Book: City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2)

City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2)City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publish Date: February 24, 2009
Series: The Mortal Instruments #2
ISBN: 1416972242
ISBN-13:9781416972242

Synopsis: A murderer is loose in New York City …

… and the victims are Downworlder children. Clary Fray and her fellow Shadowhunters have a strong suspicion that Valentine, Clary’s father, may be behind the killings. But if he is the murderer, then what’s his true motive? To make matters worse, the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, has been stolen, and the mysterious Inquisitor has arrived to investigate, with his eyes vigilantly targeted on Clary’s brother, Jace.

Clary will need to face some terrifying demons and even more terrifying family decisions. No one said that the life of a Shadowhunter would be easy.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I started to read this book almost immediately after I finished the first book, City of Bones. Unfortunately, I fell asleep and lost my momentum. The next day, I picked it up where I left off and I was brought back into the world with Clary, Jace, Simon, and Silent City.

In the second book of The Mortal Instruments series, Clare picked up right where the first book left off. She quickly pulled you back into the world she created, as if you never left. Shadowhunters, Clary and, her brother, Jace continue for the fight against their father, Valentine. This time around, Valentine is back, and goes after the second Mortal Instrument to continue his fight for power against the Downworlders and the Clave. He stops at nothing and uses anything to aide him in his plan for domination, even if he uses the very beings that he despises. While Clary and Jace may also seek aide to fight Valentine, they use their commonalities to team up against him.

I was drawn into this book much faster than the first book. Clare’s writing is a little different in this book. She starts to stay away from the similarities of other stories and really comes into her own. While I felt that I knew that characters, Clare surprises me with some hints of who the characters really are. I have a love/hate relationship with Clary’s and Jace’s relationship. The incestuous romance doesn’t do anything for me. I have this hope that it isn’t really going to stay that way forever, and it’s that hope that keeps me going through the scenes. Unfortunately, Simon isn’t my guy, he never was. He’s likable, but I was always rooting for a different team. As for the other characters, they all start coming into their own, with some more revelations as to who they are and what parts they will play into the future books.

Tonight, I’m definitely going to start the next book. I cannot wait.

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