This is the second book in the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. I liked this one just as much as the first. The relationship between Clary and Simon, her best friend really spices up, but the relationship between her and Jace is left hanging. You'll have to wait for the third book to see what happens there. The plot with Valentine gets predictably more complicated. Clary's mother is still left asleep and there's not much happening there until the epilogue at the end. Some new characters are introduced, including the rest of the Lightwoods, the faerie Queen, Maia, a new werewolf girl, and the Inquisitor. Magnus Bane, the high-warlock of Brooklyn is carried through into this book as well and becomes a major character. I really enjoyed this action packed book, definitely a page-turner. ( )

This series just keeps getting better and better. In my review of the first book I said you could not describe it as "sexy" but it's getting a little more that way not too adult. The realtionship between Clary & Jace is frustrating but keeps you on edge and guessing. It's fun, exciting & thrilling. Love it ( )

Book Two of The Immortal Instruments. Valentine steals another of the Instruments and looses a lot of demons into the world. Mostly the same cast of characters with a few additions. There are some new developments for Clary, Jace and Simon and a major battle near the end. Good enough that I immediately ordered Book Three from the library.

City of Ashes was even better than the first book, City of Bones. It had so much more in it and had even more action than in the first book. The author brought new characters into the story and they fit perfectly along with all the rest. My favorite new character in this book is the Farie Queen. She is full of humor, even though it is a little harse, and the author has described her so well i can clearly picture her in my mind. This book is awsome and i cannot wait to read the next book in the series. ( )

Reviewed by coollibrarianchick for TeensReadToo.com

Last week, I received a copy of CITY OF ASHES, book two in THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS trilogy by Cassandra Clare, for review. I was so excited because I just loved the first book, CITY OF BONES. I wanted to read more about Clary, Jace, Simon, Luke, and the rest of the Shadowhunters and their adventures. This book, as with the first one, thoroughly entertained me. With this series, Cassandra Clare will easily make herself a household name.

The story opens with Valentine summoning a demon to be at his beck and call. This demon plays against a person's worst fears. You would need a protection spell if you wanted to ward off the advances of that kind of demon. How is that for an opener?! Once again, Valentine is up to no good - no surprise there. At the end of the first book, Valentine gained control of the Mortal Cup, which can only mean trouble for....everyone. What is he up to?

The last few weeks of this new seeing and slaying life has both exhausted and exhilarated Clary. Everything was so simple before that fateful night at the club. Clary was an ordinary teenager with an affinity toward drawing and manga. Now she can see werewolves, vampires, and fairies, and sketch her own runes. Plus, her mother is in a coma and Jace, one of the Shadowhunters who annoys and attracts her at the same time, turns out to be her brother. Bad news for Clary but good news for Simon, who used it to his advantage to get even closer to Clary. She has a tough choice to make about her future. Clary can leave the Shadowhunter world behind like her mother did, or she can become one of them and work toward finding out what Valentine's plan is now that he has the Mortal Cup.

Clary is not the only one to go through personal upheaval. Jace is devastated that he is not who he thought he was. Nothing good can come out of being Valentine's son, which he learns when his "mother" returns home full of accusations. Soon he is cast out from the one place he can call home. The Inquisitor, a real peach of a lady, holds Jace's fate in her hands. Believe me, there is no love lost between his adoptive parents, his real father, and her. Needless to say, the meeting between them doesn't go well and he is sentenced to prison in the Silent City. Prison turns out to not be the safest place for Jace, as dear daddy pays him a visit there trying to get him to switch teams.

Will Jace join Valentine or remain true to the Shadowhunter's virtues? And if he stays true to his Shadowhunter's roots, will he and his cohorts be able to stop Valentine before the rest of the mortal instruments are collected?

To find out how these and many other surprises happen, pick up your copy of CITY OF ASHES. ( )