Book Review: City of Ashes

By: Cassandra Clare
Pages: 453
Published: March 25, 2008

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?

Rating: 4

Review: I read this book three weeks ago so I will try my best to remember exactly what happens and I will try not to get it mixed up with the next couple of books in the series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked it much better than the first. There was character building and   world building. So much happens in this book.

Clary wants things to go back to normal, but how can that happen when she just found out who her dad and brother are and she is a shadowhunter. Things aren't likely to go back to normal. So much happens to all the characters Clary, Jace, Simon, Alec. Especially Simon I mean his entire life changes (I just can't tell you how it changes, no spoilers).

The book had what seemed like a horrible ending because we find something out that could be really great and then it ends. That's the nice thing about reading a series when most of the book have come out already you don't have to wait a year for the next book to come out, you can just get it.

I thought this was a really good sequel to City of Bones.


I hope to have the reviews for the next three books in this series up soon.
DFTBA
-Jane