Book Review: City of Ashes (Book 2)

BY: Sarisha Singh

Hey guys!!! I am back again with another book review of one of my favorite series book 2 i.e the City of Ashes. In my last post I had written about book 1 of mortal instruments. Now this is book 2.

PLOT: Clary Fray/Fairchild/Morgenstern just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what’s normal when you are 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 shadowhunter world behind, it would mean more time with her best friend Simon who was becoming more of a friend.

But the showdowhunter world isn’t ready to let her go- especially her handsome, newfound brother- Jace. And Clary’s only chance to help her mother is to take down a rogue shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil and who happens to be her father. To complicate matters in New York city, someone 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 pin points to Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

The main characters of the book are still Clary and Jace. Other secondary characters that make their reappearance in this book are Jace’s siblings that are Alec and Isabelle, the high warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane, Clary’s mundane friend- Simon and Luke, the werewolf. As for Isabelle she stays in the background and gives her input wherever necessary. There is some big revealing between Alec and Magnus. And Luke being like a father to Clary makes a solid reappearance and plays a key part just like in the city of bones. Simon’s personality did change in the story where he was bit by a vampire, Camille and tensions rose between him and Clary.

City of Ashes is a great book and addition to the mortal instruments where Cassandra Clare manages to use the previously created world to the fullest. For me there was not a slack moment in the entire story line. As for the characters, they do continue to develop and as the plot moves, the destinies of both Jace and Clary are slowly revealed- what they are truly and what made them so special. But more over City of Ashes ends with a cool cliff-hanger, of which I am eager to find out what will happen in City of Glass…..

Till then,

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