City of Fallen Angels

According to the Entertainmently Weekly article, Find Me a Twilight, some industry insiders think Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instrument series is the most likely to "inherit the Twilight mantle,"  because it has the biggest fan base online.  Lily Collins, a British-American actress and television personality, is cast as Clary Fray, a young girl who learns about the supernatural from Jace, a boy who is characterized as "Edward with attitude." Four books in the projected six book series are currently available.
City of Bones is the first book in the series, which is filled with vampires, werewolves, fairies and demons. When Clary Fray witnesses three tattoo-covered teenagers murder another teen, she is bewildered because the victim disappears and no one else can see the killers. Then she learns that the teens are Shadowhunters, humans who hunt and kill demons, and she can see them because she is a shadowhunter whose skills are just emerging. Shortly after this her mother is kidnapped, and Clary finds out that her mother is also a Shadowhunter and the only one who knows the location of The Mortal Cup, a dangerous magical item that turns humans into Shadowhunters. Clary and her friend Simon are drawn into a world filled with danger and intrigue, where renegade Shadowhunters led by the evil Valentine are trying to kill all non humans.  Romantic tension is created when Simon declares his love for Clary, only to find out Clary is in love with one of the Shadowhunters named Jace.  However, as the first book draws to a close, Clary finds out that not only is she Valentine's daughter but Jace is supposedly Valentine's son. 
The sequel City of Ashes finds Clary’s mother in a magically induced coma.  Clary’s only hope of helping her mother is to hunt down her father, the evil Valentine. To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering vampire, werewolf and faerie children. Is Valentine behind the killings -- and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor suspects Clary’s brother Jace.  Clary wonders if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father? 
In City of Glass, the book which was originally advertised as the final installment of the Mortal Instrument series, Clary goes to the City of Glass in search of a remedy for her dying mother.  There she gets involved in a battle between the Shadow hunters and Valentine’s army of demons in a last ditch effort to save the world.  Romantic issues are resolved and surprising relationships are revealed in what was supposed to be a satisfying ending to the popular series.
After beginning a prequel series with the book Clockwork Angel (see 10/26/10 blog) , the author then announced she would write three more installments of the Mortal instruments series.  In the fourth book, City of Fallen Angels which was released in April, the mortal war is over and Clary is training to be a shadow hunter. However, the peace between the shadow hunters and the downworlders is broken when someone begins murdering shadow hunters. Simon, who is attempting to adjust to life as a vampire, seems to be at the center of the conflict.  Jace and Clary once again are pulled apart when Jace begins having dreams about killing Clary. 
Personally, I thought this terrific series should have ended with City of Glass, which tied up all loose ends and brought the lovers together.  As I was reading City of Fallen Angels, I found myself annoyed with the story line, and not really caring about the characters any more.  However, fans of the series may be thrilled to have three more books, which I consider to be a retread of the original story.

Clockwork Angel and Crescendo

Angels seem to be a hot topic in new young adult literature, especially the Nephilim. The biblical references to Nephilim suggest that fallen angels descended to Earth and mated with humans, producing the Nephilim. Traditionally, the Nephilim are giants, but in YA lit, the Nephilim are usually angels, who have super human powers. Two highly anticipated new novels, Clockwork Angel, the first book in Cassandra Clare's new Infernal Devices series, and Crescendo, the sequel to Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush, find the main characters involved with the Nephilim.
Taking place a hundred years before the Mortal Instruments series, the companion steampunk novel Clockwork Angel introduces Tessa Gray, who has been kidnapped by the Dark Sisters when she travels to London to find her missing brother. She is held captive and trained to use her shape-shifting abilities, of which she was previously unaware. After being rescued by Will, a demon hunting Shadowhunter, she takes refuge at the Shadowhunter’s Institute. There she is introduced to a world of supernatural beings, including demons and half angel Nephilim. She meets Henry, a bumbling inventor, his wife, the head of the Institute, and Jem, a gentle desperately ill Shadowhunter, who are all trying to stop the evil plans of the mysterious Magister in nineteenth century London. In a battle between the Shadowhunters and the Magister, who controls an army of clockwork automatons, both sides are hoping to capitalize on Tessa’s shape-shifting powers. This compulsively readable first book will have readers anxiously awaiting the next installment. According to Cassandra's website, there will be three books in the Infernal Devices series: Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, and Clockwork Princess. She is also adding three more books to her Mortal Instruments series, including City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, and City of Heavenly Fire. She recommends reading Clockwork Angel before City of the Fallen Angels ( due to be released April 5th), because some of the Clockwork characters appear in it.
Crescendo, the sequel to Hush Hush, finds Nora Grey in love with Patch, who is now her guardian angel; but the archangels have forbidden their becoming romantically involved. In a fit of jealousy, Nora breaks up with him, only to discover she has thrown him into the arms of her archenemy Marcie Millar. As Nora struggles with her lingering feelings for Patch, Scott Parnell, a former classmate and Nephilim vassal, returns and her deceased father's ghost begins appearing to her. Although Nora is still obsessed with Patch, she gets involved with Scott in order to find out more about a secret Nephilim blood society and its Black Hand leader. Meanwhile her friend Vee gets involved with Patch's friend Rixon, who makes Nora question Patch's possible role in her father's death. The deeper her investigation of her father's disappearance goes, the more Nora begins to wonder if her Nephilim bloodline figures into what has been happening to her. As with most second novels, Crescendo leaves the reader with more questions than answers. Tempest, the third book in the series is due out in the Fall of 2011. For those wanting more information, Becca Fitzpatrick's website includes playlists for the books, contests, international fansites, as well as writing tips and a blog.