Review: City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2) by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis (via Goodreads): 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?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

My Take: Oh, man.  Where do I start?  I love how this series is becoming bigger and more complex.  I love how gritty and ragged the world around them is.  There's betrayal and murder and fragile alliances.  There's forbidden love (like, really forbidden - why am I so enamoured of it?!?) and the love that springs up between siblings and parents even when they're not blood relatives.  As adrift as Jace feels that he is in the world suddenly, he has a family that loves him like he's their own.  Clary has Luke, the substitute father who loves her unconditionally.

And then there's Valentine.  The dark fog that sweeps through and infects everything he touches.  Downworlder, human, Nephilim, demon, he subverts them all and uses his gift for twisting the truth to destroy them slowly from the inside.

I'm enjoying the epicness of this series and I have book 3 sitting in front of me right now.  Sweet!

Other books by Cassandra Clare

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