How could things possibly work out for Shadowhunter Clary in this trilogy conclusion? Her mother's still in a coma, her boyfriend Jace is still her brother and her best friend Simon is still a vampire. As the Shadowhunters prepare for war against the army of demons raised by Clary's father, Valentine, Clary's bound for inspection in Idris, the Shadowhunter country. She's joined there by Simon and her werewolf father-figure Luke, though as Downworlders, their presence in Idris is illegal. Soon all the magical beings readers have met in Manhattanvampires, warlocks, faeries and werewolveshave converged on Idris in a last-ditch effort to save the world. Betrayal and intrigue suffuse Clary's world as she navigates between angels and demons, politics and war. As lurid battle scenes cut to the requisite shocking revelations and angst-drenched reunions, readers will almost hear the John Williams music swelling. Derivative though it may be, melodramatic emotional wallowing has never been so much fun. (Fantasy. YA) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In search of a potion for her dying mother, Clary sneaks into the City of Glass and is immediately caught up in a life-and-death battle. As the children of the Moon (werewolves), Night (vampires), and Faerie gather for a war that will rend the heavens, Clary calls upon her untrained powers to control an angel who will save or destroy them all. Readers should be familiar with the first two installments in the Mortal Instruments series, but there is nevertheless plenty of romance, loss, honor, and betrayal to make the journey worthwhile. An experienced storyteller, Clare moves the plot quickly to a satisfying end.--Welch, Cindy Copyright 2009 Booklist

Demon-fighting teens Clary and Jace, with a large supporting cast of friends and family, climactically defeat their murderous archvillain father. In this exhilarating trilogy ender, Clare relies less on fantasy cliches and hip banter; instead, her characters drive the breakneck story, as does the love between Clary and Jace (who, luckily, aren't really siblings after all!). A scintillating, if bloated, page-turner. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Gr 8 Up-In the two previous books, Clary learns that she is a member of a race of demon-hunters and that she has the special ability to create new versions of the runes that give these Shadowhunters their power. Her mother has been hiding the truth from her for years to protect her from her father, Valentine, a cult-leader-turned-villain who is seeking to gain control over the Shadowhunters by obtaining the three Mortal Instruments. Now, Valentine has only one Mortal Instrument left to find, and the Shadowhunters must ally with the despised Downworlders, including vampires, werewolves, and fairies, to prepare their final defense. The question of whether Clary will be able to harness her unique abilities in time to help-and whether they will let her-is sidelined by the question of whether her love interest, Jace, is really her brother. Though the story is hampered by predictability and overblown writing, Clare continues her talent for mixing hip, modern humor with traditional fantasy, and fans eagerly awaiting the series conclusion should come away more than satisfied.-Eliza Langhans, Hatfield Public Library, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.