City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2) in Audiobook Junkies

Jan 03, 2013 Vanessa Gayle ⚔️ Fangirl Faction rated it it was amazing

Shelves: be-still-my-beating-heart, urban-fantasy-read, fantasy, abuse-or-past-abuse, alpha-male, feeeeels, love-triangle, young-adult-read, wish-list-physical, dark-themes

07-16-2022: Reread on audiobook! (These characters still have my heart.)
I am so glad that I decided to reread this series. Clare writes such amazing characters and I just love the way that they interact with each other. I love all the relationships and how each character connects with the others. I also love the scope of the world-building for this series. There is just so much that is put into the world-building and it is so immersive. I also really love the progression of the overarching plot 07-16-2022: Reread on audiobook! (These characters still have my heart.)
I am so glad that I decided to reread this series. Clare writes such amazing characters and I just love the way that they interact with each other. I love all the relationships and how each character connects with the others. I also love the scope of the world-building for this series. There is just so much that is put into the world-building and it is so immersive. I also really love the progression of the overarching plot in this series. Everything fits together perfectly.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
City of Ashes was far better than I imagined. I sped through this book at lightning speed, simply because I just could not put it down. I have to say, City of Ashes is even better than City of Bones. The story kept moving along while meeting new characters and facing new obstacles. One of the things that Cassandra Clare is good at is details. Details, details, and more details. To some, this is tedious and unnecessary. When I am reading books, the details make the story that much stronger. Clare really made the Mortal Instruments world feel absolutely real. You truly feel like you have been transplanted into this world while you are reading these books. It's amazing!

In City of Ashes, Clary and Jace are struggling with their feelings for one another after the realization surrounding them from City of Bones. Jace seems to struggle with it even more so than Clary because it is affecting the people around him. Simon makes his move with Clary and she casually accepts. Something happens that changes Simon forever. I just loved experiencing Simon's transformation in this book. We get some insight into the love lives of Isabelle and Alec. Luke has become even more of a father figure to Clary. Magnus is still, well...Magnus. I really loved how his character developed in this book. He has so much more emotion and his wit and snarkiness are still there. Maia was a new character and she was just so darn likable. I kind of felt sorry for her because of her past. We get to meet the Lightwoods, the parents of Alec, Isabelle, and Max. Imogen is also a new character that I couldn't help but despise. I really loved Magnus and Simon in this book.

The major conflict of the book is centered around Valentine and stopping him from fulfilling his plans. After following the clues for what they are, they find out what Valentine is up to. The epic battle scene at the end of the book includes all of the characters. I loved finding out how each character reacts during the boss fight. I think that Jace's reaction when he finds Simon is one of the most touching moments in the book. It was definitely one of my favorite moments in the book. In the end, Clary uses her newfound power to stop Valentine. Though, no one is certain if he escaped or not. A new character emerges at the end of the book and tells Clary that she is the only one that can help bring her mother out of her coma.

I am extraordinarily excited to see what happens in the next book in the Mortal Instruments series!

BLOG FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM GOODREADS TIKTOK TWITTER BOOKBUB AMAZON PINTEREST ...more

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Apr 28, 2010 Linda (un)Conventional Bookworms rated it it was amazing

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 tende ...more

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Jul 30, 2009 Sara ♥ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: action-adventure, young-adult, suspense, challenge-fall-2009, 2009, urban-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
I'm in love with this series. (Or maybe I'm just in love with Jace? Hmmm...)

WARNING: The review below contains 100% spoilers.

Is it really bad that the Jace/Clary love story doesn't gross me out AT ALL? Just wondering... But it really doesn't! It kinda grosses me out that it doesn't gross me out, though.... Haha! But the epilogue!! I was like, "CLARY!! DON'T LET HIM TALK FIRST!!!" Because I KNEW what she wanted to say and I KNEW what he was going to say! And he would have been fine if she had tal
I'm in love with this series. (Or maybe I'm just in love with Jace? Hmmm...)

WARNING: The review below contains 100% spoilers.

Is it really bad that the Jace/Clary love story doesn't gross me out AT ALL? Just wondering... But it really doesn't! It kinda grosses me out that it doesn't gross me out, though.... Haha! But the epilogue!! I was like, "CLARY!! DON'T LET HIM TALK FIRST!!!" Because I KNEW what she wanted to say and I KNEW what he was going to say! And he would have been fine if she had talked first... and I still think she should have said, "NO!!!!!!" and reached over the table, grabbed his face, and laid one on him!!! But maybe that's just me... errr... Cuz most people are probably grossed out by that part of the story... But awww! She waits until she's on the subway to start bawling. I would have started right there in front of him. (I was practically crying just reading the dang thing!) I'm such a cry-baby, so....

BUT, I'd like to go ahead and make a prediction: I am 93.4% sure that Jace and Clary are NOT brother and sister. I mean, they probably are, but my gut says they're not.

What makes me think this: It was that weird scene with Imogen (the Inquisitor) and Jace, first of all (pp. 390-393). Jace has a scar that Imogen seems to recognize... She says, "It can't be. You can't be—" and he's like, "I can't be what?" and she says, "All those years, when you were growing up—you truly thought you were Michael Wayland's son—?" but she still calls him Jonathan. And then he steps right through the wall of light (which I think was some kind of test), and then for the first time ever, she calls him Jace. And then she sacrifices her life for his, which was odd. And then she tries to tell him something, but she dies before she can say anything.

And then later something Valentine says to Clary (pp. 416-417). Valentine says, "Do you know why your mother left me?" and Clary says (snarkily), "You mean there was only one reason?" *snorts* And he says, "She told me that I had turned her first child into a monster. She left me before I could do the same to her second. You. But she was too late." Clary whispers, "She's never say that. Jace isn't a monster. Neither am I." And Valentine says, "I wasn't talk about—" and then gets cut off by Simon and Jace dropping in (literally).

So, I don't think Jace is Valentine's son. I think he REALLY IS a Wayland. I mean, really, Valentine is a freaking manipulative bastard. Whose to say he didn't steal Michael Wayland's kid? I mean, what are we going off of here? Valentine's word? Cuz THAT'S so reliable! We KNOW that Clary is Jocelyn and Valentine's, because there are eye-witnesses, you know? (Luke), but I'm not convinced about Jace! I don't think we'll know for absolute certain until Jocelyn's friend Madeleine who just showed up undoes the spell she put on herself. I'm thinking Jonathan C. Morgenstern really really really died.

So, that's my prediction. I'm going to go read Book 3 now and see if anything contradicts my theory. And see if there's more Jace/Clary kissing in the meantime... ;)

Oh, and I'm super-stoked about Luke and Jocelyn... That would be so cute! And I realize that Luke = Simon, Jocelyn = Clary, Valentine = Jace, but I think that's just WAY too obvious to actually turn out the same way for the kids as for the parents. Jace is NOT going to turn into Valentine!! I hope Simon and Maia will be super-happy together. I predicted that during her very first scene in the book. ...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Julie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: bookclub-reads, outdo-yourself-challenge-2013

City of Ashes starts out with a an action scene and pretty much doesn't stop. While the first book was slower and focused more on developing the background, this book doesn't waste much time rehashing the world building and just jumps right in. This book was definitely darker and more sinister than the first, with our villain Valentine going after another of the Mortal Instruments and murdering Downworlder children to use their blood for his evil plans. We also learn that Valentine did something City of Ashes starts out with a an action scene and pretty much doesn't stop. While the first book was slower and focused more on developing the background, this book doesn't waste much time rehashing the world building and just jumps right in. This book was definitely darker and more sinister than the first, with our villain Valentine going after another of the Mortal Instruments and murdering Downworlder children to use their blood for his evil plans. We also learn that Valentine did something to his children, even though he supposedly never even met Clary, and Jace and Clary discover their really cool abilities, somewhat accidentally on Clary's part, and are able to use them to fight back. I really like Clary's ability, she's definitely the more behind the scenes of the two since Jace is all about action, so I think their abilities fit them very well.

I really enjoy dark and emotionally intense stories, that's why I prefer the paranormal genre - bad stuff happens to all my favorite characters and that makes it all the more fun to read. I love when my characters go through something so difficult and then are able to get past it and let it make them stronger. I think some of that is happening in this series. Jace and Clary, who found out they're brother and sister at the end of book 1, are crazy in love with each other and don't know what to do about their forbidden romance. They're both fighting their feelings and trying to give into their feelings at different times in this book, and that was getting annoying to me. Unless the author is planning on having them get together despite everything, this brother-sister unrequited love plot line should stop. But this is probably the only thing I didn't like about the book. But back to the dark and emotionally intense - Simon! If you thought Simon getting turned into a rat and kidnapped in book 1 was bad, wow wait until you find out what happens to him in this book. I'm not going into any spoilers but omg I did not see any of that coming. Poor Simon! He really does go through a lot of.. um.. changes? in this book but I think in the end it will be alright. His story is definitely the most interesting one for me, with Clary's abilities a close second. I'm excited to read book 3 for next month's discussion, especially since this one ends in a bit of a cliffhanger about Jace and Clary's mother! ...more

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Feb 20, 2021 Eleni Konstantine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: hunter-or-huntress, abilities, ya, magic, guardian, group, wizards, paranormal, magical-creatures, 2021

4.5 stars

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May 22, 2012 Sara ♥ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: action-adventure, young-adult, romance, audiobook, urban-fantasy, 2012, challenge-summer-2012

It's so funny to read your own old reviews, isn't it? Heehee...

This is a middle book, and I felt it more the second time around... maybe because I knew what was going to happen at the end of Book 3, and I just wanted to get to it already...

The plot is really good. Valentine is so freaking evil! :( I no like.

My favorite part is STILL the Seelie Court scene. *heehee* LOVE. :D

I like this narrator better than the one who did the first book. She does the voices better and sound like she "gets" it ...more

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Jun 10, 2009 Haley Mathiot rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

just read it for the second time. I want to say I read it the first time about one year ago..... it's just as good. hilarious, nervewracking, and exciting. as always. ...more

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