In the second installment of The Mortal Instruments series Clary, the protagonist, is still learning what it means to be a Shadowhunter and finding out more about the world that has been kept hidden from her until recently. Clary encounters werewolves, vampires, warlocks and faeries as she tries to figure out how to wake her mother from a magically induced coma and how to stop her father from bringing evil to the Shadowhunting world.
In City of Ashes the relationships between characters are explored in more depth as lifelong friendships are put to the test. There was more pace in this sequel; we dived straight back into the action after foundations were set in City of Bones. After reading the first book and finding that there was a lot of information to take in about the backstory of the Shadowhunters, it was a relief to get back to the action which Clare writes very well.
Since the first book I’ve found it difficult to really like Clary or Jace that much. Hopefully, as the series progresses, the pair will become more likeable – Clary will become a stronger person and Jace will loose some of his arrogance.
Overall, I’m interested to see where Clare has taken the plot in the next in the series, City of Glass.
Fiction for Teens 