City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments)
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.
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.
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Community Reviews
I enjoyed the first book of this series, but I had a hard time paying attention to the second book. To be honest, I'm not really sure what it was about, other than some fights with demons and a stereotypically evil father figure. I might've been better able to pay attention if I had read it, rather than listened to it, but almost all of my "reading" these days is done by audiobook, so a story has to be one that holds my attention through that medium.
The voice actor was just fine, so that wasn't it, although she may have made Valentine sound a bit too stereotypically evil.
I don't think I'll read the next book in the series, as there are other similar series that better hold my attention. I'm now listening to the fourth book in the Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series, which I find much easier to pay attention to, perhaps in part because it's a first-person narrative.
The voice actor was just fine, so that wasn't it, although she may have made Valentine sound a bit too stereotypically evil.
I don't think I'll read the next book in the series, as there are other similar series that better hold my attention. I'm now listening to the fourth book in the Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series, which I find much easier to pay attention to, perhaps in part because it's a first-person narrative.
OH THE FEELS
The feels are real guys. You will with hate and love it all at the same time. Just warning you right now.
The feels are real guys. You will with hate and love it all at the same time. Just warning you right now.
We continue the story of the Shadowhunters as Valentine, already in possession of the Mortal Cup, steals a sword from the Silent Brothers (the name of the sword escapes me, I’m sorry). Valentine wants to change the sword’s allegiance (good to evil) to summon a demon army to bring down the Clave.
There is a lot to unpack with this continuation! Always something new in each chapter.
Love Simon and Magnus.
Not a fan of Clary or Jace so far.
Not as good as the first book, but entertaining in its own right.
There is a lot to unpack with this continuation! Always something new in each chapter.
Love Simon and Magnus.
Not a fan of Clary or Jace so far.
Not as good as the first book, but entertaining in its own right.
Man, this was brutal. Every character is annoying as all get out, whiny and stupid. Even the adults. All the "poor me. It's my fault" stuff got old real quick, and if I wasn't listening to the audiobook while doing other things, I probably wouldn't have finished.
Honestly, I don't feel like this book offered anything to the story from the first book. The characters didn't grow. The plot didn't move. Absolutely nothing of consequence changed, and dang are there certain things - people - who I wished had.
The only redeemable qualities of this book are Magnus Bane and the Seelie Queen. Not sure how those two characters can exist in a sea of so much blah. Hopefully this means there is potential for better things.
Honestly, I don't feel like this book offered anything to the story from the first book. The characters didn't grow. The plot didn't move. Absolutely nothing of consequence changed, and dang are there certain things - people - who I wished had.
The only redeemable qualities of this book are Magnus Bane and the Seelie Queen. Not sure how those two characters can exist in a sea of so much blah. Hopefully this means there is potential for better things.
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