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Best Teen & Young Adult African Geography & Cultures Fiction eBooks

Akata Witch
Affectionately dubbed "the Nigerian Harry Potter," Akata Witch weaves together a heart-pounding tale of magic, mystery, and finding one's place in the world. Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. -Ursula K. Le Guin Nnedi Okorafor was born in the United States to two Nigerian immigrant parents.
Reviews
"What a great piece of fantasy literature from a different culture."
"Adorable YA fantasy with realistic feeling young teens."
"It is refreshing to read a novel with strong Black women and men as the lead characters."
"Great story."
"There is something intriguing about a secret spiritual society existing in a physical world and young people coming of age."
"This book will have you begging for another to be written."
"I LOVED THIS BOOK!!"
"An absolute must read."
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City of Saints & Thieves
With revenge always on her mind, Tina spends the next four years surviving on the streets alone, working as a master thief for the Goondas, Sangui City’s local gang. But as soon as she steps inside the lavish home, she’s overtaken by the pain of old wounds and the pull of past friendships, setting into motion a dangerous cascade of events that could, at any moment, cost Tina her life. Praise for City of Saints & Thieves : An Amazon Best Book of the Month – January 2017A Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers PickA Barnes & Noble Most Anticipated YA Debut of 2017An Apple iBooks Best of January 2017 PickWinter 2016-2017 Kids’ Indie Next Pick Indies Introduce Winter/Spring 2017 PickA Teen Vogue Best New Young Adult Book – January 2017A Bustle Best YA Book – January 2017A 2017 Chicago Public Library’s Best Teen Fiction PickA Seventeen Magazine Best Book Pick of 2017A 2017 B&N Best Young Adult Book. ★ “[I]n this fast-paced thriller … Anderson adeptly uses language to bring Tina’s world to life as she carefully traces her heroine’s history to reveal a shocking truth .”— Publishers Weekly, starred review. ★ “[A] wonderfully twisted puzzle of a murder mystery.”— Booklist , starred review. Highly recommended for teens looking for a gritty, suspenseful, immersive read driven by a tough, smart, realistic heroine.”— School Library Journal, starred review. ★ “[B]y setting a fast-paced crime drama with compelling characters in this fraught region, Anderson does the good service of interesting young readers in this ongoing human conflict and the tragic toll it continues to take on the people of the region.”— BCCB , starred review. Pages will fly by as readers root for Tiny and her loved ones.”— Shelf Awareness , starred review. “ Ocean’s Eleven meets Blood Diamond : Natalie C. Anderson’s City of Saints & Thieves , a gripping tale of revenge and redemption , tracks a murderer through the jungles of Congo and the far reaches of cyberspace, shining a light on the importance of family and friendship along the way— a perfect cocktail of suspense, action and heart .”—Tara Sullivan, critically acclaimed author of Golden Boy and The Bitter Side of Sweet “ City of Saints & Thieves will pull you from the very first page into a rarely seen world, violent and beautiful, where the only rule is survival and the only weapons are a young woman’s courage and love.”—Francisco X. Stork, award-winning author of Marcelo in the Real World and The Last Summer of the Death Warriors “In prose as tenacious as her vendetta-driven and irresistible protagonist, Anderson interweaves personal and national tragedies, answering legacies of loss with the promise of family and friendship. City of Saints & Thieves is a world opener of a debut, one worth reading and remembering .”—Ashley Hope Pérez, Printz Honor–winning author of Out of Darkness “A story full of twists and turns , proving nothing is ever as black and white as it may seem .”— Kirkus Reviews.
Reviews
"City of Saints and Thieves takes Tina, refugee turned pickpocket, on a perilous journey of revenge and revelation."
"I encourage everyone, not just young adults, to get this as your next read and prepare to decide if you will like the book or the movie better."
"Having lived in West Africa for two years this was interesting to see similarities and differences in a different region."
"Very well written."
"It presents social problems in a realistic setting, does not sugar-coat issues and suggests that people are best seen in shades of gray, rather than absolute good and evil."
"The author brings the reader into a new environment and makes it feel so tangible in such an unbelievable story."
""City of Saints and Thieves" is an extremely compelling, hard to put down book."
"I really enjoyed how the story unfolded, and the narrator was excellent!"
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Akata Warrior
With the support of her Leopard Society friends, Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha, and of her spirit face, Anyanwu, she will travel through worlds both visible and invisible to the mysteries town of Osisi, where she will fight a climactic battle to save humanity. Praise for Akata Warrior: ★ "Okorafor’s novel will ensnare readers and keep them turning pages until the very end to see if and how Sunny fulfills the tremendous destiny that awaits her." ★ " Akata Warrior swiftly synthesizes the lessons and knowledge of the first book into a heart-racing story of resilience and a determination to save the world. This title is a unique coming of age story, coupling the distinct experience of the cultural duality as both African and African-American with lessons of love, loyalty, and the pains of adolescent insecurities." ★ "Don’t miss this beautifully written fantasy that seamlessly weaves inventive juju with contemporary Nigerian culture and history." " The narrative is well paced and multifaceted, taking the reader on a tour of both modern Nigeria and the mystical worlds of the Wilderness (sometimes simultaneously). “The most imaginative, gripping, enchanting fantasy novels I have ever read!” —Laurie Halse Anderson, National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author of Speak. Born in the United States to Nigerian immigrant parents, Nnedi is known for weaving African culture into creative evocative settings and memorable characters.
Reviews
"It's such a complete world full of complicated characters who grow and develop."
"Well written sequel in the Akata series."
"I read both books every night before bed and had to make myself stop in order to get some sleep for work."
"Nnedi Okorafor writes vibrant magical stories."
"She is a modern day griot."
"Reading this book it’s like your in Nigeria and the other worlds described."
"Original, fascinating and beautifully written."
"This book is a bit dreamier and more violent than the first book but both emphasize the world-building and Sunny's growth over tons of plot. There are still lots of surprises and lots of action for the book's third act, but this is not an action series."
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Best Teen & Young Adult Other Religious Fiction

Kindness: A Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom for Children and Parents (This Little Light of Mine)
Following the Buddha through his various transformations, these clarified, often humorous narrative journeys open the ancient masters profound and gentle teachings to persons of all ages, religions, races, and ideological persuasions. Ms. Conover received a BA in Religious Studies from the University of Colorado and an MFA in Creative Writing from Eastern Washington University.
Reviews
"Perfectly short stories to read before bed and talk about it for a few moments before tucking my girl in."
"During family time, these stories are brought to life."
"I enjoyed reading this book but my little one couldn't focus."
"Excellent book in fine condition."
"Great book!!!"
"this book offers short stories and morals."
"I find myself reading and re-reading this book over and over."
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Best Children's Explore Africa Books

A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story
Enduring every hardship from loneliness to attack by armed rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his story goes on to intersect with Nya’s in an astonishing and moving way. *Starred Review* After 11-year-old Salva’s school in Sudan is attacked by brutal rebel soldiers in 1985, he describes several terrifying years on the run in visceral detail: “The rain, the mad current, the bullets, the crocodiles, the welter of arms and legs, the screams, the blood.” Finally, he makes it to refugee camps in Ethiopia and then Kenya, where he is one of 3,000 young men chosen to go to America. In chapters that alternate with Salva’s story, Nya, a young Sudanese girl in 2008, talks about daily life, in which she walks eight hours to fetch water for her family. Then, a miracle happens: Salva returns home to help his people and builds a well, making fresh water available for the community and freeing Nya to go to school. The switching viewpoints may initially disorient some, but young readers will be stunned by the triumphant climax of the former refugee who makes a difference with the necessities that we all take for granted. Teachers may want to point out the allusion to Nelson Mandela’s A Long Walk to Freedom (1995) echoed in this moving book’s title.
Reviews
"I bought the feature that reads it to him which he loved and made it more interesting since they had music and the reader used different voices for each character."
"Bought this for my grandson , great price and he needed it for school project."
"This book was everything I expected and much more."
"Read it with your children or grandchildren."
"I'm reading this aloud to my 5th grade class -- they love it, particularly the more exciting story of the boy who is evading lions, crocodiles, starvation, and soldiers to get to America."
"I read this aloud to my kids and they loved it!"
"Needed for school."
"My niece read this for school on my Kindle."
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Best Teen & Young Adult Asian Geography & Cultures Fiction eBooks

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
This stunning fantasy inspired by Chinese folklore is a companion novel to Starry River of the Sky and the New York Times bestselling and National Book Award finalist When the Sea Turned to Silver. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz and Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon . Every night, Minli's father tells her stories about the Jade Dragon that keeps the mountain bare, the greedy and mean Magistrate Tiger, and the Old Man of the Moon who holds everyone's destiny. Determined to change her family's fortune, Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon, urged on by a talking goldfish who gives her clues to complete her journey. After her mother ridicules what she believes to be a foolish purchase, Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon, who, it is told, may impart the true secret to good fortune. Stories, drawn from a rich history of Chinese folktales, weave throughout her narrative, deepening the sense of both the characters and the setting and smoothly furthering the plot.
Reviews
"I just read this book again yesterday, because my daughter borrowed When the Sea Turned to Silver from the library, and I figured out pretty quickly that it would be better if I refreshed my memory on Where the Mountain Meets the Moon first."
"This was a story with underlying themes that older readers will pick up on but younger ones may not initially but as the stories are told by the characters each are intertwined with in each other and woven together very nicely."
"Would make a good bedtime story to read to kids about 6-10, who have longer attention spans for chapter books with minimal pictures."
"This book is a family favorite I highly recommend you read this book."
"Purchased this book for my grand niece when she turned 8."
"A wonderful children's book that my children have highly enjoyed."
"It is simply the best Children's book I have ever read."
"I just LOVE Grace Lin's books. Starry River is like the beginning of Where the mountain meets the moon. one reason why my mom and i love where the mountain meets the moon is because the main characters name; Min-Lee."
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Best Teen & Young Adult Canadian Geography & Cultures Fiction eBooks

Bonechiller
It’s the worst winter in years. Danny knows better. Grade 9 Up—In this supernatural thriller set in a remote Canadian town in the dead of winter, four friends encounter a cannibalistic creature that is hunting and killing teens. The foursome, after a failed attempt to involve law enforcement, decide to take on the behemoth with stolen dynamite and guns "borrowed" from their fathers. The unrelenting pace, short chapters, and the idea of teenagers taking on a monster with a large amount of weaponry will certainly appeal to fans of horror novels.— Caroline Tesauro, Radford Public Library, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. McNamee’s follow-up to Acceleration (2003) is another page-turning thriller, this time with an eerie supernatural edge that will appeal to fans of psychological horror.
Reviews
"His unique use of characters allows him to tell a monster tale from Danny's interesting perspective with support characters, like brothers Pike and Howie, to help him along."
"Two boys get bit by a demon and their bodies start changing. She says things like lets race, if you win you can cop a feel. Way too many sentences start with "Me and mom are ..." "Me and Howie had ..." Her and Pike check their guns." Setting: current day small town in Ontario, Canada."
"Take speeding snowmobiles, a mysterious monster, a pyromaniac, a girl who could out-box Ali and big old sticky bombs and you have a sure-fire hit with almost every reluctant and non-reluctant reader out there!"
"This book was a quick read because it was so good, I didn't want to put it down."
"My son who does not like to read much loves this book."
"Extremely well done monster horror novel."
"A solid fast-paced YA horror novel with realistic dialogue and strong characterization."
"One of my favorite book by one of my favorite authors."
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Best Teen & Young Adult European Geography & Cultures Fiction eBooks

Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone Book 1)
The first book in the New York Times bestselling epic fantasy trilogy by award-winning author Laini Taylor Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. From his desk in a dusty, otherworldly shop, her mysterious, monstrous father sends her on errands across the globe, collecting teeth for a shadowy purpose. National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor has created a lushly imaginative, fully realized world in Daughter of Smoke and Bone . Taylor’s writing is as sumptuous as poetry, and the story overflows with dark and delightful magic, star-crossed love, and difficult choices with heartbreaking repercussions.
Reviews
"I couldn’t remember a whole lot about what this book was about and I think that was a good thing. The word that comes to mind when reading this book is lush. This book made me think of cold winds and pouring rain. Well, that's mostly because the middle kind of drags and the book ends a bit abruptly. Overall though, this book was amazing and I loved it and I can't wait to pick up the second one!"
"Her descriptions were vivid and the world she created was so wonderful and magical and unique and I just LOVED it. "It was cold, and it was dark--in the dead of winter the sun didn't rise until eight--but it was lovely. The falling snow and the early hour conspired to paint Prague ghostly, like a tintype photograph, all silver and haze." Here's another: "Her thoughts had flown outward, darting and dipping with the hummingbird-moths that flocked by the thousands to the lanterns hanging overhead, as she wondered, with a wild timpani heart, where her angel had gone." The concepts of the seraph, the chimaera, the teeth, the wishes--everything--were incredibly creative and done so well. The setting, the characters, the weapons, the mythology, the romance gave the story a certain richness that has the ability to captivate a reader. This quote captures that feel well: "Prague entranced you, lured you in, like the mythic fey who trick travelers deep into forests until they're lost beyond hope." "'I don't know your customs, but here, if you don't want to frighten someone, you don't go looming over their sleeping body with knives.'". She cast a sidelong glance and Karou and said, in helpless amazement, 'Oh, hell. While I loved the world, the writing, and concepts, they did weigh down the pace for me. The last 20-ish percent went much quicker because the story (the Madrigal parts) got really interesting."
"I never wrote a review for it, partly because I don’t think that anything I say can do justice to the feelings and beauty of this series. There aren’t many authors where the very first thing that I’ll mention is the lyrical prose that they write with. I can think of a handful off the top of my head, and I love a great many books, for many reasons. But there are some books where the beauty of the language, the way the words are strung together, jump out and slap me (in a good way). Laini Taylor effortlessly, it seems, weaves in every mythology to this story, making it plausible, and realistic, and seemingly the grain of truth that every story holds. As you meet more and more characters, learn more of the world, you begin to see where the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faiths got their angels. Where the ancient Greeks, and Hindu peoples found their Naja and Minotaurs. I know the first time I read this book I was fascinated and curious – incredibly so – by the world and how everything fit together. In this world, in Eretz, everything combined to entrance and entice, urging me along, dreading the pain and still willing to pay the tithe."
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Best Teen & Young Adult Australian Geography & Cultures Fiction eBooks

Jasper Jones
A 2012 Michael L. Printz Honor. Book Charlie Bucktin, a bookish thirteen year old, is startled one summer night by an urgent knock on his bedroom window. Starred Review, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books , April 2011: "Silvey’s sure-footed, evocative prose, intelligent humor, and careful plot structuring may well ensure this Aussie import lasting status." Starred Review, The Horn Book Magazine , May/June 2011: "The mood and atmosphere of the 1960s small-town Australian setting is perfectly realized—suspenseful, menacing, and claustrophobic—with issues of race and class boiling just below the surface." Starred Review, School Library Journal , June 2011: "Silvey is a master of wit and words, spinning a coming-of-age tale told through the mind of a young Holden Caulfield."
Reviews
"Charlie longs to tell him best friend, Vietnamese Jeffrey Lu, who is hated by the town louts, who call him "Cong" and dispite his prowess as a cricketer, dont allow him to be included in their games. When Laura goes missing, the eccentric hermit, Jack Lionel gets the blame and the police immediately assume Jasper knows something about it."
"Adolescence, coming of age, sexuality, racism, domestic abuse, incest, infidelity, and violence are explored on personal, family, community and national levels."
"In that sense "Jasper Jones" Captures the heart of many good adolescent fiction, where we not only see events through the eyes of the young protagonist but rely on him to make more sensible and just decisions than the adults."
"(i'm permissive when it comes to books, so be forewarned.)."
"Charlie ends up in the center of the town's unraveling when he promises his classmate, Jasper, he will keep a horrible secret about something Jasper has discovered - a secret that is the inciting event for dragging all of the town's deplorable secrets out in the open. The story has a gripping opening that leads the reader to believe Jasper Jones is a mystery, and it is, partly. But when the Charlie and Jasper finally step up to solve the mystery, it brings surprise twists and surprise ending. Like To Kill A Mockingbird, Jasper Jones is foremost a coming of age story."
"This is a story for young adults, but as a grandmother I found it so insightful and it certainly gave me an understanding of how young minds work - how sensitive they are, but also their resilience."
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Best Teen & Young Adult Geography & Cultures US Fiction eBooks

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. He expects disaster when he transfers from the reservation school to the rich, white school in Reardan, but soon finds himself making friends with both geeky and popular students and starting on the basketball team. Arnold Spirit, a goofy-looking dork with a decent jumpshot, spends his time lamenting life on the "poor-ass" Spokane Indian reservation, drawing cartoons (which accompany, and often provide more insight than, the narrative), and, along with his aptly named pal Rowdy, laughing those laughs over anything and nothing that affix best friends so intricately together. He weathers the typical teenage indignations and triumphs like a champ but soon faces far more trying ordeals as his home life begins to crumble and decay amidst the suffocating mire of alcoholism on the reservation.
Reviews
"An excellent book for teenage & young adults living difficult lives."
"I will be reading his other books,but they are probably not as good as good."
"I highly recommend this book!"
"My husband said the language brought back memories of his junior high days in the junior high locker room."
"I knew nothing about growing up as a native American, and was delighted with the perspectives, humor, sadness and plot turns."
"Great book club selection!"
"then, at the urging of a weird old white teacher, the narrator (arnold "junior" spirit) transfers to an all-white school in a nearby farming town. but, otherwise, the feelings of not fitting in, of trying to wrestle with that "affinity" issue, is not only universal to teenagers, it is -- imho -- the top-priority of youth culture these days (as i'll argue in the book i'm writing right now). i also think it's a fun and insightful read for parents and youth workers, because it speaks to this in-between, universal outcast sense that so many teenagers live with."
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Best Teen & Young Adult Where We Live eBooks

City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments Book 6)
Shadowhunters and demons square off for the final showdown in the spellbinding, seductive conclusion to the #1 New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series—now with a gorgeous new cover, a map, a new foreword, and exclusive bonus content! The beach in Los Angeles—white sand, crashing blue water, you’re strolling along the tide line . The boy sitting across from him sighed and ran his hands through his shaggy dark hair. Though it was a cold December day, werewolves didn’t feel weather as acutely as humans, and Jordan had his jacket off and his shirtsleeves rolled up. They were seated opposite each other on a patch of browning grass in a clearing in Central Park, both cross-legged, their hands on their knees, palms up. As Jace looked up, Isabelle caught his eye and gave him an encouraging wave. He smiled to himself—neither of them really had a reason to be here, but they had come anyway, “for moral support.” Though, Jace suspected it had more to do with the fact that Alec hated to be at loose ends these days, Isabelle hated for her brother to be on his own, and both of them were avoiding their parents and the Institute. Jace took his hands off his knees—the lotus position was giving him wrist cramps—and leaned back on his arms. Chilly wind rattled the few dead leaves that still clung to the branches of the trees. Against the pale winter sky the leaves had a spare elegance, like pen and ink sketches. Below the sleeves of his shirt, the tattoos that wrapped his arms were visible. The fire in his veins made his mind race too, thoughts coming too quickly, one after another, like exploding fireworks. But he hadn’t managed to do much more than irritate Alec with requests for healing runes and, on one memorable occasion, accidentally set fire to one of the crossbeams. It was Simon who had pointed out that his roommate meditated every day, and who’d said that learning the habit was what had calmed the uncontrollable fits of rage that were often part of the transformation into a werewolf. The first session had ended with Jace burning a mark into Simon and Jordan’s hardwood floor, so Jordan had suggested they take it outside for the second round to prevent further property damage. I know what brings me peace, and it isn’t sandy beaches or chirping birds in rain forests. Jace threw his hands up and stood, brushing grass off his jeans. “Now you get it.” He heard the crackle of dry grass and turned, in time to see Clary duck through a gap between two trees and emerge into the clearing, Simon only a few steps behind her. He remembered the second time he had ever seen Clary, across the main room of Java Jones. He remembered the unfamiliar twist of jealousy in his chest, pressing out his breath, the feeling of satisfaction when she’d left Simon behind to come and talk to him. He’d gone from being eaten up with jealousy of Simon, to a grudging respect for his tenacity and courage, to actually considering him a friend, though he doubted he’d ever say so out loud. Jace watched as Clary looked over and blew him a kiss, her red hair bouncing in its ponytail. She headed toward Jace and Jordan, leaving Simon to scamper up the rocky ground to where Alec and Isabelle were sitting; he collapsed beside Isabelle, who immediately leaned over to say something to him, her black curtain of hair hiding her face. Clary stopped in front of Jace, rocking back on her heels with a smile. “Without me you’d be bouncing down Madison Avenue, shooting sparks out of all your orifices.” He rose to his feet, shrugging on his green jacket. “Got to meet Maia downtown.” He gave a mock salute and was gone, slipping into the trees and vanishing with the silent tread of the wolf he was under the skin. Six months ago he wouldn’t have believed anyone who’d told him he was going to wind up taking behavioral lessons from a werewolf. Jordan and Simon and Jace had struck up something of a friendship in the past months. Jace couldn’t help using their apartment as a refuge, away from the daily pressures of the Institute, away from the reminders that the Clave was still unprepared for war with Sebastian. The word brushed the back of Jace’s mind like the touch of a feather, making him shiver. He saw an angel’s wing, torn from its body, lying in a pool of golden blood. “What’s wrong?” Clary said; Jace suddenly looked a million miles away. Since the heavenly fire had entered his body, he’d tended to drift off more into his head. She felt a little pang—Jace, when she had met him, had been so controlled, only a little of his real self leaking out through the cracks in his personal armor, like light through the chinks in a wall. Now, though, the fire in his veins was forcing him to put them back up, to bite down on his emotions for safety’s sake. The winter sun was high and cold; it sharpened the bones of his face and threw the shadows under his eyes into relief. His skin felt warm under her touch; he seemed to run several degrees hotter than normal since his encounter with Glorious. His heart still pounded its familiar, steady rhythm, but the blood being pushed through his veins seemed to thrum under her touch with the kinetic energy of a fire just about to catch. She went up on her toes to kiss his cheek, but he turned, and their lips brushed. They’d done nothing more than kiss since the fire had first started singing in his blood, and they’d done even that carefully. Jace was careful now, his mouth sliding softly against hers, his hand closing on her shoulder. He moved to pull her closer, and a sharp, dry spark passed between them, like the zing of static electricity. Jace bowed while Clary stepped back slightly sheepishly, hooking her thumbs into the belt of her jeans. “Unfortunately, that’s the only kind of friends we have.” Clary bumped her shoulder against his arm, and they headed up toward the rocks. Alec was sitting a little apart, staring at the screen of his phone with an expression of intense concentration. He looked smaller these days, almost skinny in his worn blue pullover, holes at the elbows, his lips bitten and chapped. He’d spent the first week after Magnus had broken up with him in a sort of daze of sadness and disbelief. Jace threw a handful of dead leaves at Alec, making him splutter. Under normal circumstances Jace would have killed, or at least threatened, anyone who hurt Alec; this was different. Alec protested and reached for it, but Jace held him off with one hand, expertly scrolling through the messages on the phone with the other. The Clave keeps wanting to hear what happened when we fought Sebastian at the Burren. We’ve all had to give accounts, like, fifty times. Descriptions of the Dark Shadowhunters, the Infernal Cup, the weapons they used, the runes that were on them. “Always good to know the Clave has a well-thought-out and reliable plan.” For a moment she regretted her words, remembering that Robert Lightwood was the new Inquisitor. A small force, scattered—they don’t want to believe he’s really a threat. She hadn’t dreamed much since they’d come back from the Burren with Jace’s veins full of fire, but when she did have nightmares, they were about her brother. “I heard Mom say that the warlocks of the Spiral Labyrinth have been looking for a way to reverse the effects of the Infernal Cup,” said Isabelle. The bodies of the Dark Shadowhunters killed at the Burren had been brought back to the Bone City for the Silent Brothers to examine. Isabelle found her voice again: “And the Iron Sisters are churning out weapons. In the days immediately following the battle at the Burren, when the fire had raged through Jace’s veins violently enough to make him scream sometimes with the pain, the Silent Brothers had examined him over and over, had tested him with ice and flame, with blessed metal and cold iron, trying to see if there was some way to draw the fire out of him, to contain it. The fire of Glorious, having once been captured in a blade, seemed in no hurry to inhabit another, or indeed to leave Jace’s body for any kind of vessel. Brother Zachariah had told Clary that in the earliest days of Shadowhunters, the Nephilim had sought to capture heavenly fire in a weapon, something that could be wielded against demons. They had never managed it, and eventually seraph blades had become their weapons of choice. Glorious’s fire lay curled in Jace’s veins like a serpent, and the best he could hope for was to control it so that it didn’t destroy him. The loud beep of a text message sounded; Isabelle had flicked on her phone again. you know, Christmas?” She thought back suddenly to the rather distressing Thanksgiving dinner at Luke’s when Jace, on being asked to carve the turkey, had laid into the bird with a sword until there had been little left but turkey flakes. I think Shadowhunters got annoyed with being left out of all the mundane celebrations, though, so a lot of Institutes have Christmas parties. Of course they didn’t want to celebrate Christmas after losing Max. Jace sighed, and kissed Clary—a quick good-bye brush of lips against her temple, but it made her shiver. Not being able to touch Jace or kiss him properly was starting to make her jump out of her own skin. The Frays had never been a religiously observant family, but Clary loved Fifth Avenue at Christmastime. The air smelled like sweet roasted chestnuts, and the window displays sparkled with silver and blue, green and red. This year there were fat round crystal snowflakes attached to each lamppost, sending back the winter sunlight in shafts of gold. It threw its shadow across them when she and Simon draped themselves over the gate at the side of the skating rink, watching tourists fall down as they tried to navigate the ice. Clary had a hot chocolate wrapped in her hands, the warmth spreading through her body. She felt almost normal—this, coming to Fifth to see the window displays and the tree, had been a winter tradition for her and Simon for as long as she could remember. “Feels like old times, doesn’t it?” he said, echoing her thoughts as he propped his chin on his folded arms. He was wearing a black topcoat and scarf that emphasized the pallor of his skin. His eyes were shadowed, indicating that he hadn’t fed on blood recently. Simon was a musician; even though his band was terrible, and was always changing their name—currently they were Lethal Soufflé—he did have training. I’m going to see if there’s a music store around here.” Clary, done with her hot chocolate, tossed the cup into a nearby trash can and pulled her phone out. They had started heading toward the avenue, where a steady stream of pedestrians gawking at the windows clogged the streets. In the meantime—perfume!” Clary grabbed Simon by the back of his coat and hauled him into a cosmetics store. Figs have a smell?” Simon looked horrified; Clary was about to laugh at him when her phone buzzed. Even though, as Clary had pointed out, Jace was probably the safest boyfriend in the world since he was pretty much banned from (1) getting angry, (2) making sexual advances, and (3) doing anything that would produce an adrenaline rush. On the other hand, he had been possessed; she and her mother had both watched while he’d stood by and let Sebastian attack Luke. “There is so much in this store I can picture Magnus wanting,” Simon said, picking up a glass bottle of body glitter suspended in some kind of oil. “Alec remembers my name,” said Simon, and he set the bottle back down. “You’ve waited a long time to make your move, Fray, I’ll say that for you.”. Clary didn’t bother with a smart retort; she was still thinking of what Simon had said about forgiveness, and remembering someone else, someone else’s voice and face and eyes. “Do you really think Isabelle wants to smell like a dried fruit plate?”. “I don’t like the thought of you going away.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat. And besides, how long would it take everyone at school to notice they were getting older but I wasn’t? “I would have gotten you pencils usually, art supplies, but you don’t draw anymore, do you, except with your stele? “I haven’t heard anything from the Dumort bunch since Maureen took over from Camille. Before Clary could answer, she heard someone call out her name; thoroughly puzzled, she looked over and saw her mother shoving her way through a crowd of shoppers. In his flannel shirt he looked out of place among the stylish New Yorkers. Breaking free of the crowd, Jocelyn caught up to them and threw her arms around Clary. Clary felt a sudden cold wash through her veins, as if she’d swallowed icy water. Jace used an Open rune to get in through the front door, took the stairs two at a time, and buzzed Magnus’s apartment bell. Two more long buzzes, and Magnus finally yanked the door open, looking furious. You must be the—what, fourth?—of you lot to bother me.” Magnus counted off on his long fingers. “I don’t have a relationship with Alec,” said Magnus flatly, but Jace had already shouldered past him and was in his living room, looking around curiously. One of the things Jace had always secretly liked about Magnus’s apartment was that it rarely looked the same way twice. Sometimes it looked like a French bordello, or a Victorian opium den, or the inside of a spaceship. Stacks of old Chinese food cartons littered the coffee table. Chairman Meow lay on the rag rug, all four legs sticking straight out in front of him like a dead deer. “That’s the Chinese food.” Magnus threw himself onto the sofa and stretched out his long legs. “Oh, he won’t sneak around behind my back with one of my exes planning to shorten my life again? “He won’t lie to you or mislead you or hide things from you or whatever it is you’re actually upset about.” He threw himself into a wingback leather chair and raised an eyebrow. “What do I care?” Jace said, so loudly that Chairman Meow sat bolt upright as if he’d been shocked. “I care about Alec,” Jace said, fixing Magnus with an unswerving gaze. “Don’t you ever think,” Magnus mused, pulling at a bit of peeling fingernail polish, “that the whole parabatai business is rather cruel? And though your parabatai is the closest person in the world to you in some ways, you can’t fall in love with them. All fragile nobility and humanity on one side, and all the thoughtless fire of angels on the other.” His eyes flicked toward Jace. Most people are afraid of you, or they seem to owe you something or you slept with them once, but friends—I don’t see you having a lot of those.”. “If you mean do I suddenly feel compelled to get back together with Alec, no,” said Magnus. “If I wanted to lie on a couch and complain to someone about my parents, I’d hire a psychiatrist.”. “I’m going to take a nap.” He reached out for a crumpled blanket lying on the floor, just as Jace’s phone rang. Magnus watched, arrested midmotion, as Jace dug around in his pocket and flipped the phone open. “Come back,” Isabelle said, and Jace sat up straight, the pillow tumbling to the floor. He could hear the sharpness in it, like the off notes of a badly tuned piano. He saw golden blood, and white feathers scattered across a marble floor. He remembered the apartment, a knife in his hands, the world at his feet, Sebastian’s grip on his wrist, those fathomless black eyes looking at him with dark amusement. There were dozens of unfamiliar coats and jackets hanging in the entryway of the Institute. Clary felt the tight buzzing of tension in her shoulders as she unzipped her own wool coat and hung it on one of the hooks that lined the walls. Jocelyn had unwound a long gray scarf from around her neck, and barely looked as Luke took it from her to drape it on a hook. Her green eyes were darting around the room, taking in the gate of the elevator, the arched ceiling overhead, the faded murals of men and angels. “It’s the ‘we’ part that concerns me.” Jocelyn wound her hair up into a knot at the back of her head, and secured it with her fingers. She hadn’t seen her brother since the fight at the Burren, but she carried him in some small part of her mind, an intrusive, unwelcome ghost. Someone had pushed back all the furniture in the library, clearing a large space in the middle of the room, just atop the mosaic of the Angel. A massive table had been placed there, a huge slab of marble balanced on top of two kneeling stone angels. Some members, like Kadir and Maryse, Clary knew by name. Maryse was standing, ticking off names on her fingers as she chanted aloud. Maryse looked startled, as if she hadn’t realized Jocelyn had come in. She looked drawn and exhausted, her hair scraped back severely, a stain—red wine or blood?—on the sleeve of her tailored jacket. “Helen,” said Alec, and Clary thought of the girl who had fought with them against Sebastian at the Burren. She remembered her in the nave of the Institute, a dark-haired boy clinging to her wrist. “Aline’s girlfriend,” Clary blurted out, and saw the Conclave look at her with thinly veiled hostility. Would you?” Jocelyn’s eyes met Maryse’s, and Clary wondered if this was how it had been when they’d both been in the Circle, the sharp edges of their personalities rubbing up against each other, causing sparks. He was flushed with the cold, bareheaded, fair hair tousled by the wind. His hands were gloveless, red at the tips from the weather, scarred with Marks new and old. He saw Clary and gave her a quick smile before settling into a chair propped against the wall. Her heart was pounding, sick in her chest; yet at the same time there was a strange sense of relief. “The Clave has called for immediate evacuation,” said Maryse, and at that, everyone went silent, even Jace. Some of her usual imperious air was back, her mouth a thin line, her jaw set with determination. Cassandra Clare is the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of Lord of Shadows and Lady Midnight , as well as the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series and Infernal Devices trilogy. She is the coauthor of The Bane Chronicles with Sarah Rees Brennan and Maureen Johnson and Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy with Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, and Robin Wasserman, as well as The Shadowhunter’s Codex, which she cowrote with her husband, Joshua Lewis. Her books have more than 50 million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages, a feature film, and a TV show, Shadowhunters , currently airing on Freeform.
Reviews
"That said, I really liked this final installment, great plot and ending, at first I didn't understand the whole importance of the kids and stuff though I did imagine it was a way to tie this series with the prequel, which kinda did. Being a fan of the prequel which I did read first, I loved to know how Jem stopped being a silent brother, and to see Tessa back as well. I was a bit disappointed in the not so epic war, although it wasn't terrible I had hoped for Sebastian to go with more of a fight, though he was a sneaky bastard so he got what he deserved, though his death scene is beautifully written and even kinda makes you cry."
"The Clave keeps acting like bigoted racists, with hints of an ominous doom to come! On the other hand... 1) Could these people BE any more self-obsessed? There's this huge war that's threatening ALL LIFE ON EARTH and they still spend pages and pages moaning about how their personal lives suck. And then they go to the demon world--the DEMON WORLD!--and discover the remains of an ENTIRE CIVILIZATION--possibly the greatest archaeological find EVER--and still all they can think about is their relationships and how hawt the other person is."
"Cassandra did a brilliant job closing off the book, with the possibility of a spin off series surrounding other characters. The story takes place not long after the previous book, following on from Jace being stabbed and having consumed the heavenly fire. The book continues on with Clary, Jace, Izzy, Alec, Simon and Magnus, fighting to stop Sebastian from laying waste to the Shadowhunters and the rest of the world. The beginning of the book was somewhat a bit of a slow build but once the pace is set, it is one that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time with your heart hammering in your chest."
"(Mild spoilers) Six books come to an ending with essentially no consequences for the main characters and everyone gets a happily ever after."
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