Clary Fray is a "normal" girl of fifteen who loves to go to clubs and bring her unwilling friend Simon. One of her favorite clubs is Pandemonium. The story begins with her and Simon in line for Pandemonium, where a blue haired cute guy catches the eye of Clary. Little does she know that he is actually a demon from the Downworld. As her and Simon are dancing on the dance floor, she sees the blue haired guy sneak into a dark room with a tall, slim, black haired beauty. But then something else catches her eye, two black shadows going to the same room and one has a knife. She yells at Simon to get a bouncer and then follows the two dark shadows in to the dark room.What she sees startles here: 3 warrior people with strange markings and 1 defenseless "person". Just as one of the boys is about to make the killing blow, Clary shouts for him to stop After the demon is killed the 3 turn to Clary. Clary asks them why they killed the helpless boy? When she goes to look at the spot of the dead boy, there is no body. She is told that he was no person, but a demon who is from the Downworld. Downworlders are warlocks, demons, and witches. They tell her that they are Shadowhunters, people who protect the vampiers, werewolces, and "mundies" or mundane people, people who do not do magic or see Downworlders.
The next day she is yelled at by her mother, for staying out too late. When Simon asks her to go to a poetry reading with her she agrees, and ignores her mother's plea for her to stay home. While at the poetry reading she notices one of the boys from the other night is right behind her. They go outside to speak and just then her mother calls. When she picks up her mother tells her to never come home and then she hears a loud crash and then the phone goes dead.
She runs back to her mother's house to see if she can help her mom. As she walks back in to her house she finds the house in shambles. When she reaches her room she is greeted by a monster. She fights with the monster and barely makes it alive. When she awakens the next day, she finds her old way of life lost to her. She begins a mission to find her mother and the person responsible.
I found it to be a mix of some books. At times it felt like I was reading a Harry Potter book: Lord Valentine reminded me of Lord Voldermort, Jace reminded me of Harry Potter: both parents lost, a lost soul, trying to find a place to belong. And at other times it felt like I was reading a Laurel K. Hamilton book: werewolves and demons, and vampires all about. But this is a wonderful book, and the plot was superb! I loved how there were many twists and my heart raced along Clary's as she was running. My only complaint would be that at times it did seem to be a little to long, and I know this sounds like a contradiction from what I just wrote. At some points is seemed slow: a too long discription. Other factor that some what bothered me was that the POV (point of view) would change subelt and throw me off. It would switch from first to omnicent. Towards the end of the book the aurthor throws a curve ball that blows Harry Potter's stories out of the water, and I dont really believe that Jace is really the son of.....well you'll have to read the book. But I highly recomend it. In fact I'm already into the second book!
This is book 1 in her The Mortal Instruments Series.
1) City of Bones
2)City of Ashes
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. Simon Pusle, NY 2007
