Hello! My name is Chie. I am likely to be the girl you'll see whose eyes would bulge out of their sockets at the sight of a book store and be seized by waves of epileptic shock whenever there is a book bargain. I'll probably be the one pushing you out of my way to get through the book bargain bins and tediously combing through the pile. (I forget my manners when it comes to books). I am tone deaf and have two left feet. But I would endure the embarrassment of a performance in exchange for books (terms and conditions apply). I have created this blog in order to find kindred souls. Those who would gladly share the same passion for books and reading because although reading is solitary task most of the time, it's no fun having no one to ramble to after..
Synopsis: To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law and breaking, the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.
As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies, But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? Whilst Jace realises exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?
Review: This book was utterly amazing, it was the best of The Mortal Instruments that I've read so far. It was flawlessly written. The characters were amazing once again and the romance was utterly gorgeous. I don't know why I've been putting off this book but I am so glad that I finally read it. It made me smile, it made me laugh, it made tear up and it made me fall in love with the characters all over again. This book was so insanely incredible, that I once had finished reading the last sentence on the page, I merely just sat there, smiling whilst hugging the book to my chest. If you haven't yet read the City of Glass, you should, as soon as possible.
In the City of Glass, Clary's mom Jocelyn is still in comatose state in the hospital. In order to save her mother's life, Clary needs to travel to The Glass City, otherwise known as Alicante in Idris to try and find a warlock who will help Clary find the antidote to cure her mom. When Jace refuses to take her, as he knows about all the possible dangers there, Clary decided to find her own way in.
Despite Clary's worry about saving her mother, there are even more deadly issues she needs to think about. Her and Jace's father, Valentine, already has two of the Mortal Instruments and he just needs the third one, the Mirror to complete his ruthless plan. The only way the Shadowhunters will be able to fight him, is if they join up with the Downworlders in a bid to save the entire Nephilim race, which Valentine so cruelly wants pure that he is willing to kill all of them in the process, But with the wariness between the two groups, it's looking like an impossible feat to get them to work side-by-side, but if they don't, the world as they know it will be destroyed.
I don't actually know what to say, all that I can say is that I utterly adored this book. It was magical, it was enchanting,it was heart-breaking yet simultaneously uplifting. There were so many fantastic twists, although some of them did seem quite predictable to me and I guessed them before they happened.
With Cassandra's books, I find they are quite hard to get into at times, I don't know if I am the only one or not who finds that. However, there's a certain points in her books where the plot starts thickening, the pace picks up and before you know it you've read a handful of chapters. In the City of Glass, like the other books of her I've read, I wasn't completely grasped immediately but as I kept reading there was a certain point in the novel where I started devouring the words I couldn't get the words and I couldn't get enough. City of Glass was incredibly fast-paced and I flew through pages. There was so much action and suspense and there were times where I couldn't catch my breath for all the astounding things that were happening.
Cassa.ndra Clare is an author who obtains a raw natural talent for writing. Everything is so extremely vivid, I can see everything in my mind laid out before me. She brings the characters to life, she makes the places in the story feel like a place you've physically visited. She is a phenomenal writer. She creates these characters that are so real and so unique. This whole world she has created is magical and captivating.
The plot was impeccable. There were things that saddened me in this book, especially the one death of a certain character which was so unnecessary and so cruel. All the questions we've been asking since the first book were answered in this book. I, unfortunately, saw huge spoilers before I managed to read City of Glass, so there were some things I was expecting. But there were also many surprises I wasn't expecting. I think it's incredible how Cassandra Clare has lain these little clues throughout the story. I only realised now how complicated the whole story is and how she's given us hints throughout the first three books that leads us to finally see the big picture which is quite surprising, although I did guess some of the stuff even without the spoilers.
The characters all grew in this book, and you could see the clear change in them from the beginning of the series to now.
In the City of Glass, you could see how vulnerable Jace felt and how that facade of not being phased by anything completely just fall away and reveal the lonely, doubtful boy inside. I love how Clary made him feel whole and I believe that the two kf them will complete each other and wash away any of the doubt and the feelings of helplessness inside either one of them.
Although I really like Clary, she infuriated me in the City of Glass in the beginning. She was incredibly stubborn and often didn't think things through, but then again, if she didn't go ahead and make her own decisions, no one would have done anything about the mass of problems they were facing.
Clary really impressed me towards the end, and although she doesn't necessarily physically fit (she hasn't ever been trained so I don't blame her) but she does other things which I find rather awesome. I love how she also explains how she sees things from an artist's perspyective and her power is awesome, too.
I love Simon. He has changed alot since the first book. And I miss the old Simon. The quiet, nerdy, Simon. I also adore this Simon too, though. I like how he is able to take any comments thrown at him now and come back with something equally witty. U love that even though he's physically changed, he is still so sweet and has such a wonderful personality. He has a true personality and I hope he'll find a soul mate like Clary has found in Jace.
The supporting characters are fantastic, too. I love Isabelle, it was interesting seeing a more gentle, softer side to her. I also love that Alec has become more self-confident and that he isn't so afraid to accept who he is anymore. Magnus is utter perfection, I adore him. He's so fun and sarcastic and adds so much to the story.
It was interesting being introduced to the new characters and seeing the role they played in the story. Especially Sebastian, who I won't say anything in case it spoils your reading but you'll be quite surprised.
The City of Glass is the third book in the highly-acclaimed The Mortal Instruments series. Cassandra Clare has once again created a finely woven tale filled with stunning characters who will make you smile, who will make you cry and have your heart filling with love for them. She has concocted the perfect blend of a dark fantasy, mythical creatures, charismatic characters, a beautiful love story and an intense plot that will leave you shocked. Her writing is heavenly and she paints the pictures so clearly. All this merged together creates an unforgettable story about life, love, and family and the depths a person will go to, and the new found strength that they'll find inside themselves in order to overcome their inner demons in order to save the person they love. A magical, captivating story.
Synopsis: Clary Fray just wishes that her life could 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? Clary would love to spend more time with her best friend, Simon. But the Shadowhunters won't 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. When the second of the Mortal Instruments stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor suspects Jace. Could Jace really be willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?
Review: When I read City of Bones I was completely blown away by the ending's twist... but then unfortunately I saw spoilers, lots of them, for basically the whole series and I almost didn't want to continue reading because I now knew what happened,
City of Ashes was (if possible) even slightly better than City of Bones. The amount of action and the frequent twists, a few which completely broke my heart if you want to know, the continuation of how things ended in City of Bones and the few new characters we were introduced provided even more to the complex story.
In City of Ashes, I feel like everyone is trying to place their lives back together and continue living normally, as if nothing happened at all. There's Clary , who is still adjusting to the world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders and coming to terms that she's the one, herself. She's trying to live a normal life, but unfortunately it's not easy to do that when she's constantly having danger thrown at her well as having to attack terrifying demons and trying to love Simon the way she loves Jace and trying to love Simon the way she loves Jace and try to love Jace the way she really loves Simon.
Jace who is still reeling from the shock that him and Clary are related and struggling to contain his feelings for her.
Simon is enjoying it that he can finally be with Clary, yet he still crushing feeling despair when he sees her look at Jace the way he yearns for her to look at him.
However, they all have to place their personal feelings aside when a devastating event happens that rocks the Shadowhunter world. The second Mortal Instruments has been stolen, as well as a brutal attack on the invisible World's most powerful, feared Shadowhunters. The vicious Inquisitor suspects Jace of being tangles in this web of murder, lies and betrayal. The Lightwoods, as well as Clary, try to prove Jace's innocence. However, when Jace is approached with the choice to destroy the Clave in exchange for the ultimate safety of those he cares about, surely he wouldn't go through with it? But then again, love makes a person do all kinds of preposterous things.
I honestly didn't think any of the books would be better than the first book, City of Bones, but I was proved wrong. Cassandra Clare did it again, she created a riveting masterpiece wit more shocking moments and more stunning words strung together to create yet another complex story. I loved City of Ashes, it was utterly fantastic. I got to see developing relationships between the characters and more action than in the previous book. You have to prepare yourself, there will be moments that will leave you completely dumbfounded and possibly not able to read for a moment or so in order for new, astounding revelations to sink in. This book is perfect in every way.
In the first book, we were introduced to the Shadowhunter world. Introduced to the inhabitants of the Institute as well as the abundance of mythical creatures lurking in seemingly mundane places. We were acquainted with the characters' stories from their past, well most of it, and I, the reader, was finding my foothold in this new world. In City of Ashes, the author provided us with development of the characters and blossoming romances.
I liked that in this book we were able to learn more about other characters, and it wasn't mainly focused on Clary and Jace, not that I would mind that wither. We really begun to see how all the characters felt and I found it extremely interesting to gain entrance into the characters' heads that I hadn't been able to in City of Bones.
I liked Clary even more in this book. She was as feisty as ever yet we begun to see a more vulnerable side to her. A side that is struggling to claim the normality of her old life, the one one she lived before she was suddenly shoved into the Shadowhunter world. I loved learning about Clary's new powers. I thought it was extremely cool that she could create new runes by simply thinking of words then drawing the runes and the way she referred to sseing things as an artist and the way she completely gets lost in her own world when she draws.
Jace... I love him. In City of Bones I had this notion that he was this bad boy that didn't think his actions through and often ended up damaging a person's feelings in the process. My thoughts of him were dramatically changed in City of Ashes. I love seeing his sensitive, caring side slowly seep through the cracks in his armour, the emotions brought on by Clary and thnegligence from his family. I saw that all he wanted in his life was to be held by the girl he loved, to love her freely.. but he can't because that girl is Clary, his newly-found sister. You could feel the pain rolling off him and the invisible manacles keeping him from being with her. Jace, the independent, arrogant, boy displaying such tenderness and wounded despair will surprise you... he will make you fall utterly in love with him all over again.
Simon goes through some drastic changes, ones that left me in tears, comfort eating and not being able to continue reading for a good couple of minutes. The fact that he became a vampire shocked me to say the least. I has a feeling he was going to become something different, but I didn't even consider a vampire. It really saddened me to see him have to have his whole self altered like that, but it definitely was a surprise that shocked me. I miss the old, geeky Simon, this new super-human one just doesn't feel like him. Valetine, Clary, and Jace's supposed father, I never truly understood how powerful nor how evil Valentine was until this book. How he was willing to sacrifice the lives of anyone in order to get where he wanted to be, as well as killing innocent Downworlders in order to turn the angel-charged sword unto a demonic one. I truly saw how blind he was to the wrong things he was doing and he had this twisted misconception that it was for the right purpose.
I really connected with the secondary characters. I started to accept the beginning of a relationship between Magnus and Alec. I begun to see Alec in a different light and not as harsh as I viewed him to be in City of Bones. Isabelle grew on me too. I, at first thought she was an airhead that couldn't care much for others beside herself but she truly surprised me. I saw the strength of the sibling bond between her, Alec, Max, and Jace and it was heart-warming to watch. To see that they would lay their lives down for the other and scorn those who turned against those that they loved, brought tears to my eyes.
We are also introduced to Maia, whom I immediately liked. A fifteen-year old girl who had been turned into a werewolf by her violent ex-boyfriend, a girl who believes that the dangerous boys lurk beneath the most handsome faces. Whilst reading I could see the spark between her and Simon yet I was still quite surprised when he ending things with Clary.
The plot was once again mind-blowing. There were a couple of severe happenings, ones that had me in shocked disbelief.
Cassandra Clare really is an unbelievably talented author, with every book in the series, we familiarise ourselves with the characters a little more, dive deeper into their heads and see the workings of their brains. I love how this series is the key to a magical, enchanting, but simultaneously dangerous world where you can meet the characters that you've read about in story tales. Acquainting yourself with the real sides of them, not the sugar-coated version that were provided for us when we were younger. I love how this book takes place in seemingly normal 21st century Manhattan, but when you look close enough you begin to see the tell-signs of a whole new world. City of Ashes was filled to the brim with action, snarky humour and a forbidden love. The writing was once again stunning. Cassandra Clare has a true gift. I could picture everything so perfectly and it was just flawless. I wish every book was written with as much as description as in Cassandra's books.
City of Ashes was an extra ordinary sequel to the best selling City of Bones. With more action, more laughs. more tears, more demon-slaying and more chemistry between two certain characters. City of Ashes won't leave you disappointed, just slightly in tears from all the awesomeness you have just experienced. We learn more of the characters and their individual powers, more of the complicated story between Clary and Jace, as well as witnessing some devastating transformations of characters. I highly recommend this series to everyone. It's flawless.
Authors: Cassandra Clare/ Joshua Lewis Ratings: 3/5
Content: Congratulations. You have opened this book, and you are ready to embark upon the righteous and rewarding life of a Shadowhunter. We have been chosen by the Angel to keep our world safe from the evil creatures we call "demons". And now you are one of us, and with this book, you will learn our lore and our ways.
Angels, demons, faeries, vampires, werewolves, warlocks: they all exist, and they all must be managed and kept at peace. The Shadowhunter's Codex will provide you with the tools and knowledge you need to join our noble work.
Now in its twenty-seventh edition, the Codex covers it all: the history and laws of our world; how to identify, interact with, and, if necessary, kill the world's many colorful denizens; which end of the stele is the end you write with. Geography, history, magic, and zoology textbooks all rolled into one, the Codex is here to help new Shadowhunters navigate the beautiful, often brutal world that we inhabit.
Finally available in a smart, modern edition using all today's most exciting printing techniques, and suitable for carrying unglamoured through the mundane world, the Codex has been the young Shadowhunter's best friend since the thirteenth century. Welcome to our ranks, and study hard. This book could be the difference between life and death.
Review: I am a big fan of Cassandra Clare's books and the Shadow world, so I thought I would pick up The Shadowhunters Codex to learn more about the world. Sadly, I didn't enjoy the reading experience that much.
But let's discuss the positives about this book first. This book would look great on your shelf, along with your other Shadowhunter books, it has beautiful illustrations (and beautiful endpapers) throughout the book. There is also "handwritten" commentary from Clary, Simon and Have throughout the book too that I enjoyed reading. I loved being able to read Clary and Jace's interactions through their notes and commentary, and it was really nice to be able to see more of their personalities.
However, there are spoilers for The Mortal Instruments in their notes (at least up to City of Fallen Angels) so I wouldn't recommend reading this as a guide prior to starting the series. Which is unfortunate, because I kind of see this as a guide book that you should read along with the series, to supplement your knowledge about the world. But if you do that, you'll either be spoilt, or you won't really understand some of the references.
There were some really interesting facts that were presented in The Shadowhunter's Codex, but at other times, it felt like information overload. There were bits that were kind of boring and dry. I think that the parts that interested me the most were things that I had already encountered in The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices books. Plus the majority of the facts that were presented in this book, you can get just by reading the series. The additional facts that you get in this book aren't important to the story in The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices at all. Having said that, it was nice to be able to read more about the kinds of demons that appear in the book, to see what the runes look like, and to learn about the different types of Fey that exist in the world. (There are illustrations too).
The best thing about this book is that you can definitely read it out of order, because it's kind of encyclopedia of the Shadowhunter world. I read it in order from start to finish so that I wouldn't miss any of the information but I found some parts to be very boring especially the history lessons. The sarcastic comments from Clary made it more bearable but still it wasn't the most enjoyable reading experience.
This book is definitely not a must-have. I think it would be nice to have it in your collection if you're a hardcore fan of the series. There are some great Clary, Jace, and Simon interactions in the margins that fans would really enjoy. It would also be helpful to have this on-hand to supplement your knowledge as you read the series. But only after you've gotten past City of Glass because you don't want to be spoilt.
Synopsis: When fifteen-year old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy had died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warrior dedicated to ridding the earth of demons, It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts alot like jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know.
Review: To start with, the cover, I wasn't and am still not a huge fan of it, I don't like too many greens and yellows all mushed together, and I don't think that I really want it with the book. The nice looking fellow on the front though really gave me a feel for Jace.It helped me imagine him, and having already seen pictures of the characters set for the film, I felt like I already had a fully formed picture in my head of him.
Character wise, I think my favourite character is between Simon, and Jocelyn. Now hear me out, I understand that really, the only times she's attacked quite earlier on, and whenever Clary is having a typical mother/daughter tiff with her, otherwise, she's almost a forgotten character, but I feel like she is quite possibly one of the most important in this book, and quite possibly, later in the series. It was Jocelyn who helped create the circle with Valentine, and it was Jocelyn who helped destroy it with Luke. It was Jocelyn who fell in love with the wrong man, a hidden monster, and it was Jocelyn who left him, or planned to leave him. In the real world, many women suffer at the men who hurt, distress and physically make them feel as though their lives are not worth living, and Jocelyn not only had the bravery to become stronger than that, and leave him, but also plotted against him to bring him and his plan down. That is one brave woman. And then further, she escaped him entirely, running away in order to protect her unborn baby from a life of pain, and suffering, and from a destructive family. I truly believe that Jocelyn was a vital character in this book, and will continue to be. She is the driving force behind Clary's goals, she has fought her life to keep her daughter safe, and she more than likely will try to continue so further into the series. She is a mother that Cassandra Clare should be proud of creating.
When it comes to Simon, I can't help but repeat what others who have reviewed this have said. Simon is charismatic and charming character, with humour to boot. He cares so much for Clary and even during their rough time in this book, he still continued to be there for her, like a true friend would. He took on board that she wasn't like him, that she had other things in her life now, and through pain hat showed, he was still faithful to her, and her other friends in the book. I also feel that Simon had some of the best character development within his book too. Unlike Clary's, which I felt was quite rushed and unclearly thought about, almost like Clare had decided to add more and more as it came along, it felt like she a line of growth for Simon. Whether he was a human or a rat, he grew to believe that he was greater than others gave him credit for. I really hope that Clare continues Simon's growth as a character and look forward to more humour and emotions with him.
Plot wise, I constantly fell baffles and a little confused, so much so, I had to do some research into some of the characters and read a little on some of the further story lines, merely to steady my brain. Sometimes, I felt like not enough was happening in the story, almost like Clare had to fill a gap, and other times, I felt like she was trying to cram way too much into a small amount of space. I especially thought that the last few chapters were rushed and quickened, and made to include as much information as possible. I would have much rather have found out some details further into the series, for example, the connection between Clary and Valentine, although it was quite obvious to me, close to the beginning, and others such as Hodge leaving so early into the series. I can't help but feel he may be another important later on, and so I was quite disappointed on that front. On the other hand, the action scenes were so full of excitement and energy. I am sure I skimmed past non-vital words such "a" and "the" just to feel the excitement pouring through the words and the lines, Of course, the plot twist at the end threw me off the ball. I wasn't completely feeling the whole "ClAce" or whatever it's called, but I also wasn't put off by the twist though, which I was surprised about. Having read snippets, I do know otherwise, but whilst reading, I was taken. Well done Clare.
Although I did have some problems with this book to start with, I fell into the story so easily a recognised a number of names due to having read The Infernal Devices first. Seeing names I recognised, and features that were similar to characters in The Infernal Devices was lovely, and the fact that so many characters have bloodlines directly to past ones was brilliant. I really loved that little touch.
Synopsis: To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law and breaking, the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.
As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies, But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? Whilst Jace realises exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?
Review: This book was utterly amazing, it was the best of The Mortal Instruments that I've read so far. It was flawlessly written. The characters were amazing once again and the romance was utterly gorgeous. I don't know why I've been putting off this book but I am so glad that I finally read it. It made me smile, it made me laugh, it made tear up and it made me fall in love with the characters all over again. This book was so insanely incredible, that I once had finished reading the last sentence on the page, I merely just sat there, smiling whilst hugging the book to my chest. If you haven't yet read the City of Glass, you should, as soon as possible.
In the City of Glass, Clary's mom Jocelyn is still in comatose state in the hospital. In order to save her mother's life, Clary needs to travel to The Glass City, otherwise known as Alicante in Idris to try and find a warlock who will help Clary find the antidote to cure her mom. When Jace refuses to take her, as he knows about all the possible dangers there, Clary decided to find her own way in.
Despite Clary's worry about saving her mother, there are even more deadly issues she needs to think about. Her and Jace's father, Valentine, already has two of the Mortal Instruments and he just needs the third one, the Mirror to complete his ruthless plan. The only way the Shadowhunters will be able to fight him, is if they join up with the Downworlders in a bid to save the entire Nephilim race, which Valentine so cruelly wants pure that he is willing to kill all of them in the process, But with the wariness between the two groups, it's looking like an impossible feat to get them to work side-by-side, but if they don't, the world as they know it will be destroyed.
I don't actually know what to say, all that I can say is that I utterly adored this book. It was magical, it was enchanting,it was heart-breaking yet simultaneously uplifting. There were so many fantastic twists, although some of them did seem quite predictable to me and I guessed them before they happened.
With Cassandra's books, I find they are quite hard to get into at times, I don't know if I am the only one or not who finds that. However, there's a certain points in her books where the plot starts thickening, the pace picks up and before you know it you've read a handful of chapters. In the City of Glass, like the other books of her I've read, I wasn't completely grasped immediately but as I kept reading there was a certain point in the novel where I started devouring the words I couldn't get the words and I couldn't get enough. City of Glass was incredibly fast-paced and I flew through pages. There was so much action and suspense and there were times where I couldn't catch my breath for all the astounding things that were happening.
Cassa.ndra Clare is an author who obtains a raw natural talent for writing. Everything is so extremely vivid, I can see everything in my mind laid out before me. She brings the characters to life, she makes the places in the story feel like a place you've physically visited. She is a phenomenal writer. She creates these characters that are so real and so unique. This whole world she has created is magical and captivating.
The plot was impeccable. There were things that saddened me in this book, especially the one death of a certain character which was so unnecessary and so cruel. All the questions we've been asking since the first book were answered in this book. I, unfortunately, saw huge spoilers before I managed to read City of Glass, so there were some things I was expecting. But there were also many surprises I wasn't expecting. I think it's incredible how Cassandra Clare has lain these little clues throughout the story. I only realised now how complicated the whole story is and how she's given us hints throughout the first three books that leads us to finally see the big picture which is quite surprising, although I did guess some of the stuff even without the spoilers.
The characters all grew in this book, and you could see the clear change in them from the beginning of the series to now.
In the City of Glass, you could see how vulnerable Jace felt and how that facade of not being phased by anything completely just fall away and reveal the lonely, doubtful boy inside. I love how Clary made him feel whole and I believe that the two kf them will complete each other and wash away any of the doubt and the feelings of helplessness inside either one of them.
Although I really like Clary, she infuriated me in the City of Glass in the beginning. She was incredibly stubborn and often didn't think things through, but then again, if she didn't go ahead and make her own decisions, no one would have done anything about the mass of problems they were facing.
Clary really impressed me towards the end, and although she doesn't necessarily physically fit (she hasn't ever been trained so I don't blame her) but she does other things which I find rather awesome. I love how she also explains how she sees things from an artist's perspyective and her power is awesome, too.
I love Simon. He has changed alot since the first book. And I miss the old Simon. The quiet, nerdy, Simon. I also adore this Simon too, though. I like how he is able to take any comments thrown at him now and come back with something equally witty. U love that even though he's physically changed, he is still so sweet and has such a wonderful personality. He has a true personality and I hope he'll find a soul mate like Clary has found in Jace.
The supporting characters are fantastic, too. I love Isabelle, it was interesting seeing a more gentle, softer side to her. I also love that Alec has become more self-confident and that he isn't so afraid to accept who he is anymore. Magnus is utter perfection, I adore him. He's so fun and sarcastic and adds so much to the story.
It was interesting being introduced to the new characters and seeing the role they played in the story. Especially Sebastian, who I won't say anything in case it spoils your reading but you'll be quite surprised.
The City of Glass is the third book in the highly-acclaimed The Mortal Instruments series. Cassandra Clare has once again created a finely woven tale filled with stunning characters who will make you smile, who will make you cry and have your heart filling with love for them. She has concocted the perfect blend of a dark fantasy, mythical creatures, charismatic characters, a beautiful love story and an intense plot that will leave you shocked. Her writing is heavenly and she paints the pictures so clearly. All this merged together creates an unforgettable story about life, love, and family and the depths a person will go to, and the new found strength that they'll find inside themselves in order to overcome their inner demons in order to save the person they love. A magical, captivating story.
Synopsis: Clary Fray just wishes that her life could 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? Clary would love to spend more time with her best friend, Simon. But the Shadowhunters won't 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. When the second of the Mortal Instruments stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor suspects Jace. Could Jace really be willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?
Review: When I read City of Bones I was completely blown away by the ending's twist... but then unfortunately I saw spoilers, lots of them, for basically the whole series and I almost didn't want to continue reading because I now knew what happened,
City of Ashes was (if possible) even slightly better than City of Bones. The amount of action and the frequent twists, a few which completely broke my heart if you want to know, the continuation of how things ended in City of Bones and the few new characters we were introduced provided even more to the complex story.
In City of Ashes, I feel like everyone is trying to place their lives back together and continue living normally, as if nothing happened at all. There's Clary , who is still adjusting to the world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders and coming to terms that she's the one, herself. She's trying to live a normal life, but unfortunately it's not easy to do that when she's constantly having danger thrown at her well as having to attack terrifying demons and trying to love Simon the way she loves Jace and trying to love Simon the way she loves Jace and try to love Jace the way she really loves Simon.
Jace who is still reeling from the shock that him and Clary are related and struggling to contain his feelings for her.
Simon is enjoying it that he can finally be with Clary, yet he still crushing feeling despair when he sees her look at Jace the way he yearns for her to look at him.
However, they all have to place their personal feelings aside when a devastating event happens that rocks the Shadowhunter world. The second Mortal Instruments has been stolen, as well as a brutal attack on the invisible World's most powerful, feared Shadowhunters. The vicious Inquisitor suspects Jace of being tangles in this web of murder, lies and betrayal. The Lightwoods, as well as Clary, try to prove Jace's innocence. However, when Jace is approached with the choice to destroy the Clave in exchange for the ultimate safety of those he cares about, surely he wouldn't go through with it? But then again, love makes a person do all kinds of preposterous things.
I honestly didn't think any of the books would be better than the first book, City of Bones, but I was proved wrong. Cassandra Clare did it again, she created a riveting masterpiece wit more shocking moments and more stunning words strung together to create yet another complex story. I loved City of Ashes, it was utterly fantastic. I got to see developing relationships between the characters and more action than in the previous book. You have to prepare yourself, there will be moments that will leave you completely dumbfounded and possibly not able to read for a moment or so in order for new, astounding revelations to sink in. This book is perfect in every way.
In the first book, we were introduced to the Shadowhunter world. Introduced to the inhabitants of the Institute as well as the abundance of mythical creatures lurking in seemingly mundane places. We were acquainted with the characters' stories from their past, well most of it, and I, the reader, was finding my foothold in this new world. In City of Ashes, the author provided us with development of the characters and blossoming romances.
I liked that in this book we were able to learn more about other characters, and it wasn't mainly focused on Clary and Jace, not that I would mind that wither. We really begun to see how all the characters felt and I found it extremely interesting to gain entrance into the characters' heads that I hadn't been able to in City of Bones.
I liked Clary even more in this book. She was as feisty as ever yet we begun to see a more vulnerable side to her. A side that is struggling to claim the normality of her old life, the one one she lived before she was suddenly shoved into the Shadowhunter world. I loved learning about Clary's new powers. I thought it was extremely cool that she could create new runes by simply thinking of words then drawing the runes and the way she referred to sseing things as an artist and the way she completely gets lost in her own world when she draws.
Jace... I love him. In City of Bones I had this notion that he was this bad boy that didn't think his actions through and often ended up damaging a person's feelings in the process. My thoughts of him were dramatically changed in City of Ashes. I love seeing his sensitive, caring side slowly seep through the cracks in his armour, the emotions brought on by Clary and thnegligence from his family. I saw that all he wanted in his life was to be held by the girl he loved, to love her freely.. but he can't because that girl is Clary, his newly-found sister. You could feel the pain rolling off him and the invisible manacles keeping him from being with her. Jace, the independent, arrogant, boy displaying such tenderness and wounded despair will surprise you... he will make you fall utterly in love with him all over again.
Simon goes through some drastic changes, ones that left me in tears, comfort eating and not being able to continue reading for a good couple of minutes. The fact that he became a vampire shocked me to say the least. I has a feeling he was going to become something different, but I didn't even consider a vampire. It really saddened me to see him have to have his whole self altered like that, but it definitely was a surprise that shocked me. I miss the old, geeky Simon, this new super-human one just doesn't feel like him. Valetine, Clary, and Jace's supposed father, I never truly understood how powerful nor how evil Valentine was until this book. How he was willing to sacrifice the lives of anyone in order to get where he wanted to be, as well as killing innocent Downworlders in order to turn the angel-charged sword unto a demonic one. I truly saw how blind he was to the wrong things he was doing and he had this twisted misconception that it was for the right purpose.
I really connected with the secondary characters. I started to accept the beginning of a relationship between Magnus and Alec. I begun to see Alec in a different light and not as harsh as I viewed him to be in City of Bones. Isabelle grew on me too. I, at first thought she was an airhead that couldn't care much for others beside herself but she truly surprised me. I saw the strength of the sibling bond between her, Alec, Max, and Jace and it was heart-warming to watch. To see that they would lay their lives down for the other and scorn those who turned against those that they loved, brought tears to my eyes.
We are also introduced to Maia, whom I immediately liked. A fifteen-year old girl who had been turned into a werewolf by her violent ex-boyfriend, a girl who believes that the dangerous boys lurk beneath the most handsome faces. Whilst reading I could see the spark between her and Simon yet I was still quite surprised when he ending things with Clary.
The plot was once again mind-blowing. There were a couple of severe happenings, ones that had me in shocked disbelief.
Cassandra Clare really is an unbelievably talented author, with every book in the series, we familiarise ourselves with the characters a little more, dive deeper into their heads and see the workings of their brains. I love how this series is the key to a magical, enchanting, but simultaneously dangerous world where you can meet the characters that you've read about in story tales. Acquainting yourself with the real sides of them, not the sugar-coated version that were provided for us when we were younger. I love how this book takes place in seemingly normal 21st century Manhattan, but when you look close enough you begin to see the tell-signs of a whole new world. City of Ashes was filled to the brim with action, snarky humour and a forbidden love. The writing was once again stunning. Cassandra Clare has a true gift. I could picture everything so perfectly and it was just flawless. I wish every book was written with as much as description as in Cassandra's books.
City of Ashes was an extra ordinary sequel to the best selling City of Bones. With more action, more laughs. more tears, more demon-slaying and more chemistry between two certain characters. City of Ashes won't leave you disappointed, just slightly in tears from all the awesomeness you have just experienced. We learn more of the characters and their individual powers, more of the complicated story between Clary and Jace, as well as witnessing some devastating transformations of characters. I highly recommend this series to everyone. It's flawless.
Authors: Cassandra Clare/ Joshua Lewis Ratings: 3/5
Content: Congratulations. You have opened this book, and you are ready to embark upon the righteous and rewarding life of a Shadowhunter. We have been chosen by the Angel to keep our world safe from the evil creatures we call "demons". And now you are one of us, and with this book, you will learn our lore and our ways.
Angels, demons, faeries, vampires, werewolves, warlocks: they all exist, and they all must be managed and kept at peace. The Shadowhunter's Codex will provide you with the tools and knowledge you need to join our noble work.
Now in its twenty-seventh edition, the Codex covers it all: the history and laws of our world; how to identify, interact with, and, if necessary, kill the world's many colorful denizens; which end of the stele is the end you write with. Geography, history, magic, and zoology textbooks all rolled into one, the Codex is here to help new Shadowhunters navigate the beautiful, often brutal world that we inhabit.
Finally available in a smart, modern edition using all today's most exciting printing techniques, and suitable for carrying unglamoured through the mundane world, the Codex has been the young Shadowhunter's best friend since the thirteenth century. Welcome to our ranks, and study hard. This book could be the difference between life and death.
Review: I am a big fan of Cassandra Clare's books and the Shadow world, so I thought I would pick up The Shadowhunters Codex to learn more about the world. Sadly, I didn't enjoy the reading experience that much.
But let's discuss the positives about this book first. This book would look great on your shelf, along with your other Shadowhunter books, it has beautiful illustrations (and beautiful endpapers) throughout the book. There is also "handwritten" commentary from Clary, Simon and Have throughout the book too that I enjoyed reading. I loved being able to read Clary and Jace's interactions through their notes and commentary, and it was really nice to be able to see more of their personalities.
However, there are spoilers for The Mortal Instruments in their notes (at least up to City of Fallen Angels) so I wouldn't recommend reading this as a guide prior to starting the series. Which is unfortunate, because I kind of see this as a guide book that you should read along with the series, to supplement your knowledge about the world. But if you do that, you'll either be spoilt, or you won't really understand some of the references.
There were some really interesting facts that were presented in The Shadowhunter's Codex, but at other times, it felt like information overload. There were bits that were kind of boring and dry. I think that the parts that interested me the most were things that I had already encountered in The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices books. Plus the majority of the facts that were presented in this book, you can get just by reading the series. The additional facts that you get in this book aren't important to the story in The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices at all. Having said that, it was nice to be able to read more about the kinds of demons that appear in the book, to see what the runes look like, and to learn about the different types of Fey that exist in the world. (There are illustrations too).
The best thing about this book is that you can definitely read it out of order, because it's kind of encyclopedia of the Shadowhunter world. I read it in order from start to finish so that I wouldn't miss any of the information but I found some parts to be very boring especially the history lessons. The sarcastic comments from Clary made it more bearable but still it wasn't the most enjoyable reading experience.
This book is definitely not a must-have. I think it would be nice to have it in your collection if you're a hardcore fan of the series. There are some great Clary, Jace, and Simon interactions in the margins that fans would really enjoy. It would also be helpful to have this on-hand to supplement your knowledge as you read the series. But only after you've gotten past City of Glass because you don't want to be spoilt.
Synopsis: When fifteen-year old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy had died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warrior dedicated to ridding the earth of demons, It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts alot like jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know.
Review: To start with, the cover, I wasn't and am still not a huge fan of it, I don't like too many greens and yellows all mushed together, and I don't think that I really want it with the book. The nice looking fellow on the front though really gave me a feel for Jace.It helped me imagine him, and having already seen pictures of the characters set for the film, I felt like I already had a fully formed picture in my head of him.
Character wise, I think my favourite character is between Simon, and Jocelyn. Now hear me out, I understand that really, the only times she's attacked quite earlier on, and whenever Clary is having a typical mother/daughter tiff with her, otherwise, she's almost a forgotten character, but I feel like she is quite possibly one of the most important in this book, and quite possibly, later in the series. It was Jocelyn who helped create the circle with Valentine, and it was Jocelyn who helped destroy it with Luke. It was Jocelyn who fell in love with the wrong man, a hidden monster, and it was Jocelyn who left him, or planned to leave him. In the real world, many women suffer at the men who hurt, distress and physically make them feel as though their lives are not worth living, and Jocelyn not only had the bravery to become stronger than that, and leave him, but also plotted against him to bring him and his plan down. That is one brave woman. And then further, she escaped him entirely, running away in order to protect her unborn baby from a life of pain, and suffering, and from a destructive family. I truly believe that Jocelyn was a vital character in this book, and will continue to be. She is the driving force behind Clary's goals, she has fought her life to keep her daughter safe, and she more than likely will try to continue so further into the series. She is a mother that Cassandra Clare should be proud of creating.
When it comes to Simon, I can't help but repeat what others who have reviewed this have said. Simon is charismatic and charming character, with humour to boot. He cares so much for Clary and even during their rough time in this book, he still continued to be there for her, like a true friend would. He took on board that she wasn't like him, that she had other things in her life now, and through pain hat showed, he was still faithful to her, and her other friends in the book. I also feel that Simon had some of the best character development within his book too. Unlike Clary's, which I felt was quite rushed and unclearly thought about, almost like Clare had decided to add more and more as it came along, it felt like she a line of growth for Simon. Whether he was a human or a rat, he grew to believe that he was greater than others gave him credit for. I really hope that Clare continues Simon's growth as a character and look forward to more humour and emotions with him.
Plot wise, I constantly fell baffles and a little confused, so much so, I had to do some research into some of the characters and read a little on some of the further story lines, merely to steady my brain. Sometimes, I felt like not enough was happening in the story, almost like Clare had to fill a gap, and other times, I felt like she was trying to cram way too much into a small amount of space. I especially thought that the last few chapters were rushed and quickened, and made to include as much information as possible. I would have much rather have found out some details further into the series, for example, the connection between Clary and Valentine, although it was quite obvious to me, close to the beginning, and others such as Hodge leaving so early into the series. I can't help but feel he may be another important later on, and so I was quite disappointed on that front. On the other hand, the action scenes were so full of excitement and energy. I am sure I skimmed past non-vital words such "a" and "the" just to feel the excitement pouring through the words and the lines, Of course, the plot twist at the end threw me off the ball. I wasn't completely feeling the whole "ClAce" or whatever it's called, but I also wasn't put off by the twist though, which I was surprised about. Having read snippets, I do know otherwise, but whilst reading, I was taken. Well done Clare.
Although I did have some problems with this book to start with, I fell into the story so easily a recognised a number of names due to having read The Infernal Devices first. Seeing names I recognised, and features that were similar to characters in The Infernal Devices was lovely, and the fact that so many characters have bloodlines directly to past ones was brilliant. I really loved that little touch.
