Evening on the Ground (Lilith's Song) - Iron & Wine

City of Fallen Angels
The Mortal Instruments, Book 4
Author: Cassandra Clare
Pages: 424
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Brief Summary:
In the fourth installment of The Mortal Instruments series (which I totally thought was a trilogy, but whatevs), the gang is back with new fish (aka demons) to fry. Simon is struggling to come to terms with his vampire-hood and to choose between his two pretty girlfriends, Isabelle, a shadowhunter, and Maia, a werewolf. Jace is trying to distance himself from Clary, because of his dreams, in which he kills her. Alec and Magnus are off on a gay tour of the world. Just because Valentine is dead doesn't mean evil's done for.

Review:
Although I was fairly happy with the ending to book three, I am also totally okay with her continuing the series. Book four was, to me, totally consistent with the quality of the series up to this point. This is one of those series I have a love/hate relationship with; sometimes I want to stop reading and sometimes I am completely, shamefully drawn into all of the melodrama.

Most of all, let me say how much I do not care about Clary and Jace. They suffer from the overdramatic, overly mushy, want-to-be-together-but-can't thing that has made so many main couples exceedingly obnoxious. Other prime examples from the fantasy world are Buffy/Angel and Max/Liz (from Roswell). As with both of those television shows, I do really enjoy the supporting cast. Any section of the book that followed Simon, Alec or Isabelle, I was much more likely to appreciate.

Still, I did not like the way she paired everyone off toward the end of the book. Which is not to say the pairings are all doing well, but they are all definitely heading in an obvious direction. That just felt a bit too quick. Everyone was more forgiving than seems particularly likely. Plus, I didn't like that Simon never had to choose between the two girls; the choice was sort of made for him and he just rolled with it. Am I supposed to ship a relationship when he never really seemed to care for one more than the other?

All in all, another calorie-ridden, guilty pleasure. I know the next book will be just as agonizing and annoying as the others, but I also know that I will be reading it as soon as I can get my hands on it.

"Evening, evening on the ground
And there is no one else around
So you will blame me
Blame me for the rocks
And baby bones and broken lock
On the garden
Garden wall of Eden"