City of Bones by (The Mortal Instruments #1) Cassandra Clare

“That to love is to destroy and that to be the one loved is to be the one destroyed.”
– Jace Wayland

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.

Personal Thoughts:

Despite being almost 500 pages long, the City of Bones is a fast read. It’s hard to get board with this new world created by Cassanrda Clare in Mortal Instruments series. There are so much to imagine and so many characters involved. There are shadowhunters, angels, vampires, werewolves, faeries, warlocks, wizards, witches and demons. It’s full packed, action driven with witty conversations and interesting plot. Cassandra Clare created a fantastic world with such ease. She tells so much yet it’s easy to understand and imagine. As if you just step into a portal and transported in this new world she created.

The writing is neither poetic nor lyrical, it’s more direct and story driven. But it never spoil the description of the unseen world Cassandra Clare built. A new world that is dark, magical, enchanting and edgy. Written in a third-person point of view with different view points used, the story is unbelievably good. She switch views from one character to another without breaking the flow of events. She balances all viewpoints well, and each time, we want just a little more.

The characters are simply great. All are consistent and like-able. Clary as the protagonist shows a strong character. She may not have the physical strength like the other characters but she know how to carry her self. She is smart enough to focus on her mission saving her Mother. She didn’t let anyone push her around. Despite being attracted to Jace, she is not consumed by it, but focus on what is really matters in her life.

Jace is my favorite character in this book. He is good at what he does, quick-witted and sharp tongued. It’s fascinating that in-spite of his strong persona, he has this sense of humor that is so refreshing. I enjoyed his arrogance and sarcastic humor even sometimes it get a bit much, it was still fun nonetheless. The interaction between him and Clary often bring me to laughter. With his tragic past and shadow of mystery he is surely someone to look forward to the next book.

The supporting characters were all well developed and beautifully written. Cassandra Clare captures their distinct personalities incredibly well. Isabelle, Alec, Luke and Simon all played a fairly large role in the story even Magnus Bane and Hodge Starkweather. Each characters are creatively used in the story and not just get thrown around to used as plot devices. I can’t wait to see what Cassandra does with all the characters in the rest of this series.

Overall, City of Bones is a fun read. With a whole bunch of paranormal creatures, characters to love and a plot that makes almost 500 pages seems short this book is worth every page. Cassandra Clare will not just make you read each words she written but will let you absorb, experience and bring them to life. Definitely worth reading.