BOOK REVIEW : City of Ashes

Title : City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2)
Author : Cassandra Clare
Release date : March 25, 2008

Date Read : March 9, 2019
Rating : ★★★★

“Everyone has choices to make; no one has the right to take those choices away from us. Not even out of love.”

 What's this book about ? 


Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

 What did I think about this book ? 

I've had this series on my to be read list for as long as I can remember, but was always somehow discouraged by the sheer size and number of books in it. Not to mention the spin-off series that just kept coming out left and right. You'd think for a girl who just loves long and big books, I would dive in head first, no? Well, at the time, you would've been absolutely wrong. But now? Oh now...

I read City of Bones last month and enjoyed it immensely. I got to know the characters a bit more deeply than their TV show and Movie personas (yes, I did watch both before reading the series; and yes the shame will follow me to my death bed.) I did have a bit of hard time at first imagining the characters as Clare wrote them. What with their TV show actors popping in my head now and again. But with the somewhat detailed description of each and every one of them, I ended up imagining my very own version of them and started enjoying the book even more (I gave it 3.75 stars I believe)

I didn't start City of Ashes right after, I must admit. But when I did, I read it a lot faster than I did City of Bones. I just couldn't for the life of me put down the book. I even subscribed to an audiobook site to be able to listen to it when I couldn't read it (eg: at work) #noregrets.

I did enjoy this book a lot more than I thought I would. The plot, I must admit, was somewhat lacking, but the characters more than made up for it. I feel like this book was more character driven than plot driven... well, that is, until the final 20% or so.

My favorite character has to be Jace Wayland/Morgestern (and all the names he'll later acquire). I had been rooting for him since City of Bones, but my love for him just grez ten size in this one (I have a soft spot for caring but scarred characters that hide behind their sarcasm, sue me). His quotes were some of my favorite things about this book, I just couldn't help but laugh, tear up, want to smack him and hug him all at once. In conclusion, I am irrevocably in love with Jace and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

“My name is Jace,” he said. “Not boy. Jace Wayland.” 

“You have no right to the name of Wayland,” she said. “You are Jonathan Morgenstern. To claim the name of Wayland makes you a liar. Just like your father.”

“Actually,” said Jace, “I prefer to think that I’m a liar in a way that’s uniquely my own.”

As for the rest of my little top three, the places have been reserved by one Isabelle Lightwood and Clary Fairchild. Now I have to admit we don't see much of Isabelle just yet, really. But for the times we do see her, she just managed to capture my heart. Izzy is one of those badass characters who are equally fearless and courageous when faced with actual fear. But those qualities don't erase her good heart and how much she cares about her family and those around her. I just have so much respect and love for her character, and absolutely can't wait to see more of her.

“Not that traditional princess behavior was like Isabelle at all. Isabelle with her whip and boots and knives would chop anyone who tried to pen her up in a tower into pieces, build a bridge out of the remains, and walk carelessly to freedom, her hair looking fabulous the entire time.”

Clary... Clary on the other hand is another story all together. It didn't take me much to like her, really. But you know the type of character that annoys you sometimes but you just can't help but love? That's Clary to me. But it's understandable in a way, because she's just starting to find herself. Her whole life has been turned upside down overnight, so she's bound to make mistakes, she's bound to fall, to do idiotic things.. but she always falls right back on her feet. She always makes up for it. She's badass, she's human (or is she? ha!), she has her flaws but they don't erase all that she is. They just make her even better. She's not a damsel in distress, eventhough she got pushed into a world she knew nothing about, a world that's more dangerous than what she's been used to for sixteen years of her life. And she, somehow, manages to beat all odds and courageously stand up on her own and for herself.

Other things outside the plot that I enjoyed, were the parental relationship. And you'd think I mean the blood kind, but I don't. This book is prime exemple of "Family isn't always blood." Because Luke isn't Clary's biological father, and yet he IS her father. He's the one who was there for her when she needed a shoulder to cry on, he's the one who was there for every scrap on her knee, every mistake. He's the one who risked his life to protect hers. Marysse isn't Jace's biological mother, but she's the one who took him in when he needed someone on his side. She's the one who sang to him just to soothe him when he needed it, even without him knowing. These two relationships, alongside the brotherhood between Jace, Isabelle, Alec and Max melted my heart and at the same time made it grow to impossible degrees.

Now obviously, with the one star drop, there were some things I didn't like and others I had mixed feelings about.

Let's talk about the mixed feelings : Clace.

Some of their scenes had me wanting to cry of disgust, frustrating and to my horror, utter love? Yes, I said it. And yes, I do hate myself for it. But their scenes, the angst of it all, the way it's written, makes you want to root for them and a second later, hate yourself for doing so because... THEY'RE SIBLINGS.
Now, I KNOW (spoiler alert!) that they're not, which kind of justifies my positive feelings about them. But so far, in this book, THEY don't know that and still act the way they do around each other, which just makes me uncomfortable at the same time as it makes me frustrated because I know their feelings started before Valentine unleashed that bomb on them, so they can't really control them just yet. So yes, my mind and heart are just a mess when it comes to these two; they can't seem to get along. But it's fine.

“You think she’ll be able to talk sense into him?” she asked. “His sister?” 

“If he listens to anyone, it would be her.”

Which brings me to my second mixed feelings instigator : Valentine Morgenstern.
Listen. When I say mixed feelings, it's to be taken veeeeery lightly, because I know, from the bottom to the very top of my heart, I hate every last cell in Valentine's body with a passion of a thousand suns. But at the same time, this character is so fucked up, so complex, so manipulative.. you can't help but ENJOY hating him. It's a love hate scenario. But not in the "sometimes I love him sometimes I hate him" sense, but in the I LOVE TO HATE HIM. He's just... SO GOOD at making people doubt their convinction, at making them doubt themselves and sometimes for just one second, but that second is always and crutial one.

Lastly, the thing, or character really, I just did not like in this book : Simon Lewis.
Now, hear me out. Simon was one of my favorites in City of Bones. I just loved him. LOVED HIM. But it all went to garbage in City of Ashes. He was SO UTTERLY, MADENINGLY annoying. I mean OH MY GOD. Every scene he appeared in, I just wanted him to SHUT. UP. He was so entitled, the way he thought Clary belonged to him and just iced her out whenever she wasn't always on his side I wanted to smack the living shit out of him. I just... absolutely hated him in this instalement. Hopefully, that changes in later books because, dear God almighty!

And let's not even talk about Climon. Because what on earth was that?! It came out of nowhere and was tasteless to indescribable degrees. A sea of HELL NOs. PSA to authors everywhere : YOU CAN WRITE AN INTERSEX FRIENDSHIP WITHOUT TURNING IT INTO AN UNREQUITED LOVE THING TO MAKE IT MORE INTERESTING!! I assure you we need more platonic intersex relationships than this overdone trope no one cares about anymore.

To conclude this, I just want to say I can't wait to dive deeper into this world and this story. I've been told it's different for the series and I just cannot wait to find out all the ways it is. I'm looking forward to it !