City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

After Jace went missing along with Sebastian, Clary, Izzy, and Alec want nothing more than to find him. When they find out that the two are bound and it is impossible to hurt one without inflicting the same damage on the other, it becomes their new goal to find a way to safely separate the two. Meanwhile, Alec and Magnus are having relationship issues, Simon's mom thinks he's a monster, and Clary rushes headlong into her own plan for rescuing Jace without any thought for the consequences.

Yet again, Cassandra Clare has outdone herself! This book is heartbreaking to read, while keeping the same sense of humor as all of her others. The cliffhanger this time is not near as intense as the last one, but thank goodness for that! Very excited to see how this series ends (March 2014... AAHHHH!) with City of Heavenly Fire.

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Now that the Mortal War is over, life can go back to normal, with a few exceptions. Simon is a daywalking vampire living with his mother. Luke and Jocelyn are (finally!) planning their wedding. Clary is training to be a Shadowhunter, and her and Jace are able to be open about their relationship. When they begin finding murdered Shadowhunters throughout the city and there are multiple attempts on Simon's life, it's time for the Clave to step in and fight some demons. But when Jace starts pulling away from Clary, he has to fight his inner demons or risk losing her forever.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Cassandra Clare is one of my favorite authors! I have to admit that I'm a bit peeved about the slight (HUGE!) cliffhanger at the end, but I know from reading her that it will all pay off in the end. And poor Jace! He is practically tortured throughout this whole book. I can not wait for City of Lost Souls to be released on May 8, 2012!

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Valentine has possession of two of the three Mortal Instruments which will allow him to control the angel Raziel and essentially give him the power to rule over all Shadowhunters. Clary is coming to terms with her newfound power for creating runes, Simon is adjusting to life as a daywalker, and Jace is just as stubborn and sarcastic as ever! With little time left to stop Valentine, Jace takes off on his own to stop him from acquiring the third Mortal Instrument. Meanwhile, Clary is fighting with the Clave, trying to unite the Shadowhunters with the Downworlders in order to stop Valentine. The Shadowhunters' freedom comes down to this moment if they have the strength and courage to embrace it.

With so many questions answered, this book helps make The Mortal Instruments my absolute favorite series! Look for the fourth book in the series, City of Fallen Angels, in March 2011. In the meantime, check out Clare's Infernal Devices series, starting with A Clockwork Angel coming out in August 2010.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Clary's life has changed immensely since she discovered the world of Shadowhunters. Between her mother being in a magically induced coma, her new relationship with Simon, and complications with Jace, Clary has a lot on her plate. When Downworlder children start getting murdered and the second Mortal Instrument goes missing, the Shadowhunters believe that Valentine, an extremist Shadowhunter, is behind it. Due to his relationship with Valentine, this drags Jace into the investigation, but which side is he really on?

With all of the action, humor, and longing of the first, this sequel definitely lives up to its predecessor!

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

While Clary and her friend Simon are at a club, she witnesses three teenagers murder another teen. Stranger than the odd tattoos that cover their skin or the weapons that they use is the fact that the body disappears into thin air. Stranger still is the fact that no one can see them except for her. Clary is immediately taken into the world of the Shadowhunters, part human/part angels who rid the Earth of demons. When Clary returns home, she finds that her mother has been taken by demons. Clary must then rely on the Shadowhunters, in particular the handsome but snarky Jace, to help her uncover the mysteries of her past so that she can save her mother.

With many characters and subplots, this story is extremely action packed. Between battles, there are friendships and potential love connections being made. One of my new favorites!