Review of COHF

City of Heavenly Fire

(The Mortal Instruments #6)

By Cassandra Clare

About:
In this dazzling and long-awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary's own brother.

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.

The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?

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 Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...

Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments!

Source: Goodreads

My Rating: 5/5

My Thoughts:

What an awesome and sad and sweet conclusion to the mortal instruments. I bought the paperback and an ebook version, and the paperback looked huge but unsurprisingly, it did not take long to read.

The story continues with Sebastian is becoming stronger and gathering supporters by turning Shadowhunters into Endarkened, determined to destroy anyone opposing him. Although Jace has the heavenly fire running through his veins, possibly the only weapon that can be used against Sebastian, he does not know how to control it. Sebastian is determined to win the war, but despite his demonic behaviour, he wants Clary by his side. His weakness is that he wants Clary to go to him of her own free will, rather than being forced. But Sebastian isn’t human and so he doesn’t understand emotions the way a normal person does. I actually felt sorry for him at times because he wasn’t born human, he was born a demon and then brought up as something worse.

One of my favourite parts of this book was the change in Brother Zachariah (no spoilers!) and learning more about Emma Castairs and Jules Blackthorn. I would love to read more about them!

Magnus played an important part of this book, as always, but unfortunately there wasn’t as much of his dry humour as usual. Possibly because he was going through his painful breakup with Alec, or that he had been kidnapped and weakened in his father’s demon realm!

If you haven’t read the Mortal Instruments books then you must do, this has become one of my favourite series of all times!

Zed (:

Favourite Quotes:

“No killing,” Jordan said. “We’re trying to make you feel peaceful. Blood, killing, war, those are all non-peaceful things. Isn’t there anything else you like?”
“Weapons,” said Jace. “I like weapons.”
“I’m starting to think we have a problematic issue of personal philosophy here.”

“And he’s sorry. He’s sorry about what he did. He won’t do it again.”
“Oh, he won’t sneak around behind my back with one of my exes planning to shorten my life again? Very noble of him.”

Magnus glared at him out of gold-green eyes. “If I wanted to lie on a couch and complain to someone about my parents, I’d hire a psychiatrist.”
“Ah,” said Jace. “But my services are free.”
“I heard that about you.”

You couldn’t make someone love you with a rune, and you couldn’t assuage grief with it either. So much magic, Clary thought, and nothing to mend a broken heart.

The metal was written on in an old language of humans: If I cannot reach Heaven, I will raise Hell.

“Why is it,” he said after a moment, “that whenever I think I’ve found the most terrible thing that could happen to me, I’m always wrong.”

“I don’t repeat my mistakes,” Magnus said, offended.
“You’re right. You make all new and even worse mistakes,” Catarina told him. “Don’t do it, whatever it is. Don’t lead a werewolf uprising, don’t do anything that might accidentally contribute to the apocalypse, and don’t start your own line of glitter and try to sell it at Sephora.”

“...You think they are kind, that the Nephilim are kind, because they are good, but goodness is not kindness, and there is nothing crueller than virtue.”

“Weapons, when they break and are mended, can be stronger at the mended places,” said Jace. “Perhaps hearts are the same.”

“Isabelle!” Simon called. “Stop throwing clothes at me! Just because you’re a Shadowhunter and I’m a vampire doesn’t mean we can never happen. Our love is forbidden like the love of a shark and a-and a shark hunter. But that’s what makes it special.”
“Oh?” Isabelle snapped. “Which one of us is the shark, Simon? Which one of us is the shark?”

It took courage to live an immortal life and not close off your heart and mind to any new experiences or new people. Because that which was new was almost always temporary. And that which was temporary broke your heart.

“All of the Downworld will know soon enough what’s going on. The questions is, where will they stand?”
“We will stand bravely with you!” Malcolm announced. “Well, we will stand bravely near you. Or at least within earshot.”

“I did not make a pie,” Alec repeated, gesturing expressively with one hand, “for three reasons. One, because I do not have any pie ingredients. Two, because I don’t actually know how to make a pie.”
He paused, clearly waiting.
Removing his sword and leaning it against the cave wall, Jace said warily, “And three?”
“Because I am not your bitch,” Alec said, clearly pleased with himself.

...sometimes even change for the better felt like a little death.

“I forgave you because I love you and I hate being without you. I hate it, my cat hates it. And because Catarina convinced me i was being stupid.”
“Mmm. I like her.”

“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.”