City of Ashes: The Mortal Instruments, Book Two

Alright. So let me point this out to everyone: Yes, there is incest in this book. No, I don't mind it. Yes, there is homosexuality in this book. Again, I don't mind it.For all of those people who are like: 'Omg! it's terrible because of what's going on with the characters!'Please, keep in mind that the author started out writing fanfiction. Incest and Homosexuality are seen in Fanfictions.Honestly though, I really like this book because it's so different then other books that I've read because the characters ARE so different. Really, I have never really read a book with a homosexual character, or have the main hero and heroine be in love yet are siblings. It's unique, in a mildly creepy way. I am a huge fan of the books, not only because the characters are often times witty and sarcastic, but because many of the aspects are unique.I don't know how many times when I've read about 'orphan tries to find place in world, and saves the world!' books, or 'girl wants to break mold and runs off to join the army!', or 'destiny has chosen [characternamehere] to save the world!' type of books. The plot lines are over used, dull, and really repetitive. This book though totally broke the mold for me. And when I mean 'break the mold' I mean, seriously, breaking the mold.I went onto about a two year reading hiatus (because no books really interested me) and I just picked up the first book in the series and could not put it down. It's not about a little orphan, or a princess running away from an arranged marriage. It is truly, truly an amazing book that I really do adore. I can't wait to see how the series ends honestly. The books, as far as I'm concerned, are very consistent so far.It's not like the Twilight series, where the first one was just amazing, then drops off in quality after that, or really the Harry Potter series where it gets better and better. These books are amazing, and I really don't know how else she could improve them, so they're consistent in the whole 'amazing' factor.There was only one thing that had a tendnecy of bugging me in the series. That was the author had a tendency of repeating about certain physical qualities in a character (simon's long eyelashes, Jace's hair, etc), that or else she sometimes goes out on tangents describing things that aren't really relevant to the plot. However, the book is filled with the same banter, same characters, and same character's personalities as the previous book. It's nice to see that the characters don't magically change with little, or no, background information as to why they changed between the two books (Granted, it helps that there's not long time gap between the books since the two of them take place only in a few days each).-De

WOW! Is one word to sum up this amazing 2nd installment to The Mortal Instruments Series. I, in a way was very lucky to have discovered this series late, meaning I started the first one, only a few months, or so, before the 3th was due out. SO when I got hooked, I was able to download the rest, and keep reading. This one was also "on the edge of your seat" amazing. Then the 4th was not long for me to wait after that.So first, the really good thing about Cassandra Clare is she does a fine job of taking rich and varied and well known mythologies and giving them a brand new spark of life that has not been written into the ground already. I enjoy that she picks bits of mythology from all over and uses it to create a world full of truths and half-truths and the people who have to deal with it all. This isn't just another fantasy novel.After the last explosive and personally upsetting ending of the first book I could only hope that this book would correct that. Unfortunately I was left with many more questions by the end. But that is the way it is with series of books.Sometimes the next book in a series doesn't live up to its predecessor. Not the case with City of Ashes. This book is just as well written and will have you reading the whole book in one.I recommend that you start with City of Bonesif you haven't read it already. If you have well you won't be disappointed with the City of Ashes.I highly recommend this book, and the whole series. Its AMAZING!You should also check out her other series, that is prequel to this one, called The Infernal Devicesgo check out my blog for more reviews, and other extras, my link is at my profile

All right people... I thought I could stop after City of Bones, but quite obviously you see that I could not. After finishing City of Bones for the second time, I figured I might as well read the rest of the books in the series as City of Lost Souls comes out in roughly a week. I got through City of Ashes much faster than City of Bones and so hopefully my quick reading streak continues and I can finish City of Glass and City of Angels before May 8th. Now, I'm going to write this as spoiler free as humanly possible, so feel safe in reading my review if you are new to The Mortal Instruments series!City of Ashes takes off right where City of Bones leaves us... some big stuff happens... people change...there's fighting? How can I even begin to describe this book without any spoilers? Well, here goes! Valentine is still bad, very bad. Clary and Jace learn some pretty interesting things about their heritage...think Starwars. Simon and Alec discover whole new lifestyles, and it's definitely not what you think. In this second installment, Clary and the gang must work even harder to overcome not only the bumps that Valentine puts in the road, but they must also overcome a few personal obstacles before they can hope to beat Valentine.In book two, Clare introduces us to her brand of writing where everyone has a part. We've got vampires, werewolves, some man on man love, warlocks, demons, Shadowhunters, Faeries and more. It seems that Cassandra Clare's invisible world is a world just like our own. One full of not only prejudiced people, but all kinds of people. It's not often we see young adult fiction featuring homosexuality, especially in a book series as widely popular as The Mortal Instruments. This is a huge reason for my love of Clare's books: she writes for everyone. Instead of devastatingly beautiful princesses falling in love with dashingly charming princes living happily ever after, Clare's characters are ordinary. Ordinary you ask? Didn't your list above include supernatural demon hunters descended from Angels? Her characters are ordinary in that they have real problems. Simon is in love with his best friend who won't return his love. Clary, while pretty in her own right, is described as an awkward ginger who is short and gangly. We have Shadowhunters finding out how to express to their friends and family that they are gay, in a world where being a warrior and being gay never go hand in hand. The characters go through they own struggles while still saving the day and that is a huge reason why these books as such a must read.The book as a whole sets a different mood from the first book. In City of Bones, we find ourselves dying for as much information as we can, learning about the invisible world in Clare's writing. In this book, we dive further and further into their world with Clary as she discovers more about herself in the mundane world and the Shadowhunter world. She becomes ever stronger as she learns of unrequited love, forbidden love and the love and bonds of a family. Clary grows up fast in these books and unlike many other stories, her growing pains are pains indeed. She comes to realize that life isn't easy, it's the difficult choies that you make that make you an adult, not the fact that you're glowingly happy all the time. Clary is definitely one of my favorites. Dare I say a close second to Hermione Granger... yep I said it.While there is still a lot of character development in this book, we find more in the plot department as well. We learn more of Valentine and his plans and also about the fate of the Clave and the Shadowhunter world. The action in this book is simply awesome as well. While these books do have a fair amount of blood and guts, it's not in excess and even the most squeamish reader will find themselves devouring page after page, yearning for more.What can I say? Each book gets better and better! If you'd like more information about Cassandra Clare's upcoming releases, what she's currently writing and the City of Bones movie, check out my review of City of Bones and scroll to the bottom for news :)Happy Reading!8 out of 10-AllisonThis review brought to you by imabibliophobic.blogspot.com

Que livro encantador. A capa é linda, e veio em perfeito estado.

Haven't read them yet but these editions are so beautiful!

Recibido antes de la fecha y en buenas condiciones. Perfecto como siempre

It came before the date of arrival and in perfect condicions. It is a good addition to my collection. Great series besides ;))

Another great book by Clare. Honestly, you get lost in the shadow hunter world quite easily. Teen book or not, it was a great read!