City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments, #2)

by Cassandra Clare

Second in Cassandra Clare’s internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series about the Shadowhunters.

Discover more secrets about the Shadowhunters as they fight to protect the world from demons in the second book in the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series. Love and power are the deadliest temptations… Haunted by her past, Clary is dragged deeper into New York City's terrifying underworld of demons and Shadowhunters – but can she control her feelings for a boy who can never be hers? This edition contains a map and a new foreword by Cassandra Clare. Read all the sensational books in The Shadowhunter Chronicles: The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, The Bane Chronicles, The Dark Artifices, The Last Hours and The Shadowhunter’s Codex.

• ISBN10: 1406307637
• ISBN13: 9781406307634
• Publish Date: 7 July 2008 (first published 1 March 2008)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Walker Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 416
• Language: English

Reviews

[inlibrisveritas]

Well after having this on my shelf for a few months I finally got around to reading it. It took me a while to want to read it and it took me a bit to actually finish it, but I think that has to do with the fact that I don't own the rest of the series. Anyway on to the review.

So there were a lot of good things and a few annoying things in this book, and so I have to give it three stars instead of four. The plot is still as strong as it was in the first one and it's kind of one of those books that feel like it should be read a short time after you've finished the previous one. Which is sort of a bad thing for someone like me who reads a lot in between, I kind of had to refresh my memory before I even remembered how the other ended. There is some pretty strong character development especially on Simon and Clary's part, a little less where others are concerned. The relationships are good and yet almost all of them are frustrating, in good and bad ways. Valentine is one of the best bad guys in YA fiction lately, I mean I practically hate him like her were real...I don't like a guy who can talk circles around you and yet still be so damned suave. Not to mention he's a grade A jerk. I had problems with some of the dialogue in this one. I understand why it was there and it's pretty believable given the circumstances, but I really can't stand reading conversations like this "I don't believe you"- "I'm telling the truth"- "Stop lying" and it just continues like that. I don't like real life situations like that, it makes me want to explode so reading it immediately brought my attraction to this book down. The action parts were still pretty good and I really wish I had a cool sereph blade. Some parts seemed rushed though or like it was an after thought and so it didn't flow right. I felt that the end was sort of that way, or like a season finale cliff hanger on some tv show.

Overall still pretty good, and if you've read the first definitely read this one.

[Amanda]

Actual rating: 4.5

Great book, I really loved the continuance of this series. This book picks up where first book left off and it just really sucked me in and I finished this book as fast I could. The world that Cassandra Clare created is wonderful and I loved reading all about the dynamics of it.

I would say this one is probably better than the first book and when it ending, I just wanted to pick up the next book to see how it would end.

[liz089]

I LOVE it. The entire series is so amazing. Can't wait for the next one to come out !!!

[Linda]

Yeah, I don't think it was such a great scene for Isabelle, and I also don't think it was necessary for the story. Isabelle is truly fearless, what happened in this scene was rather stupid.

Merged review:

This was cute, hot, sweet and tender! And it totally points out exactly how I think Alec would react in that kind of a situation as well!

Magnus was trying to make sure Alec knew what he was doing, and that he really wanted to go out with Magnus - not just anyone, and that showed a sweet and tender side of Magnus we don't often see in the novels.

Alec not wanting Jace to know kind of makes me sad, though, although I can totally understand why.

Merged review:

Loved seeing this little bit from Jaces POV, especially what he was thinking about everybody else :D

[Hixxup]

ok so is it wrong of me to still want Jace and Clary together even though they are brother and sister? I mean really it just doesn't seem weird to me at all!