Review: City of Ashes

Title: City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2)

Author: Cassandra Clare

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

Review:

It seems like there is always so much going on in these books. So much action, so many questions, and so much everything.

You follow the gang again, Jace, Clary, Simon, Luke and Isabelle as they look for and fight against Valentine. Valentine has a plan to do something crazy with the Angel Sword, in which he needs the blood of four downworlder children, 1 fairy, 1 vampire, 1 werewolf and 1 warlock. And the gang needs to stop him before he does and can then control an army of demons to bring down the Clave.

There are some new characters this time, the werewolf Maia, who I think will come back in the next book, and Imogen the Inquisitor who is at times ruthless and crazy, and then at times strong and fearless.

You learn more about Jace and Clary and what their father did to them, I guess while they were still in utero. I like this twist, and cant wait to learn more about how they are special.

The awkward Jace/Clary romance was weird… and confusing. Though I cannot wait to see what happens with them in future books that makes their attraction ok.

You got to meet some Fairies in this book, and even the Queen of the Seelie Court, who was cruel and ruthless as well.

I liked the way the Simon/Clary thing went.

This book had a lot of demons, and some CRAZY demon/Shadowhunter fights, which were entertaining and exciting.

I didn’t like that Clary’s mom STILL is not awake and that she wasn’t in this book… like at all. BUT from the Epilogue, apparently she will be in the next book. Hopefully.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, just as much as the first. At times I felt like it was a bit much… everything that was going on, but it was exciting and I enjoyed it. Am about to start the next book! J

Rating: 4.5 Stars