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 …
City of Bones Review
After reading The Mortal Instruments, I completely fell in love with Cassandra Clare. Since I read the series before blogging, I thought it was the perfect time for a re-read. I absolutely loved being back in the Shadowhunter world!
City of Bones is the first book in The Mortal Instruments series. After witnessing a murder, Clary Fray discovers a secret world of people – Shadowhunters.
One thing I love about this book is the characters. Clary, Simon, Jace, Isabelle and Alec are all fantastic. But my favourite character is definitely Magnus. I think my love for him totally grew in this re-read.
He’s such a unique, brave and loyal character. Also, his sassy nature is adorable! He’s just such a great character and I can’t wait to read more about Magnus, especially in the next books!
Now that I’m older, I can definitely see where this book is very ‘teen’ like. While things are cheesy at times, I still enjoyed it! And the feeling of being introduced to Shadowhunters for the first time is still great!
Another thing I love is Cassandra Clare’s writing. It’s absolutely phenomenal. She’s able to capture her reader through vivid world building, intriguing and unique characters and thorough descriptions. I completely immersed myself in this world and absolutely adore it.
While this is certainly not the best Cassandra Clare book, it’s a great entry into the world of Shadowhunters. Whether it’s for nostalgic reasons or not, City of Bones definitely stood the test of time for me!
I’m so happy to be back in this world, especially while waiting for the next book in The Dark Artifices series!
Overall, City of Bones is a great start to a fantastic series. If you haven’t read this series yet, I highly recommend it.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Favourite Quote
The boy never cried again, and he never forgot what he’d learned: that to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed.
About the Author
Cassandra Clare was born overseas and spent her early years traveling around the world with her family and several trunks of fantasy books. Cassandra worked for several years as an entertainment journalist for the Hollywood Reporter before turning her attention to fiction. She is the author of City of Bones, the first book in the Mortal Instruments trilogy and a New York Times bestseller. Cassandra lives with her fiance and their two cats in Massachusetts.
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I’ve been thinking about re-reading the series for a while now! This has inspired me into action lol
That makes me so happy that you’re inspired to read it! It’s been really nice to be back in the world – where it all began haha!
Oh. My. Gosh. I. Am. Completely. Obsessed. With. Magnus. Bane. When I found out that he and Alec were getting their own trilogy, I honestly think I may have squealed! I loved your review, and I cannot wait for the last book of the Dark Artifices to come out either!