This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors 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 a lot like a 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....
Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end. - Goodreads
The plot ultimately revolves around Clary discovering that she is, in fact, part of a secret and mysterious world rather than the ordinary human girl she thought she was. The plot moves quickly, Cassandra Clare literally throws you right in on the first page. The fast pacing continues throughout the book, literally right to the very end, yet it still manages to flow very nicely. A huge pat on the back to Cassandra Clare for pulling this off!
Unfortunately, I was spoiled before I read this book, so that HUGE plot twist at the end did not have a huge effect on me as I knew how everything was going to pan out. I do suggest not reading any spoilers on this book until you've finished reading it.
As a main character, I liked how Clary was strong willed and fiesty. She didn't let anyone push her around, which was great. Clary is an ordinary girl which I suppose a lot of people could relate to in that way - unless you're really a Shadowhunter, in which case, why are you reading my review when you should be out saving the world? However, for some reason I couldn't fully connect with her which slightly took away from my expereince with this book.
Jace, on the other hand, is who really kept this book going for me. I enjoyed his arrogance - which did sometimes get a bit much, but it was fun nonetheless - and his sarcastic humour. Jace was definitely my favourite character in this book, as he had so many sides to him, and what Cassandra Clare was telling you was barely touching the surface.
Simon, Clary's best friend, was a fun character to read about, and I really liked him. However, he did do some pretty silly things which made me feel sorry for him rather than laugh.
The other secondary characters such as Isabelle, Alec and Luke all played a fairly large role in this book, which I loved. Often, secondary characters such as these get thrown around and used as plot devices, but Cassandra Clare did a brilliant job with them.
A lot of people were very put off by the ending and the twist that I mentioned earlier. However, I do encourage those people to continue reading to see how everything works out, because the next two books in the series are just as good - if not better - than this one!
Overall, I really loved this book. If you've read my review on Clockwork Angel
then you'll know that I'm a big fan of Cassandra Clare's books. If you've read this book, then let me know what you thought of it!
Rating: 4/5
Buy City of Bones at:
Format: Paperback, 448 pages
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd.
Publication Date: 2 Jul 2007 (UK)
The Mortal Instruments Series:
City of Bones
(2007)
(2007)
City of Ashes
(2008)
(2008)
City of Glass
(2009)
(2009)
City of Fallen Angels
(2011)
(2011)
City of Lost Souls
City of Heavenly Fire
)
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