Point of View

Cassandra Clare tells her novel “City of Fallen Angels” in the third-person limited-omniscient narrative mode. The third-person narrator acts as a common thread that links together numerous characters and various subplots that are ultimately interwoven into a singular overarching plot. The third-person narrator allows the reader to jump between characters, situations, and subplots easily, since the style of the narration does not change. The limited-omniscient aspect of the narration adds a level of suspense and drama to the novel, as the reader, narrator, and characters only learn about events in real-time.

Language and Meaning

Cassandra Clare tells her novel “City of Fallen Angels” in language that is straightforward, contemporary, and brief. This is done for at least three reasons. First, the novel’s target audience is that of young adults. The language used is reflective of the age and education of the target audience, as...