My problem with The Mortal Instruments.

Warning: Spoilers! (duh.)

This week marks the release of the final book in the second trilogy of The Mortal Instruments series. (Is that a mouthful or what?)

City of Heavenly Fire is highly anticipated and fan girls everywhere are peeing their pants over a Jace and Clary sex scene. (I still feel weird about the whole incest thing) and it's not to say when I read the original trilogy I didn't enjoy it, I did, I really did. However I will not be reading City of Heavenly Fire and here's why.

The Mortal Instruments follows Bella Swan-esque protagonist Clary who learns she is a Shadowhunter (i.e Demon Killer) her mother keeps it a secret from her in order to protect her from Valentine (A cliche' evil dude who is also her father) Voldemort meets Darth Vader anyone?! Then we have "hearthrob" Jace , who is actually a total arse and generally treats Clary like crap. We are also led to believe that for the first three books they are siblings, which makes some of the "romantic" moments, creepy as hell. They are no Jaime and Cersei afterall. In the original series Clary defeats Valentine just by being nicer than him, gets a magic angel wish and saves Jace's life. But fuck all the people who died in the big battle leading up to that. Max! Anyone! And the villians are so bland, they are evil because they used demon blood, that's it?! So there is no moral choice between good or bad then, just demon blood and angel blood. Great!

Of course the series isn't all bad, Isabelle is delightful and awesome and badass and I loved her. Alec is primadonna bitch and it's very entertaining and generally the dialogue is amusing and well written.

But none of these are the reason I won't be reading City of Heavenly Fire. I enjoyed the first trilogy and began to read the new trilogy with City of Fallen Angels. The only problem was...Simon.

I hate Simon. I can't stand him or reading about him and I know from my friends who read the books
that the second trilogy is heavy on Simon. I was so excited when he died but then he had to come back as a vampire and make himself extraordinarily annoying. He's stupid, irrational, possessive but it all comes across as cute because he's "FRIENDZONED". I think he's self righteous and likes the play the victim, he barrels into situations and drag Clary (who gets less annoying as the series goes on) in them with him. He's a vampire for god sake, that can walk in the sunlight and has that mark on his head so can't be hurt. I'd love that, I'd be so badass and become like a crime fighting vigilante, but no Simon uses it to cheat on the only other two girls in the "group" good job Simon!

So that is why I won't be finishing The Mortal Instruments. Although admittedly I have heard excellent things about The Infernal Devices! What's the worst that could happen?