Chain of Gold

 Judul : Chain of Gold (The Last Hours #1)

Penulis : Cassandra Clare

Tebal : 624 halaman

Penerbit: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Cordelia Carstairs is a Shadowhunter, a warrior trained since childhood to battle demons. When her father is accused of a terrible crime, she and her brother travel to London in hopes of preventing the family’s ruin. Cordelia’s mother wants to marry her off, but Cordelia is determined to be a hero rather than a bride. Soon Cordelia encounters childhood friends James and Lucie Herondale and is drawn into their world of glittering ballrooms, secret assignations, and supernatural salons, where vampires and warlocks mingle with mermaids and magicians. All the while, she must hide her secret love for James, who is sworn to marry someone else.

But Cordelia’s new life is blown apart when a shocking series of demon attacks devastate London. These monsters are nothing like those Shadowhunters have fought before—these demons walk in daylight, strike down the unwary with incurable poison, and seem impossible to kill. London is immediately quarantined. Trapped in the city, Cordelia and her friends discover that their own connection to a dark legacy has gifted them with incredible powers—and forced a brutal choice that will reveal the true cruel price of being a hero.

Ghosts of the Shadow Market

 

Judul : Ghosts of the Shadow Market

Penulis : Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, Kelly Link, Robin Wasserman

Tebal : 617 halaman

Penerbit : Walker Books

The Shadow Market is a meeting point for faeries, werewolves, warlocks and vampires. There the Downworlders buy and sell magical objects, make dark bargains, and whisper secrets they do not want the Nephilim to know. Through two centuries, however, there has been a frequent visitor to the Shadow Market from the City of Bones, the very heart of the Shadowhunters. As a Silent Brother, Brother Zachariah is sworn keeper of the laws and lore of the Nephilim. But once he was a Shadowhunter called Jem Carstairs, and his love, then and always, is the warlock Tessa Gray.

Follow Brother Zachariah and see, against the backdrop of the Shadow Market’s dark dealings and festive celebrations, Anna Lightwood’s first romance, Matthew Fairchild’s great sin and Tessa Gray plunged into a world war. Valentine Morgenstern buys a soul at the Market and a young Jace Wayland’s soul finds safe harbor. In the Market is hidden a lost heir and a beloved ghost, and no one can save you once you have traded away your heart. Not even Brother Zachariah...

Queen of Air and Darkness

Judul : Queen of Air and Darkness (The Dark Artifices #3)

Penulis : Cassandra Clare

Tebal : 893 halaman

Penerbit : Simon & Schuster Children's UK

Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the disease that is destroying the race of warlocks. Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined. Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love.

Lord of Shadows

Judul : Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2)

Penulis : Cassandra Clare

Tebal : 699 halaman

Penerbit : Simon & Schuster Children Books

Emma Carstairs has finally avenged her parents. She thought she’d be at peace. But she is anything but calm. Torn between her desire for her parabatai Julian and her desire to protect him from the brutal consequences of parabatai relationships, she has begun dating his brother, Mark. But Mark has spent the past five years trapped in Faerie; can he ever truly be a Shadowhunter again?

And the faerie courts are not silent. The Unseelie King is tired of the Cold Peace, and will no longer concede to the Shadowhunters’ demands. Caught between the demands of faerie and the laws of the Clave, Emma, Julian, and Mark must find a way to come together to defend everything they hold dear—before it’s too late.

Lady Midnight

Judul : Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1)

Penulis : Cassandra Clare

Tebal : 669 halaman

Penerbit : Margaret K. McEldeberry Books

In a secret world where half-angel warriors called Shadowhunters are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word. A parabatai is your best friend and battle partner. Parabatai can be everything to each other--but they can never fall in love.

Emma Carstairs ia a Shadowhunter, the best in her generation. Together with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Loa Angeles, where faeries--the most powerful of supranatural creatures--teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters. When bodies--both faerie and human-turn up, bearing marks that match those found on Emma's own murdered parents, an uneasy alliance is formed. This is Emma's chance for revenge--and Julian's chance to get back to his brother, a prisoner of the faerie Courts. All they have to do is solve the murders within two weeks... and before the murderer target them.

Clockwork Princess

Judul : Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3)

Penulis : Cassandra Clare

Tebal : 568 halaman

Penerbit : Walker Books Ltd

THE INFERNAL DEVICES WILL NEVER STOP COMING

A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain plans to use his Infernal Devices, an army of pitiless automatons, to destroy the Shadowhunters. He needs only one last item to complete his plan: he needs Tessa Gray.

Charlotte Branwell, head of the London Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. But when Mortmain abducts Tessa, the boys who lay equal claim to her heart, Jem and Will, will do anything to save her. For though Tessa and Jem are now engaged, Will is as much in love with her as ever.

As those who love Tessa rally to rescue her from Mortmain’s clutches, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself. But can a single girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army?

Clockwork Prince

Judul : Clockwork Prince (Clockwork Angel #1)

Penulis : Cassandra Clare

Tebal : 512 halaman

Penerbit : Walker Books

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, but her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Clockwork Angel

Judul : Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1)

Penulis : Cassandra Clare

Tebal : 479 halaman

Penerbit : Margaret K. McElderry Books

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

City of Heavenly Fire

Title : City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6)

Writer : Cassandra Clare

Number of Page : 752

Publisher : Walker Books

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunters has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned. Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the thrilling and long-awaited final instalment of the bestselling and acclaimed Mortal Instruments.

City of Lost Souls

Title : City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5)

Writer : Cassandra Clare

Number of Page : 546 

Publisher : Margaret K. McElderry Books

The Demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace freed. But when the Shadowhunters arrive, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing, but so is the boy she hates: her brother Sebastian, who is determined to bring the Shadowhunters to their knees. The Clave cannot locate either boy, but Jace can't stay away from Clary. When they meet again, Clary discovers the horror of Lilith's magic--Jace and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave determined to destroy Sebastian, but it is impossible to harm one boy without destroying the other. 

Only a few people believe Jace can still be saved. Together, Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle make hard choices that get them no closer to severing the tie between Jace and Sebastian. They turn at last to the merciless, weapon-making Iron Sisters. If the Iron Sisters can't help, their only chance is to challenge Heaven and Hell--a risk that could claim their lives. 

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary is playing a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing is not just her life, but Jace's soul. She's willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

City of Fallen Angels

Title : City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments #4)

Writer : Cassandra Clare

Number of Page : 424

Publisher : McElderry Books

The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And - most importantly of all - she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine's Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary's best friend, Simon, can't help her. His mother just found out that he's a vampire and now he's homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side - along with the power of the curse that's wrecking his life. And they're willing to do anything to get what they want. At the same time he's dating two beautiful, dangerous girls - neither of whom knows about the other one.

When Jace begins to pull away from Clary without explaining why, she is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: She herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

City of Glass

Title : City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3)

Writer : Cassandra Clare

Number of Page : 541

Publisher : Mcelderry Books

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?

In my opinion:

It started quite well for me. The tension was already built up from the previous book. So, this time all characters just jumped to their action completely.

Clary planned to go to Idris. She was seeking for a magician who could wake her mother up. But, Jace interfered with her plan because he didn't want Clary to go. And of course his plan was even worse because on the way to Idris, a massive group of devils attacked them and Simon was injured (again, lol... why was he always the unfortunate one?)

Because Clary was left behind, she opened magic portal by herself. Despite Luke's disagreement, she did it and both of them arrived at the outer part of Idris protection wall. From this moment on, all main characters were in many different locations. They had their own roles and I was so engaged with all the things that happened. How could Cassandra Clare write all those things? Nothing was left out and it was a lot. Isabelle, Jace, Clary, Alec, Simon, Luke... Jumping from one character to another, it was very interesting. I always love third person POV who knows everything and this book was really something. Intense plots.

I love the story, the conflicts, the plots, but I don't like the execution. I don't know why it felt flat. Like a song without a soul. I kept thinking that the characters were empty. The death of Max was even ridiculous. It was just something that popped up out of nowhere and I got the impression that nobody grieved about it. And Sebastian... I felt he was lame, evil but in a bad way. I didn't know what was in his head and the reasons for everything he did. He showed up and tadaaaaa.... he was the traitor. Duh!! And Clary... seriously? She was the main character, but I thought she was just a doll with no feeling. Her relationship with her mother, Jace, and all of her friends felt unreal for me. I didn't even think she could love Jace. Probably it was because her narrative sections? I was not sure.  But she was just super weird. When she was angry to her mother, I was like... why was she angry? I could not believe she had emotion!! Oh, why did Sebastian kiss Clary? What is it with Cassandra Clare and the incestuous thingy? Ugh... And I haven't mentioned Jace. His character was ruined completely. I just didn't believe in him anymore. Anything he did was just stupid and annoying. The way he felt about Valentine and his adopted family... He should thank for what he had. He had a lot of people cared about him and he still complained. How sad his life was, how lonely he was... I thought bad boy should not be this soft and melancholic. It just didn't make sense. For me, the best character was Simon because he was constant and real since the first book.

“You could have had anything else in the world, and you asked for me."
She smiled up at him. Filthy as he was, covered in blood and dirt, he was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
"But I don't want anything else in the world.”  (I usually cry for this kind of dialog, the desperate wish, the only one thing that matter... but strangely for this book I didn't)

And there are still three more books. But Valentine was already dead, so what was gonna happen next?

Anyway, despite of the bad writing, I still love the world of Cassandra Clare. 

4/5

City of Ashes

Title : City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2)
Writer : Cassandra Clare
Number of Page : 453
Publisher : Margaret K. McElderry Books

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?

In my opinion:

It is much better than the first book. A lot of actions, a lot of mysteries revealed, many characters emerged, and the past brought back alive. I now could understand why these series were so popular. The stories were much complicated and not only about simple romance fantasy. There were politics in the world of supernatural creatures, betrayals, sacrifices, and wars. But in those chaos and dangers, there were also friendship, love, and family relationship blooming. 

The book started with nasty prologue about Valentine summoning the greatest demon of fear and killed a young wizard. Then, I was brought into the normal world of Shadowhunters where The Clave didn't trust Jace anymore because he was Valentine's son. The Clave thought that Jace was Valentine's tool. Even Jace's foster parents didn't trust him. He was alone and looking affection. Furthermore, the one he loved was not for him anymore. Clary was his sister and not more than that. The only choice was his father. He wanted to help Valentine because at least Valentine recognized his talent and "loved" him. I really liked the dilemmas that Jace had to face as a teenager. All people thought that he was a criminal and he built wall around him higher so that he could protect his heart. Well, how could I not love this character? He was tortured and bitter, concealing all his deep feelings by being a jerk. 

“I don't want to be a man," said Jace. "I want to be an angst-ridden teenager who can't confront his own inner demons and takes it out verbally on other people instead."
"Well," said Luke, "you're doing a fantastic job.” 

Clary tried to move on. She learned to love his best friend, Simon although her mind always yearned for Jace. Her mother was still in coma and she still didn't know what she would do with her power as Shadowhunter. Moreover, there was special power hidden within her...

There were many memorable scenes in this book, especially the last battle in the Valentine's ship. Oh, I liked the part when Simon turned into vampire. So damn cool and eerie at the same time, I didn't know why. I also met the faery clans which were very interesting, considered that I had a thing with faeries since I read The Iron Fey series. And there was an uncomfortable scene when they all met the faery queen: Jace kissed Clary. It was wrong but I was not really surprised since I had already read the spoiler before (I know right, duh!!! Why I did that, no idea =.=).

“I love you; I love you and I don’t care that you’re my sister; don’t be with him, don’t want him, don’t go with him. Be with me. Want me. Stay with me. I don’t know how to be without you.” 

The last hundred or so pages was so heartbreaking. The part when Jace saved Simon despite all their differences and almost died due to enormous blood loss, the time when Simon thought he was gonna die and declared his love to Clary... And most of all it was very sad when Simon really said goodbye at the end because he wanted to start a new life. I always couldn't stand reading about goodbye between long time best friend and I cried in this part. 

“Maybe I could love you someday."
If you ever do," he said, "come and let me know. You know where to find me."
Her teeth were chattering harder. "I can't lose you, Simon. I can't."
You never will. I'm not leaving you. But I'd rather have what we have, which is real and true and important, than have you pretend anything else. When I'm with you, I want to know I'm with the real you, the real Clary."
She leaned her head against his, closing her eyes. He still felt like Simon, despite everything; still smelled like him, like his laundry soap. "Maybe I don't know who that is."
But I do.” 

I could not wait to read the next installment!!

“Well I'm not kissing the mundane," said Jace. "I'd rather stay down here and rot."
"Forever?" said Simon. "Forever is an awfully long time."
Jace raised his eyebrows, "I knew it," he said, "you want to kiss me, don't you?"

4/5

City of Bones

Title : City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)

Writer: Cassandra Clare

Number of Page : 485

Publisher : Margaret K. Mcelderry Books

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...

In my opinion:
At first, I didn't really want to read these series. But every time I went to bookstore, I saw this book put in the front shelf. The metallic cover was so eye-catching and made me want to check it all the time. However, I still could resist the urge to buy it. 

Until I saw the movie trailer. Yeah, this book will be adapted into TV series. I'm always interested in books which are adapted into film. And unfortunately Popular Bookstore offered a damn good discount. Again I committed a sin, buying books while the to-read piles were still high.

When I opened the first page, I was so excited. It is the first young adult fantasy novel I read which uses the third POV. I'm bored with first POV because I can't get to know the other characters well enough. Therefore, for me this book is quite refreshing. 

The world of Clary Fray (or Cassandra Clare? I noticed the names are almost similar) was quite interesting. Demons, vampires, werewolves, and many other paranormal creatures  appeared in this book. Clary herself was a Shadowhunter who had duty to hunt demons. She didn't know about her ability because her mother asked someone to erase all the odd memories that Clary had. If Clary never saw the demon slaughter in the Pandemonium Club, she would never know that she was not human. 

One thing led to another. Clary's mother was abducted by demons. Clary knew it was impossible to ask Simon for a help because her best friend couldn't see demons. She could only rely on Jace and his Shadowhunter friends to find her mother. 

Most pages told about the flat boring journey to find the great evil Valentine who kidnapped Clary's mother. Clary also learned a lot about her own identity. And of course, romance. Triangle love again. Jace-Clary-Simon. It was pretty obvious that Clary would choose the bad boy Jace.

The boring adventures were paid with the shocking truths at the end. I liked that Cassandra Clare brought up a lot of characters and wrote their life histories. I enjoyed Luke's background the most. His kindness and his loyalty were kinda sad. Oh, there was a revelation about Jace's real parents. What a surprise!

This book had many potentials. The story and the fantasy setting were very good. But, the characters were horrible. The problem about third POV is that writers need to pay attention to every characters and their personalities. I know it’s hard to make three dimentional characters with so many things going on in the book. But, characters are the souls of every novels. Making them memorable is very important, especially the main characters. Clary and Jace were seemed not real to me. They talked and popped on smart dialogues and I kept thinking they were empty. I knew there were many scenes with interesting conversations. I liked the scene in the garden where Jace showed flowers to Clary. The scene was full of emotion. But since the characters were bland, I couldn’t enjoy it immensely. Moreover, Jace suddenly became less wild and tame after he met Valentine. Like he was somebody else entirely.

Still I will continue to read the next book. I’m quite intrigued with the world that Cassandra Clare creates.     

3/5