City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
When Clary Fray sees three teenagers with strange tattoos and weapons kill a blue haired boy at her favorite club, she can’t believe her eyes. For that matter, neither can the three teens, because Clary is what they call a ‘mundane’ and should not be able to see them. The following day, her life is altered forever when her mother disappears after telling Clary not to come home, and she is taken to the Institute by Jace, one of the three teens from the night before.
She is soon drawn into a world of Shadowhunters (Nephilim), Downworlders and demons. Valentine, insane leader of The Circle and ex-Shadowhunter bent on ‘cleansing the world’ of all things remotely demon, including the product of demon ‘viruses’ (also known as vampires, faeries, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures), is trying to find the Mortal Cup (pretty much the Holy Grail of the Nephilim, renowned for it’s ability to turn children into Shadowhunters) and has kidnapped Clary‘s mom because he is sure she knows where the cup is. In this spunky tale, Clary must remember past lessons, hunt new enemies, save Simon (best friend nerdy type) and be saved by him, and find the Mortal Cup in an attempt to rescue her mother from Valentine’s clutches.
This story seems mostly cobbled together from several sources (Harry Potter, Star Wars, Buffy, etc.) and easy to research Angelology and Demonology. Even though it was not the most original story I have ever read, I did enjoy it. The plot is transparent, the characters not incredibly deep and the descriptive writing a bit flat in some places. However, if you’re looking for a fun book that isn’t a brain twister to pass the time, City of Bones
Book Stats:
- Reading level: Young Adult
- Hardcover: 496 pages
- Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (March 27, 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1416914285
- ISBN-13: 978-1416914280
To purchase a print copy of City of Bones click here
Books in the Mortal Instruments series in the order they should be read:
City of Bones
City of Ashes
City of Glass – Scheduled for release in March 2009
To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.