie. So now I'm off to see the movie!

DFTBA,
E.