Reviews with content warning for Blood - City of Ashes

Reviews tagging 'Blood'

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

39 reviews

sup3r_xn0va_maya's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Okay, wow. This was a thing. I know Cassandra Clare used to write Harry Potter fanfic in her LiveJournal days (and she used to bully teens on LJ as well), and in her some of her HP fanfics she would write Ron and Ginny as being in a romantic relationship, even though they're siblings. So she obviously has an interest in incest because this whole incest plotline is just a replay of her Ron/Ginny fanfics. I can't stand it, it makes my skin crawl.

Ignoring the incest issue, this book was really boring for about 60% of the way through and then after that point the action started to pick up. When the action picked up I just remember thinking "why should I care about these characters?" Most of the characters, like Alec and Isabell, are one dimensional characters and I have no interest in them.

Isn't Magnus a 1,000 year old Warlock? Why is he dating a 17 year old Alec? Why is he interested in dating a teen, he's old as hell. He's way too old to be dating Alec, that's worst than some Bella and Edward, Twilight shit.

I might continue this series because I recently found 20 Clare books at a thrift store and this series was among the books I found.

Spoiler

I want to see what happens when Jocelynn wakes up and I want to know what it means now that Simon can go into the light despite being a Vampire, after he drank Jace's blood.

I don't know if it's worth it to read the rest of the series to find out or if it would be better to just look up spoilers.

This book was a miss for me.

I'm giving it 2.5 (rounded up to 3) stars out of 5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Content Warnings

breedawnwriter's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Cassandra Clare has done it again. I literally could NOT put this book down—I read it in like two days.

The tension between Jace and Clary in this book was entirely unhinged, and I loved every single freaking moment of it.

Content Warnings

chrstnlvly's review against another edition

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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.

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.

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.

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

slipp99's review against another edition

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emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.5

Wtf was all that incest for 🤢

Content Warnings

lenarthoe's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny lighthearted sad 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

4.5

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audragio's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The blatant incestual tendencies cause me to give it a low rating

Content Warnings

thatbookbitch's review against another edition

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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

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artemisg's review against another edition

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adventurous sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Oh my god, shut up, Clary. Oh my god, the Clary and Simon relationship makes me so mad, but not as mad as the continued incest. Oh my god, everyone sucks. Truly, the only moderately tolerable character in this book is Max. Actually, that’s a lie, Cassie just somehow made her two main protagonists the most infuriating characters of all time. Clary is a bad friend, a bad daughter, and kind of a misogynist lmao. Jace is just annoying. The supporting characters have my support - mainly because they aren’t IN LOVE WITH THEIR SIBLINGS.

Spoiler

Look, I know they aren’t actually siblings, but they don’t know that and still want to run away and be together or whatever.

Anyway, I digress. This book efficiently and effectively introduced the Herondales; I have to commend Cassie for that. It also plays to my found family-loving heart.

The one thing this series does well is found family (and adoptive family), I stand by the Alec and Jace duo being so wonderful, and it’s nice to see Clary try not to be such a bitch to Isabelle. The banter and general bickering are actually quite entertaining sometimes, even if it’s so so unrealistic.

Also, vampire Simon is such a slay, Daylighter supremacy, tbh. Absolutely obsessed with Jace saving Simon’s life as well.

Content Warnings

kayceeisbookish's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful tense

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

mitzee's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

3.25

It was fine, not sure if I found the love triangle cliche more bearable because I made it through the first book so I was used it it, or if it was actually written better.

Spoiler

though the incest aspect is still very creepy and icky. I actually assume something will happen later that proves Cleary and Jace are not actually siblings

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