First of all, thank you to Cassandra Clare for bringing the world of Shadowhunters to life. The bookworm in me would not be the same without this series and she just continues to fuel my love for this world she created.
My heart is full to bursting. I can’t even begin to explain how I’m feeling right now. Of course, reading the last book in a series you’ve followed and loved for a long while brings with it a certain degree of longing. I really have trouble believing that this is the end of the road for these amazing characters that I’ve grown to love so much. There’s still The Dark Artifices but it won’t be the same. I’m sure there’ll be a new set of characters we’ll learn to know and love but this gang? They will hold a special place in my bookworm heart.
A bittersweet 5 out of 5 stars.
Synopsis:
My heart is full to bursting. I can’t even begin to explain how I’m feeling right now. Of course, reading the last book in a series you’ve followed and loved for a long while brings with it a certain degree of longing. I really have trouble believing that this is the end of the road for these amazing characters that I’ve grown to love so much. There’s still The Dark Artifices but it won’t be the same. I’m sure there’ll be a new set of characters we’ll learn to know and love but this gang? They will hold a special place in my bookworm heart.
A bittersweet 5 out of 5 stars.
Synopsis:
ΕRCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID.
I am coming.
Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance?
When I write reviews, I usually end up explaining what happened in the story based on how I saw it and then shoot off my opinions from there. But considering how the author went to great lengths to keep what this book contained top secret until it was finally revealed, I’m gonna keep this simple and do away with the summary thing. Mostly, because I can’t promise that I won’t let something major slip and I want future readers to be able to savor each moment of this book without ruining the experience with spoilers.
Basically, all I can really think about was how far Cassandra Clare and her characters have come. As readers, Cassandra Clare took us on an incredible journey with these characters. We’ve been through so much with them that reading the books feels like being part of the Shadow World (how I wish).
This story passed riveting a long time ago and it comes to a very electrifying conclusion in CoHF. I must admit that I was skeptical about the fact that there were three additional books. Don’t get me wrong, I love them to death, but I already had my mind set on CoG being the last. I prepared my heart to say goodbye, then. Now, I’m just glad with how the rest of the series played out. It was so much better than I could have ever imagined, even in my wildest bookworm dreams. And I daydream a lot about TMI, just so you know.
CoHF is everything I’ve come to expect from the series and a lot more. The evolution of the story is mainly what kept me holding on to the series. Cassandra Clare keeps changing things up giving the series the excitement the fuels the story forward. With each installment, the plot gets juicier; the world, bigger; the torture, more exquisite. I should know, I’ve felt that pain over and over ever since I became a fan of the series. CoHF isn’t as painful as I expected it to be. I’ve kind of developed some kind of trauma when it comes to series finales and I went into CoHF thinking of all the kinds of pain I’m going to have to get through. There were still painful moments, of course. Loss is an ingredient that makes the emotions in books more profound, poignant. But what rose above all other emotions? Contentment, satisfaction, and genuine happiness for the characters we’ve learned to care for. We saw them fight their battles for the past five books, each time coming out the other side a bit more worn, more pained than before. But each time, we also saw the characters’ strength and resilience in their fight. By the Angel, a happy ending is the least that they deserve. So, I’m grateful that Cassandra Clare granted them that.
What surprised me most was both the redeeming and exposing quality of this book. I won’t go into detail but we learn that not everything is as it seems. Friendships and alliances are continually tested in this series but it all comes to a head in this finale. Bonds are forged, bonds are broken. It’s a cycle and in each revolution, consequences are paid. I still can’t get over how complex this story is. I mean, this story has always been complex but Cassandra Clare proves what a talented writer she is as she spun this clever tale. It was amazing how she connected the past, the present, and the future. It’s a story in and of itself but at the same time, it also served as an extended epilogue to its prequel series: The Infernal Devices… aaaaand like a sort of backdoor pilot for The Dark Artifices (I know that’s a TV series term but I don’t know what else to call it).
So, the complexity of the story is a testament to how richly-crafted it is. So many things are happening at once as the story follows many different perspectives even if it’s told in the third person. Each character is a defined and key character. You know in some other stories how some characters are placed merely as an afterthought? That is not the case with Cassandra Clare. She has always made sure that each of the characters in her books has a role to play. They all have a presence that readers can’t help but notice and remember. The plot is intricately twisted around itself and it’s simply amazing that she was able to come up with that kind of elaborate scheme. It’s genius, is what it is.
If you’re reading this review, it means you’ve read the other books and are familiar with the characters. I won’t delve into them much but I will say this: they’re still the same characters but they’re not. In CoHF, we witness as they become so much more than what we originally know them to be. As we read the books and as we piece together the individual puzzles of their lives, we were also made witness to their continuous evolution and growth. And now, we see a culmination of that evolution. Like I’ve said, we’ve come so far, THEY have come so far. That much is evident.
CoHF is a culmination of everything that The Mortal Instruments is as a series. It gives a definitive and unmistakable “THE END”. I’m pretty we’ll see cameos of the gang in future books but I know it won’t be the same. I appreciated how the author truly captured what this series is about and gave the characters the kind of ending that they deserve. At the end, all that’s left is the simple feeling of a compelling story told so right. It is a stunning conclusion. It simply is.
This adventure has been a long one. But to me it doesn’t feel long enough. It may not always be pretty and there may have been a lot of pain in there somewhere but it’s the kind of adventure one treasures and remembers.
So, thank you, Cassandra Clare. Thank you.
Basically, all I can really think about was how far Cassandra Clare and her characters have come. As readers, Cassandra Clare took us on an incredible journey with these characters. We’ve been through so much with them that reading the books feels like being part of the Shadow World (how I wish).
This story passed riveting a long time ago and it comes to a very electrifying conclusion in CoHF. I must admit that I was skeptical about the fact that there were three additional books. Don’t get me wrong, I love them to death, but I already had my mind set on CoG being the last. I prepared my heart to say goodbye, then. Now, I’m just glad with how the rest of the series played out. It was so much better than I could have ever imagined, even in my wildest bookworm dreams. And I daydream a lot about TMI, just so you know.
CoHF is everything I’ve come to expect from the series and a lot more. The evolution of the story is mainly what kept me holding on to the series. Cassandra Clare keeps changing things up giving the series the excitement the fuels the story forward. With each installment, the plot gets juicier; the world, bigger; the torture, more exquisite. I should know, I’ve felt that pain over and over ever since I became a fan of the series. CoHF isn’t as painful as I expected it to be. I’ve kind of developed some kind of trauma when it comes to series finales and I went into CoHF thinking of all the kinds of pain I’m going to have to get through. There were still painful moments, of course. Loss is an ingredient that makes the emotions in books more profound, poignant. But what rose above all other emotions? Contentment, satisfaction, and genuine happiness for the characters we’ve learned to care for. We saw them fight their battles for the past five books, each time coming out the other side a bit more worn, more pained than before. But each time, we also saw the characters’ strength and resilience in their fight. By the Angel, a happy ending is the least that they deserve. So, I’m grateful that Cassandra Clare granted them that.
What surprised me most was both the redeeming and exposing quality of this book. I won’t go into detail but we learn that not everything is as it seems. Friendships and alliances are continually tested in this series but it all comes to a head in this finale. Bonds are forged, bonds are broken. It’s a cycle and in each revolution, consequences are paid. I still can’t get over how complex this story is. I mean, this story has always been complex but Cassandra Clare proves what a talented writer she is as she spun this clever tale. It was amazing how she connected the past, the present, and the future. It’s a story in and of itself but at the same time, it also served as an extended epilogue to its prequel series: The Infernal Devices… aaaaand like a sort of backdoor pilot for The Dark Artifices (I know that’s a TV series term but I don’t know what else to call it).
So, the complexity of the story is a testament to how richly-crafted it is. So many things are happening at once as the story follows many different perspectives even if it’s told in the third person. Each character is a defined and key character. You know in some other stories how some characters are placed merely as an afterthought? That is not the case with Cassandra Clare. She has always made sure that each of the characters in her books has a role to play. They all have a presence that readers can’t help but notice and remember. The plot is intricately twisted around itself and it’s simply amazing that she was able to come up with that kind of elaborate scheme. It’s genius, is what it is.
If you’re reading this review, it means you’ve read the other books and are familiar with the characters. I won’t delve into them much but I will say this: they’re still the same characters but they’re not. In CoHF, we witness as they become so much more than what we originally know them to be. As we read the books and as we piece together the individual puzzles of their lives, we were also made witness to their continuous evolution and growth. And now, we see a culmination of that evolution. Like I’ve said, we’ve come so far, THEY have come so far. That much is evident.
CoHF is a culmination of everything that The Mortal Instruments is as a series. It gives a definitive and unmistakable “THE END”. I’m pretty we’ll see cameos of the gang in future books but I know it won’t be the same. I appreciated how the author truly captured what this series is about and gave the characters the kind of ending that they deserve. At the end, all that’s left is the simple feeling of a compelling story told so right. It is a stunning conclusion. It simply is.
This adventure has been a long one. But to me it doesn’t feel long enough. It may not always be pretty and there may have been a lot of pain in there somewhere but it’s the kind of adventure one treasures and remembers.
So, thank you, Cassandra Clare. Thank you.
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