City of Bones

Cassandra Clare

Apr 2009 · The Mortal Instruments Book 1 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Discover this first installment of the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series and “prepare to be hooked” (Entertainment Weekly).

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.

Ratings and reviews

I understand that this was the author's first book but seriously. Did they not have any editor or proof reader to support before publishing? The amount of times I found the lack of description is so annoying that even though I'm interested in the story itself, I won't give another chance and read the next books. They were standing in the hallway, now suddenly there is a desk and it's a room?! I am a person who visualize everything they read and this is so annoying for me. It ruined my enjoy.

I find City of Bones and its following sequels (City of Ashes, City of Glass) entrancing and lyrical. The characters are realistic and each of them are known for their own distinct character traits. Clary - The arty, self concious girl who tries desperately to rebel against her mother, yet also be more like her. Is confused to her feelings about Jace. Jace - arrogant, confident and extremely good looking. A skilled shadow hunter and hell does he know that. Is used to people doting on him. Tries to maintain an angsty teenager outlook so he can have excuses for being sullen. Isabelle - beautiful and sexy, she is used to boys falling at her feet. Isn't used to being around other girls as she has grown up with only Jace and Alec as friends her entire life. Tries to take the attention away from her brother's sexuality. Alec - the gay older brother of Isabelle, desperate to look good in Jace's eyes and be recognised as an equal. Simon - Clary's best friend. He has been in love with her since they were ten and has kept it to himself until now. Does not get along with Jace at all. As you can see, all the characters are completely different from each other, and none of them are just half completed. You know exactly who they are meant to be. I really enjoy these books as the fantasy in them is completely believable. Most fantasy books like this use old fashioned language to get across the idea of it being set in another world, however Cassandra Clare has cleverly created her own world somewhere in the middle of a twenty-first century American city. The characters really relate to teenage readers as they use 'teenage talk' and act like themselves. Minus the whole slaying demons thing, perhaps. Unless you do that, too. Overall, this series by Cassandra Clare is a brilliant trilogy, and readers will await the follow-up series The Infernal Devices that follows the adventures of shadow hunters one hundred years before The Mortal Instruments takes place.

I can't describe my experience now mind you I did not read this on an ebook I read this as an actual book while I was in prison thank God for this book because it took me somewhere I needed to be a whole different universe I don't care what age you are if you have an open mind and enjoy the unorthodox you will be very pleased

About the author

Cassandra Clare is the author of the #1 New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Shadowhunter Chronicles. She is also the coauthor of the bestselling fantasy series Magisterium with Holly Black. The Shadowhunter Chronicles have been adapted as both a major motion picture and a television series. Her books have more than fifty million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. Cassandra lives in western Massachusetts with her husband and three fearsome cats. Visit her at CassandraClare.com. Learn more about the world of the Shadowhunters at Shadowhunters.com.