“City of Lost Souls” is the fifth installment in Cassandra Clare’s “The Mortal Instruments” series and she has yet again outdone herself. The first four books in the series tore at my heart strings, but this book took my heart and smashed it, leaving me to cry for the characters and hungry for the sixth and final installment, “City of Heavenly Fire,” due out March 2014.

Each book in the series, “The Mortal Instruments,” centers on the adventures of Clary Fray, Jace Wayland, and their friends Isabelle and Alec Lightwood, all of them Shadowhunters. Shadowhunters are a breed of humans who have the power to destroy demons and help maintain balance in the supernatural world. It is set in New York City, where the urban capital of the world meets the age-old tradition of demon hunting. Dealings with warlocks, walking the careful boundaries of werewolf and vampire battles, and following a trail of clues, it reveals the first villain of the series, Valentine.

However, in her newest book “City of Lost Souls,” Clare introduces a bigger enemy, one who was thought to be dead. Clary’s older brother, Jonathon Morgenstern has taken Jace with him on his quest to take over the world. Meanwhile, Clary embarks on a mission of her own: to save the one she loves and the world itself from her brother’s wrath. 

The novel switches fluidly between the point of view of Simon, Clary’s best friend and sun-proof vampire, and Clary’s perspective; each provides insight to every character’s development and shows how human even super-humans or mythical beings can be.

Many avid fans say that the book series should have ended with the third installment, “City of Glass,” and at times, I am inclined to agree with them, especially after the extreme twist of events in the fourth installment, “City of Fallen Angels.” Cassandra Clare however has redeemed herself with this novel. The heart breaking romance, cold-blooded murders, sacrifice, action and angst make for a fantastic read.