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City of Ashes

Book 2 in the series:The Mortal Instruments

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In "City of Ashes," the second book in 'The Mortal Instruments' series, Clary and Jace navigate their complicated relationship while facing new revelations about their past. As they grapple with their feelings and the schemes of Valentine, they are drawn into action to stop him from obtaining a powerful magical tool. The book is praised for its strong character development, intense romantic scenes, and fast-paced plot filled with action and twists.

Characters:

The characters show significant growth and depth, dealing with personal conflicts, familial relationships, and romantic tensions.

Writing/Prose:

Cassandra Clare's writing style is engaging and descriptive, blending humor and emotional depth while using multiple character perspectives to enrich the narrative.

Plot/Storyline:

City of Ashes expands on the dynamics between characters as they confront Valentine, explore family secrets, and navigate their relationships.

Setting:

The setting combines modern urban life with a hidden world of supernatural intrigue, enhancing the story's fantasy elements.

Pacing:

The pacing of City of Ashes is fast, keeping readers engaged with constant action and emotional developments.
“Oh, yes you are.” Jace gestured accusingly at his stepbrother, then yelped as pain shot up his arm. Every part of him hurt from the thumping he’d taken that afternoon when he’d dropped three floors t...

Notes:

City of Ashes is the second book in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.
The story continues to explore the relationships and conflicts from City of Bones, focusing on Clary and Jace's forbidden romance.
Jace grapples with the stigma of being Valentine Morgenstern's son, making him struggle for acceptance.
The Inquisitor is introduced as a harsh authority figure who distrusts Jace and adds tension to the storyline.
Clary discovers her ability to create new runes, showcasing her unique talents among Shadowhunters.
The book features multiple perspectives, allowing insight into various character emotions and motivations.
Simon undergoes transformation into a vampire, which complicates his relationship with Clary.
Maia is introduced as a new werewolf character who develops feelings for Simon.
The book has darker themes compared to the first, incorporating elements of murder and violence against Downworlders.
Cassandra Clare mixes urban fantasy with familiar mythological elements, creating a richly detailed world.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include violence, mild language, and themes of incest, which may be triggering for some readers.

Has Romance?

The romance is a central theme, particularly the complicated relationships between Clary, Jace, and Simon.

From The Publisher:

Is love worth betraying everything? Plunge into the second adventure in the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series and "prepare to be hooked" (Entertainment Weekly)-now with a gorgeous new cover, a map, a new foreword, and exclusive bonus content! City of Ashes is a Shadowhunters novel.

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?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

Ratings (109)

Incredible (14)
Loved It (44)
Liked It (27)
It Was OK (15)
Did Not Like (5)
Hated It (4)

Reader Stats (147):

Read It (121)
Want To Read (16)
Did Not Finish (1)
Not Interested (9)

3 comment(s)

Loved It
4 days

I was surprised at what Clary can do, but I won't spoil it!! :D I felt bad for Jace because of what he had to go through. It's worse than not having a father,

 
Loved It
1 month

3.75 stars. I felt like this story may have been slightly dragged out in certain parts where Clare brought up well-established facts of the plot over and over again in an attempt to propel the story forward, but instead stagnated the plot.

 
Loved It
2 months

This is what we call mindless reading, but it sure is fun! The plot is really predictable, the characters are funny in a stereotypical over-the-top kinda way, the drama is of the teenybopper variety, everyone is beautiful, but I like that it doesn't take itself too seriously, and is entertaining. Also, why so much incest!?!

 

About the Author:

Cassandra Clare is the author of the #1 New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Shadowhunter Chronicles. She is also the coauthor of the bestselling fantasy series Magisterium with Holly Black. The Shadowhunter Chronicles have been adapted as both a major motion picture and a television series. Her books have more than fifty million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. Cassandra lives in western Massachusetts with her husband and three fearsome cats. Visit her at CassandraClare.com. Learn more about the world of the Shadowhunters at Shadowhunters.com.

 
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