The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

453 pages

"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?" -Jacket

541 pages

"To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?" -Jacket

*SPOILER ALERT*

I'm a huge, huge fan of this series. I might have even started it over immediately after finishing and read it all again. As I mentioned before, I cheated and went online to find out if Clary and Jace were really brother and sister. Knowing that they weren't made these two books so much more enjoyable. A lot of people complained in different reviews online about the implied incest and how disturbing it was. I have to say - and I'm not trying to justify - that I wasn't offended (probably a biased opinion knowing it wasn't really incest) because I think it would be hard for two people who fall in love to then try to suddenly turn off their feelings for each other. Plus, the author gives plenty of hints throughout that they aren't really related. I also think that the author needed to create that sort of despair to drive Jace to do some of the things he does.

I love Jace's character. His sarcasm makes me laugh out loud. And there's nothing like a tough guy who's vulnerable. I'm going to say it: This series is a better guilty-pleasure read than Twilight. In my opinion, it's definitely better written. Clary is a lot less whiney than Bella...and definitely tougher. I can't wait to see the movie. I might occasionally check the casting/movie updates online. You'd better believe I've got April 5th marked on my calendar for City of Fallen Angels, book 4. And now I'll put my seemingly teenage self to bed for the night.