Helpful Score: 2
While this second installment in "The Mortal Instruments" trilogy is just as engrossing, just as creative and just as well written as the first, I found I had major problems with the turn of events that leave the H/h as brother and sister rather than boyfriend/girlfriend. While the problems dealing with their romantic feelings despite the situation may be entertaining for some, I found it disappointing and even with the very subtle "hints" that all is not as it seems, I consistently had to pull myself back from the overwhelming "ick" factor.
The huge cliff-hanger endings are also a minus. It's very annoying when one is required to read the next book. I prefer choosing to pick up a book because I love the writing (which I would do in Clare's case) to having to pick a book up because of a ploy.
The huge cliff-hanger endings are also a minus. It's very annoying when one is required to read the next book. I prefer choosing to pick up a book because I love the writing (which I would do in Clare's case) to having to pick a book up because of a ploy.
Helpful Score: 2
It took me a bit to get into this book. (It may have been that I read a historical fiction previous.) Once I got into it though, it was pretty good. Great happy ending. Looking forward to the next one.
Jennifer W. (GeniusJen) reviewed City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments, Bk 2) on + 5322 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
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.
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.
Helpful Score: 1
Clary and the gang are back in this second installment of the beloved Mortal Instrument series. As if it wasn't bad enough that Clary and Jace found out they were brother and sister, they have to deal with the fact that their father is still running a muck and trying to destroy life as they know it. Add the recent deaths of downworlder children and what else could go wrong? And the answer to that is PLENTY. Every time they turn around, something else seems to happen that keeps Clary, Jace, Simon, Isabelle and Alec on their toes. Will they ever catch a break?
The plot thickens, new characters are introduced (and again, it's hard to hate anyone in this series) and things are getting even more out of this world, literally. More secrets are revealed and even better, Simon becomes bigger and badder than I ever expected of him. I love Simon. I can't express that enough. Clare has come back with full force and made yet another great story come to life in this series. I loved every second of it and I can't wait to continue my journey with the rest of the Shadowhunter loves around the world. These books are simply addicting.
The plot thickens, new characters are introduced (and again, it's hard to hate anyone in this series) and things are getting even more out of this world, literally. More secrets are revealed and even better, Simon becomes bigger and badder than I ever expected of him. I love Simon. I can't express that enough. Clare has come back with full force and made yet another great story come to life in this series. I loved every second of it and I can't wait to continue my journey with the rest of the Shadowhunter loves around the world. These books are simply addicting.
Helpful Score: 1
Pretty good follow up to bk 1. It did take a while for me to finish it though. The first half was kinda slow IMO. It started to pick up around mid book (Thank God). I can see why Clary is drawn to Jace. He's my kinda guy too. I knew he was not her brother, from the second they found out. I bet they find that out in the next book. Main pet peeve - Clary needs to woman up and stop letting everyone coddle her. She is a pretty bad ass shadowhunter, right?
