A review by savvyrosereads
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-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
4.5
Updated rating: 4.5/5 stars.
The Mortal Instruments has always been one of my favorite series, but until this reread I would have said City of Ashes was among my least favorite of the individual books. But this reread reminded me how many incredible moments this book holds—moments of friendship, sacrifice, bravery, and love—not to mention how much happens in terms of character and plot development for the larger series. So now, I truly think this one might be among my series favorites. I'm so glad I read it again.
Original review (3 stars, 2013): Alright, so first and foremost I want to say that I refuse to write reviews with spoilers, so, in the interest of not spoiling either this OR City of Bones, this review will likely be very vague. But here goes:
Characters: Still freaking amazing. Slightly evolved, but in good ways.
World: Still freaking amazing. Still under-explained in parts, but so intriguing and exciting and awesome.
Plot: Still MERGH. But better than the first book, in many ways. More issues and twists and side plots to deal with, and I was kept guessing until the very end, which was nice. I didn't like how a few things ended up, but I know it's being set up for the rest of the series, so I can forgive most of it.
The structure of the book was a little jarring in places too, because I'm not a HUGE fan of switching POVs, especially during action-packed sequences, because as soon as I get excited and on the edge of my seat about one situation, I'm switched to another section of the book. That said, I felt like each POV was needed exactly how it was written, and once I adjusted to the switches I didn't mind them: they gave depth to some previously under-explored characters, and added insight to the main characters as well. The ending was an exciting but abrupt cliffhanger, so I know one thing for sure: I cannot wait to get started on City of Glass.
The Mortal Instruments has always been one of my favorite series, but until this reread I would have said City of Ashes was among my least favorite of the individual books. But this reread reminded me how many incredible moments this book holds—moments of friendship, sacrifice, bravery, and love—not to mention how much happens in terms of character and plot development for the larger series. So now, I truly think this one might be among my series favorites. I'm so glad I read it again.
Original review (3 stars, 2013): Alright, so first and foremost I want to say that I refuse to write reviews with spoilers, so, in the interest of not spoiling either this OR City of Bones, this review will likely be very vague. But here goes:
Characters: Still freaking amazing. Slightly evolved, but in good ways.
World: Still freaking amazing. Still under-explained in parts, but so intriguing and exciting and awesome.
Plot: Still MERGH. But better than the first book, in many ways. More issues and twists and side plots to deal with, and I was kept guessing until the very end, which was nice. I didn't like how a few things ended up, but I know it's being set up for the rest of the series, so I can forgive most of it.
The structure of the book was a little jarring in places too, because I'm not a HUGE fan of switching POVs, especially during action-packed sequences, because as soon as I get excited and on the edge of my seat about one situation, I'm switched to another section of the book. That said, I felt like each POV was needed exactly how it was written, and once I adjusted to the switches I didn't mind them: they gave depth to some previously under-explored characters, and added insight to the main characters as well. The ending was an exciting but abrupt cliffhanger, so I know one thing for sure: I cannot wait to get started on City of Glass.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Gore, and Violence