Parents' Guide to

City of Glass: The Mortal Instruments, Book 3

By Matt Berman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Exciting, violent series cycle concludes with a bang.

Book Cassandra Clare Fantasy 2009
City of Glass: The Mortal Instruments, Book 3 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 8 parent reviews

AmeliaIsAMom
AmeliaIsAMom Adult
June 28, 2020
age 12+

Another home-run for Cassandra Clare!

Another awesome book! Profanity level is the same as the second book. This book is a bit more graphic, but it makes up with its awesome plot. Positive references to the bible and Christianity. Romantic and slightly suggestive content.

This title has:

Great messages
animallover120
animallover120 Adult
June 28, 2020
age 18+

Gruesome violent fantasy book

this book was filled with lots of violence and action with language. i disliked it a lot. I let my 18 year old read it and man he said it was filthier than anything he read! so i highly suggest 18+ t read this.
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In this conclusion to the Mortal Instruments trilogy (the conclusion to the first cycle of three anyway), Clary makes her way to the hidden Shadowhunter country of Idris, seeking a cure to her mother's magical affliction. While there, her father delivers an ultimatum to the Shadowhunter ruling council: declare him their leader, or he will use the Mortal Instruments to unleash a plague of demons and wipe them out. Meanwhile, Clary struggles to learn how to use her unique powers, discover her secret heritage, and figure out her relationship with her maybe-brother, Jace.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (8):
Kids say (47):

Derivative, predictable, and melodramatic can be good things when they're played for fun and done well, and this is done really well. Action, horror, complexity, romance, twists that aren't too hard to see coming, mysteries the reader will figure out before the characters -- they're all here, in just the right amounts, and mostly with just the right pacing, though, like most 500+ page books, it sags in places.

It's easy to find things to criticize: the climactic battle happens offstage; the religious and incestuous aspects may disturb some; there's a fair bit of repetition. But with characters who grow ever more satisfying, a cleverly detailed fantasy world, a thoroughly engrossing writing style, and a host of questions from the earlier books answered before the end, fans of the series will find this everything they had hoped for. And if you haven't read the first two books? Don't even think of trying this.


Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the classic creatures used here. Why are vampires and werewolves always popular? How are they different here from the Twilight series?

  • Families can also talk about the violence in this book, and the whole series. Books 2 and 3 are especially bloody. Do you think the fantasy element makes the gore easier to handle?

  • The series seems to neatly end here, yet the author released a fourth book (part of a second cycle of three) and a prequel series -- starting with Clockwork Angel -- besides. There's also talk of a movie deal. Do you think more is better, or would you rather the series ended here?

Book Details

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