After Sebastian’s body inexplicably vanishes from the rooftop, it is clear that Lilith's plan to bring him back has worked. Clary is left with the major problem that Valentine’s son is once again on the loose, and is intent on creating an army of dark Shadowhunters. However, this is only one of their problems, as Sebastian has seemingly kidnapped Jace, who is now bound to Sebastian’s life force. Cut Sebastian and Jace bleeds. Clary and her friends must find a way to break this bond before it is too late. Will they be able to get back the Jace they all know and love, or will he be lost to Sebastian forever?
The fifth installment of this series does not disappoint, as we follow the characters we have come to know and love, such as Clary, Simon and the Lightwoods as they try to figure out how to destroy Sebastian without hurting Jace. The book is heart wrenching, so if you do not want to be sobbing your eyes out by the end of it then I don’t recommend reading it. We see the relationships of the characters develop, some for the better and some for the worse. However we also get the full on action scenes we have come to expect in this series, and there is never a dull moment.
As I have probably mentioned before, I adore Magnus Bane and he definitely does not disappoint in the book, as he is just as fabulous as ever. I adore how his relationship with Alec develops, although we see a darker side to both the characters, and discover that their relationship is just as flawed as any of the other couples. The relationship between Clary and Jace is also heartbreaking, as even though Clary is still in love with Jace, she has to accept the fact that this is not her Jace, as he is being manipulated by Sebastian.
Overall this is a great addition to the series. My only problem is that the last book in this series does not come out until 2014, and I don’t know how I am going to cope having to wait that long to find out what happens next. I have fallen in love with these characters [particularly Jace, Magnus and Alec] and am looking forward to finding out how their adventure concludes.