Review: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

What: City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2) by Cassandra Clare

Who: Margaret K. McElderry Books

When: 2008

How: Borrowed from library.

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.

This does contain City of Bones spoilers. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

City of Ashes picks up almost directly after where City of Bones finished. Clary Fray is attempting to ‘keep calm and carry on’ after she finds out that the mythical creatures that she thought were, well, mythical, aren’t. She’s the daughter of a Shadowhunter, and that means life can never be normal. City of Ashes continues to follow Valentine’s quest for the Mortal Instruments, and to wreak havoc in the Shadowhunter world. Dealing with boy’s affections, an absent mother, an evil mastermind father, a beautiful brother, and demons trying to kill her, Clary is forced to become the person she is meant to be. A Shadowhunter.

I liked City of Ashes a little more than City of Bones. I liked the fact that we were introduced to more Downworlders, and there was more demon fighting action.

One thing I didn’t like about City of Ashes, was the lack of Jace and Clary interaction! Their predicament is just so infuriating! And the end, oh god, the end. JUST SAY IT. And I can totally tell that they’re not going to be brother and sister. I can just feel it. There were a few subtle hints throughout the book, and if I am wrong, I will be devastated.

I loved the insight into Jace’s personality, and his thoughts. I loved getting to know him better as himself, and not just through Clary’s perception of him.

I will definitely be reading City of Glass very soon.

© 2013, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.