City of Glass by Cassandra ClareMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
My last reading session lasted 66 minutes! This was a re-read. As of today, I have read "City of Glass" twice in my lifetime. I finished reading at 8pm 9/23/21.
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| From Goodwill. |
“‘Maybe not, but they’re your friends. They should know. And besides, they’ll just think it makes you more of a rock god, like that vampire Lester.’
‘Lestat,’ Simon said. ‘That would be the vampire Lestat. And he’s fictional. Anyway, I don’t see you running to tell all your friends that you’re a Shadowhunter’” (3).
“Simon was caught off guard. ‘Clary?’
‘Clary,’ Jace said again. ‘You know: short, redheaded, bad temper’” (16).
“‘Mene mene tekel upharsin,' Jace said with a faint smile. ‘You don't recognize it? It's from the Bible, vampire. The old one. That's your book, isn't it?'
‘Just because I'm Jewish doesn't mean I've memorized the Old Testament.'
‘It's the Writing on the Wall. "God hath numbered thy kingdom, and brought it to an end; thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting." It's a portent of doom--it means the end of an empire’” (60).
“Somehow Clary made it out of the house. She wasn’t sure how—everything was a fast blur of stairs and hallways, and then she was running to the front door and out of it and somehow she was on the Penhallows’ front steps, trying to decide whether or not she was going to throw up in their rosebushes. They were ideally placed for throwing up in, and her stomach was roiling painfully, but the fact that all she’d eaten was some soup was catching up with her” (133).
lolz
💛 Jace looked at him steadily. “What’s between you and Magnus Bane?”
Alec’s head jerked back. “I don’t—there’s nothing—”
“I’m not stupid. You went right to Magnus after you talked to Malachi, before you talked to me or Isabelle or anyone—”
“Because he was the only one who could answer my question, that’s why. There isn’t anything between us,” Alec said—and then, catching the look on Jace’s face, added with great reluctance, “anymore. There’s nothing between us anymore. Okay?”
“I hope that’s not because of me,” said Jace.
Alec went white and drew back, as if he were preparing to ward off a blow. “What do you mean?”
“I know how you think you feel about me,” Jace said. “You don’t, though. You just like me because I’m safe. There’s no risk. And then you never have to try to have a real relationship, because you can use me as an excuse.” Jace knew he was being cruel, and he barely cared. Hurting people he loved was almost as good as hurting himself when he was in this kind of mood.
“I get it,” Alec said tightly. “First Clary, then your hand, now me. To hell with you, Jace.”
“You don’t believe me?” Jace asked. “Fine. Go ahead. Kiss me right now.”
Alec stared at him in horror.
“Exactly. Despite my staggering good looks, you actually don’t like me that way. And if you’re blowing off Magnus, it’s not because of me. It’s because you’re too scared to tell anyone who you really love. Love makes us liars,” said Jace. “The Seelie Queen told me that. So don’t judge me for lying about how I feel. You do it too.” He stood up. “And now I want you to do it again.” (137-138).
I think I fangirled so hard when I first read this because I ship Jace and Alec!
“Maybe that was why she couldn’t cry, she realized, staring dry-eyed at the ceiling. Because what was the point in crying when there was no one there to comfort you? And what was worse, when you couldn’t even comfort yourself?” (148).
I got teary eyed when Amatis told her story. The audiobook narrator’s (Natalie Moore) performance really shined there, I think.
“With a sigh of relief, Clary glanced back over her shoulder. Magnus was standing at the door to the cottage, his arms folded across his chest. Catching her eye, he grinned and dropped one eyelid in a single, glittering wink” (169).
😉
“I met Magnus Bane.” She twisted around momentarily to look past Sebastian at the cottage receding into the distance behind them. The smoke was puffing out of the chimney in the shape of little dancing figures. Dancing Magnuses? She couldn’t tell from here. “He’s the High Warlock of Brooklyn.” (170)
Lol “dancing Magnuses” :P
“As they rode farther away from Alicante, walls of green foliage whipped by on either side, giving way every so often to improbably beautiful vistas: frost blue lakes, green valleys, gray mountains, silver slivers of river and creek flanked by banks of flowers. Clary wondered what it would be like to live in a place like this. She couldn’t help but feel nervous, almost exposed, without the comfort of tall buildings closing her in” (170-171).
I loved how Cassandra Clare wrote this paragraph describing how Idris looked. It looks so beautifully magical.
“Its blind face was turned toward them in silent supplication” (203).
Supplication = the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly, plea
“Jace took a step forward, and then another. His eyes were fixed on the angel, and it was as if, Clary thought, there were some silent communication passing between them, some speech she couldn’t hear. Jace’s eyes were bright as gold disks, full of reflected light.
‘Ithuriel,’ he whispered.
The blade in his hand blazed up like a torch. Its glow was blinding. The angel raised its face, as if the light were visible to its blind eyes. It reached out its hands, the chains that bound its wrists rattling like harsh music” (203-204).
I thought it was so beautiful how Jace and Ithuriel had an angel moment here, it seemed so pure.
“It wouldn’t have been a pleasant walk under normal circumstances. Accustomed to city lights, Clary couldn’t believe how dark it was in Idris at night. The thick black shadows that lined the road on either side seemed to be crawling with barely visible things, and even with Jace’s witchlight she could see only a few feet ahead of them. She missed streetlights, the ambient glow of headlights, the sounds of the city. All she could hear now was the steady crunch of their boots on gravel and, every once in a while, her own breath puffing out in surprise as she tripped over a stray rock” (214-215).
I love how Cassandra wrote about the difference between Alicante and New York here.
“She’d been impressed by his looks at first— those sharply planed cheekbones and those black, fathomless eyes—but his affable, sympathetic personality grated on her now” (221).
Affable = friendly
“‘Look, we don’t have time for self-recriminations” (232).
Self-recrimination = blame yourself
“She’d always had such contempt for mundanes, the way all Shadowhunters did—she’d believed that they were soft, stupid, sheeplike in their complacency” (233).
Contempt = disregard
Complacency = self-satisfaction
“The buildings here were very close together, their eaves almost touching” (236).
Eaves = overhangs of roof
“Everything about the man was familiar—the lean curve of his back, the wild tangle of his dark hair, and the way that blue fire sprang from his fingertips like darting cyanotic fireflies” (237).
Cyanotic = blue skin
“Several Iblis fell, but now another demon, more cunning than the others, had drifted around Magnus and was coalescing behind him, ready to strike—” (238).
Coalescing = unite
“Alec?” Magnus was staring at him. He had dispatched the remaining Iblis demons, and the square was empty but for the two of them. “Did you just—did you just save my life?”
Alec knew he ought to say something like, Of course, because I’m a Shadowhunter and that’s what we do, or That’s my job. Jace would have said something like that. Jace always knew the right thing to say. But the words that actually came out of Alec’s mouth were quite different—and sounded petulant, even to his own ears. “You never called me back,” he said. “I called you so many times and you never called me back.”
Magnus looked at Alec as if he’d lost his mind. “Your city is under attack,” he said. “The wards have broken, and the streets are full of demons. And you want to know why I haven’t called you?”
Alec set his jaw in a stubborn line. “I want to know why you haven’t called me back.”
Magnus threw his hands up in the air in a gesture of utter exasperation. Alec noted with interest that when he did it, a few sparks escaped from his fingertips, like fireflies escaping from a jar. “You’re an idiot.”
“Is that why you didn’t call me? Because I’m an idiot?”
“No.” Magnus strode toward him. “I didn’t call you because I’m tired of you only wanting me around when you need something. I’m tired of watching you be in love with someone else—someone, incidentally, who will never love you back. Not the way I do.”
“You love me?”
“You stupid Nephilim,” Magnus said patiently. “Why else am I here? Why else would I have spent the past few weeks patching up all your moronic friends every time they got hurt? And getting you out of every ridiculous situation you found yourself in? Not to mention helping you win a battle against Valentine. And all completely free of charge!”
“I hadn’t looked at it that way,” Alec admitted.
“Of course not. You never looked at it in any way.” Magnus’s cat eyes shone with anger. “I’m seven hundred years old, Alexander. I know when something isn’t going to work. You won’t even admit I exist to your parents.”
Alec stared at him. “You’re seven hundred years old?”
“Well,” Magnus amended, “eight hundred. But I don’t look it. Anyway, you’re missing the point. The point is—”
But Alec never found out what the point was because at that moment a dozen more Iblis demons flooded into the square. He felt his jaw drop. “Damn it.”
Magnus followed his gaze. The demons were already fanning out into a half circle around them, their yellow eyes glowing. “Way to change the subject, Lightwood.”
“Tell you what.” Alec reached for a second seraph blade. “We live through this, and I promise I’ll introduce you to my whole family.”
Magnus raised his hands, his fingers shining with individual azure flames. They lit his grin with a fiery blue glow. “It’s a deal.” (238-240)
“Alec stared at him. ‘You’re seven hundred years old?’
‘Well,’ Magnus amended, ‘eight hundred. But I don’t look it. Anyway, you’re missing the point. The point is—’”
I laughed when Magnus said that LOL!
Amended = revise
Also, MALEC!!! Yaaaaas! They’re so cute! 💙
“Hodge got shakily to his feet. What must it be like, Clary thought with a pang of unwelcome pity, to live your life ashamed not just of what you’d done but of what you were doing and of what you knew you’d do again? Hodge had given up a long time ago trying to live a better life or a different one; all he wanted was not to be afraid, and so he was afraid all the time” (275-276).
“Are you hungry?”
Now he did glance down at her. “Afraid I’m going to bite you?”
“You know you’re welcome to my blood whenever you want it.”
A shiver, not from cold, passed over him, and he pulled her more tightly against his side. “I’d never do that,” he said. And then, more lightly, “Besides, I’ve already drunk Jace’s blood—I’ve had enough of feeding off my friends” (369).
“You with your rune powers, and Jace, well…no one could be that annoying without some kind of supernatural assistance” (370).
“She leaned forward, her hands on her knees, catching her breath. “You…can’t really say that…since you got here before me anyway.”
“Vampire speed,” Simon said with some satisfaction. “When we get home, I ought to go out for track.”
“That would be…cheating.” With a last deep breath Clary straightened up and pushed her sweaty hair out of her eyes. “Come on. We’re going in” (374).
“It’s easy to be afraid of what you don’t share’” (380).
“There were some feelings you never forgot" (390).
“Alec’s face lit up. “There’s Magnus,” he said, and took off without a backward glance, shearing a path through the crowd to the space where the tall warlock stood. Magnus’s surprise as Alec approached him was visible, even from this distance.
“It’s sort of sweet,” said Isabelle, looking at them, “you know, in kind of a lame way.”
“Why lame?”
“Because,” Isabelle explained, “Alec’s trying to get Magnus to take him seriously, but he’s never told our parents about Magnus, or even that he likes, you know—”
“Warlocks?” Simon said.
“Very funny.” Isabelle glared at him. “You know what I mean. What’s going on here is—”
“What is going on, exactly?” asked Maia, striding into earshot. “I mean, I don’t quite get this partners thing. How is it supposed to work?”
“Like that.” Simon pointed toward Alec and Magnus, who stood a bit apart from the crowd, in their own small space. Alec was drawing on Magnus’s hand, his face intent, his dark hair falling forward to hide his eyes.
“So we all have to do that?” Maia said. “Get drawn on, I mean.”
“Only if you’re going to fight,” Isabelle said, looking at the other girl coldly. “You don’t look eighteen yet.”
Maia smiled tightly. “I’m not a Shadowhunter. Lycanthropes are considered adults at sixteen.” “Well, you have to get drawn on, then,” said Isabelle. “By a Shadowhunter. So you’d better look for one.”
“But—” Maia, still looking over at Alec and Magnus, broke off and raised her eyebrows. Simon turned to see what she was looking at—and stared.
Alec had his arms around Magnus and was kissing him, full on the mouth. Magnus, who appeared to be in a state of shock, stood frozen. Several groups of people— Shadowhunters and Downworlders alike—were staring and whispering. Glancing to the side, Simon saw the Lightwoods, their eyes wide, gaping at the display. Maryse had her hand over her mouth.
Maia looked perplexed. “Wait a second,” she said. “Do we all have to do that, too?” (422-423).
“Pain jarred up his spine, and he realized with surprise that somehow, without any volition of his own, his legs had moved him forward that last crucial step. Sebastian had his arm back, the whip shining in his hand; Isabelle lay on the grass, a crumpled heap, no longer screaming—no longer moving at all. “You little Lightwood bitch,” Sebastian was saying. “I should have smashed your face in with that hammer when I had the chance—” (466).
Ugh! I wanted to tell Johnathon, “FUCK you, Johnathon! You asshole!” for talking to Izzy like that >:(
“Simon was a veteran of countless battles. That is, if you counted battles engaged in while playing Dungeons and Dragons” (467).
Lol! This reminds me of some of Seth Green’s nerdy roles.
“The stranger leaned down, offering a hand to help Simon up. Simon accepted—and went flying up out of the pit. He landed on his feet at the edge, his feet skidding on the wet mud. The stranger offered a sheepish grin. “Sorry. Downworlder strength—my partner’s a werewolf. I’m not used to it.” He peered at Simon’s face. “You’re a vampire, aren’t you?”
“How did you know?”
The man grinned. It was a tired sort of grin, but there was nothing unfriendly about it. “Your fangs. They come out when you’re fighting. I know because—” He broke off. Simon could have filled in the rest for him: I know because I’ve killed my fair share of vampires. “Anyway. Thanks. For fighting with us” (469).
I’m glad to see them being united! ☺ Though, it made me so sad when his savior got abducted by a flying demon. Shocked with sadness :( *cries*
“He couldn’t see the Lightwoods, or the Penhallows, or Luke, or anyone else he might recognize. He wasn’t a Shadowhunter. And yet that man had thanked him, thanked him for fighting. What he’d told Clary was true—this was his battle too, and he was needed here. Not human Simon, who was gentle and geeky and hated the sight of blood, but vampire Simon, a creature he barely even knew” (470).
“My lord Valentine,” said Malachi. His usual hostility had been replaced with a slimy obsequiousness. “Hugin visited me not a moment ago, bringing news. I assumed you had already reached the Mirror, and therefore he sought me out instead. I thought you might want to know” (471).
Obsequiousness = obedience & eagerness to please, submissive
“But his face appeared against the blank screen of her closed eyelids anyway
…
Her eyes drank him in” (497).
“Jace stared at Amatis, but he wasn’t seeing her: He was seeing that night on the ship; the wet, black deck and the Inquisitor dying at his feet. “She said something to me,” he said. “While she was dying. She said, ‘Your father would be proud of you.’ I thought she was being cruel. I thought she meant Valentine….”
Amatis shook her head. “She meant Stephen,” she said softly. “And she was right. He would have been” (513).
I thought that this was so sweet.
“Might as well ask. Nothing ventured, nothing gained” (517).
“Clary ignored this. “But just promise me something, okay? I know how girls get. I know how they hate their boyfriends having a best friend who’s a girl. Just promise me you won’t cut me out of your life totally. That we can still hang out sometimes.”
“Sometimes?” Simon shook his head. “Clary, you’re crazy.”
Her heart sank. “You mean…”
“I mean that I would never date a girl who insisted that I cut you out of my life. It’s nonnegotiable. You want a piece of all this fabulousness?” He gestured at himself. “Well, my best friend comes along with it. I wouldn’t cut you out of my life, Clary, any more than I would cut off my right hand and give it to someone as a Valentine’s Day gift.”
“Gross,” said Clary. “Must you?”
He grinned. “I must” (523-524).
This made me teary eyed.
“You couldn’t erase everything that caused you pain with its recollection” (540).
This quote made me think hard.
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