City of Ashes

Cassandra Clare continues her Mortal Instruments series with the second book City of Ashes, in this book Clary has been thrown into the world of Shadowhunters and has discovered how she functions in it… well sort of.

This is a book typical of the middle child of series in that yeah some action happens but it’s not the best book in the series.

This book develops characters and storyline to be a supporting player to the third book in the series. However this should have been the time for supporting players to come out and show their stuff but it doesn’t happen.

I always find it very difficult to review a book mid-way through a series because you have to have read the first book to know whether the series is your cup of tea or not.

For anyone who loved City of Bones, City of Ashes is right up their alley. But if you didn’t enjoy the first book it would probably save you a lot of time to just quit while you’re ahead.

I can sum up my feelings for this book in that I enjoyed it far more than the third book.

 

City of Bones – Cassandra Clare

Clary’s life is turned upside down when she happens upon a meeting of Supernatural beings while out one night. What happens next is a whirlwind of events that will change how she sees herself and the world around her.

 

The Mortal Instruments is a trilogy by Cassandra Clare, which is basically a teenage version of the television show supernatural with the writing style of J.K. Rowling with the attempted humour of Terry Pratchett.

 

Clary is a “mundane” and perchance she sees some supernatural happenings at a club one night. What follows is a revelation of epic scale and she is thrown into a world she had never dreamed existed within her own. Set in current-day New York City Clare manages to not only creates characters who are relatively well-rounded but also a city that one can imagine is magical. Not on the scale of Beukes’ Zoo City but well enough for teen lit.

 

I was not quite sure if I wanted to read this book but I gave in and well I must admit I did enjoy it. It might not be wholly original, a lot of the ideas have been used before and anyone you knows their Harry Potter will see many similarities. Not that The Mortal Instruments can compare to Harry Potter but there is the same type of humour and friendships in this novel.

 

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something a bit different in the young adult genre, it doesn’t quite follow the norms of current teen lit but it does have some very “Oh my god, that is so cheesy. I can’t believe she actually put that in the story” moments. It provides some light entertainment with characters who are ever so slightly deep. Mostly the book is just a action packed, entertainment capsule which you will read quickly but will leave you entertained. I don’t think it will become a classic of the genre but it’s good enough if you are just looking for some light entertainment that is a bit different from the rest of the teen lit out there.