City of Ashes

Mortal Instruments is the sort of series that not just sucks you in, but makes you feel as if you've swirled down a whirlpool. If you try to swim your way out you just get dragged down deeper into the world of Shadowhunters, Warlocks and demonic forces in their battle between light and darkness. Lines are blurred and drawn between our heroes. Possibly one of my favorite new additions to this part were the Seelie Court and the lycanthrope, Maia, who may or may not be interested in Simon. As for Simon, Clary's best "mundane" friend, his life is altered to a degree you might suspect but wouldn't believe. We learn more of Valentine's plans to conquer the world for mankind. Like any great supervillian, he's convincing enough that even the show more reader starts to question the goodness of the Clave he's determined to tear down.
The High Inquisitor, meantime has arrived to find out where the loyalties of the New York Conclave lie, and Jace is used as a tool or revenge and retribution. Clare does an amazing job of interveaving character view points and motivations so you aren't sure who to root for, or exactly where their loyalties lie.
At the heart of the novel is the forbidden love between Jace and Clary. I have my suspicions that the "children" of Valentine may not be quite as he declares them to be. And it's heartbreaking as well as rendering to watch them fight the feelings they have for one another. In almost any other circumstance you know you should be revolted by the idea of them together, but Clare once again, burrows you so deeply in her characters that you feel as helpless and anxious to see them come together.
Anticipating to see what City of Glass brings to light. show less

I was bored. Just SO incredibly bored. I wouldn't have finished this book if it wasn't for a reading challenge. I'm sick of the angsty YA fiction and this one in particular with the "oooh I lurve my sibling, but I know I shouldn't" when really it's so obvious that eventualy there is going to be a reveal that they aren't related. and the "oooh my best friend is in love with me so I"m going to string him along"? Gah this book and the writing was awful. But most of all naming the main character Clary? Obviously the author is using herself as the main character. the name is just driving me around the bend. Use some creativity for heaven sake. At the VERY least when naming the main character. So why did I give this 2 stars instead of one? show more Because I'm a glutton for punishment and need to see how this dreadful series ends. Ugh. I hate myself. show less

For some reason, it took me a while to read this after reading City of Bones. I read the first chapter and then got distracted. Then I tackled it again yesterday and it blew my mind that I had let it sit so long. This series is incredible!

Clare has done a fantastic job of bringing her characters along in this book. While City of Ashes is strongly plot-driven, it still managed to develop the characters more fully. Clary, Jace, Simon, and Alec in particular really got rounded out. I love how each of the characters has a speech pattern and personality that feels authentic and unique. Simon is not just a cookie-cutter Jacob Black with new clothes and a new home- he’s his own person. Same goes all around

I love City of Bones, but I don’t show more remember it being as much of an emotional roller-coaster as City of Ashes proved to be. It could be because I’m getting more attached to the characters, but this book was one exciting twisty-turning ride of tension. Clare’s writing style completely pulled me in to the world that she created and as soon as I finish this review, I’m going to go start City of Glass. Speaking of which....

Read this series. I guarantee you won’t regret it. End review. show less

A book and a half about a boy trying desperately to force a girl to love him, to change into the girl he wants her to be, and throwing fits when she doesn't do it. And he's the 'nice' guy. Can we... can we just stop telling young women that this is romantic? That stubbornly ignoring 'no' isn't loyalty? That insisting you be who they want you to be isn't love? That the pain of your rejection isn't a horrid wrong you have to right? That growing and becoming as a person and loving whoever you love isn't a betrayal? I'm so tired.

City of Ashes is the second book in Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series. It continues to expand upon the world-building that began in the first book. I really like the world the author has created. It's populated with a variety of supernatural creatures, all of whom have their own quirks, rules, and sub-level mythology. I can see tidbits that are similar to other sci-fi/fantasy worlds, mixed with a touch of Biblical legends, and a flavor that's all it's own. It's a very imaginative story realm that makes for engaging reading and which I very much enjoy inhabiting.

Where City of Bones primarily belonged to Clary, City of Ashes is fairly equally divided between her and Jace. I'd even argue that the focus is slightly more on Jace show more this time around. Now that it's been revealed that Jace's father is really the evil Valentine Morganstern and that he's still alive, virtually no one believes that Jace didn't know these things even though he's spent the last seven years growing up with the Lightwoods. Jace just doesn't seem to be able to shake the stigma of who his father is, and he's come to be viewed by most, including the Lightwood parents who raised him, as untrustworthy simply because he's Valentine's son. Everyone sees his father in him, but few see him as an independent young man with thoughts and feelings of his own. Of course, Alec and Isabelle are still on his side, as is Clary and Clary's father-figure, Luke, and best friend, Simon, but most of the older Shadowhunters are against him, none more so than the Inquisitor. She's brought in to judge Jace, but she has a major chip on her shoulder where he's concerned because of a personal vendetta she has against Valentine. Even Jace's own father eventually turns against him and is more than willing to sacrifice Jace if it means he can succeed in his evil plans. So in a way, this book could kind of be called Everybody Hates Jace.:-) Unlike some readers who adore Jace, he doesn't necessarily draw me in quite the same way. He's arrogant and cocky and full of snarky one-liners, which can make him difficult for me to love, but at the same time, I think some of that angry edge he has is a protection mechanism. I can see glimmers of his vulnerability underneath, which does intrigue me to some extent, but I'd love it if he was able to allow himself to be a little more vulnerable. Still, I'll allow that he's an interesting character, just not one that I've fully fallen in love with yet.

Although Jace went through a more transformative process in this book, Clary is still front and center too. Unlike Jace, she has no conflicted feelings about their father, probably in large part because she never knew him. She wants to help in the fight against Valentine, but with her mother having kept her in hiding most of her life, she never trained as a Shadowhunter, even though it's in her DNA. Clary is a strong heroine with the heart of a lion, who isn't afraid to stand up to others when they're wrong. She's also a defender of all those whom she cares about. Untrained or not, she'd gladly put herself in harm's way to protect them. And protect them she does when she discovers an untapped power that she never knew she possessed. In fact, both she and Jace find out things about themselves and exhibit abilities far beyond anything anyone in the Shadowhunter community has ever seen before. I really look forward to watching them develop these powers more fully in the books to come.

Quite a number of readers have tried to classify these books as romance, but as a long-time connoisseur of romance in the capacity of both reader and writer, IMHO, they really aren't. Yes, there is some romance in them, but it definitely isn't the main focus. Also, in order to be a romance, a book really needs to have a satisfying and uplifting ending with regards to the romantic relationship and that certainly hasn't been the case with either of the first two books of the series. I fully expect for this to resolve itself by the end of the series, but for right now, things are very much in flux. First of all, we found out at the end of book #1 that Jace and Clary are brother and sister. I'm still not sure I fully believe it's true, but throughout City of Ashes, that assumption is still in place. However, that doesn't stop them from having romantic feelings toward one another. While Jace is ready to say, “Screw it! I don't care if you're my sister. I want to be with you,” Clary isn't quite there yet. In fact, she's trying to put her feelings for Jace to rest by going out with her best friend, Simon, who's been madly in love with her for a long time. It seems that Cassandra Clare is very fond of love triangles in general, as there are other characters mixed up in them as well. A young werewolf girl named Maia develops an attraction for Simon, while elsewhere, Alec appears to be getting involved with Magnus but still can't get over his love for Jace. I've never been a big fan of love triangles (or quadrangles as the case may be) being used as a device to fuel relationship conflict, yet these books seem to have them in spades. It makes it really hard, if not outright impossible, to know who to root for on the romance front. That's yet another reason why I firmly refuse to call these books romance – at least not yet.:-) It just makes it a little easier to thoroughly enjoy the stories when I'm not as worried about the frustrating nature of the relationships.

In addition to Clary and Jace, there are lots of secondary characters who I absolutely love. I'm slightly more enamored of Simon and Alec than I am of Jace. I've always had a fondness for guys who are on the geeky side and Simon definitely fits that bill. Simon undergoes a transformation of his own in this book and is in harm's way a lot. While I can't say I enjoyed worrying about him dying, I did enjoy him being a focus character. I also like quieter, gentler guys of which Alec is one. There most certainly hasn't been enough of Alec in these stories yet. I think his more soft-hearted nature leaves him in the background too often. The adorably flamboyant Magnus is another character who gets more page time in this book. He becomes an invaluable help to our intrepid heroes and heroines in their fight against Valentine and the demons he's unleashed, and I enjoyed learning a little more about his character and his abilities. Luke is another character I love for his loyalty and protectiveness of Clary and her mother all these years, and he's still looking out for them while trying to lead his newly acquired werewolf pack. The Inquisitor is someone I loved to hate, but even she finally has a moment of clarity in the end. Not so of Valentine, who I'm sure is in this for the long-haul and who makes a dastardly villain.

As a parent, I would say that content-wise City of Ashes is pretty much on par with the first book and fully appropriate for a mature teenage audience. Probably of greatest concern would be the violence. There is quite a bit of peril and stylized fantasy violence involving grotesque demons. There is some gore as well in form of the villain draining blood from various Downworlders for nefarious purposes, as well as our heroic characters dealing with blood and ichor as they fight off the demons. But overall, I don't feel that it was overdone or nearly as explicit in the descriptions as it could have been, making it on par with what teens might see in a PG-13 movie. There is a small amount of language, mostly limited to mild profanities. In one scene, Jace goes to a Downworlder bar, where no one asks questions about age, and has a drink. There is also some mild sexual innuendo, but nothing beyond kissing actually takes place. Clary invites Simon to share her bed when he sleeps over one night. They talk briefly about sex, but again nothing but kisses actually occur. Clary and Jace have obvious romantic feelings for one another, but are said to be brother and sister, so the potentially incestuous nature of their relationship may bother some readers. Also two characters are gay and implied to be in a relationship, which again may bother some. Otherwise, I can't think of anything potentially objectionable, and like I said, I'm certain mature teens could handle the subject-matter with no problem.

There may have been a few tiny little things about the story I might have changed, but the overall likability factor for both the characters and the plot of City of Ashes was extremely high for me. I very much enjoyed reading it. It didn't necessarily grab me intensely from page one, but I still looked forward to it each time I sat down to read it. These books have a tendency to start out a little slower and then gradually, but steadily, build momentum as the story progresses, ending in a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat climax that's hard to put down. The author also left a couple of tantalizing threads hanging that make me wonder what will happen next. I may have allowed two years to pass between my reading of the first and second Mortal Instruments books, but I certainly won't be making that mistake again. I'm very eager to continue with the series, and with two winners in a row, Cassandra Clare is now on my favorite authors list. I can't wait to read more of her work! show less

City of Ashes picks up right where City of Bones left off, and let me tell you—this book does not slow down for a second. Clary is still coming to terms with her new life as part of the Shadowhunter world, and things are only getting messier. If you thought the first book had drama, just wait until you dive into this one.

The stakes are higher, the secrets deeper, and the action non-stop. Clary and Jace’s relationship is complicated, to say the least, and it adds a ton of emotional tension to the plot. I love how the chemistry between them keeps you on edge—just when you think things are about to get steamy, something happens that makes everything feel a little more complicated (typical, right?).

I really enjoyed seeing Clary grow show more as a character. She starts to embrace her powers, but she’s still figuring out who she is and where she fits into this strange new world. It’s refreshing to see a character who isn’t perfect but works hard to become the hero she needs to be. And of course, Jace’s arrogance and charm continue to make him impossible to ignore. There’s just something about his cocky attitude and vulnerability that makes him such an interesting character to follow.

The plot is packed with twists and turns, and I loved how it kept me guessing. There’s a lot of danger, betrayal, and plenty of surprises that keep the tension high. But the best part? The relationships. Whether it’s the intense love triangle or the deep bonds between friends, it’s impossible not to get caught up in the emotional rollercoaster.

If you enjoyed City of Bones, City of Ashes is a must-read. It deepens the story, ramps up the tension, and gives you even more of what you loved in the first book. It’s a fun, intense ride, and if you’ve made it this far, you’ll definitely want to see what happens next.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars. A solid sequel that keeps you hooked and sets up some major twists for the next book. show less

Mortal Instruments is the sort of series that not just sucks you in, but makes you feel as if you've swirled down a whirlpool. If you try to swim your way out you just get dragged down deeper into the world of Shadowhunters, Warlocks and demonic forces in their battle between light and darkness. Lines are blurred and drawn between our heroes. Possibly one of my favorite new additions to this part were the Seelie Court and the lycanthrope, Maia, who may or may not be interested in Simon. As for Simon, Clary's best "mundane" friend, his life is altered to a degree you might suspect but wouldn't believe. We learn more of Valentine's plans to conquer the world for mankind. Like any great supervillian, he's convincing enough that even the show more reader starts to question the goodness of the Clave he's determined to tear down.
The High Inquisitor, meantime has arrived to find out where the loyalties of the New York Conclave lie, and Jace is used as a tool or revenge and retribution. Clare does an amazing job of interveaving character view points and motivations so you aren't sure who to root for, or exactly where their loyalties lie.
At the heart of the novel is the forbidden love between Jace and Clary. I have my suspicions that the "children" of Valentine may not be quite as he declares them to be. And it's heartbreaking as well as rendering to watch them fight the feelings they have for one another. In almost any other circumstance you know you should be revolted by the idea of them together, but Clare once again, burrows you so deeply in her characters that you feel as helpless and anxious to see them come together.
Anticipating to see what City of Glass brings to light. show less