City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

The second book in The Mortal Instruments story, brings us back into Clary’s life after Valentine, her Father and an enemy everyone thought was defeated, seems to have disappeared after he stole the Mortal Cup. Her life isn’t back to normal, with her Mother still being in an magically induced coma and she’s fighting an attraction to her ‘brother’, Jace.

It becomes apparent that Valentine is looking for the second Mortal Instrument, the sword, which he steals from the Silent Brothers with the help of the Demon of Fear, Agramon. His plan is to turn the sword against the Shadowhunters, and change it’s abilities to help him control an army of demons.

After it came to light that Jace wasn’t who everyone, including himself, believed him out to be. The Inquisitor for the Clave came to see if Jace was telling the truth. She makes it obvious that she has her own agenda when it comes to Jace, or Jonathon as everyone calls him as it’s his real name, and refuses to believe anything he, or anyone on his side, says.

Sitting in my backyard on an horribly hot day, about to finish City of Ashes.

After Valentine’s plan comes to light after he succeeds in killing Downworld children, and kidnaps children of the Moon and Night, Jace, Luke, Clary, and Magnus Bane, along with the Shadowhunters, break onto Valentine’s boat to fight his army of demons in an attempt to stop him.

The battle results in a number of deaths, and Clary ends up saving the day when an ability no one understands comes to light of hers from earlier in the book. Clare can create ruins, and uses this ability to sink the boat.

This book brought readers back into Clary’s world, and even brought in a name from the prequel series, The Infernal Devices, which makes a lot of sense. With each book that I read with Clary, I become more and more interested in her story. I’m eager to see where Clary goes next in her story, and to see where the people around her go, as well.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones, the first book in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, follows teenager Clary (Clarissa) Fray.

A young artist who’s currently on summer break from High School, and has an overbearing Mother. Sounds normal enough, with the young protagonist rebelling against her mother when she informs her daughter that they will be leaving for the rest of the summer to her mother’s friend’s, Luke, farm house in the middle of no where.

But, things quickly take a turn away from normal for Miss. Clary during a chance meeting with a group of people who call themselves Shadowhunters, and who Clary sees corner and kill another ‘teen’. This event sends Clary’s live into a whirlwind of unanswered questions, adventure she could have never imagined, and looking into the past her mother never spoke of.

Along the way, Clary meets a mysterious boy by the name of Jace Wayland. Among the Shadowhunters she meets by chance that night before her life is changed forever, Clary feels a connection to Jace that she’s never experienced with anyone else before.

Staying up late to read this book, which is a normal occurrence for myself and fellow bookworms.

Clary quickly learns that the Underworld is threatened by an evil that has appeared before for them, and everyone thought it was defeated than. The evil that is threatening the Underworld has a close tie to Clary and her mother, and Clary wants answers. She learns that not everyone can be trusted, and those she loved may be trying to protect her by being cruel to her.

This isn’t the first book I’ve read by Cassandra Clare, but it is in the same sense. The Infernal Instruments, which is based in London, England in Victorian time, seems to be a prequel to The Mortal Instruments. The characters are different, but there are Shadowhunters, demons, witches, warlocks, good vs evil, and the protagonist trying to find answers to a past she knew nothing about.

I’m kind of excited to see the movie based on City of Bones, and will be reviewing it soon.