I just finished Cassandra Clare’s latest in the Mortal Instruments series that was supposed to be a trilogy. This seems to be a trend with authors to change from their original trilogy and go to a series/sequence/etc. I’m not sure if the stories just keep coming or if they like the paycheck and keep trying to pull more rabbits out of their hats. This one, City of Fallen Angels, is pretty good, though nothing earth shatteringly new. Clary and Jace are still hopelessly and helplessly in love. Jace is still a brooding pretty boy with some REALLY bizarre dreams that end up almost coming true. Simon is still a vampire in serious denial with some amazing new powers given him by Clary when she saved his life. Isabelle is still, well, Isabelle. Alec is still gay and off on holiday with the hundreds of years older Magnus. There are some interesting, if not expected twists, and returns but it all works out to be a very entertaining story and the references to the newest series, Clockwork Angel are interesting. The ending, however, seems to hint at more to come. I’m not sure how I feel about that…

Gone, again

The latest in the Gone series by Michael Grant is now out but it doesn’t end with Plague, not for everyone, anyway. It’s a pretty gruesome book…bugs eating their way out of living people; a disease that comes with a cough so powerful that even your lungs are not safe. Worst of all, Drake, the uber evil killing machine, has escaped only he’s not completely himself. It seems that he’s developed a split personality, literally. Sometimes he’s Drake and sometimes he’s Brittany. But all of the time, he’s un-killable, indestructible, dare I say it…immortal? The hits just keep coming but neither Sam nor Caine are able to defeat all the evil surrounding them. Astrid, however, does something unthinkable, hoping and praying that it will end the FAYZE but even that drastic act doesn’t return things to normal. In fact, the ending is more than a little creepy and does NOT bode well for the inhabitants of Perdito Beach, the heart of FAYZE. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait for a while before the next installment comes around. Drat those pesky authors who write the addictive stories then leave us hanging for months and months, waiting for the end…the next thing.. or in this case the next horror lurking just around the corner or inside the next person.