Day 17: 4/18

Hey guys! Again, sorry for the late post. Three of us were out of town, and we're all exhausted from our trips, so we were *ahem* a little lazy and slacked off. But never fear we're back! So I just want to keep this short and share the new book trailer for CoLS that was just released today:

http://shelf-life.ew.com/2012/04/18/cassandra-clare-city-of-lost-souls-trailer/

I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty pumped up! Until next time!

Love Always,
The Red Queen

Day 11: 4/12

Hello everyone:) I hope all of you guys have read City of Fallen Angels because this blog entry will contain spoilers! ;) Anyways, I'm currently reading City of Fallen Angels, and I have to say that it's not the best book in the series. However, I did find a funny scene when Simon's little secret gets out ;) This made me appreciate Simon's character a lot more because it made him more amusing because before I always thought of Simon as annoying!

Here is the scene: "I'm really sorry," Simon said. He felt more panicked..."I should have told you guys. It's just - I really like you both, and I didn't want to hurt either of your feelings." The moment it was out of his mouth, he realized how stupid he sounded. Just another jerkish guy making excuses for his jerk behavior. Simon never thought of himself like that. He was a nice guy, the kind of guy who got overlooked, passed up for the sexy bad boy or the tortured artist type. For the self-involved kind of guy who would think nothing of dating two girls at once while maybe not exactly while lying about what he was doing, but not telling the truth about it either. "Wow," he said, mostly to himself. "I am a huge asshole." "That's probably the first true thing you've said since I got here," Maia said. "Amen," said Isabelle. "Though if you ask me, it's too little too late-" 


Poor Simon for his heart being torn between two lovely ladies.... </3
In my opinion, I actually prefer Maia and Simon together. I want to hear your opinion as well! :)

Love always, The White Queen   (Белая Королева) ( 白い王女）

Day 10: 4/11

Hey guys! So sorry for not posting yesterday, my bad for forgetting. Anyways, here's a quote from City of Ashes that I absolutely love. Excuse the, erm, slight inappropriateness:

"Maybe she's not wrong." Isabelle looked at him thoughtfully. "Did you seriously jump thirty feet out of a Malachi Configuration? Did he Alec?"
"He did," Alec confirmed. "I've never seen anything like it."
"I've never seen anything like this." Jace lifted a ten-inch dagger from the floor. One of Isabelle's pink brassieres was speared on the wickedly sharp tip. Isabelle snatched it off, scowling.

As you can tell, I sure love Isabelle. Or all the Lightwoods in the TMI series... well not all of them. Anyways, I promise that next time I won't forget to post!

Love always,
The Red Queen

Day 8: 4/9

Hey, hey!
Here's some Jace and Clary:

"But Jace," she said. "All the stories are true."
She didn't hear him laugh, but she felt it, vibrating through his rib cage and into her fingertips. She held on tightly as he angled the cycle up, gunning it so that it shot forward and darted up the side of the bridge like a bird freed from a cage

I really look forward to figuring out what happened to Jace at the end of COFA. Any theories?? :))

As always,
The Queen of Hearts

Day 7: 4/8

Hey all! :) Happy Easter everyone! I hope all of you guys had a super good Easter! Anyways, I cannot wait for the City of Bones movie to come out! They announced that the release date will be August 13th, 2013! Still a long ways, but at least they're making a movie, right? :) Today, I was hoping to share a scene from City of Bones where sparks are igniting between Jace and Clary! :)

It was a long, luminous cylinder, as thick as an index finger and tapering to a point. "My stele," he said. Clary didn't ask what that was. She was busy trying not to fly over. The ground was heaving up and down under her feet. "Jace," she said, and she crumpled into him, He caught her as if he were used to catching fainting girls, as if he did it everyday. Maybe he did. He swung her up into his arms, saying something into her ear that sounded like Covenant. Clary tipped her head back to look at him but saw only the stars cartwheeling across the dark sky overhead. Then the bottom dropped out of everything, and even Jace's arms around her were not enough to keep her from falling..." 


Love always, The White Queen.

Day 6: 4/7

Hey Guys!!! Sorry this is a little late tonight, I was at a Passover dinner. But I have decided to share one of my favorite extras from the Mortal Instruments series with Magnus and Alec. I love Magnus, he is one of my favorite characters. So here is an extra scene called Kissed. (sorry this is super long)

Standing in the stairwell of Magnus’ home, Alec stared at the name written under the buzzer on the wall. BANE. The name didn’t really seem to suit Magnus, he thought, not now that he knew him. If you could really be said to know someone when you’d attended one of their parties, once, and then they’d saved your life later but hadn’t really hung around to be thanked. But the name Magnus Bane made him think of a towering sort of figure, with huge shoulders and formal purple warlock’s robes, calling down fire and lightning. Not Magnus himself, who was more of a cross between a panther and a demented elf.

Alec took a deep breath and let it out. Well, he’d come this far; he might as well go on. The bare light bulb hanging overhead cast sweeping shadows as he reached forward and pressed the buzzer.

A moment later a voice echoed through the stairwell. “WHO CALLS UPON THE HIGH WARLOCK?”

“Er,” Alec said. “It’s me. I mean, Alec. Alec Lightwood.”

There was a sort of silence, as if even the hallway itself were surprised. Then a ping, and the second door opened, letting him out onto the stairwell. He headed up the rickety stairs into the darkness, which smelled like pizza and dust. The second floor landing was bright, the door at the far end open. Magnus Bane was leaning in the entryway.

Compared to the first time Alec has seen him, he looked fairly normal. His black hair still stood up in spikes, and he looked sleepy; his face, even with its cat’s eyes, very young. He wore a black t-shirt with the words ONE MILLION DOLLARS picked out across the chest in sequins, and jeans that hung low on his hips, low enough that Alec looked away, down at his own shoes. Which were boring.

“Alexander Lightwood,” said Magnus. He had just the faintest trace of an accent, something Alec couldn’t put his finger on, a lilt to his vowels. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Alec looked past Magnus. “Do you have — company?”

Magnus crossed his arms, which did good things for his biceps, and leaned against the side of the door. “Why do you want to know?”

“I was hoping I could come in and talk to you.”

“Hmmm.” Magnus’ eyes raked him up and down. They really did shine in the dark, like a cat’s. “Well, all right then.” He turned abruptly away and disappeared into the apartment; after a startled moment, Alec followed.

The loft looked different without a hundred churning bodies in it. It was — well, not ordinary, but the sort of space someone might live in. Like most lofts, it had a big central room split into “rooms” by groupings of furniture. There was a square collection of sofas and tables off to the right, which Magnus gestured Alec toward. Alec sat down on a gold velvet sofa with elegant wooden curlicues on the arms.

“Would you like some tea?” Magnus asked. He wasn’t sitting in a chair, but had sprawled himself on a tufted ottoman, his long legs stretched out in front of him.

Alec nodded. He felt incapable of saying anything. Anything interesting or intelligent, that was. It was always Jace who said the interesting, intelligent things. He was Jace’s parabatai and that was all the glory he needed or wanted: like being the dark star to someone else’s supernova. But this was somewhere Jace couldn’t go with him, something Jace couldn’t help him with. “Sure.”

His right hand felt suddenly hot. He looked down, and realized he was holding a waxed paper cup from Joe, the Art of Coffee. It smelled like chai. He jumped, and only barely escaped spilling on himself. “By the Angel —”

“I LOVE that expression,” said Magnus. “It’s so quaint.”

Alec stared at him. “Did you steal this tea?”

Magnus ignored the question. “So,” he said. “Why are you here?”

Alec took a gulp of the stolen tea. “I wanted to thank you,” he said, when he came up for air. “For saving my life.”

Magnus leaned back on his hands. His t-shirt rode up over his flat stomach, and this time Alec had nowhere else to look. “You wanted to thank me.”

“You saved my life,” Alec said, again. “But I was delirious, and I don’t think I really thanked you. I know you didn’t have to do it. So thank you.”

Magnus’ eyebrows had disappeared up into his hairline. “You’re . . .welcome?”

Alec set his tea down. “Maybe I should go.”

Magnus sat up. “After you came so far? All the way to Brooklyn? Just to thank me?” He was grinning. “Now that would be a wasted effort.” He reached out and put his hand to Alec’s cheek, his thumb brushing along the cheekbone. His touch felt like fire, training tendrils of sparks in its wake. Alec sat frozen in surprise — surprise at the gesture, and surprise at the effect it was having on him. Magnus’ eyes narrowed, and he dropped his hand. “Huh,” he said to himself.

“What?” Alec was suddenly very worried that he’d done something wrong. “What is it?”

“You’re just . . .” A shadow moved behind Magnus; with fluid agility, the warlock twisted around and picked up a small gray and white tabby cat from the floor. The cat curled into the crook of his arm and looked at Alec with suspicion. Now two pairs of gold-green eyes were trained on him darkly. “Not what I expected.”

“From a Shadowhunter?”

“From a Lightwood.”

“I didn’t realize you knew my family that well.”

“I’ve known your family for hundreds of years.” Magnus’ eyes searched his face. “Now your sister, she’s a Lightwood. You—’

“She said you liked me.”

“What?”

“Izzy. My sister. She told me you liked me. Liked me, liked me.”

“Liked you, liked you?” Magnus buried his grin in the cat’s fur. “Sorry. Are we twelve now? I don’t recall saying anything to Isabelle . . .”

“Jace said it too.” Alec was blunt; it was the only way he knew how to be. “That you liked me. That when he buzzed up here, you thought he was me and you were disappointed that it was him. That never happens.”

“Doesn’t it? Well, it should.”

Alec was startled. “No — I mean Jace, he’s . . . Jace.”

“He’s trouble,” said Magnus. “But you are totally without guile. Which in a Lightwood, is a conundrum. You’ve always been a plotting sort of family, like low-rent Borgias. But there isn’t a lie in your face. I get the feeling everything you say is straightforward.”

Alec leaned forward. “Do you want to go out with me?”

Magnus blinked. “See, that’s what I mean. Straightforward.”

Alec chewed his lip and said nothing.

“Why do you want to go out with me?” Magnus inquired. He was rubbing Chairman Meow’s head, his long fingers folding the cat’s ears down. “Not that I’m not highly desirable, but the way you asked, it seemed as if you were having some sort of fit —”

“I just do,” Alec said. “And I thought you liked me, so you’d say yes, and I could try — I mean, we could try —” He put his face in his hands. “Maybe this was a mistake.”

Magnus’ voice was gentle. “Does anyone know you’re gay?”

Alec’s head jerked up; he found he was breathing a little hard, as if he’d run a race. But what could he do, deny it? When he’d come here to do exactly the opposite? “Clary,” he said, hoarsely. “Which is . . . Which was an accident. And Izzy, but she’d never say anything.”

“Not your parents. Not Jace?”

Alec thought about Jace knowing, and pushed the thought away, hard and fast. “No. No, and I don’t want them to know, especially Jace.”

“I think you could tell him.” Magnus rubbed Chairman Meow under the chin. “He went to pieces like a jigsaw puzzle when he thought you were going to die. He cares —”

“I’d rather not.” Alec was still breathing quickly. He rubbed at the knees of his jeans with his fists. “I’ve never had a date,” he said in a low voice. “Never kissed anyone. Not ever. Izzy said you liked me and I thought —”

“I’m not unsympathetic. But do you like me? Because this being gay business doesn’t mean you can just throw yourself at any guy and it’ll be fine because he’s not a girl. There are still people you like and people you don’t.”

Alec thought of his bedroom back at the Institute, of being in a delirium of pain and poison when Magnus had come in. He had barely recognized him. He was fairly sure he’d been screaming for his parents, for Jace, for Izzy, but his voice would only come out on a whisper. He remembered Magnus’ hands on him, his fingers cool and gentle. He remembered the death-grip he’d kept on Magnus’ wrist, for hours and hours, even after the pain had passed and he knew he would be all right. He remembered watching Magnus’ face in the light of the rising sun, the gold of sunrise sparking gold out of his eyes, and thinking how oddly beautiful he was, with his cat’s gaze and grace.

“Yes,” Alec said. “I like you.”

He met Magnus’ gaze squarely. The warlock was looking at him with a sort of admixture of curiosity and affection and puzzlement. “It’s so odd,” Magnus said. “Genetics. Your eyes, that color —” He stopped and shook his head.

“The Lightwoods you knew didn’t have blue eyes?”

“Green-eyed monsters,” said Magnus, and grinned. He deposited Chairman Meow on the ground, and the cat moved over to Alec, and rubbed against his leg. “The Chairman likes you.”

“Is that good?”

“I never date anyone my cat doesn’t like,” Magnus said easily, and stood up. “So let’s say Friday night?”

A great wave of relief came over Alec. “Really? You want to go out with me?”

Magnus shook his head. “You have to stop playing hard to get, Alexander. It makes things difficult.” He grinned. He had a grin like Jace’s — not that they looked anything alike, but the sort of grin that lit up his whole face. “Come on, I’ll walk you out.”

Alec drifted after Magnus toward the front door, feeling as if a weight had been taken off his shoulders, one he hadn’t even known he was carrying. Of course he’d have to come up with an excuse for where he was going Friday night, something Jace wouldn’t want to participate in, something he’d need to do alone. Or he could pretend to be sick and sneak out. He was so lost in thought he almost banged into the front door, which Magnus was leaning against, looking at him through eyes narrowed to crescents.

“What is it?” Alec said.

“Never kissed anyone?” Magnus said. “No one at all?”

“No,” said Alec, hoping this didn’t disqualify him from being datable. “Not a real kiss —”

“Come here.” Magnus took him by the elbows and pulled him close. For a moment Alec was entirely disoriented by the feeling of being so close to someone else, to the kind of person he’d wanted to be close to for so long. Magnus was long and lean but not skinny; his body was hard, his arms lightly muscled but strong; he was an inch or so taller than Alec, which hardly ever happened, and they fit together perfectly. Magnus’ finger was under his chin, tilting his face up, and then they were kissing. Alec heard a small hitching gasp come from his own throat and then their mouths were pressed together with a sort of controlled urgency. Magnus, Alec thought dazedly, really knew what he was doing. His lips were soft, and he parted Alec’s expertly, exploring his mouth: a symphony of lips, teeth, tongue, every movement waking up a nerve ending Alec had never known he had.

He found Magnus’ waist with his fingers, touching the strip of bare skin he’d been trying to avoid looking at before, and slid his hands up under Magnus’ shirt. Magnus jerked with surprise, then relaxed, his hands running down Alec’s arms, over his chest, his waist, finding the belt loops on Alec’s jeans and using them to pull him closer. His mouth left Alec’s and Alec felt the hot pressure of his lips on his throat, where the skin was so sensitive that it seemed directly connected to the bones in his legs, which were about to give out. Just before he slid to the floor, Magnus let him go. His eyes were shining and so was his mouth.

“Now you’ve been kissed,” he said, reached behind him, and yanked the door open. “See you Friday?”

Alec cleared his throat. He felt dizzy, but he also felt alive — blood rushing through his veins like traffic at top speed, everything seemingly almost too brightly colored. As he stepped through the door, he turned and looked at Magnus, who was watching him bemusedly. He reached forward and took hold of the front of Magnus’ t-shirt and dragged the warlock toward him. Magnus stumbled against him, and Alec kissed him, hard and fast and messy and unpracticed, but with everything he had. He pulled Magnus against him, his own hand between them, and felt Magnus’ heart stutter in his chest.

He broke off the kiss, and drew back.

“Friday,” he said, and let Magnus go. He backed away, down the landing, Magnus looking after him. The warlock crossed his arms over his shirt — wrinkled where Alec had grabbed it — and shook his head, grinning.

“Lightwoods,” Magnus said. “They always have to have the last word.”

He shut the door behind him, and Alec ran down the steps, taking them two at a time, his blood still singing in his ears like music.

I do love this little scene between them, you get to see a little more to Alec and what he is going through. But, I wont drag on any longer since this post is already ridiculously long.
Yours Truly,
The queen of Spades

P.S. Here are a bunch more extras you guys can check out as well, http://www.cassandraclare.com/my-writing/excerpts-extras/

Day 5: 4/6

Hello again everybody! And I'm back, this time to share something from City of Glass. To be honest, I had a  different quote in mind, but when I was flipping through the book, I found a quote that completely surprised me. I'm still in shock. Here it is!

"Clary-" Luke reached for her, but she was already gone. With a sigh, he followed her into the tree's shadow, where she stood transfixed, reading the names of the grandparents and great-grandparents she had never even known she had. ALOYSIUS FAIRCHILD. ADELE FAIRCHILD, B. NIGHTSHADE. GRANVILLE FAIRCHILD. And below all those names: JOCELYN MORGENSTERN, B. FAIRCHILD.

So for those of you who read Clockwork Prince, I bet you can see the reference to the first three names, Aloysius, Adele, and Granville. Well, we know that Granville was Charlotte's father, but I had no idea that Aloysius and Adele were Fairchilds. I mean, they're introduced as Starkweathers, and what are the odds that two people just happen to have this name? Anyways, I can go on and on about this, but I'll stop now. I just love how Cassie connects all this! Don't you guys? Well, until next time! Have a great weekend everyone!

Love always,
The Red Queen

Day 4: 4/5

Helloooo everyone!
Queen of Hearts here, at your service. I wanted to post something from the very first time we are introduced to Jace in City of Bones... Here's the club scene where Izzy has lured a demon off the dance floor and into a more, ah, secluded area to basically whip him senseless with Jace and Alec.

"That's enough, Jace," said the girl.
"Isabelle's right," agreed the taller boy.
Jace raised his head and smiled. There was something fierce about the gesture that reminded Clary of documentaries she'd watched about lions on the Discovery Channel, the way the big cats would raise their heads and sniff the air for prey. "Isabelle and Alec think I talk too much," he said, confidently. "Do you think I talk too much?"

Jace is my all time favorite male lead <3 I like his character more than Will's and definitely more than Jem's (sorry Jem), but I'm sure the other Queens will disagree with me ;)

Till next time!
xxxx
The Queen of Hearts

Day 3: 4/4

Hi everyone! Sorry that we haven't been blogging for a while, but we have all been so consumed with finishing up high school, working, and applying to colleges. :P
Anyways, I will be your new White Queen and I'm quite happy to take my predecessor's place! I still need to read CoFA, but I just finished the City of Glass and really enjoyed it! So, I was hoping to share my favorite part from it!
   I love how Cassandra Clare connects the Infernal Devices and Mortal Instruments series because I really enjoy the fact that Jace is a Herondale!!!!!!!! Will is one of my favorites in the Infernal Devices fyi! I selected this part because we get to know more about Jace's family and I feel like there is still more to know about him.
   
 "Jace," Amatis said. "Luke told me that you're Stephen's- that Stephen Herondale was your father. He told me everything that happened."..."You know I was married to Stephen before your mother was," Amatis went on, her voice tight, as if the words hurt to say. Jace stared at her-was this about his mother? Did she resent him for bringing up bad memories of a woman who'd died before he was born? "Of all the people alive today, I probably knew your father the best" 


Anyways, I thought I would just share some family information about Jace in case all of you forgot! >.<

Love always,
     Your White Queen

 

Day 2: 4/3

Hey!!!
Sorry this has take us so long to start up again....but you know high school, applying to college, getting into college and having a social life is very time consuming. BUT, since CoLS is coming out so soon, we are back.
Since I haven't been around in so long, I shall share my favorite passage from CoB. And yes.....it is the garden scene with Jace and Clary.

"But she's so beautiful."
"So are you," said Jace, "and very different from how she is, and she can't help but notice that. She's always wanted to be small and delicate, you know. She hates being taller than most boys."
Clary said nothing to this, because she had nothing to say. Beautiful. He'd called her beautiful. Nobody had ever called her that before, except her mother, which didn't count. Mothers were required to think you were beautiful. She stared at him.
"We should probably go downstairs," he said again. She was sure she was making him uncomfortable with the staring, but she didn't seem to be able to stop. 
"All right," she said finally. To her relief, her voice sounded normal. It was a further relief to look away from him as she turned around. The moon, directly overhead now, lit everything nearly to daylight brightness. In between one step and another she saw a white spark struck off something off the floor: it was the knife Jace had been using to cut apples, lying on its side. She jerked hastily back to avoid stepping on it, and her shoulder bumped his-he put a hand out to steady her, just as she turned to apologize, and then she was somehow in the circle of his arm and he was kissing her. 
It was at first almost as if he hadn't wanted to kiss her: his mouth was hard on hers, unyielding; then he put both arms around her and pulled her against him. His lips softened. She could feel the rapid beat of his heart, taste the sweetness of apples still in his mouth. She wound  her hands into his hair, as she;d wanted to do since the first time she'd seen him. His hair curled around her fingers, silky and fine. Her heart hammering, and there was a rushing sound in her ears, like beating wings-
Jace drew away from her with a muffled exclamation, thought his arms were still around her. "Don't panic, but we've got an audience."


I know its another one of Cassandra Clare's mushy love scenes but I do love it. And all her books.

Yours Truly,
The Queen of Spades

Day 1: 4/2

Hello everyone! And we're back! Guess what's just around the corner? Well, since you're all fans of Mortal Instruments, you should know, but for the folks back home, City of Lost Souls! We're all so excited to start up the blog again and to read the book. In honor of the release, we'll be posting quotes, pictures, videos, and anything else related to TMI. I'll begin with a quote from the very beginning of City of Bones about one of my favorite characters:

She was beautiful, for a human - long hair nearly the precise color of black ink, charcoaled eyes. Floor-length white gown, the kind women used to wear when this world was younger. Lace sleeves belled out around her slim arms. Around her neck was a thick silver chain, on which hung a dark red pendant the size of a baby's fist. He only had to narrow his eyes to know that it was real - real and precious. His mouth started to water as she neared him. Vital energy pulsed from her like blood from an open wound. She smiled, passing him, beckoning with her eyes. He turned to follow her, tasting the phantom sizzle of her death on his lips.

I just love Izzy. And did you guys recognize that red pendant? It's the same one that Camille wears in Clockwork Angel. It's so amazing how Cassie connects both series through the smallest details. I can't wait to see how she does that next. Oh and I also think it's cool how this quote is told through the perspective of a demon; we don't see that that often. Okay enough rambling. I'll now close with a picture by one of my favorite fanartists, kara-lija:

 

 Well, until next time!

Love always,

The Red Queen

Day, well it's been a while so I've forgotten: 2/20

Hello everyone! And a happy President's Day if you're in the US! First off, we sincerely apologize for not posting in the longest time. And when I mean long, I mean like two months. So nearly all of us Queens have read Clockwork Prince (except one, shame on you!) and we're gearing up for City of Lost Souls. It's not that we've forgotten about CP - I must shamelessly admit that I've been scarred by the events in the end and literally have been thinking about it 24/7. It's just that life has been so busy that we haven't logged onto here in forever. And now I'm rambling. Anyways the Queen of Hearts and I have started a collaboration for what we think may happen in Clockwork Princess, so be sure to check it out! Here's the link:

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7742019/1/A_Reign_of_Shadows

And as for COLS, we will do the same countdown as we did for CP, but more geared towards TMI. We hope to start it in the beginning of April, so stay tuned for that! And from now on we promise to update this more regularly!

So until next time!


Love Always,
The Red Queen