The "City" Trilogy (rumors of a 4th in May '10?) is fun, adventurous and a sort of cross of Twilight meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I'm a big fan of both so of course, I enjoyed these books alot. They can be slightly predictable, but I'm ok with that. Great character building and imaginative settings and circumstances. Read 'em!

The story get better and better!! Jace is awesome and the plot gets a good deal thicker!! Terrific book!!

I'm heartbroken that I am done with these books! I wish there were more to read. What great characters and what a great story!!!

I was not very satisfied by this volume of the Mortal Instruments series. I think it was summed up well by a friend of mine as just being a very weird book. The writing is unnecessarily melodramatic while the plot moves along quite slowly, except during the important parts, where it seems to zoom by too fast. For the most part, the characters are kept realistic, although they all do go through their brief moments of flatness. The cultural references are a fun addition, adding a bit of extra enjoyment throughout the book. Like I had said in my review of City of Bones, the love triangle is overdone, like so many other books. The additional drama with Simon's character seems ridiculously overdone to me, particularly the supposed vampire vs. werewolf drama, as if we needed more of that. The cliffhanger was crazy awesome, and I can't wait to read more, but by God, I hope we are done with the disgustingness that is Jace/Clary. I don't need to read about siblings who are madly in love with each other, I really don't. Anyways, looking forward to getting my hands on City of Glass, and, oh, one last thing. Dumbledore would so win in a fight versus Magnus, no questions asked!

Rating: 3.5/5

The next book in The Mortal Instruments trilogy is City of Ashes, and it holds more action, more suspense, and even more unexpected surprises! While continuing her fight to find her place in the Shadowhunting world and a cure for her mother, Clary is more confused than ever. She still has feelings for Jace, but the fact that he's her brother makes things that much more harder. Then there's Simon and their relationship, which just moved to a new level. To make matters worse, Valentine is back and has stolen another mortal instrument, the soul sword. Can they stop him in time?

Amazing! I can't seem to get enough of these books. Cassandra Clare's writing is great. I feel like everything there isn't what it seems to be. For example, Clary and Jace's "brother-sister" relationship. Are they really? I can't wait to find out in the next, and final installment.

this series is awesome. way better than harry potter. i cant wait for The City of Falling Angels to come out. these books are suspenseful and great. its so great that i couldnt put the book down until i finished reading. i would reccomend this book to everyone, even the people who hate reading. once you read this book you will love to read and keep on reading this series over and over again. cassandra clare is a great author.

My daughter recommended this series, based on my love of Twilight and Harry Potter. I simply loved this series - and I really like the readers for the audiobooks. Highly recommended!

What would you do if the worst person in the world was your parent? Valentine Morgenstern is bent on destroying the Clave--the Shadowhunter's arm of the Law--and ridding the world of Downworlders--the demons (or half-demons) that Shadowhunters are sworn to hunt if they threaten human lives. Valentine already has The Mortal Cup. Will stealing The Soul Sword bring Valentine closer to his goal? Sure, some innocent people might get in the way, but what's a little collateral damage when you want to remake the world in your own vision?

Clary and Jace are not bad people. Yes, they might be in love. Even if they are sister and brother. But that doesn't mean they're destined to follow in their father's footsteps, does it?

Clary wishes she could turn her back on the secret world of the Shadowhunters and return to a normal life with her best friend. But nothing is normal for Clary, not while her mother lies in the hospital in a coma.

Jace meanwhile tries to drown out his troubles by hunting and alienating the people he cares about. The only problem is, the alienation part isn't that hard when no one he cares about seems to trust him anymore. Instead of seeing the Jace they knew, it seems like everyone sees Valentine's son lying in wait to betray them.

Will Jace be able to prove he isn't his father's son? Will Clary's mother wake up? And what about the Downworlder children being murdered throughout New York City?Find out in City of Ashes (2008) by Cassandra Clare.

City of Ashes picks up soon after the first book in The Mortal Instruments series (City of Bones). Clare goes over the key past events without excessive rehashing. It is likely that this book would even stand on its own although readers will miss out on a lot of the fun if they skip the first book.

This book offers more introspection for all of the characters. Clare shifts viewpoints between several principal characters offering a wider view of events and the world Clare has build. Readers also get a wider view of the characters themselves. Jace in particular is fleshed out a lot in this book.

Then, of course, there is the star-crossed romance aspect as Clary and Jace struggle to move past their impossible feelings for each other as they try to understand what it really means to just be brother and sister. It might seem like a strange situation to add to a story, but Clare handles it tastefully and well enough that it's easy to bear with her for the length of the book (and the rest of the series) to see where things will lead.

City of Ashes is as action-packed as its predecessor but with more character and world development. Clare has created another gripping, enjoyable read sure to dazzle.

Possible Pairings: The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan, The Inferno by Dante, The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot, How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling, The Golem's Eye by Jonathan Stroud, The Bible

The first book City of Bones was intriguing but poorly witten this one makes up for it while it is far from flawless it has a great story and is much easier to get lost in then the first. I couldnt put it down i had to know what was going to happen to jace and clary.... they are so many cliffhangers in this one that i have a feeling the thierd is going to be great.

I read the entire series last Fall and absolutely loved all three books.

City of Ashes is excellent! It will keep your attention beginning to end.
The characters are very entriguing. As in the first and last books, there is action from beginning to end, with a good amount of romance. I think of this series as Twilight meets Harry Potter!

Excellent books!
Don't hesitate in readind them.

What can I say about this book? I didn't read the first one. I didn't know there was a series. I was browsing, read the little synopsis and and a few pages and had to take the thing home.

It's great. That's all. Just a lot of fun. The other reviewers have pretty much said what needs saying about it; I just wanted to add my stars.

Oh and these words from Meg Ryan as Kate in the film FRENCH KISS.

"Oh. Beautiful. Wish you were here."

Because that's how I feel about the world Ms. Clare created.

This was an entertaining trilogy to read. Not as deep as one would like at times, but definitely fun to read. Good engaging story.

i love cassandra clare's series, the mortal instruments. in city of ashes, the series just getting better. full of suspence and twists, this book is one of my favorites. i highly recomend it!

The book was in fantastic condition, hardly any wear on it. I recieved it quickly. I would buy from them again.

Is what you'll want to say if you were expecting a well written urban fantasy. Busy teen readers deserve quality reads instead of a book this poorly slapped together. I struggled through this volume only because I purchased the boxed set. Book 2 notches up the pace a bit over the first installment and it's shorter length is an improvement that earned it the 2nd star.

The whole shadowhunter concept is still so thinly fleshed out that when Clary and Jace begin to manifest new powers the reader is left wondering if this is finally an attempt at world building or a plot twist. Magic is tossed in willy nilly whenever cliched drama needs an explanation. In one scene Clary is talking to Simon on her phone when he hears someone smashing in his door. She rushes over to his house a page later and calmly unlocks the door that has just been smashed in. We're told it must be magic. Shadowhunter magic? Demon magic? Bewitched reruns?

A large portion of this book takes place on a ship. However no attempt seems to have been made to research ships. The term is used interchangeably with boat, and terms for parts of the ship such as bulkheads and ladders don't appear until the last hundred pages.(Finally get around to using the library?)

The action scenes are exciting mainly because Ms Clare seems completely unable to visualize them. Two men are backed into a niche fighting the demons in front of them. One of the demons spits poison at them. Does the poison hit the bulkhead behind them when they duck? NO! This is boomerang spit I guess because it goes right over the top of their heads and hits another demon! Amazing.

Isabelle climbs over the rail to leave the ship just before Alex slips in the gore on the deck and slides over the EDGE of the ship. To get over the rail of a ship you either have to climb or be helped which is why when a sailor goes missing on a calm day in the middle of a harbour authorities tend to get a tad excited. Maybe this is Alex manifesting a new edge sliding magic ability?

Clary is knocked to her feet by water pouring through a hole in the ship. A few paragraphs later she is sucked OUT of the ship through the hole with water pouring IN it. Is it possible this author is the only person left in the world who has NOT seen a movie about the Titantic?

I could go on but you get the idea. If you're already a reader of quality fantasy don't waste your money. Click some Amazon links and you're bound to find something better. If you're already a fanbois or fangurl of the series, enjoy, then find a teacher or friend to recommend a really great title. Good books are out there. This just isn't one of them.

It literally was such a wonderful and enticing read that I just couldn't put the book down. There were so many twists and turns that you couldn't expect all of them to even be possible. I was looking for a great read at the time and I read the first book in one day I needed to go grab the second one as soon as possible. And that's what I did.
It truly is something that will keep you guessing right until the very end and STILL leave you begging for the third book in the series. Definitely something to enjoy if you love romance, fantasy, adventure, mystery....I could go on. Which does include frustration of Jace and Clary!

If you have not read City of Glass do not read on. Review is full of SPOILERS for the 1st book. Go out buy City of Glass. Read it and then read this review. :)

City of Glass left us with one H E C K of a cliffhanger. I was literally left reeling. Yet, even though I was fascinated with the world that Clare had created, I didn't rush out and buy the second one. Which I'm rather glad I did not, because I would have been severely disappointed.

City of Ashes starts right off where the last book ended. Clary is distraught because of the discovery that Jace is her brother, and Simon is PO'd that he can't get Clary to step away from the insestual thoughts she has been having and into his waiting arms.

Clare exposes a few more Downworlders - the fairies, and introduces us to a few more characters.

Valentine is still an undefeatable enemy, who now has very strong allies that almost seem omnipotent.

My problems arose in this novel because of the massive amount of worthless prattle that Clare focused on. There was just a lot of nonsense in this novel. Simon and Clary's relationship was focused on a lot, even though it was completely unbelievable. Clary was only "pretending" at a relationship. There was no emotion there. The only time she showed real emotion to Simon was when he was on the verge of dying. When he was alive and well - she just seemed annoyed with him.

Also the "bad guys" are just a little too much. The vast armies of Valentine were just over the top. Swarms and swarms - how in the world were they to defeat this? The Inquisitor's actions were also very unbelievable. The Inquisitor acted like a complete loon. L-O-O-N spells unrealistic. Both Valentine and the Inquisitor are unwavering in their stubborn beliefs - arguing and pleading did nothing to waver them - so all the logic battles that Clary, Jace, Alec & Isabelle fought with them was just hot air.

Oh and where did Maia go??? Huh? She is like this side character that may or may not turn into a big character - and she just jumps through a hole and disappears? Holes Holes and More Holes.

What had me pulling my hair out - the Whispering without any conclusions. What did the Inquisitor say to Jace? What did the Inquisitor see that made her freak out?

I am hoping and praying that the 3rd installment is much better than the 2nd - because I am hooked to the characters and their plights.

I am a new fan of this series and I love it! Great books with well developed characters and great plot.

This book is an excellent read! I enjoyed escaping into their world Cassandra Clare created!

The hypocrite in me will probably read the third book too- of course, who am I to break up the series? I mean after all, I plodded through the 4 wasted weeks of my life that were the Twilight saga. Now those books were really something! And not the good kind, of course. I mean, those books were so bad, they made the Inheritance saga look gold.

But basically, Cassandra's books are GREAT if you like reading:

1) The Mary Sue character. We've read several books with these before- the House of Night books, the Twilight books, A Thousand Splendid Suns, etc. You name it. That's right, we have the character that has EVERYTHING perfect and survives everything. Her name would be Clary Fray, of course! If you thought her Mary Sue-ness pushed the boundaries of the first book, wait till you read the City of Ashes.

2) Lazy writing/Even lazier editing/Zero-level characterization. I don't have anything against Clare at all. I think she can be a good writer if she wants to be. But she needs to learn how to make characters that are at least Remotely interesting. THe only interesting character is Jace- a cool, stylish, slick guy with a good sense of urgency. And if you thought her making up words in the first book was bad, again, wait till you read this book! She does it SEVERAL times here, whether it be be fanfiction level phrases or turning nouns into verbs. Oh, and halfway through it felt like Clare got lazy and said "Hey, I wrote a real hit! No need to proofread of edit this!!!". Who was her editor even? And WHere was the editor, too? Was he/she on a hot beach sipping wine coolers and not caring about how poorly written it was?

3) Fanfiction level plot. If it walks like a Harry Potter, talks like a Harry Potter, and acts like a Harry Potter, it must be Harry Potter, right? Nope, it's The Mortal Instruments. Reading these books seems as though you are in a bad deleted scene from the Potter movies/books. It's basically the lovechild of Harry Potter, Buffy, Star Wars, and Twilight. But who am I to judge, I've read fanfictions that are better than this! The thing is, if this were actually a fanfiction, I would have rated it higher (but certainly not by much). So one should wonder exactly people in the right mind would rate this above two stars?

Yes, it's true, I despised the first book and gave up 267 pages into it. However, I then had second thoughts, so I finished the book and I guarantee you, it was only MARGINALLY bettter than the first half! I'm not saying I hate these books. At least not the concept of them. Jace is a cool character, the Shadowhunters are cool, there's lots of humor and imagery, but these books are like a really bad fanfiction- so poorly written but hilarious that way.

But even then, it's still better than Twilight.

This was a beautifully written series. I was spellbound from the moment I picked the first book up. So many twists and turns and nothing was ever what it seamed. If you want something that will grab your attention and always leave you wanting more, this is the series to buy.

The first book in this series, City of Bones, left the readers hanging and begging for more. Cassandra Clare did not disappoint in her second installment of the Mortal Instruments series!

From the very first page, this book sucks you in, and it doesn't let go until the last word. Even then, thoughts of Jace, Clary, Valentine, and the story's plot claimed my mind for days. The characters are deep and realistic, and every one of them will find a place in your heart.

City of Bones' ending had a shocking surprise, and after reading about it, I was sure Cassandra Clare could never surprise me again. Boy was I proven wrong! I found myself squealing with delight at certain parts and gasping out lound in others. With Clare behind the wheel, this book is going to take you on a ride like you've never been on before.

I can't wait to read the third book! And the last one, which has yet to be released.

I couldn't put this book down. It's a great sequel to City Of Bones, you could even say it's better. It has its problems, but those are things you can get pass because the story just absorbs you completely. There was a lot of action and suspense with this one, but it was equally amazing. I can't wait to read City Of Glass!

This next installment of The Mortal Instruments was full of action, suspense, and surprises! I really enjoyed City of Ashes, but it didn't grab me like City of Bones did. City of Ashes was too focused around Jace, and while Jace is a great character, I wanted more of the others. City of Ashes is just full of shockers and moments that will make you gasp.

In City of Ashes you really get to know some of the old characters, particularly Jace. While you get to know some characters better, I felt other faded into the background. Isabelle for example is almost never heard from, and I love what she brings to the scenes she's in. You also get introduced to many new characters, one such was Maia, a werewolf who I hope to hear more from!

It'll be interesting to see where Jace and Clary's "brother-sister" relationship goes in the next book. Conflict is hot between the two of them throughout the entire book, and you never know where it will lead.

I love the cover for this book! Of the 3 books in the series, this cover is my favorite. I'm sure happy book 3, City of Glass, is already out so I don't have to wait to read it!

Don't get me wrong, the book is very different from other books that I've read. No let me refrase that; Its a great book, with a great plot and well written characters. Downside you say? Well I still don't feel comfortable that the brother and sister fall in love! I am thinking that the author will change it in the third book (Have not read it yet), but still, you just feel uncomfortable that they are brother and sister! I am to the point that when Clary thinks about Jace or kisses him my reaction would be aaah, they love each other...but then reality is that they are BROTHER AND SISTER.....then I think to myself, what the heck am I saying! I don't know whether or not they are brother and sister (my guess is yes cause thats nasty..) but honestly, when I told my little sister about the book and told her she has to read the series she was like, "oh, well I don't have time, what makes this one different than the rest? I know, girl falls in love with boy, something happens and they cant be with each other.." then I told her, "you have to read it, its a good book...by the way, you are right, but what you dont know is that they are brother and sister..." And she picked up the book right away.....so yes, its a good book, but the author totally needs to change that part!!

I am not giving 5 stars just becasue of that issue.....

To anyone that has read City of Bones, City of Ashes does not disappoint. It will keep you hooked to each page and thirsting for more. Give it a chance.

This second book to The Mortal Instruments series did not disapoint. I loved every minute of it and couldn't wait to read the third book. Again another great quick read.

City of Ashes is the 2nd installment in Cassandra Clare's enticing young adult Mortal Instruments trilogy.

City of Ashes picks up where City of Bones ends.


Warning: If you haven't already read City of Bones, I highly suggest reading it first, rather than starting with City of Ashes since it's not really a story that is considered a stand-alone.


I will do my best not to pepper this review w/ spoilers because I don't think it is fair to ruin your reading pleasure.


City of Ashes kicks off like the fireworks during a Macy's 4th of July celebration! Clare grabs hold of you & pulls you into the whirlwind supernatural adventure that is this astounding read.


Clare delivers City of Ashes in 3rd person but is mostly from the delightful & empowering Clary's perspective. Clare does a phenomenal job showcasing Clary's perplexity @ all that is going on around her Shadowhunter sphere.


Let me warn you, City of Ashes is an enthralling read & you will be hard pressed to put it down. Simply, Clare's Mortal Instruments Series reads like an epic flick ~ electrifying!

What I love about Clare's writing is the delectable vibrancy sprinkled through out this fetching novel. City of Bones is stuffed w/ explosive action, dripping w/ topnotch tension & juicy goodness. The world of the Shadowhunters is charged w/ titillating nuggets that is not just breathtaking but makes your head spin.


Clary's bff, Simon, definitely is one riveting member in this launching. He really did shatter the mold. Clare took the term "bring it" for the intriguing Simon & certainly did.


The brother & sister Shadowhunter team , Alec & Isabelle are utterly enthralling. I truly enjoy reading about them.

Magnus Bane is a mesmerizing player & one of my faves.


Now, I will address the pink elephant in the room by saying everything isn't always what it seems (thank you, Cassandra).


I have to be honest, the incestuous tones between Clary & Jace made my stomach roil & my skin crawl but things aren't always what they seem.


Hurry up & grab a copy of City of Ashes!

As if Cassandra Clare's City of Bones wasn't bone-chilling enough, the second novel offers an even deeper view into the fantastic world where demons and Shadowhunters live. City of Ashes absolutely lives up to my expectations of what a sequel should be! Clary Fray continues her quest to find the Mortal Instruments in order to save the world from dark demons. At the same time, she must struggle with her ever-evolving feelings for Jace, who now remains forbidden to her in the one way she truly wants, as well as her developing relationship with her best friend Simon. Throw in an eccentric warlock, a couple of heartless rulers, and a sadistic father, and the reader winds up with a clever arrangement of intrigue and non-stop action.
-- Reviewed by Susan Safra

The Mortal Instruments trilogy caught my eye specifically because Stephenie Meyers wrote a brief testimonial on the front cover, "The Mortal Instruments series is a story world that I love to live in. Beautiful!" And while I do not make a habit of purchasing books base on an author's recommendation, I made this one exception. And I am quite happy that I did. The Mortal Instruments is a story of love, action, adventure, drama, magic, and all elements that kept me turning the pages. Down to the final chapter it was almost unbearable to continue reading because I knew I would leave the world of Idris, the Shadowhunters, and the characters that I have grown to love.

City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments)I distinctly remember reading the City of Ashes with intensity and concentration as if I was in a marathon. I was racing through pages during the action sequences and slowing down to catch my breath as Jace and Clary battle within themselves to refute a persistent love that emotionally tears their being. And while Simon is now the `boyfriend', the feeling of an unrequited love also brings him sadness.

It is also refreshing to see how the Downworlders' take a more active role in the story as Vampires, Warlocks, and Faeries help battle evil, thereby proving that even if they have the Demon's blood, the humanity in them reigns. Thus, good wins in the end.

I didnt really expect to gain literary knowledge from this series. It definitely does what its supposed to. Entertain you. Its predictable yes, but the world that has been created by the author needs imagination.. so kudos to her on that. Other than that..I read the entire series in a week... What can I say I enjoy fiction.

I loved the book and the series. The characters are believable and endearing. Clare creates a world I love to escape to. My daughters and I couldn't put the books down, and we finished them quickly. This is one of the few book series that I will read again and again. I am looking forward to other books by Cassandra Clare.

I did like this series. You absolutely cannot only review one book due to the cliffhanger like endings that immediately bring you to the next book..advice: Get all 3 at once so you do not pull your hair out.
This mix of vamps, wolves, fairies etc., mixed with a new species Nephilim was awesome.
The brother/sister thing...not so good.
Other ways to make the scintillating twists and turns this author is capable of without crossing those lines in the sand in children's literature.
I was a llittle leary about sibling love and knew things would resolve but some people may object to this issue and may not continue forward in the books. Overall excitement fantasy genre appropriateness is 4 stars. I needed to take it down to 3 related to that odd topic I mentioned above.

As I read this 2nd book I found myself trapped in their world. Very engaging. I know, its weird. But thanks to Cassie's descriptiveness in the book I was able visualize myself as/from each characters point of view.
I was in constant suspense with the character of Simon. Was he going to die? Is he going to live?
I found the incestuous relationship between Clary and Jace to be somewhat intriguing. This is most likely because in the back of my head I know they will not end up to be sibling, thanks to the hint of the Inquisitor.
I said it with Twilight and I'll say it about Mortal Instruments..but I don't know if there will be another book that is going to top this series.
Side Note: My husband keeps thinking I am obsessed with vampire novels ever since I read Twilight. I keep telling him that MI is NOT about vampires. But he still continues to point out vampire novels when we're at the bookstore.

Beware of my flippers book 3.

city of ashes was a very good read,if your into the supernatural.I would recomend this book,the only bad thing i can say about it is the caracters can get boreing,and the story of clary and jace gets old fast.but it has enough action in it to keep you wanting to read more.

Honestly, I thought this book was a solid follow up to City of Bone. I liked it a lot; the prose was good, the plot and the world sucked me in and kept me fascinated. I thought the love-triangle was real; it wasn't all cherry-pie and roses.

Some of the criticism for this comes about because of the incestuous tones of the triangle; but what people seem to forget, is that Clary and Jace have JUST found out that they are siblings; before that, they were on the fast track to a hot and heavy relationship. Something chemical like that does not just stop; even if its inappropriate, and i prefer the direction she took with it rather then the more mary-sue-esq mentioning that all their feelings had dried up as soon as they found out they were siblings. To me, it made the characters much more real.

All in all, it was a great read; I'd recommend it to anyone.

My problem with the first book rested with Clare's world-building, but this one allowed me to move on to actually not liking the characters. Not because of their over-described beauty, but because they cease to act like responsible, logical people. I don't mean logical adults or even logical teenagers, I mean that no one in their right mind would do some of the things the characters in this book do. I read this series for a friend of mine, a young sort infatuated by the series. That was kind of the only reason I did, and rest assured that she and I will be discussing what works and what doesn't and why. There will be a lot of the latter.
In my review of the first book, I went into detail about the Shadowhunters rather racist treatment of mundanes. That the so-called guardians of mankind could look upon their protectorate with contempt didn't endear me to them as heroes, because, after all, I the reader would be one. And I wouldn't want to meet a damn Shadowhunter if they were going to sneer at me every five seconds. From a strictly literary standpoint, Valentine's hatred of Downworlders is somehow supposed to be this terrible, awful thing, but how are we supposed to get that when we see how the Shadowhunters behave? Especially when they refer to helpless civilians in the same tone one would talk about a drooling idiot. (Because, I'm certain, none of the Shadowhunters ever benefited from mundane inventions, like, say, swords, jackets, zippers, motorcycles, elastic, nylon, boots, etc.) Fantasy benefits from dichotomy, Ms. Clare. And you gave me black and grey morality by mistake.
I hated that Simon became a vampire. Call it my despair event horizon. Vampires don't do much for me (I might have been a little happier if he'd become a werewolf, but not by much), but it just seemed to drive the point home that Simon sucked and would always suck as long as he was a mundane. (Until he became a vampire, which does literally suck, and that just seemed a hilariously sad metaphorical satire; purely unintentional on the part of the author, I'm sure.) Heroes must be morally correct, more morally correct than the reader, and Clary's decision to let Simon become a vampire was ethically incorrect in my opinion. As wrong as allowing an injured animal to suffer out of a human inability to let go. The downside to being a vampire is rarely discussed in ideal worlds like Clare's and Meyers's, but the fact that Simon's religious beliefs were directly compromised by his change was terrible to me. Clary allowed her friend, who had no choice in the matter, to become a monster, cursed with a half-life and banished from a world he actually liked living in. Somehow, that was better than letting him simply die (and as far as religious beliefs/philosophy were concerned, letting him meet his God untainted). Simon got dragged into the supernatural world by Clary; she had a responsibility to him, and seeing Clary deal with the actual repercussions of that would have been far more interesting than "You're a vampire, so that means everything's okay. By the way, I let you live, you owe me." Easily the biggest disappointment of the series for me, because it just made the utter lack of responsibility on the part of the heroes resonate that much further. They owed nothing to the mundanes, nothing to the Downworlders, and nothing to each other by their actions. Trying to claim the opposite is nothing more than informed ability on the part of the author. "They're really good and nice and heroic!" The rule is show, don't tell.
And further, the Clave is useless. The higher ups, who should and would be concerned about youngsters mucking things up, can't do anything right. And conveniently, it's everyone, not just the Inquisitor. The Council's not paying attention, the Inquisitors are going crazy with power, and all these families who ought to care are all sitting in jury duty? Not even the Army fails to post active troops like this; there's always a Lieutenant or a Colonel to inform when the General is busy. It's clumsy world-building, and we see it clunking along on every page. This is why the story can't be serious, because the author can't be bothered to make it so. The characters are playing in this world, not living in it and suffering in it, because none of the ethical, moral, and emotional ramifications of most of the stuff that happens is explored at all. Instead we get "I want to sleep with my sister!'" "No! I mean ... yes ... no wait! Yes. Aw, crap!" (And while it might have squicked some people that the author wouldn't leave it alone, I figured out halfway through book 2 that they weren't brother and sister at all. Simon breaking up with Clary just drove it home.) I seriously wonder what Holly Black and Libba Bray were thinking to endorse this. Maybe someone twisted their arms?
Two stars because she's not as bad as Meyer or Paolini, but man, does her fanfiction background ever show. When you write fanfiction, you can't suck even when you do, and that's a bad environment to be fostered in.

HAVIN PREVIOUSLY READ THE TWILIGH SAGA IT WAS IN THE BEGINING A BIT SRTANGE TO GET USE TO IT BUT AS I GOT INVOLVED WITH THE CARACTERS I WAS HOOKED! I WAS TRANSPORTED INTO THE NEW YORK OF MY TEEN YEARS INSTANTLY, WICH WAS A GREAT GIFT FOR ME.

I don't have a good track record with this series. I read the first one when it was first released and absolutely HATED the twist at the end. It ruined the book for me and hence I never prgressed with the series.

However, one of my friends has been bugging me to finish the series for ages, so I finally got my act together and started them again.

I find Clare's writing to be a little too flowery for my tastes. There is just so much unnecessary description - towards the end I was just reading the dialogue and skimming all the description in between. It doesn't really add to the story at all. Actually I skimmed probably 1/4 of this book, that was mainly just so I could finish it instead of reading a couple of pages from time to time.

Cassandra Clare is a brand new author, but you can't tell from her writing! I absolutely adored her Mortal Insturments trilogy and would love to see it made into a movie! It was filled with action from start to finish and romance that gave me goosebumps =) If you are buying this for your teenager I would say some of the situations are more adult than others, nothing graphic when it comes to romance but the fighting can get gruesome and some of the family issues are complex in nature. I am 26 and it was PERFECT for a light summer read. I have passed them on to my co-workers at work and they are all raving as well! It's become the talk of the office!

This series captivated me from the very beginning! All three books are wonderful and the story line is really great!

This three part series is amazing. I could not put it down. This book is very well written and entertaining.

As the second installment of the Mortal Instruments trilogy, the Shadowhunters have to deal with the fact that Valentine, a charismatic, brilliant man bent on their destruction, is alive and well, and not dead as they once supposed. Some shadowhunters believe that Valentine's son, Jace, may have conspired to spy for Valentine and help him all along. Clary, the heroine, is caught in the middle of her love for Jace (who, according to Valentine, is her brother), trying to find a way to wake up her comatose mother, trying to find it in her heart to love her long time friend, Simon, the way she loves Jace (who she thinks she should not love, because he is supposed to be her brother), and trying to stop her father, the cruel and merciless Valentine, from summoning a hoard of demons to kill everyone in the Clave, or those belonging to the shadowhunter world. And as if these concerns were not enough, Clary also starts having strange dreams and begins to realize that she has certain powers that not everyone in the clave have, a fact that could make her an asset and a target.

Fairies have a larger role in this novel than the last one, and vampires and werewolves are still on the scene, as in the first book. Simon, Clary's best friend, also becomes a part of the shadow world, so he is no longer an outsider looking in on Clary's new life as a shadowhunter, and has a prominent role.

Many parents/teens are concerned about the appearance of sex/drugs in books, so I will mention that this book is clean of both. There are no drugs, sex may be referenced once or twice, but there are no sex scenes. There is, however, one amazing kiss in the fairy court that changes a couple of lives, as well as some other kissing and moments of romance that are short-lived but sultry. This book is more about love than lust.

I loved the scene where Valentine was about to kill Simon and Simon could not pray, so he said the only word he could think worth saying, which was absolutely heart-wrenching... I loved the scene where Clary brought Valentines entire enterprise crashing down...I loved how we get to see Magnus start to connect with Alec. I know I should not put too many details about the book in the review, but I just had include those three things. There are probably about a dozen more I could include. I really love this series, even though you still think Jace and Clary are related throughout this entire book (but you may doubt it) and they are very obviously in love.

Not really. I am not a teenager, and I've read a lot of books. The fact that the author spent a whole other book that ended right where it started with Jace and Clary lets me know that they're not gonna be brother and sister in the third installment. If they were, then they would have begun to move on and change in this book after they found out they were related in book 1. The fact that she keeps their love not only alive but constant and really plays up the romantic tension lets me know that they're not related. Otherwise, she's just going on about how two blood relatives have the hots for each other, knowing that it can't ever go anywhere. But I know ya lit. Clare's building to something, and it better be Jace and Clary, and it better be hot. That's all I can say, after two books of longing and desire and forbidden love. It better not be forbidden in book 3.

I wish I could review this book, as of yet I have not recieved this book. I read the first one in the series and would love to read the second but it has been a month and I still do not have this book

Despite similarities to other books this series still was very original and exciting to read.

What can I say about this book? Cassandra Clare really has a great series going with her Mortal Instruments books. I was ready to pick up #3 and start reading as soon as I put down City of Ashes, but my conscience stopped me in order to write this review. And after all, I'd hate to start mixing up the two books before writing my review for this one.

Once again, looking at a world with all walks of supernatural life, coupled with bits of religion (Christianity) sprinkled throughout makes for a fascinating read. I've picked up several new bits of mythology in reading these books and it's obvious that Clare must have done a great deal of research to write these novels. She also has a great ability with dialogues, as I mentioned in my review of City of Bones. I have to say I would have liked to see a bit more of the sarcastic banter in this book--it really was toned down until about the second half. Perhaps that's why it took me a little longer to get into the story, as well. It just seemed a bit slower this time around, until I got a little over halfway through, and then at that point I really couldn't put the book down. By the end of it, I still had several unanswered questions; hence, the temptation to pick up City of Glass and dive in. This book is definitely a cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more.

The main cast of characters is still enjoyable to read about, with a few new faces thrown in this time around, as well. The Inquisitor is a truly unlikeable woman (hmmm, a bit reminiscent of Dolores Umbridge??) and I found it difficult to believe that she could behave the way she was. Even given what we find out about her life towards the end of the book. Her unwillingness to listen to the truth was a little over the top, in my opinion. But I suppose that is what makes us love to hate her. We also meet a new young werewolf, Maia, and I am curious to see if she plays a role in City of Glass.

Fans of City of Bones will certainly enjoy this sequel. I know I did, though perhaps not quite as much as that first book.

(Additional Note: My actual rating is 4-1/2 stars but I round up for sites like Amazon.)

This was way better than I expected. I loved it! I love sequels, you're already into the story from the beginning so its more interesting. You already know everyone, even the author's writing so that's important. Once I got into it I loved the whole thing. The action was way better, and I loved the changing scene thing she does during the action. I have to say this, the ending of the last book was crushing, but the ending in this one was devastating, heartbreaking! I'm glad I don't have to wait to read the next one.. If she keeps improving it will only get much better.

The story was great, the fantasy part was impeccable -my imagination has no repair after this- I loved her writing this time, and also -as City of Bones- has an awesome cover. The characters were absolutely amazing, I am in love with Jace and I have to say I keep loving more Alec's character. This is by far one -of the ever growing collection- of my favorite books.

Once I finished reading City Of Bones, I knew right away that I wanted to read more about Clary and her world. I was surprised with some of the thing's that happen in City of Ash. Some of course you can see coming but others you don't expect.

There are a few spelling errors in the book but I don't know if it's just my copy or if it's in all the City Of Ash book's but despite that it's another great installment to The Mortal Instruments Trilogy.


Another thing that I loved about this book was the cover. Like the first one, it's shiny but with this one I just love the colors. Just to bright or to dull but just right.

I liked this series. It was a little nerdy at points and the author has a weird style of writing. The story was good though. There was no fluff and all action. The story does not end at the end of this book so plan on getting the last one, too.