City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)
by Cassandra Clare
by Cassandra Clare
Pages: 485
My rating: A
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder – much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing – not even a smear of blood – to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
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.
Wow! That’s quite a summary. The first book of the series was fabulous, but not my favorite, to be honest. I love the characters that Clare introduced. Clary, Jace, Simon, and the others are just so fabulous that I want to be their friends. They are strong characters without being overbearing. They’re funny without being annoying. There’s diversity without being in-your-face. Love that.
Basically, if you like fantasy at all, you should read this. It’s very ‘good versus evil’ with a lot of teenage angst and witty banter thrown in for good measure. I’ve heard that there were a few issues with the author’s integrity a while back, but I wasn’t aware of that going into these books. Whatever may have happened, I think she’s a wonderful writer, and I can’t wait to read her other stuff.