I put off reading the Mortal Instruments trilogy for so long. I think I feared that it was going to be too similar to what I'm trying to achieve in my own writing and I didn't want to be influenced too heavily. But now I have read City of Bones and City of Ashes and I am completely hooked. I am carefully reserving City of Glass for my writing week holiday, in the same way that I am still hoarding my Easter eggs, trying to eke out their goodness for just a little bit longer...
Much to my pleasure I have also got work Kevin hooked as well, and we have being having frantic, excited conversations about it in between answering phones and shelving books. My reasons for loving these books are many, but they can be summarised as follows:
1) There are gays - hooray! My favourite character is Magnus Bane, the glittery, queeny warlock. What's more, the gay romances and desires in the plot are given as much weight as the straight ones.
2) I love the idea of Marks, and the idea of tracing elaborate runes on the skin that leave pale scars when they fade. I think this is a pretty clever idea as it taps into the current fascination with tattooing. Honestly, in my yoga class you're in the minority if you're not tattooed.
3) Clare has a wonderfully elegant way of writing, and the books are full of beautiful descriptions of the sky and rivers and streets of New York.
4) It has some seriously strong incestuous vibes. If it's good enough for George Lucas then it's good enough for me. I actually like things that make me go eeww! a little bit. I know people who have a major problem with the kissing cousin relationship in Meg Rosoff's How I Live Now, but please. It was wartime and everything was out of whack. Similarly in Clare's books there are extenuating circumstances. Jace and Clary ain't no Jenny and John Deaves.
Kevin has also just finished City of Ashes so we've made some predictions and a wish list for the final book. Firstly, as enjoyable as the incestuous undertones have been, it's not going to be a surprise when it is revealed that Jace and Clary are not in fact brother and sister. Or when (maybe?) Luke and Clary's mum hook up. But our most fervent, fervent wish is that Magnus Bane and Alec have a Big Fat Gay Wedding, which of course will feature very amazing costumes, lots of vamps and werewolves and fairies, and plenty of glitter.
How I Live Now was interesting because the further the story progressed, the less distinct the cousin relationship seemed to be. I kept forgetting about that connection altogether.
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