City of Ashes

A month or so ago I read City of Bones, the first book in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare and loved it. I just had to read the second book!

Summary: Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go—especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil—and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings—and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father? In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

Okay, I'm not sure if this is possible, but I liked City of Ashes more then City of Bones. Maybe it's because I was already in love with the characters or maybe it's just because Cassandra Clare's writing has gotten better since her first book.

I especially loved the character of Simon, who started off to the side but grew more and more important as the series went on. He's nice, loyal, and always hilarious! I liked him in the first book but he wasn't involved too much till the end of it. In this one he's always involved more or less.

I think villains are a very important part of any story and this one had a great one. Valentine is ruthless, corrupting and very charming, like saying to Jace, join me or everyone you love will get hurt. And also it helped the suspense a great deal knowing he is Clary and Jace's father.

Cassandra Clare has a dreamlike and emotional narrative style that is very descriptive.The book flows along very nicely. Something I didn't like from the first book was how confusing the plot was. This one was still very mixed-up, but Clare has gotten a tad better at keeping everything in line.

This book was a very enjoyable fantasy, that sometimes reminded me a bit of Star Wars (you know, father of main characters is the villain, new-found sibling, and father is set on destroying everything). A rare sequel that's maybe even better the first.

5/5

Book Battle Update: This is my third book read in the book battle, but Maddz has read four! Have to read, read, read. But I am halfway into another book so I should have no problem catching up (I hope).

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past three years then you know about the Mortal Instruments series by runaway author Cassandra Clare. I've heard a ton about these books and how great they are, so I finally decided to buy it from Barnes and Noble.

Summary:When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Okay so, where do I begin? This book was amazing. Clary's character is so easy to connect with as a reader and really makes you care about her. The writing style is so beautiful and flows along wonderfully. The only thing I didn't like about this book was the plot. It was a good plot, don't get me wrong. But it was very hard to follow and easy to get confused. But aside from that, this book was an awesome, epic start to the series that will leave readers longing for more.

5/5