bookthief's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This book was soo much better than city of bones. It had multiple perspectives of the characters making the story line more interesting and allowing me to understand and connect with the characters more.
I felt really bad for Jace throughout this book because he had the right intentions the whole way through he just didn’t know how to express them. Especially with the Inquisitor. I thought he was quite blunt and could have tried harder to prove he was innocent. I thought it was really cool how he could jump really high and fall from high places and land perfectly.
When they went to the Seelie Court I thought it was really cool for them to be in a different environment and I loved how visual it was and cool the entrance was. I did think it was a bit strange and weird how the Queen made Jace and Clary kiss but I guess they aren’t actually siblings so it’s okay.
I was shocked when Simon was actually a vampire!! Like I thought it was completely unexpected but quite cool to find out how people became vampires. Also it was shocking at the end how he can be in sunlight which is really strange but I’m sure there is some sort of reasoning behind it that will be explained later.
Clary’s ability to create new runes is super cool! And she was extremely powerful and talented when she managed to destroy Valentines boat with a single rune. I loved her and Luke’s relationship!
The epilogue was really interesting with Madeline. I thought her character may return again after Clary and seen her at the Silent City. I am really curious to what the spell was!
And finally Magnus is such a great character I wish we could see more of him and his relationship with Alec!
Overall, this book is more intense and intriguing than the first book. I can’t wait to read the next one !
I felt really bad for Jace throughout this book because he had the right intentions the whole way through he just didn’t know how to express them. Especially with the Inquisitor. I thought he was quite blunt and could have tried harder to prove he was innocent. I thought it was really cool how he could jump really high and fall from high places and land perfectly.
When they went to the Seelie Court I thought it was really cool for them to be in a different environment and I loved how visual it was and cool the entrance was. I did think it was a bit strange and weird how the Queen made Jace and Clary kiss but I guess they aren’t actually siblings so it’s okay.
I was shocked when Simon was actually a vampire!! Like I thought it was completely unexpected but quite cool to find out how people became vampires. Also it was shocking at the end how he can be in sunlight which is really strange but I’m sure there is some sort of reasoning behind it that will be explained later.
Clary’s ability to create new runes is super cool! And she was extremely powerful and talented when she managed to destroy Valentines boat with a single rune. I loved her and Luke’s relationship!
The epilogue was really interesting with Madeline. I thought her character may return again after Clary and seen her at the Silent City. I am really curious to what the spell was!
And finally Magnus is such a great character I wish we could see more of him and his relationship with Alec!
Overall, this book is more intense and intriguing than the first book. I can’t wait to read the next one !
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Confinement, Death, War, Blood, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Death of parent, and Grief
chrstnlvly's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Mundane humans create distinctions between themselves, distinctions that seem ridiculous to any Shadowhunter. Their distinctions are based on race, religion, national identity, any of a dozen minor and irrelevant markers. To mundanes these seem logical, for though mundanes cannot see, understand, or acknowledge the demon worlds, still somewhere buried in their ancient memories, they know that there are those that walk this earth that are other. That do not belong, that mean only harm and destruction. Since the demon threat is invisible to mundanes, they must assign the threat to others of their own kind. They place the face of their enemy onto the face of their neighbor, and thus are generations of misery assured.
To be honest, not much really happened in this book. In my opinion, the events of City of Ashes could have easily been combined with either City of Bones or City of Glass. I don't believe there was enough substance to justify an entire book dedicated to these events.
Spoiler
Although Simon turned into a vampire, we saw Robert and Maryse, and there was a battle between the Shadowhunters and Valentine, the plot felt lacking.I did find City of Ashes to be funnier than City of Bones, but Clary's character was quite irritating!
Spoiler
And yes, the incest thing bothered me more in this book because of Clary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Incest, Murder, Torture, Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Kidnapping and Child death
Minor: Animal death
thatbookbitch's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Kidnapping, Violence, and War
Moderate: Child death and Domestic abuse
Minor: Sexual content, Vomit, Torture, and Genocide
psliz's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
nothing if not action-packed and drama oriented!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, War, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Misogyny, Incest, Homophobia, Hate crime, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Child death, Death, and Bullying
Minor: Child abuse, Vomit, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Blood
qcupquake's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
City of Ashes:
3.25/5
- yk i could really do without the whole but yk thanks bc i definitely needed that in my head. that was so gross i was actually disgusted. it wasn't that they kissed, it was that they kissed while they
- idk if Cassy Clare meant to make The Inquisitor an EXTREMELY unlikeable character, but if she did, she did a damn good job of it. i
- valentine is also an extremely well written villain. i like his charm but at the same time it's what makes me despise him
- i personally liked City of Bones more but this was still nice :)
- i liked the action and the humor that we established in the first book
3.25/5
- yk i could really do without the whole
Spoiler
making clary and jace kiss while they still believe they're siblingsSpoiler
sTILL BELIEVE THEY ARE SIBLINGS- idk if Cassy Clare meant to make The Inquisitor an EXTREMELY unlikeable character, but if she did, she did a damn good job of it. i
Spoiler
celebrated when she died- valentine is also an extremely well written villain. i like his charm but at the same time it's what makes me despise him
- i personally liked City of Bones more but this was still nice :)
- i liked the action and the humor that we established in the first book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Incest, Blood, Gore, and Death
Moderate: Child death
jaynovara's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and Violence
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Incest, and Kidnapping
tiana_king's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Confinement
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Incest, and Kidnapping
bblanka's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Blood, Death, Murder, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Incest
Minor: War
mollydollydoodah's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This book was much more captivating than the first one. I really enjoyed it, and I read the entire thing in one sitting. It was very interesting and a lot frustrating when it came to the romance side of things, and I really hope that figures itself out soon because I’m dying over here. It was thrilling and adventurous and at times very much gave me second-hand embarrassment, but I thoroughly enjoyed this and couldn’t put it down. It’s one am rn as I’m writing this, but I’ll be glad to start the next novel as soon as I wake up tomorrow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Child death
readwithria's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I'm pleasantly surprised at how well these books have held up, both to time in general and to me being older than the target age range. I really enjoyed the pace, the action, the characters, and the continued worldbuilding. The addition of new Downworlder characters added more depth to an already exciting world.
My one complaint, which made me consider dropping my rating from a 4 to a 3, was the relationship dynamic between Clary and Jace. Why all the almost-incest, Cassie? Why?
My one complaint, which made me consider dropping my rating from a 4 to a 3, was the relationship dynamic between Clary and Jace.
Spoiler
Okay, so at the end of the last book, we are told that these two love interests are siblings. We have no reason to believe that this isn't true. Before this information was revealed, they were love interests. Now in book two, they are still pining for each other even though THEY FULLY BELIEVE THEY'RE SIBLINGS. Neither of them is under the impression that Valentine lied to them, they're both fully on the same page about being siblings, but they also both have the hots for each other. SPOILER FOR BOOK THREE:Spoiler
of course, anyone who has completed the third book knows that they aren't actually related at all, but another love interest of Clary's is actually related to her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Homophobia, Incest, Kidnapping, and Murder