Book Review - City of Lost Souls

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare (Walker Books, 2013)

Nick, 12, Canberra



City of Lost Souls is the fifth book, in the highly-acclaimed Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. It is the sequel to City of Fallen Angels, and is followed by City of Heavenly Fire. The series started with City of Bones, and has a prequel series, entitled The Infernal Devices.

Set in contemporary New York, The Mortal Instruments series follows the story of Clarissa Fray, a teenage girl who discovers she is a Shadowhunter - a race of beings descended from angels who have sworn to destroy all demons.

Throughout the series, Clary and her Shadowhunter friends encounter vampires,warlocks, fae, demons and other mythical creatures. Because of these adventures, Clary realises that New York is city like no other, that it has many sides, and so the titles of the books all start with 'City of......'

In City of Lost Souls, Clary's friend Jace has been possessed by a demon and, as a result, has turned evil. Jace's possession leads to discord and tension between the group. Friendships dissolve, family members become estranged and people die; it is a city of lost souls.

Although City of Lost Souls is not as good as the first book in the series (City of Bones), I enjoyed it, and am eager to see how the series will end. I believe this book is in the fantasy genre, and would appeal to a 10+ audience.