City of Ashes : Mortal Instruments Book 2

City of Ashes : The Mortal Instruments Book 2
by Cassandra Clare

Whereas every other book blogger is reading or reviewing City of Glass (Book 3), I’m a year behind on purpose – hardcovers cost too much! Check back around this time next year for my City of Glass review.

Here’s the thing though. I liked Clary in the first book. I wanted to smack her upside the head in the second book. The entire time I was reading the little angry voices in my head were just yelling, “Oh, SHUT UP, Clary! Get over your bloody self!” And frankly, I had to agree. It wasn’t really anything in particular  I don’t think, but by golly I wanted to smack her.

And Simon. I was actually really happy when I thought he had died. It was sad how happy I was. I think I actually said, “Thank God!” when I read that. Heh. I thought he was whiny.

In the first book Clary discovers she has a brother – Jace, with whom she had started to fall in love with and made out with prior to this revelation. Which, you know, ick, but hey, what you don’t know, right? She also discovers she’s supernatural and her father is evil. There are demons and werewolves and vampires (oh, my!) in the world and her evil father is trying to gain power, ecettera, ecettera.

In the second book… well, Clary’s mom is still in the coma she fell into at the end of the first, her father, Valentine is raising demons and has stolen yet another of the Mortal Instruments which will help him gain power over all. The Shadowhunters are all fighting (well, in one family anyhow), Jace is sent to prison because they don’t trust that he’s not really a spy for Valentine. And there is just too much angsty drama over the forbidden love between Clary and Jace. Again with the ICK. “I love you! But I can’t! You’re my brother!” “We can’t kiss! Noooo!” And then the whole scene with the Faerie Queen and her making them kiss while she watched?

Um, no.

But, I have to say, I liked this book. It has its eye-rolling moments, don’t get me wrong. But I really like the story and I am eager to read the final book. There is something about this series that is different and even if I think the main characters are a bunch of petulant, whiny idiots, I still like the plot! I’ll be getting book 3 when it hits the stores in all its soft-covered glory in a year! I will once more enjoy the font that the title is written in (yes, I know, sad!). I will finish this series and say, hey, this was fun! Too bad it’s over!

I like Luke, I like Magnus (a LOT), I am interested in where this story is going. It’s easy and fun to read and it’s a neat way of including the supernatural races without being unoriginal. At least I haven’t read anything quite like it. What I do think think falls a little flat is that these Shadowhunters don’t really seem to DO anything. They have tattoo thingmes that make them look cool, and apparently (in book 1 anyhow) people can’t see them unless they are supernatural, but other than that? They seem to have potential but are really kinda boring. I hope this is better addressed in the last book…?