Category Archives: The Mortal Instruments

Celine’s adventures: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
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Celine is a French blogger who writes some fictional reviews about the books she loves the most and they always make me laugh. I hope the humor even if translated is kept. Thanks for her reviews.

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The Mortal Instruments, Book 2

Synopsis: Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what’s normal when you’re a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who’s becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn’t ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary’s only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

Disclaimer: “The characters and situations in this story are fictional, any resemblance to existing persons and situations can only be coincidental”

For mémo: Episode 1 ; Episode 2 ; Episode 3 ; Episode 4 ; Episode 5 ; Episode 6 ; Episode 7 ; Episode 8 ; Episode 9

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♪♫ « Comme les Rois mages, En Galilée suivaient des yeux l’étoile du berger… » ♪♫

– Stop singing, Melliane growls putting her head so much in her striped scarf that only her eyes seem to be able to cope with the cold surrounding us…
Temperatures have dropped tonight. Winter has settled. A thin layer of gel begins to cover the plastic trash that keeps us company. For discretion, we have chosen as a meeting place, a bus shelter in a deserted area. On the discretion level, the idea was good. On the comfort level… That’s another story … I wish I had brought a cushion. And my plaid patch. To keep me warm.
– But why?
I throw an innocent look.
– You really want to know why? le Chat du Cheshire wonders, rubbing her hands against each other.
– Uhh … But my dog ​​loves when I sing!
– We wonder why … That’s why I like cats, they have a good taste, le Chat retorts.
– I’d like to avoid the storm we had at Christmas, remember? Melliane insists.
I hum a little bit, I have the soul of an artist tonight.

♪♫ « Comme les Rois mages, En Galilée suivaient des yeux l’étoile du berger, ta ta ta ta.. ».♪♫

– And besides, she does not know the lyrics, Roanne grumbles rolling her eyes, and by increasing the weight of her body from one foot to the other. Around her neck is wrapped a scarf coordinated with her purse. Homemade. She has magic fingers, Roanne.
– But it’s just to get you in the mood! Girls! We will talk to the Magi! There it is, the solution to all our problems!
Long silence. My enthusiasm is not communicative.
– What do you want me to tell you, I am not persuaded, but not convinced at all, Roanne finally confesses.
– Oh oh, I remind you that I’m the brains of the group! I always have great ideas!
– The brain is gone in Lapland without snowshoes to walk in the snow and to face Santa, Melliane gently laughs at me.
– They could not fit into my suitcase.
I dip the nose into the collar of my coat. I should have taken a scarf. And gloves. I’m really dizzy sometimes, I think that I left them on the coffee table or in the dog’s basket. I do not really remember.
It is true that our expedition to Lapland was something. We fell nose to nose with reindeer who pursued us, all teeth out. Melliane was faster than the wind with her long strides and snowshoes. My style was more … summary …. I really enjoyed the snow. It was cold. I even thought that I would lose my nose. And my ski pants were not thick enough to protect me from the fangs of these charming animals. No, not a success.
– Well, girls. I’ll say that this might be a track. It’s almost January 6th, the Three Kings arrive. We need to intercept them! They could perhaps take Volume 2 of The Mortal Instruments to hide it… Because this volume 2, it is still pretty darn good! The pace doesn’t slow up, quite the contrary. The characters are well developed, the dialogues are great, there is a lot of humor. And the universe is rich, well thought … I’m a fan .. and it’s your fault, I says launching a murderous look at Roanne and Le Chat.
– For once, it has nothing to do with me! I am as innocent as a lamb that is born! Melliane says by raising both hands in front of her.
– You want to talk about that famous box of books?
A bright smile appears on her face, and Le Chat and Roanne do not seem at all sorry. I understand them. The Mortal Instruments is addictive. The pages scroll, scroll, scroll … and bam … We are at the last page. And the last pages … Oh … (sighs)
– Well, what do we do? Roanne, you find information about the Magi’s route? And we choose an appointment to develop the strategy? Chat, you mentioned the possibility to mount a cats experts commando in Krav Maga, how is it going?
– I’m working, but a leader is missing.
– I have one!
My fingers barely meet, but I manage to root my phone from the back pocket of my jeans to show them a picture.

– Our secret weapon. Nini. Teeth and sharp claws. Unsheathed her pawns faster than her shadow and practicing martial arts, I explain.
– But she is tiny! Cat adds.
– 3 kilos of nerves … Our secret weapon, I say. I nearly lost an eye every time I give her her meds …
A perplexed wind dances around us, but it does not matter. I trust Nini …
– At least the Magi do not have reindeer, Melliane says, optimism transpiring in her voice.
– No, but they have camels! Roanne adds.
Ah yes, seen like that … But we have our secret weapon. Things are heating up!

NB: I really miss losing an eye daily when I give her medication to Nini. And for those who doubt the power of the Ninja Cats:

Les Aventures de Celine : La cité des cendres de Cassandra Clare
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Céline est une blogueuse française qui écrit des fiction mettant en scène ses romans préférés. Elles me font toujours rire et j’espère que vous les apprécierez aussi. Merci à elle de les partager.

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The Mortal Instruments, Tome 2

Résumé : Le Monde Obscur est en émoi depuis le meurtre mystérieux d’un loup-garou survenu devant le Hunter’s Moon, l’un des repaires de lycanthropes les plus fréquentés de New York. Du côté des Chasseurs d’Ombres, l’Inquisitrice, une femme insensible et austère, est dépêchée par l’Enclave pour s’emparer de l’Institut : Valentin est de retour et une guerre sanglante se prépare. Pris dans la tourmente des événements, écartelés entre cœur et raison, Clary et Jace se lancent à corps perdu dans un combat entre les forces du Bien et du Mal, qui les mènera des souterrains de la Cité Silencieuse aux eaux sombres de l’East River..

Avertissement: « Les personnages et les situations de ce récit étant purement fictifs, toute ressemblance avec des personnes ou des situations existantes ou ayant existé ne saurait être que fortuite »

Pour mémo: Episode 1 ; Episode 2 ; Episode 3 ; Episode 4 : Episode 5 ; Episode 6 ; Episode 7 ; Episode 8 ; Episode 9

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♪♫ « Comme les Rois mages, En Galilée suivaient des yeux l’étoile du berger… » ♪♫

– Arrête de chanter, grogne Melliane en enfonçant tellement la tête dans son écharpe rayée que seuls ses yeux semblent être capables de faire face au froid environnant…

Les températures ont chuté ce soir. L’hiver a posé ses valises. Une mince couche de gel commence à recouvrir le plastique de la poubelle qui nous tient compagnie. Pour plus de discrétion, nous avons choisi comme lieu de rendez-vous un abri de bus dans un quartier désert. Niveau discrétion, l’idée était bonne. Niveau confort… C’est une autre histoire… Je regrette de ne pas avoir apporté un coussin. Et mon plaid en patch. Pour me tenir chaud.
– Mais pourquoi ?
Je lui jette un regard innocent.
– Tu veux vraiment savoir pourquoi ? me demande le Chat du Cheshire en frottant ses mains l’une contre l’autre.
– Euhh… Mais mon chien adore quand je chante !
– On se demande pourquoi… C’est pour ça que je préfère les chats, ils ont un goût plus sûr, rétorque Le Chat.
– J’aimerais bien éviter la tempête qu’on a eu à Noël, tu te rappelles ? insiste Melliane.

Je chantonne encore un peu, j’ai l’âme d’une artiste ce soir.

♪♫ « Comme les Rois mages, En Galilée suivaient des yeux l’étoile du berger, ta ta ta ta.. ».♪♫

– Et en plus, elle ne connait pas les paroles, maugrée Roanne en levant les yeux au ciel et en faisant passer le poids de son corps d’un pied sur l’autre. Autour de son cou est enroulée une étole coordonnée à son sac. Fabrication maison. Elle a des doigts de fée, Roanne.

– Mais, c’est juste pour vous mettre dans l’ambiance ! Les filles ! On va parler aux Rois Mages ! Elle est là, la solution à tous nos problèmes!
Long silence. Mon enthousiasme n’est pas communicatif.
– Que veux-tu que je te dise, je ne suis pas convaincue, mais pas convaincue du tout, finit par avouer Roanne.
– Eh oh, je vous rappelle que c’est moi le cerveau du groupe ! J’ai toujours des idées géniales !
– Le cerveau qui est parti en Laponie sans raquettes pour marcher dans la neige et affronter le Père Noël, se moque gentiment Melliane.
– Elles ne tenaient pas dans mes valises.
Je plonge le nez dans le col de mon manteau. J’aurais dû prendre une écharpe. Et des gants. Je suis vraiment étourdie parfois, je crois que je les ai laissés sur la table du salon, ou dans le panier du chien. Je ne me souviens plus vraiment.
Il est vrai que notre expédition en Laponie a été la Bérézina. On est tombées nez à nez avec des rennes qui nous ont poursuivies, toutes dents dehors. Melliane a été plus rapide que le vent avec ses grandes foulées et ses raquettes. Mon style a moi était plus… sommaire…. J’ai beaucoup goûté la neige. Elle était froide. J’ai même cru que j’allais perdre mon nez. Et mon pantalon de ski n’a pas été suffisamment épais pour me protéger des crocs de ces charmantes bêtes. Non, pas un franc succès.
– Bon, les filles. Moi je vous dis que c’est peut-être une piste. C’est bientôt le 6 janvier, les Rois Mages débarquent. Il faut qu’on les intercepte ! Ils pourraient peut-être emporter le tome 2 de The Mortal Instruments pour le cacher… Parce que, ce tome 2, il est quand même vachement bien ! Le rythme ne faiblit pas, bien au contraire. La psyché des personnages est bien développée, les dialogues sont géniaux, il y a beaucoup d’humour. Et l’univers est riche, bien pensé… Je suis fan.. et c’est votre faute, ajouté-je en lançant un regard assassin à Roanne et Le Chat.
– Pour une fois, ça n’a rien à voir avec moi ! Je suis aussi innocente que l’agneau qui vient de naître ! déclare Melliane en levant les deux mains devant elle.
– Tu veux que l’on parle de ce fameux carton de bouquins ?
Un sourire éclatant apparaît sur son visage, et Le Chat et Roanne n’ont pas l’air navré du tout. Je les comprends. The Mortal Instrument est addictif. Les pages défilent, défilent, défilent… Et paf… On est à la dernière. Et les dernières pages… Oh… (long soupir)
– Bon, on fait quoi ? Roanne, tu te renseignes pour l’itinéraire des Rois Mages ? Et on se donne rendez-vous pour mettre au point la stratégie ? Le Chat, tu as évoqué la possibilité de monter un commando de chats experts en Krav-Maga, ça en est où ?
– J’y travaille, mais il me manque le leader, la tête d’affiche.
– J’ai !
Mes doigts répondent à peine, mais je réussis à extirper mon téléphone de la poche arrière de mon jean pour leur montrer une photo.
– Notre arme secrète. Nini. Des dents et des griffes acérées. Dégaine ses pattes plus vite que son ombre, et pratique les arts martiaux, expliqué-je.
– Mais elle est toute petite ! remarque Le Chat.
– 3 kilos de nerfs… Notre arme secrète je vous dis. Je manque de perdre un œil à chaque fois que je lui donne ses médocs…
Un vent de perplexité danse autour de nous, mais ce n’est pas grave. J’ai confiance en Nini…
– Au moins, les Rois Mages, ils n’ont pas de rennes, reprend Melliane, l’optimisme transpirant dans sa voix.
– Non, mais ils ont des chameaux ! assène Roanne.

Ah oui, vu comme ça… Mais nous, on a notre arme secrète. Ça va chauffer!

NB : Je manque vraiment de perdre un œil tous les jours quand je donne ses médicaments à Nini. Et pour ceux qui doutent du pouvoir des chats Ninjas :

Navigating the Shadow World: The Unofficial Guide to Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments by Liv Spencer
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Synopsis: An exploration as well as a literary celebration of the fascinating young adult fantasy series, this companion guide takes readers deep into the rich universe of Cassandra Clare’s New York Times–bestselling Shadowhunter Chronicles franchise. With intelligent yet accessible dissections of each volume of both the Mortal Instruments series and the Infernal Devices series, Liv Spencer delivers the next best thing to a Shadowhunter’s codex with commentary on the books as well as their references to folklore, legends, and literature. The guide also recounts Cassandra Clare’s publishing story, from journalist and fan fiction writer to bestselling author; explores the cast and crew who brought the first book to life in the film The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, premiering in August 2013; and delves into the franchise’s fans, a passionate community that is anything but mundane. From the Clave to Chairman Meow and demon pox to dastardly ducks, Navigating the Shadow World is both an insightful introduction to the world of Cassandra Clare and a satisfying companion book for fans.

Review: I read the first three books of The Mortal Instruments series a long time ago and I really loved them. As I plan to read the sequel soon, this guide was a good opportunity for me to dive into Cassandra Clare’s world again. This book helped me to recall some details I had forgotten and discover others that I did not know at all, including details concerning the prequel The Infernal Devices.

The book is divided into six parts. In the first part we find Cassandra Clare’s story, the journalist who became the New York Times bestselling author we all know today. The second part focuses on The Mortal Instruments series. The third and the fourth part deal with the movie The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. The fifth part is about The Infernal Devices series and finally, a sixth part rather short is dedicated to the TMI fandom.

It was interesting to discover all kinds of things about the author and her world. I must confess that I do not know much about Cassandra Clare’s life and find out all these details about her and her writer’s journey was something quite pleasant. The guide also focuses on all the research that Cassandra Clare had done about angels, demons, faes, myths, legends, runes in order to give birth to The Mortal Instruments. For The Infernal Devices, it was necessary to do some research on Victorian London era as well as everything related to steampunk. We also discover the different places the characters visited in the novels, not only those in present-day New York but also in London which inspired the author for her Victorian-era series The Infernal Devices. All of this is accompanied by some black and white photos and some pictures. We also discover that the author was inspired by texts such as Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost or The Divine Comedy by Dante to create the Shadow world.

Through this book we find out what the author wanted to express in some scenes. There are a lot of things that I did not necessarily even guessed by reading the novels and Liv Spencer’s analysis about this is very interesting. This book is rich in details and anecdotes and I admit that it gave me the desire to reread the saga from the beginning. And that’s not all! In this guide, we also get some news about Cassandra Clare’s new series, The Dark Artifices whose first book Lady Midnight is expected for 2015. This new series is a continuation of the Shadow world. Then Liv Spencer also mentions The Bane Chronicles (Magnus Bane story) which is composed of several ebooks written by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan and Maureen Johnson.

Concerning the movie “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones”, we can find anecdotes, behind the scenes, etc. We also discover the degree of involvement of the author on this project. But the most important thing here is the presentation of the cast. We can find for each actor/actress a short biography with a small black and white photo. As I’m a huge fan of Jonathan Rys Meyer I can tell you that I was glad to find him here! 😀

So to conclude I would say Navigating the Shadow World is an indispensable book for all the TMI fans and it’s an excellent companion guide.

3mon pseudo