City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2) in Shut Up & Read

Jul 29, 2012 Jen McConnel rated it liked it

It's been awhile since I read book one, but the story is fast and witty and easy to dive into. It's also a series that Joseph Campbell would have a field day analyzing.

Clary and Jace are still fighting the forces of evil, especially their father, the notorious Valentine. Add to the demons and life-or-death situations the fact that Clary is still inexplicably drawn to Jace, and that he seems to return her affections, and you've got archetypal sexy sibling drama. Will they or won't they? Should t ...more

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Dec 04, 2008 Elise rated it liked it

This one was good but not great. The story was a little slower and the plot line a little confusing.

Jace was an asshole in this one. He got in trouble on purpose which got others hurt and killed for trying to save him. He was so stuck on the fact that people didn't believe him that he kept using sarcasm and lies to make them not believe him even more. Clary in this one is kickass but she bugs me. She was so stuck on the fact that Jace was her brother that she didn't pay attention to anything els ...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Marla rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal, with-reservations, lgbt, romance, zz-2011, series, vampires, fantasy, new-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Liked this action packed sequel better than City of Bones.

Likes:
* Jace is a cool, tough, handsome, smart alack Shadowhunter (you might want to be his girlfriend, but I wouldn't want to be his mother!)
* Luke, Clary's werewolf dad-figure is such a cool guy
* Maia, teenage werewolf
* Magnus, the High Wizard, High Warlock of Brooklyn
* Raphael, leader of the Night Children is likable and seems honest
* Clary's coming into her Shadowhunting skills
* the demons were so cool and terrifying, especially, Agr ...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Sasha rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

City of Ashes picks up where City of Bones left off, in a heart-pounding sequel that definitely upped the ante of the first book. Clary Fray wants nothing more than to go back to the way things were, before she found out her true calling as a Shadowhunter, like her mother. However, this is easier said than done, especially when her evil father, Valentine, plots to strike right at the heart of the Shadowhunters and bring the world to its knees. What makes the situation even worse is the fact that City of Ashes picks up where City of Bones left off, in a heart-pounding sequel that definitely upped the ante of the first book. Clary Fray wants nothing more than to go back to the way things were, before she found out her true calling as a Shadowhunter, like her mother. However, this is easier said than done, especially when her evil father, Valentine, plots to strike right at the heart of the Shadowhunters and bring the world to its knees. What makes the situation even worse is the fact that above all, Clary is a teenage girl with two very real boy problems: one, her best friend Simon, who has made clear his romantic intentions towards her, and two, her taboo and undeniable attraction to Jace, who also happens to be her brother.

I absolutely loved that City of Ashes managed to take the same elements of City of Bones and make them darker. It gave the whole book an urgent feeling that lots more was at stake. Also, the characters seemed to realize this as well, and I got to read firsthand how Clary starts to become more assertive in her role as a Shadowhunter. This book also marked the first book in which we truly get to see Clary’s friend Simon mature and grow as a person. His perspective was fascinating, and he quickly became one of my favorite characters as the book progressed, particularly once he (view spoiler). By the end of the book, I was most impressed with Simon’s character growth, because he starts to see himself as more than just the guy defined by his love for Clary Fray.

Jace and Clary’s interactions, on the other hand, frustrated me greatly, because even though I know that they couldn’t help how the felt about each other, I still was extremely uncomfortable with how they handled their new situation as siblings. At one point, Jace even goes so far as to say that it doesn’t matter that they’re related—that they could still have a relationship and just hide it from everyone! I’m just really glad that I was spoiled about what happens with these two, otherwise I might have quit the series right then and there. This was my greatest issue with this book, and it’s a problem that unfortunately is not resolved by book’s end.

It didn’t help that I shipped them like crazy in the first book.

Finally, we also get to see an expansion upon the supernatural world that Clare has created. Werewolves, vampires, fairies… while they were involved in the first book in a peripheral way, in City of Ashes their role is more pronounced. I was particularly intrigued by the fairies… half angel, half demon, these creatures are as conniving and manipulative as they are beautiful. I love morally ambiguous characters, and the Queen of fairies is the one who straddles the line between good and evil with pride. Of course, Valentine is the true villain in this book, and he really brings it. The Scooby gang have to work past their differences to bring him down, and I thought that they were all the stronger for it.

While this book made me question why, exactly, Ms. Clare decided to have the major relationship angst of this book be rather inappropriately incestuous, plotwise this book was excellent and fast-paced. I loved the villain and the character growth, and as always, the book contained the right amount of wit and snark, coupled with a gravity that the previous book didn’t quite have. Kudos to Cassandra Clare for coming up with an excellent sequel.

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