City of Lost Souls
Cassandra Clare
Genre(s): Fantasy, Romance, Young adult
Published: September 6th 2012
Pages: 544
Rating: 2 stars

“Jace is now a servant of evil, bound for all eternity to Sebastian. Only a small band of Shadowhunters believe he can be saved. To do this they must defy the Clave. And they must act without Clary. For Clary is playing a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace's soul. Clary is willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?”

I don't know why it's taken me this long to realise that I just do not get on with Cassandra Clare's books. Sure, I enjoyed the start of both the Shadowhunter series, but as they progressed I started to lose interest. The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices had recycled ideas and characters - hell, the characters weren't even recycled, they were carbon copies with different names. City of Lost Souls further cemented the fact that I just do not care.

I think my biggest problem with this book (and the series in general) was Clary and Jace. Good god, I have never come across characters as frustrating and self absorbed as these two. Clary is the whiniest brat who needs to get over herself and focus on something other than 'the bot she'd do anything for'. And Jace. Do not get me started on Jace Wayland-Morgernstern-Herondale-Lightwood or whatever the hell his name is. He is the epitome of arrogance and I don't even care if that's the whole point of his character. He needs a good kick up the backside if you ask me. I just can't even begin to describe how much I hate him. Ugh.

And another thing: Clare needs a better editor. Who in their right mind let these long winded, full of filler that isn't even needed, way too descriptive chapters be published? Why did no one turn around and say 'these changes in POV and setting aren't smooth. Have you thought about starting a new chapter for each transition?' The book would have been vastly improved if things were cut and chapters flowed better. Condensing is your best friend when it comes to books like this, because I really don't care about how the scarf Alec is wearing matches his eyes.

The only real saving grace for this book is that it's the penultimate book in the series. It wasn't totally awful, but it was bad enough to make me want to tear my hair out. I had to keep thinking about City of Bones and how I actually enjoyed it to keep me going through this. If you weren't a big fan of the first three books then I'd definitely stay away from the second half of the series. Just... Spare yourself the trouble.

Reader Problems Tag

The lovely Emily over at Paperback Princess tagged me to do the Reader Problems Tag. What this is is a list of scenarios most, if not all, readers and book bloggers will face, and you have to answer with how you would deal. 

Book Review: Thor: The Dark World Prelude by Craig Kyle

Thor: The Dark World Prelude
Craig Kyle
Genre(s): Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novel
Published: October 29th 2013
Pages: 120
Rating: 3 stars

“One volume collecting the official adaptation of Marvel's Thor and an all-new adventure leading you directly into the upcoming Marvel Studios blockbuster THOR: THE DARK WORLD ! First, get introduced to the world of Asgard and witness the origin of Marvel's mightiest hero! Then, find out what happened to your favorite Asgardians between the events of THOR and MARVEL 'S THE AVENGERS. Featuring Thor, Loki, Odin, Heimdall, Jane Foster, Sif, The Warriors Three.

COLLECTING: Marvel's Thor Adaptation 1-2, Marvel's Thor: The Dark World Prelude 1-2, Thor: God Of Thunder 13”

Going into this, I don't really know what I expected. I didn't really expect it to retell the Thor film, or include an out of place issue of Thor: God of Thunder. Luckily, I'd read the first three volumes of God of Thunder before this, so I understood what was happening, but I didn't really understand why it was included in this novel. I get that this is a prequel to The Dark World and Malekith is the villain of that film, but I just feel like you need to read the first 12 issues of God of Thunder before you're able to fully appreciate and understand the next arc of it.

But I digress. Overall, I enjoyed the artwork, and I especially enjoyed the colours. Drawing style is a big part of whether I enjoy graphic novels or not and I'm very glad it was good, as if it wasn't I feel like I would have rated this lower as I already know the basic plot line from the film. In some parts, I liked how lines were taken directly from the film, but in others I was left wishing for a bit more. It would have been nice if the cinematic universe had been expanded on in this volume. 

I did enjoy the actual prelude to The Dark World but I feel like the inclusion of retelling the film dragged it down a bit. I guess it was mostly included to pad the volume out, as it is very short. I'd say fans of the film who are new to comics would enjoy this most.

Book Talk: Graphic Novels

As you may or may not know, I am a big fan of graphic novels. Specifically, the collected volumes of individual comic issues. I read a lot of Marvel, so it's safe to say I stick mainly with superheroes, but lately I've found myself wanting to branch out into the more novelly graphic novels. You know, the ones that are really long and not made up of several issues, the ones that actually tell a whole story. I don't really know where to start, though.

Part of why I'm such a big fan of graphic novels is because they are so, well, graphic. I love seeing all the different styles of artwork, the colour schemes, and how artists decide to sketch things. I love how the pictures accompany the text and really help bring the story to life. The artwork plays a huge part in whether I enjoy a volume or not, and it's this that really got me thinking.

Are graphic novels literature?

Now, there's no denying that they're art - and I know that literature is a form of art, but that's just the thing. You can't really compare a novel and a graphic novels. One is solely prose (in the majority of cases, at least) and one is, fundamentally, a collection of art. But does art really mean literature?

This has in no way hindered my love of graphic novels - they're so quick and fun, and I love how stories can be told in two different mediums - but it has got me thinking. I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions, too.