City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2) in YA and Beyond

Mar 09, 2011 Brittany (finally graduated and can once again read for fun) rated it liked it

Shelves: 2011, ya-my-first-love

Hmmm, well I still don't get what all the hype is about, but I will say City of Ashes was a vast improvement over City of Bones. The good news is that in this latest imstallment we didn't have to put up with the awful world-building. It wasn't a straight Q&A which was better. What bothers me most is that I feel like Clare gets lost in her characters without really having the ability to progress the plot. Yes, getting to know your characters is important... but let's love it along. There is no re Hmmm, well I still don't get what all the hype is about, but I will say City of Ashes was a vast improvement over City of Bones. The good news is that in this latest imstallment we didn't have to put up with the awful world-building. It wasn't a straight Q&A which was better. What bothers me most is that I feel like Clare gets lost in her characters without really having the ability to progress the plot. Yes, getting to know your characters is important... but let's love it along. There is no reason for her books being so long. They could be easily cut in half. So again I ask... where is the editor?

I also thought the story itself was better. I liked the ending so much more. What I fail to get is the continuous way in which Clare telegraphs what is going to happen. It's not foreshadowing, it basically giving the whole thing away before you even know why something has to end the way it does. Foreshadowing is one thing, this is just a little too obvious.

Will I read City of Glass? Yes because I'm finally getting attached to the characters. Magnus Bane is quite intriguing and I loved watching him and Alec towards the end. Also Jace is growing on me because I really enjoy his no-nonsense attitude and I've come to respect it. Even if he is being a pain most of the time. Luke is the glue that is holding everyone together and Simon... well Simon is that tragic loveable character you can't help but fall in love with because he is loyal to our protag to a fault, and he wouldn't want it any other way.

There's nothing new or groundbreaking about this story, it follows a pretty common story arc, the writing is only so-so, but it is improving. But I like the characters and they alone are why I continue to read.

Update: just for the sake of seeing exactly how predictable these books are I'm going to write down what I think will happen. I haven't read a single page in City of Glass, not even the cover with the synopsis... That being said, here are my predictions...

1) Jace is the son of the Inquisitor's friend who died when she was 8 months prego, either that or the son of the Inquisitor herself. I don't know how or why, but Jace and Clary have to have a way to be together and this is the solution.
2) It's inevitable... Jace and Clary will be able to be together. Somehow, someway we all know it's going to happen even if the above prediction turns out to be completely wrong
3) Valentine is going to go after a 3rd Mortal Instrument. It's the rule of 3 people...
4) Dare I say sparks will fly between Simon and Maia... I mean the BBF deserves his HEA too right? I mean vampires, werewolves... who cares really. If they can make it work in Twilight surely they can make it work here.
5) Clary's mom is going to wake and eventually have to face Valentine
6) Luke is going to do one of 2 things either 1) sacrifice his life so either Clary or her mother will live, or 2) finally come clean to Clary's mom about how much he loves her and they get a weird and warped HEA too.
7) Magnus Bane will still stand out as the most intriguing character of the book.
8) oh... and the crew are finally going to have to make the trip to Idris.

Okay, there you have it. We'll see how it all goes. I'm hoping for surprises... really I am. I want to be wrong, about some things. ...more

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