City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Book: City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2)
Author: Cassandra Clare
# of Pages: 453 (Paperback)
Challenge: 2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge
Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Summary:
Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed City of Bones, so I had high expectations for City of Ashes and it did not disappoint.

City of Ashes picks up a few days after City of Bones ends. In this book, Clary and Jace struggle to figure out who they are and where they belong. And all kinds of chaos is happening in the Shadowhunter world. 

Also, Clary and Jace are told that they have special "talents", but we do not learn exactly what they are. Hopefully, there will be more info about them in the next book.

I felt that Clary was pretty strong throughout the story despite all the stress and pressure she had to deal with. Though the character that impressed me most was Alec. In the first book he was so angry and jealous that I found it very hard to like him. In this book, however, we see just how clever and brave and thoughtful he can be. I really liked getting to see this side of him.

Overall, City of Ashes was full of action, mystery, and romance. And even though I did like City of Bones a bit more, I thought this was a very enjoyable read.

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Book: Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3)
Author: Cassandra Clare
# of Pages: 568 (Hardcover)
Challenge: September is for Sequels Challenge
Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:
A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain plans to use his Infernal Devices, an army of pitiless automatons, to destroy the Shadowhunters. He needs only one last item to complete his plan: he needs Tessa Gray.

Charlotte Branwell, head of the London Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. But when Mortmain abducts Tessa, the boys who lay equal claim to her heart, Jem and Will, will do anything to save her. For though Tessa and Jem are now engaged, Will is as much in love with her as ever.

As those who love Tessa rally to rescue her from Mortmain’s clutches, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself. But can a single girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army?

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment, and the tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

My Thoughts:

Clockwork Princess was absolutely amazing! The story just kept getting better and better with every page, and I loved every moment of it.

I admit that I did not care much for Will at the beginning of this trilogy, but after reading Clockwork Princess, I have come to love him just as much as Jem. Tessa's identity is revealed as well as her importance to Mortmain. I did have my doubts before reading this that I would be left with questions, but I am happy to say that that was not the case. I was very satisfied with how things came together.

This book had everything: action, suspense, unexpected twists. Seriously the best book in the trilogy.

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Book: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2)
Author: Cassandra Clare
# of Pages: 498 (Hardcover)
Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Summary
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.(

My Thoughts:
Charlotte is in danger of losing control of the London Institute and it is up to Tessa, Jem, and Will to help her keep her position. The Magister has vanished and Tessa and the others are determined to find him and figure out what he is planning to do.

I must say that Tessa disappointed me a little. She was brave and clever, but there was a point in the book where she was obsessing over Will and it was sort of annoying. Her true identity is still a mystery, but Will's secret is revealed and we get a better understanding of why he acts the way he does. There are a few new characters. The most interesting being Bridget with her ability to fight and the eerie songs she sings. I did like Clockwork Prince better than Clockwork Angel, but once again there was too much description and not enough action.

Overall, Clockwork Prince was a good read. I am looking forward to the final book in the series, but I just get the feeling that something sad is going to happen.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Book: Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1)
Author: Cassandra Clare
# of Pages: 476 (Paperback)
Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Summary
Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.(

My Thoughts:
Tessa Gray travels from New York to England so that she can live with her brother, Nate. Upon arriving, she is kidnapped by the Dark Sisters who reveal to her that she is not who she thought she was  and that she has a unique ability to change into other people. After escaping the horrors of the Dark Sisters, Tessa goes to stay with the Shadowhunters at the London Institute. With her brother missing and the man known as the Magister after her, Tessa struggles to find out what she is while trying to acclimate to the supernatural world that she has fallen into.

I thought Tessa was a a strong protagonist. She is brave and smart. As for the Shadowhunters, Will is sarcastic and witty. But, as funny as he was, I found that I did not like him that much. Jem is kind and intelligent and extremely likable. Though they appear to be completely opposite, they have one thing in common. They are both harboring big secrets.

Charlotte runs the Institute, and although she is underestimated by her peers, she is a very clever and determined woman. Her husband, Henry, is obsessed with his inventions. He is a little eccentric, but overall he is a very amusing character.

I loved how Clockwork Angel was set in Victorian England and I do like Clare's writing style. I just thought there were points where there was too much description. I also would like to have seen more action.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Book: City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)
Author: Cassandra Clare
# of Pages: 485 (Paperback)
Rating: 4.5 stars

Goodreads Summary
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

My Thoughts:
I was apprehensive about reading City of Bones because of all the mixed reviews. But, I decided to give it a try not expecting that I would be hooked only after reading a few pages. The world that Clare has created is reminiscent of that of Harry Potter's with its magical intrigue and mystique as well as the many mythical creatures.

Clary thinks she is a normal fifteen-year-old until she meets Jace and is drawn into the Shadow World. She begins to unearth the truth of her identity and finds herself in the middle of a love triangle with her best friend Simon and the swoonworthy Jace.

City of Bones was funny and full of action. And the ending was soo unexpected. I am angry with myself for not reading this sooner. But now that I have, I am very eager to read the rest of the series.