July 21, 2024, 10:46 p.m.
Are you a devoted fan of Cassandra Clare’s "The Mortal Instruments" series? If so, you're likely to be captivated by the fourth book, "City of Fallen Angels." This gripping installment draws readers deeper into the enthralling world of Shadowhunters, demons, and intricate relationships. To celebrate the profound themes and unforgettable moments, we've compiled a curated collection of the top 85 quotes from "City of Fallen Angels." Each quote has been carefully selected to encapsulate the essence of the characters and the vivid storytelling that make this series so beloved. Join us as we revisit these poignant, witty, and thought-provoking lines that continue to resonate with fans around the world.
1. “Max," Jace said. "Max, I’m so sorry.” - Cassandra Clare
2. “The alley and the music all fell away, and there was nothing but her and the rain and Jace, his hands on her. . . He made a noise of surprise, low in his throat, and dug his fingers into the thin fabric of her tights. Not unexpectedly, they ripped, and his wet fingers were suddenly on the bare skin of her legs. Not to be outdone, Clary slid her hands under the hem of his soaked shirt, and let her fingers explore what was underneath: the tight, hot skin over his ribs, the ridges of his abdomen, the scars on his back. This was uncharted territory for her, but it seemed to be driving him crazy: he was moaning softly against her mouth, kissing her harder and harder, as if it would never be enough, not quite enough —” - Cassandra Clare
3. “But I watch my brothers give their hearts away and I think, Don’t you know better? Hearts are breakable. And I think even when you heal, you’re never what you were before.” - Cassandra Clare
4. “She smiled. Her skin looked whiter than he recalled, and dark spidery veins were beginning to show beneath its surface. Her hair was still the color of spun silver and her eyes were still green as a cat’s. She was still beautiful. Looking at her, he was in London again. He saw the gaslight and smelled the smoke and dirt and horses, the metallic tang of fog, the flowers in Kew Gardens. He saw a boy with black hair and blue eyes like Alec’s, heard violin music like the sound of silver water. He saw a girl with long brown hair and a serious face. In a world where everything went away from him eventually, she was one of the few remaining constants.And then there was Camille.” - Cassandra Clare
5. “He is bound to you,” said the Queen. “But does he love you?” - Cassandra Clare
6. “You're the first Shadowhunter I've ever met." “That’s too bad,” said Jace, “since all the others you meet from now on will be a terrible letdown.” - Cassandra Clare
7. “Or maybe it's just that beautiful things are so easily broken by the world.” - Cassandra Clare
8. “One of the things he'd always loved about Clary was how easily caught up in her imagination she was, how easily she could wall herself away in illusory worlds of curses and princes and destiny and magic.” - Cassandra Clare
9. “What's the point in wasting a perfectly good brick wall when you have someone to throw against it, that's what I always say.” - Cassandra Clare
10. “He's my neophyte Downworlder to mock and boss around, not yours.” - Cassandra Clare
11. “No. That's Clary; shes's my best friend." Simon pocketed his phone. "And she has a boyfriend. Like, really, really, really has a boyfriend. The nuclear bomb of boyfriends. Trust me on this one.” - Cassandra Clare
12. “I suppose you've always been amazing at this stuff."- Clary"I was born amazing." - Jace” - Cassandra Clare
13. “Alec keeps sending me annoying photos. Lots of captions like Wish you were here, except not really.” - Cassandra Clare
14. “Is this the part where you tell me you're secretly in love with me? Vampire mojo strikes again.” - Cassandra Clare
15. “You're just worried they'll hire a male instructor and he'll be hotter than you." Jace's eyebrows went up. "Hotter than me?" "It could happen," Clary said, "You know, theoretically.""Theoretically the planet could suddenly crack in half, leaving me on one side and you on the other, forever and tragically parted, but I'm not worried about that either. Some things," Jace said, with his customary crooked smile, "are just too unlikely to dwell upon.” - Cassandra Clare
16. “Jace perched on the windowsill and looked down at him. "You really don't get this bodyguard thing, do you?""I didn't even think you liked me all that much," said Simon. "Is this one of those keep-your-friends-close-and-your-enemies-closer things?""I thought it was keep your friends close so you have someone to drive the car when you sneak over to your enemy's house a night and throw up in his mailbox.""I'm pretty sure that's not it” - Cassandra Clare
17. “It’s fascinating. You know all these words, and they’re all English, but when you string them together into sentences, they just don’t make any sense.” - Cassandra Clare
18. “I can keep a perfectly good eye on Simon, thank you. He's my neophyte Downworlder to mock and boss around, not yours.” - Cassandra Clare
19. “What's this?""That's a mango." Simon stared at Jace. Sometimes it really is like Shadowhunters were from an alien planet. "I don't think I've seen one of those that wasn't already cut up," Jace mused. "I like mangoes."Simon grabbed the mango and tossed it into the cart. "Great. What else do you like?"Jace pondered for a moment. "Tomato soup," he said finally."Tomato soup? You want tomato soup and a mango for dinner?"Jace shrugged. "I don't really care about food.” - Cassandra Clare
20. “So what was that all about?""I think," Jace said, "that she asked if she could touch my mango.""She said that?"Jace shrugged. "Yeah, then she gave me her number.” - Cassandra Clare
21. “You know, some people think Shadowhunters are just myths. Like mummies and genies." Kyle grinned at Jace. "Can you grant wishes?""That depends," he said. "Do you wish to be punched in the face?” - Cassandra Clare
22. “Is this one of those keep-your-friends-close-and-your-enemies-closer things?""I though it was keep your friends close so you have someone to drive the car when you sneak over to your enemy's house at night and throw up in his mailbox.” - Cassandra Clare
23. “I think she just asked if she could touch my mango.” - Cassandra Clare
24. “Good organization,” said Magnus. “I knew the man who founded it, back in the 1800s. Woolsey Scot. Respectable old werewolf family.” Alec made an ugly sound in the back of his throat. “Did you sleep with him, too?” Magnus’s cat eyes widened. “Alexander!” - Cassandra Clare
25. “So you're trying to make her happy despite the fact that the reason she's unhappy in the first place is you," said Simon, not very kindly. "That seems contradictory, doesn't it?""Love is a contradiction," said Jace.” - Cassandra Clare
26. “I guess you're coming as my date now." Simon shoved the phone into his pocket. "I'm secure enough in my masculinity to accept that," said Jordan. "We better get you something nice to wear, though," he called as Simon headed back into his room. "I want you to look pretty.” - Cassandra Clare
27. “You and your name-dropping. 'I knew Michael'. 'I knew Sammael'. 'The angel Gabriel did my hair'. It's like I'm with the Band with biblical figures.” - Cassandra Clare
28. “We can buy you one of those books they have for little kids 'Timmy Has Two Dads'. Except I don't think they have one called 'Timmy Has Two Dads and One of Them Was Evil'. That part you're just going to have to work through on your own.” - Cassandra Clare
29. “I'm always so glad I have no idea what you're vacantly chatting about," said Jace. It fills me with a sense of peace and well-being.” - Cassandra Clare
30. “You are not trivial.” - Cassandra Clare
31. “Aren’t they supposed to be hiring someone else to train me full-time anyway?”“Yes,” he said, getting up and pulling her to her feet along with him,“ and I’m worried that if you get into the habit of making out with your instructors, you’ll wind up making out with him, too.”“ Don’t be sexist. They could find me a female instructor.”“In that case you have my permission to make out with her, as long as I can watch.” - Cassandra Clare
32. “They think they're better than everyone else.""No," said Jace. "I think I'm better than everyone else. An opinion that has been backed up with ample evidence." Kyle looked at Simon. "Does he always talk like this?" "Yes.” - Cassandra Clare
33. “Well, I guess I'll see you around. You're the first Shadowhunter I've ever met." "That's too bad,"said Jace, "since all the ones you meet from now on will be a terrible letdown.” - Cassandra Clare
34. “And now," Eric yelled into his mircophone, "we're going to sing a new song-one we just wrote. This one's for my girlfriend. We've been going out for three weeks, and, damn, our love is true. We're gonna be together forever, baby. This one's called 'Bang You Like a Drum.” - Cassandra Clare
35. “But maybe you never really had someone, she thought now. Maybe, no matter how much you loved them, they could slip through your fingers like water, and there was nothing you could do about it.” - Cassandra Clare
36. “You look lousy,' he said. Jace blinked. 'Seems an odd time to start an insult contest, but if you insist, I could probably think up something good.''No I mean it. You don't look good.''This is from a guy ho has all the sex appeal of a penguin. Look, I realize you may be jealous that the good Lord didn't deal you the same chiseled hand he dealt me, but that's no reason to-' 'I am not trying to insult you.' Simon snapped.” - Cassandra Clare
37. “Medium clever,” Simon acknowledged. “Like a cross between George Clooney in Ocean’s Eleven and those MythBusters guys, but, you know, better-looking.”“I’m always so glad I have no idea what you’re vacantly chattering about,” said Jace. “It fills me with a sense of peace and well-being.” - Cassandra Clare
38. “Simon looked from one of them to the other, and shook his head. “ When did you two get so buddy-buddy? Last night it was all, ‘I’m the most elite warrior!’ ‘ No, I’m the most elite warrior!’ And today you’re playing Halo and giving each other props for good ideas.” - Cassandra Clare
39. “Simon stepped between them. “I’m not going to let you fight with each other.”“And what are you going to do about it if . . . Oh.” Jace's gaze trailed up to Simon’s forehead, and he grinned reluctantly. “ So basically you’re threatening to turn me into something you can sprinkle on popcorn if I don’t do what you say?” - Cassandra Clare
40. “Isabelle and Jace had left the topic of dead Shadowhunters behind and had moved on to something Jace apparently found even more horrifying__Isabelle's date with Simon."I can't believe he took you to an actual restaurant." Jace was on his feet now, putting away the floor mats and training gear while Isabelle leaned against the wall and played with her new gloves. "I assumed his idea of a date would be making you watch him play World of Warcraft with his nerd friends.""I," Clary pointed out, "am one of his nerd friends, thank you.” - Cassandra Clare
41. “Don't bother her, don't try to talk to her, don't even look at her, or I'll fold you in half so many times you'll look like a tiny little origami werewolf.” - Cassandra Clare
42. “You're a public menace. You shouldn't be allowed out on your own.” - Cassandra Clare
43. “All that running and getting nowhere, he thought. Story of my life.” - Cassandra Clare
44. “Oh, good. You're starting to talk about yourself in the third person. That's not a sign of impending megalomania or anything.” - Cassandra Clare
45. “That's right. Act like I rejected you. It's not like you tried to kill me or anything.” - Cassandra Clare
46. “Clary, Despite everything, I can't bear the thought of this ring being lost forever, any more then I can bear the thought of leaving you forever. And though I have no choice about the one, at least I can choose about the other. I'm leaving you our family ring because you have as much right to it as I do.I'm writing this watching the sun come up. You're asleep, dreams moving behind your restless eyelids. I wish I knew what you were thinking. I wish I could slip into your head and see the world the way you do. I wish I could see myself the way you do. But maybe I dont want to see that. Maybe it would make me feel even more than I already do that I'm perpetuating some kind of Great Lie on you, and I couldn't stand that. I belong to you. You could do anything you wanted with me and I would let you. You could ask anything of me and I'd break myself trying to make you happy. My heart tells me this is the best and greatest feeling I have ever had. But my mind knows the difference between wanting what you can't have and wanting what you shouldn't want. And I shouldn't want you.All night I've watched you sleeping, watched the moonlight come and go, casting its shadows across your face in black and white. I've never seen anything more beautiful. I think of the life we could have had if things were different, a life where this night is not a singular event, separate from everything else that's real, but every night. But things aren't different, and I can't look at you without feeling like I've tricked you into loving me.The truth no one is willing to say out loud is that no one has a shot against Valentine but me. I can get close to him like no one else can. I can pretend I want to join him and he'll believe me, up until that last moment where I end it all, one way or another. I have something of Sebastian's; I can track him to where my father's hiding, and that's what I'm going to do. So I lied to you last night. I said I just wanted one night with you. But I want every night with you. And that's why I have to slip out of your window now, like a coward. Because if I had to tell you this to your face, I couldn't make myself go. I don't blame you if you hate me, I wish you would. As long as I can still dream, I will dream of you. _Jace” - Cassandra Clare
47. “Here's a hot tip: Most girls don't like being stalked.” - Cassandra Clare
48. “Do you have a lot of other profound thoughts like that? Blood is blood? A toaster is a toaster? A Gelatinous Cube is a Gelatinous Cube?” - Cassandra Clare
49. “As long as everyone's wearing their own pants.""I see I have come in on a fascinating moment in the conversation.” - Cassandra Clare
50. “I was born amazing.” - Cassandra Clare
51. “L'amor che move il sole e l'altre stelle."It means that love is the most powerful force in the world. That love can do anything.” - Cassandra Clare
52. “He looks," Simon had once said to Isabelle, "like he's thinking about something deep and meaningful, but if you ask him what it is, he'll punch you in the face.” - Cassandra Clare
53. “But they love each other," Clary said, appalled. "Isn't that what love means? That you're supposed to be there for the other person to turn to, no matter what?"Luke looked toward the river, at the dark water moving slowly under the light of the autumn moon. "Sometimes, Clary," he said, "love just isn't enough.” - Cassandra Clare
54. “Isabelle chewed thoughtfully on her straw. 'That new lead singer they have is hot. Is he single? I'd like to ride him around town like a bad, bad pony-” - Cassandra Clare
55. “Magnus sighed. "Alexander, I've been alive for hundreds of years. I've been with men, been with women - with faeries and warlocks and vampires, and even a djinn or two." He looked sideways at Maryse, who looked mildly horrified. "Too much information?” - Cassandra Clare
56. “You'd think the Angel would have been foresighted enough to give us a birth-control rune, but no dice.” - Cassandra Clare
57. “You left me. You made a pet out of me, and then you left me. If love were food, I would have starved on the bones you gave me.” - Cassandra Clare
58. “I feel a sense of responsibility," said Jordan."And where is this feeling located? In your pants, perhaps?” - Cassandra Clare
59. “I prefer the school of life.” - Cassandra Clare
60. “Jealousy is such an ugly emotion.” - Cassandra Clare
61. “I'm not a man. I have no male pride for you to trick me with, and I am not interested in single combat. That is entirely a weakness of your sex, not mine. I am a woman. I will use any weapon and all weapons to get what I want.” - Cassandra Clare
62. “Do you think it's possible to do something so bad, even if you didn't mean to do it, that you can never come back from it? That no one can forgive you?"Luke looked at him for a long, silent moment. Then he said, "Think of someone you love, Simon. Really love. Is there anything they could ever do that would mean you would stop loving them?” - Cassandra Clare
63. “You could give me the past,“ he said a little sadly. “But Alec is my future.” - Cassandra Clare
64. “Do you want to go back to Vienna?” he said.Alec didn’t answer, just stared into space.“Or we could go somewhere else,” said Magnus. “Anywhere you want. Thailand, South Carolina, Brazil, Peru – Oh, wait, no, I’m banned from Peru. I’d forgotten about that. It’s a long story, but amusing if you want to hear it.” - Cassandra Clare
65. “Clearly,' said Luke, 'something's going on that I don't know about.'Simon looked over at him. 'Sometimes I think that's the motto of my life.” - Cassandra Clare
66. “What was that?" Jace said. "Sorry, I think I fell asleep for a moment. Do, continue with whatever mesmerizing thing you were saying.” - Cassandra Clare
67. “Your trusting idiocy knows no bounds” - Cassandra Clare
68. “But they love each other. Isn't that what love means? That you're supposed to be there for the other person to turn to, no matter what?” - Cassandra Clare
69. “I can see why you like it here," he said,making a sweeping gesture that encompassed Kyle's collection of movie posters and science fiction books. "There's a thin layer of nerd all over everything." said Jace."Thanks. I appreciate that." Simon gave Jace a hard look.” - Cassandra Clare
70. “But Magnus, he thought. You never told me. Never warned me it would be like this, that I would wake up one day and realize that I was going somewhere you couldn't follow. That we are essentially not the same. There's no "till death do us apart" for those who never die.” - Cassandra Clare
71. “At least Kyle wasn't home. That would be a hard one to explain to his new roomate. Nobody liked a guy who kept blood in the fridge.” - Cassandra Clare
72. “We are one now, little brother, you and I," Sebastian said. "We are one.” - Cassandra Clare
73. “Eternity is a long time to spend alone, without others of your kind.” - Cassandra Clare
74. “I screwed her over. I didn't want to see her screwed over by someone else.” - Cassandra Clare
75. “I’ll tell them,” she said. “I’ll tell them it was my fault.”He looked at her, gold eyes incredulous. “You can’t lie to them.”“I’m not. I brought you back,” she said. “You were dead, and I brought you back. I upset the balance, not you. I opened the door for Lilith and her stupid ritual. I could have asked for anything, and I asked for you.” She tightened her grip on his shirt, her fingers white with cold and pressure. “And I would do it again. I love you, Jace Wayland—Herondale—Lightwood—whatever you want to call yourself. I don’t care. I love you and I wil always love you, and pretending it could be any other way is just a waste of time.” - Cassandra Clare
76. “Jordan slammed the coatrack down on the ground and sighed. "if you were a vampire, this would have been a lot more useful.""yes," said jace. "or, you know, just someone with a lot of coats.” - Cassandra Clare
77. “... As could the sarcasm in her voice. "yes, she's bleeding to deat Lu upstairs, but i thought I'd avoid telling you right away, because I like to draw the suspense out.” - Cassandra Clare
78. “If love were food, I would have starved on the bones you gave me” - Cassandra Clare
79. “You promise." "I swear on the angel. The hell with that. I swear on us." "Why us?" "Because there isn't anything I believe in more.” - Cassandra Clare
80. “She made an impatient noise. "By the Angel, you don't know anything about your kid, do you? Do you even really know how vampires are made?""Well, when a mommy vampire and a daddy vampire love each other very much ... ” - Cassandra Clare
81. “The cord pulled taut and she rebounded, flying back up before falling again. As her velocity slowed, she opened her eyes and found herself dangling at the end of the cord, about five feet above Jace. He was grinning. "Nice," he said. "As graceful as a falling snowflake.""Was I screaming?" She asked, genuinely curious. "You know, on the way down."He nodded. "Thankfully no one's home, or they would have assumed I was murdering you.""Ha. You can't even reach me." She kicked out a leg and spun lazily in midair. Jace's eyes glinted. "Want to bet?"Clary knew that expression. "No," she said quickly. "Whatever you're going to do-"But he'd already done it. When Jace moved fast, his individual movements were almost invisible. She saw his hand go to his belt, and then something flashed in the air. She heard the sound of parting fabric as the cord above her head was sheared through. Released, she fell freely, too surprised to scream- directly into Jace's arms. The force knocked him backward, and they sprawled together onto one of the padded floor mats, Clary on top of him. He grinned up at her."Now," he said, "that was much better. You didn't scream at all.""I didn't get the chance." She was breathless, and not just from the impact of the fall. Being sprawled on top of Jace, feeling his body against hers, made her hands shake and her heart beat faster.” - Cassandra Clare
82. “The door buzzer sounded again. The two boys exchanged a single look before both bolting down the narrow hallway to the door. Jordan got there first. He grabbed for the coatrack that stood by the door, ripped the coats off it, and flung the door wide, the rack held aboe his head like a javelin. On the other side of the door was Jace. He blinked. "Is that a coatrack?"Jordan slammed the coatrack down on the ground and sighed. "If you'd been a vampire, this would have been a lot more useful.""Yes," said Jace. "Or, you know, just someone with a lot of coats.” - Cassandra Clare
83. “Simon turned to Jordan, who was lying down across the futon, his head propped against one of the woven throw pillows. "How much of that did you hear?""Enough to gather that we're going to a party tonight," said Jordan. "I heard about the Ironworks event. I'm not in the Garroway pack, so I wasn't invited.""I guess you're coming as my date now." Simon shoved the phone back into his pocket. "I'm secure enough in my masculinity to accept that," said Jordan. "We'd better get you something nice to wear, though," he called as Simon headed back into his room. "I want you to look pretty.” - Cassandra Clare
84. “So it's true what they say about warlocks, then?"Alec gave him a very unpleasant look. "What's true?""Alexander," said Magnus coldly, and Clary met Simon's eyes across the table. Hers were wide, green, and full of an expression that said Uh-oh. "You can't be rude to everyone who talks to me."Alec made a wide, sweeping gesture. "And why not? Cramping your style, am I? I mean, maybe you were hoping to flirt with werewolf boy here. He's pretty attractive, if you like the messy-haired, broad-shouldered, chiseled-good-looks type.""Hey, now," said Jordan mildly. Magnus put his head in his hands. "Or there are plenty of pretty girls here, since apparently your taste goes both ways, Is there anything you aren't into?""Mermaids," said Magnus into his fingers. "They always smell like seaweed.""It's not funny," Alec said savagely, and kicking back his chair, he got up from the table and stalked off into the crowd.” - Cassandra Clare
85. “Los humanos podemos resultar difíciles cuando sufrimos por un ser querido” - Cassandra Clare