Book Review: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #2)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Pages: 453 pages
Published: March 25, 2008
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Buy: here!

"If you can't tell the truth to the people you care about, eventually you stop being able to tell the truth to yourself"

Hello friends!

Today's review is on City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare which as many of you know is the second installment in the Mortal Instruments series, first being City of Bones. I won't lie, at first I was having a tough time getting through this book, but fear not lovers of this series, my heart fell hard, if not harder for these characters by the end of this book and I applaud Cassandra Clare on one of the best sequels i've read!

Goodreads Synopsis:

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?

My Thoughts:

Like I said above, when I first started this book I was finding it much slower paced than City of Bones, which took off right from the get go. I was discouraged because a lot of sequels nowadays shine much dimmer in the light of the books before it, and based on the first 100 or so pages I was afraid City of Ashes was going to fall into the 'good, but not as good as the first' category.

STOP: IF YOU FEEL THIS WAY…KEEP GOING!!! It get's better, promise :)

Characters/Character Development:

-The development of the relationship between Jace and Clary is SO WELL WRITTEN. You never know quite where they stand and I love it. Their relationship is one that I can feel the tension and desire between them. GAH, couldn't get enough.
-Something else that City of Ashes developed for me, which was surprising, was a serious love for Magnus Bane, he was a character in City of Bones that I didn't hate but I also didn't love. Clare makes it impossible for the reader to not fall in love with him. I need a Magnus Bane in my life, is a sassy, gay warlock in my life REALLY too much to ask??
-I really feel like City of Ashes made HUGE strides in the 'character development' department. Cassandra Clare has her characters so interwoven and the backstory SO intricate that falling in love with these characters and watching them make mistakes, fall in love, and grow as people is a real joy.

Plot/Pacing:

-The plot (as I mentioned above) was slow going at first. It wasn't uninteresting or boring, I did feel however, that with City of Bones being SO fast paced even from the beginning; I came in with a sort of expectation of the plot that just wasn't met in my opinion.
-I would say about 150-200 pages in (so roughly half way through) Clare throws some curveballs and certain events take place that I powered through the last half because I just could not stop. The fact that the middle and end were SO good and so well developed made up for the lackluster beginning.
-The content of the plot itself is a subject I could write a small novel about, so we'll leave it at this: the details and the actual development of the plot are hands down amazing. The descriptive details Clare includes transport you into the world of the shadowhunters. I can't say enough about how beautifully written these books are.

Overall:

Overall I feel like City of Ashes was fantastic, a phenomenal sequel and an exciting read. The pace, while at the beginning lagged was perfect through out the rest of the novel. I cannot wait to continue on with this series. Cassandra Clare has a way of wrapping you into her stories and she doesn't let you go until you turn the last page.

Rating:

4.5/5 Stars