Christmas Countdown Review #17 - The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare

Hello all! Happy new year! I know I never finished my Christmas Countdown reviews in time for Christmas but I'm going to finish them now, as well as catching up on my 12 days of Christmas reviews (By my reckoning it's about the 7th day of Christmas so I have some definite catching up to do)

Christmas countdown review number 17, the Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare!

I did actually finish this in time for the 17th of December but I got really busy and never got around to writing the review.

The Bane Chronicles is a series of stories about everyone's favourite High Warlock of Brooklyn, the one, the only, the fabulous, Magnus Bane. It covers his journey through time from his birth as an immortal warlock to the earth (and heart) shattering events of page 511 of City of Lost Souls (this page never happened I don't know what you're on about, nope, never happened...not at all...never, not once...) Journey through time with Magnus, find out why he was banned from Peru, meet Edmund and James Herondale, have tea and cake with Marie Antoinette, meet Ragnor Fell and Catarina Loss in Peru for a spot of piracy (ish). See the aftermath of page 511, see the Accords almost fall to pieces (Shadowhunters are very stupid let's leave it at that), all this and more await you in the pages of the Bane Chronicles,

This book was amazing. I mean, I like anything by Cassandra Clare so I might be a tad biased (not at all, nope, not one bit) but it is amazingly well written and each story is captivating and exciting. If you like a spot of adventure and a hint of glitter the Bane Chronicles is definitely for you. It might make more sense to read the Mortal instruments series and the Infernal devices series first though. Just so you have a basic handle on the plot and characters. They are side stories after all.

10/10 would read again, and again, and again. The High Warlock of Brooklyn bids you good day, he's a very busy warlock you know.

Christmas Countdown Review #14 - City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Back again, this time with today's review, the second in The Mortal Instruments series; City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare.

City of Ashes picks up where city of Bones left off. Despite the wonderful world that she now knows surrounds her Clary can't help but wish that her life would return to the way it was before her mother got kidnapped by Valentine's Ravener demon, before she met Jace, before she say them kill the blue haired demon at the club. Although, she's got her brother to help her find her way in this world now, and she's got the Shadowhunters of the Institute, even if she and the Lightwood siblings *cough Alec cough* don't always see eye to eye. It isn't long before the Institute gets wind of killings, a werewolf child, a faerie child, it doesn't take long for them to realize that this is all a part of Valentine's newest plot.  But will Valentine's new plot, to cleanse the Mortal Sword and bind it to his allegiance, come to fruition, or will they be able to stop him? Read on to find out more.

This book is great, City of Bones was wonderful and the continuation of the series is just as wonderful. I would say that, especially for fans of City of Bones, this book is a must-read. Of course, it's a must-read for everyone else who likes fantasy novels as well but I'd suggest reading City of Bones first.

That's all for today, I'll try to post again tomorrow morning with my 15th review but I'm not sure what that's going to be just yet. I also have to finish my Christmas shopping tomorrow (although finishing it may be wishful thinking, I will/should get more done though) so I might not post until the evening. Also, for anyone on Pottermore, have you started the 12 days of Christmas thing yet? You get early access to the first 12 moments in Half-Blood Prince!!

Until next time keep reading, writing and wrapping, Happy Holidays!

Christmas Countdown Review #7 - City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Hi everyone, I know I'm a day late with review #7 but life is stupid. Once school lets out at the end of this week I should be able to update once a day like I planned.

Anyway, today's review is about a book chocked full of action and adventure, demons, vampires, werewolves, (fabulous) warlocks, who could ask for more? City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, the first in The Mortal Instruments series (Yes that one that they made a movie about last summer, read the books instead (or at least first anyway))

It ll starts with Pandemonium, literally, when Clary Fray and her friend Simon go out clubbing one night, the last thing they expect is murder. So when a patron is murdered by people claiming to be demon hunter, she has her reasons to be skeptical and wants to forget all about it and go about her mundane, every day life, little does she know that everything in her (and the lives of the demon hunters she met (well, saw) that night) was about to be irrevocably changed for the better? On her way home she gets a frantic call from her mother telling her not to come home, but she goes anyway, because she wants to know what's going on and whether or not she's OK (as anyone would do) and that's where trouble starts. With Ravener demons sent by an old Valentine of her mother's and her being able to see what she shouldn't.

This book is absolutely AMAZING, as is the rest of the series. I read this book on the recommendation of my friend Sara actually and, I'll admit, I'd walked past it in the library often enough but I never really paid it much attention but I trusted Sara's judgement and, as always, the book was amazing. I read all of the ones that were out at the time (I think City of Fallen Angels was about to come out) and then I waited (rather impatiently I might add) for the next one, and the next one, and the next one. When Sara told me there were only to be 6 books in the series but there were to be two other series that continued in the Shadhowhunting world I was very excited. I've read all 9 of them so far actually and I'm working on the 10th. anyway, I digress, this book is pack-ed (sorry, terrible werewolf pun) full of action and adventure and, one of the best things about the series, I think, is the Band names that Simon and his crew come up with. I mean there just so...I'll say inventive, not to give too much away before you've read the book. I'd rate this book 5 stars, 10/10 would absolutely read again and again, and again (and have done).

For anyone who enjoys the Supernatural genre, or adventure novels or indeed anything in between, this book is definitely for you.

That's all for me right now...I was looking at my blog archive and I've noticed something, with the exception of Harry Potter, which has the...honour? of being on my Banned Books week lists, I haven't really reviewed many series, I mean, I review the first one and that's it. So I'm going to start reviewing more series...and John Green...

See you next time!