City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6)

Title: City of Heavenly Fire

Author: Cassandra Clare

Rating: 5 stars

IMPORTANT NOTE: READING THIS BOOK WILL SURELY EVOKE FITS OF DESPAIR BUT ALSO FANGIRLING. TREAD WITH CAUTION.

Wow. That's all I can find in my vast vocabulary to describe this book. Wow. Not a sarcastic or dazed wow, but one of awe, incredulity and amazement.

Cassandra Clare deserves a standing ovation for the beautiful world she has created, a tale of not only of Shadowhunters and magical creatures, but one of friendship, family, blood, pain and loss. She brings new and extra-ordinary meaning to these ordinary words and binds them into something completely bedazzling. She incorporates all the Shadowhunter Chronicles including The Infernal Devices, The Bane Chronicles and The Dark Artifices in such a beautiful and elegant manner that it made my heart swell with joy and I nearly burst into tears at the perfection of it all.

City of Heavenly Fire begins where City of Lost Souls left off and springs right into the action of the final war. The characters don't dawdle or act in the pathetic clichéd manner of other 'final-book-in-series' which are usually full of 'one last-' things, goodbyes, hopelessness and anticlimactic endings. Our characters don't lose hope, they fight and suffer and lose and triumph. And I feel incredibly grateful to have read this marvellous series.

And for those of you wondering, yes there are deaths and heartbreak and yes, you may have your soul shredded and your heart ripped out more than a couple of times and yes you will need to have tissues and chocolate nearby, but trust me, the book will leave you with a sense of utter calm but also buzzing curiosity and an indescribable affection for all of the characters.

Rather than explaining the plot, I will give descriptions and summaries of the characters so that there are no spoilers.

Clary: As badass and clever as ever, Clary is delightful and skilful as ever, saving the 'gang' with her extra-ordinary abilities to create and use runes along with her sharp wit. She is the ultimate saviour and main protagonist who defeats the evil.

First dialogue in the book: How's it coming along?

Jace: The Handsome Herondale. Jace is incredibly...incredible in this book. A legendary warrior as always but CoHF shows much of his softer side and it makes me proud to see how much he's improved throughout the series, and that's saying something; considering that he was the best male character in fictional literature in CoB. He is also the main protagonist that defeats evil; he is the weapon and power.

First dialogue in the book: This sounds very romantic.

Simon: This one broke my heart. Well, shattered it really. Into a fine powdery dust that I inhaled and choked on. Don't worry- it's not what you think. It's worse/ But it'll be okay...so don't worry. (You'll know what I mean if you read/ or have read it)I also especially love Simon because he hates being a bloodsucking and immortal monster; a vampire. Unlike other protagonists in other books, he doesn't NOT mind feeding on humans and being overjoyed at having super strength and being 'forever young'. (Ahem, ahem...you know those characters...)

First dialogue in the book:I hope you told the Clave this.

Isabelle: She is much milder, by which I mean more romantic in this book and more adorable too. Izzy is also more central in the plot, and more present throughout the book. With her trusty whips and boots, she is ready to unleash chaos on the enemy. (Wow these descriptions sound weird; like I'm promoting characters, but- I'm gonna keep doing it.)

First dialogue in the book: He's been texting Magnus.

Alec: I LOVED Alec in CoHF; HE WAS AMAZING! He was heartbroken and grieving, but was an remained an absolutely strong character and I have a special place in my heart where he rules as king.

First dialogue in the book: I haven't.

Magnus: More of Magnus' past is revealed, incorporating with The Bane Chronicles and characters from The Infernal Devices.

First dialogue in the book: What are you doing here?

Sebastian/Jonathan: Call me weird, but I've always liked Sebastian/Jonathan despite his evil-ness and twisted nature, he is one of the best antagonists and I will forever cherish him and honour him as an antagonist. He has that dark appeal, like Bellatrix Lestrange or Voldemort. I was grieved after reading how it ended for him and I may or may not have shed a bucket of tears. I still like him.

By the way, I have only included the first dialogues to further arouse your curiosity ;)

TOTAL FANGIRLING MOMENTS *very mild spoilers*

-Jessamine's ghost protecting the London Institute

-Reunion of Jem Carstairs/ Brother Zachariah with Church the cat

-Simon's final band name 'The Mortal Instruments'

-Tessa Gray and her name influencing Clary's: Jocelyn Fairchild and Theresa Gray = Fray!

-Sebastian/ Jonathan with green eyes

-Magnus giving Alec 'The Bane Chronicles'

-THE WEDDING!

Sad Spoilers

[-Jordan Kyle dies
-Raphael the vampire dies
-Sebastian dies as Jonathan(with green eyes and much regret; the demon blood remoed from his system)
-Magnus' father is Asmodeus and he takes Simon's memory, but on the plus side, Simon is no longer a vampire; just a mundane. (He hates being a vampire, remember.)
-Simon loses his memory of the Shadow World; even Clary(Don't worry, Magnus helps him regain it and Simon is going to Ascend and become a Shadowhunter & be with Izzy so YAY!)
He might even become parabatai with Clary!]

My favourite snippets include but are not limited to:

Imagine if you were the last Shadowhunter left on earth, imagine if all your family and friends were dead, imagine if there were no one left who even believed in what you were. Imagine if you were on the earth in a billion, billion years, after the sun had scorched away all the life, and you were crying out from inside yourself for just one single living creature to still draw breath alongside you, but there was nothing, only rivers of fire and ashes. Imagine being that lonely and then imagine there was only one way to fix it. Then imagine what you would do to make that thing happen.'

"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."

"Straight people," Alec declared. "Why can't they control themselves?"
"It's a mystery," Simon agreed, and lay back down to sleep.

"I see that many pigeons have pooped upon these stairs," he remarked. "I shall remain standing, if that's not too rude."

"...Go forth, children of the Angel.
"Go forth and light the lights of war."