City of Fallen Angels
Cassandra Clare, 2013
Fantasy Young adultRomanceHorror
In the dark, opulent underbelly of a modern metropolis, identity is a dangerous currency. A tense, shadowed urban fantasy with romantic pull, shifting loyalties, and a lingering sense of wrongness that keeps you uneasy.
Feels like dread and curiosity. About identity, power and society.
Who it’s for
You may like it if you enjoy YA fantasy that mixes romance with horror-tinged city danger and conflicted characters. One caveat: it is a later entry in a series, so starting here can leave prior relationships and faction history murky.
Why read it
Pick it up for the uneasy atmosphere and the push-pull between desire, power, and belonging in a city where trust is costly.
A page from the book
When the primal needs of survival turn against your own humanity.
But being hungry was worse. Being hungry meant that he could smell things he didn’t want to smell—salt on skin; the overripe, sweet smell of blood exuding from the pores of strangers. It made him feel hungry and twisted up and utterly wrong. Hunching over, he jammed his fists into the pockets of his jacket and tried to breathe through his mouth. Cassandra Clare.Cassandra Clare first gained widespread popularity with the Shadowhunter series, establishing a reputation for intricate world-building and high-stakes romantic tension.
Books that feel like this
More by Cassandra Clare
City of Bones
Cassandra Clare, 2007
A girl who sees what others can't is pulled into a New York of tattooed demon-hunters, rune-magic and a boy with gold eyes who is trouble.
City of Glass
Cassandra Clare, 2009
Clary crosses into the Shadowhunters' hidden city of glass to save her mother, with Jace, Simon and a war following close behind.
City of Ashes
Cassandra Clare, 2008
The second Mortal Instruments book: Shadowhunters, demons and a bond that won't break, in a New York where every loyalty is tested.
Where to get it
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Questions readers ask
- Is City of Fallen Angels for me?
- You may like it if you enjoy YA fantasy that mixes romance with horror-tinged city danger and conflicted characters. One caveat: it is a later entry in a series, so starting here can leave prior relationships and faction history murky.
- What is City of Fallen Angels like?
- A tense, shadowed urban fantasy with romantic pull, shifting loyalties, and a lingering sense of wrongness that keeps you uneasy. Feels like dread and curiosity. About identity, power and society.
- What should I read after City of Fallen Angels?
- If you liked City of Fallen Angels, try One of Us Is Lying (Karen M. McManus), Behind Closed Doors (B.A. Paris) and The Will of the Many (James Islington).
A taste of the feed
What a parent’s ambition feels like from inside the child.
My hand hurts within minutes. It’s pathetic, I guess, but I can’t remember the last time I wrote anything longhand. Plus I’m using my right hand, which never feels natural no matter how many years I’ve done it. My father insisted I learn to write right-handed in second grade after he first saw me pitch. Your left arm’s gold, he told me. Don’t waste it on crap that don’t matter. Which is anything but pitching as far as he’s concerned.
One of Us Is Lying · Karen M. McManus
Perfect manners can be the most frightening thing about a person.
We go downstairs and in the hall, he takes my coat from the cupboard and holds it open while I slip my arms into it. In the drive outside, he holds the car door for me and waits until I’m in. As he closes it behind me, I can’t help thinking it’s a shame he’s such a sadistic bastard, because he has wonderful manners.
Behind Closed Doors · B.A. Paris
Every fair system needs an impartial judge, and every judge is a person.
A fair system only works if there’s an unbiased means of assessing merit. When there is no pride or selfishness involved.” He gives a soft snort, shaking his head. “Which means that fair systems cannot exist where people are involved.
The Will of the Many · James Islington
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