The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Can anything that seems to be a complete waste of time prove the opposite. Well in this case with The Mortal Instruments series #1 City of Bones it sure does the trick. Well i’ve been postponing getting this book for a long time unsure of what i might expect from here but after seeing a lot of praises for the series both on youtube and goodreads(although i basically check about new stuffs from amazon but i’m not adding it to the list because all the negative reviews put me off a little bit). So, i thought well why not, since i only concern myself with the plot and not with the genre.

Well, here goes nothing i believe;

A blurb on the back of the book from Justine Larbalestier, Magic of Maddness, claims that City of Bones has it all. While Holly Black, Valiant, says this book is ‘Funny. Dark. And sexy.’ Can one book live up to all this great press? With a cover that sexy………well yes it sure can.

Clary Fray, short for Clarissa, is a normal girl in a normal world. When she sees a blue-haired boy in a night club attacked and killed by a group of three strange-looking teenagers, things change. But when a bouncer is called and no one can see the three but her, Clary starts to wonder what exactly is happening. When Clary receives a strange phone call from her mom she rushes home to make sure that everything is alright. What she finds is an apartment in ruins and a demon waiting to eat her. But Clary isn’t a normal girl and she is able to, barely, hold her own against the demon. Soon enough she is rescued by one of the strange teenagers. Jace takes her to the Institute, a place of safety for his kind.

What is happening is that Clary is starting to regain her ‘Sight’, the power that enables her to see the world, and the things in the world, as it really is. Soon she learns that the three teenagers are Shadowhunters or the nephilim (who are shown in differnt light in the Christan Holy Bible): men, women, and teenagers created by mixing the blood of angels with that of men so that they can hunt and kill demons. Alec and Isabelle, the other two strangers from the club, are brother and sister, and Jace came to live with their family when he was ten years old, after the horrific death of his father.

A lot is happening in City of Bones. Featuring a full cast of characters, twists jump out with every turn of the page as Clary moves through the discovery of herself and the truth that is locked in her memories. Now, Clary’s best friend Simon is one of the more human and believable characters in this novel; his awkwardness is easily recognized from any boy you went to high school with, making him even more lovable. The Shadowhunters and their world is fantastic. Clear and all very much so believable.

City of Bones is a thrilling ride that has you sitting, waiting, and wishing. You are rooting for the characters as the battle an evil that hits close to home, so dangerous that you would rethink your family’s dynamics. The characters are full of life, and although we might have a few things figured out before them they are still a joy to read about. A story full of secrets and hidden agendas is bound to hold you, captivating your imagination. Not to mention the complex and utterly fantastical world Cassandra Clare has created. 

For a debut novel for a fan fiction writer the novel provides us with all the entertainment we book lovers need. The adventures get only more interesting as the series progresses. It’s good that i didn’t re-think my decision of reading the book or i would have missed out on a lot.

Genre :      Fiction, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy


Publisher:  Margaret K. McElderry


Rate:              5/5 (It was amazing, I recommend it)