City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Kaitlyn | Eisenhower Middle School, Grade 8

Rating: *****

City of Ashes is the sequel of City of Bones, written by Cassandra Clare. When the main protagonist, Clary Fray, mother suddenly disappears, Clary is left to find out about the world beyond humans and finds out that she is what is called a Shadowhunter. The aftermath of all of this isn’t very pretty, Jace won’t talk to her since they went to visit her mother, her mother is in a comatose state, and she hasn’t been at the Institute since. The book kicks off with more adventures, having Clary learn more about the three Mortal Instruments. The group of teenage Shadowhunters, Jace, Alec, Isabelle, and sort of Clary, search for Valentine and try to keep the Mortal Instruments safe. Simon develops so that he would be a part of this world, while Jace and Clary hear rumors about themselves that would make them special, it’s only if they were to believe in these rumors since they come from an unreliable source.

This book was much like the first, it had twists and turns and I loved it but there were some parts that bored me. The book is told from many of the character’s perspectives and at times I wished it was someone else’s point of view, only because I wanted to find out what had happened to the other person.

Shruthi | Holmdel High School, Grade 11

Rating: *****

Clary’s mother is still in a magic induced coma, and no one has any clue as to how to wake her up. To make matters worse, Jace has been terrible to her since he found out that they were related.

Now that we know that Jace was brought up by none other than the main villain in the series, all of Idris wants to know if he is in league with Valentine, a question even more important due to recent developments. Mysterious killings have been occurring of the children of magical folk, and because the Council does not believe in his innocence, Jace is interrogated by the Inquisitor, their very own official interrogator, and she doesn’t believe his words either.

For Cassandra Clare fans and in general anyone who loves fantasy or the show Shadowhunters, City of Ashes is an amazing book. I loved creativity and thought that went into the novel. While most fantasy novels exclusively focus on the main character, I liked that this book provided a snapshot into the Shadow World, giving everyone, not just those who are immediately involved in the plot, a separate demeanor and a set of issues, making them feel real. I highly recommend.