The next morning Jace and Alec are scoping out the bad guy’s HQ, and during this very tense and important moment, they decide to…banter about Alec’s hangover. 1) Why the fuck did they pack enough alcohol to give someone a hangover on this trip? 2) If you have your characters coming up on something as…

Alec and Simon return from their blood drinking adventure and everyone mocks Alec for being uncomfortable about the homoerotic undercurrents of being bitten by a vampire.  Because, you know, gay guys are supposed to be totally cool with any and all male/male encounters of an even vaguely sexual sort?  Uhg, this book continues to treat…

Jonathan shows up at the prisoner’s cell to banter with everyone about, yup, you guessed it, FAMILY MATTERS!  Man, he really is a one-note villain, isn’t he?  It’s amazing how many times he can have this conversation without saying a single new thought. Jace had never had that—he had recklessness, and the anarchic joy of…

Energy runes were all well and good, Clary thought exhaustedly as she reached the top of yet another rise of sand, but they didn’t begin to compete with a cup of coffee. Magic continues to be thoroughly useless in this world.  No wonder people barely bother using it. So the kids are all trudging along,…

Clary wakes up from her symbolick dream about fire to find that everything is on fire.  Was that really necessary?  After all, it was Alec that woke her up, and it’s not like she needed a warning that comes after the fire is already set. Clary’s arm burned and stung. She looked down to realize…