City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Clary's mother has disappeared, and Clary has been pulled into the world of the Shadowhunters, warriors who fight to rid the Earth of demons as she searches for her.  Clary knows her mother doesn't have anything to do with this world, but then why would the enemies of the Shadowhunters want her?  Clary is realizing she can see things that other people can't see, and perhaps she isn't as normal as she thought. 

I liked Clockwork Angel better, is that weird?  Maybe because when I read Clockwork Angel it seemed fresher.  Maybe if I'd read all the Mortal Instruments books first I wouldn't feel like that.  As it was, it felt like all the characters were just copies of each other (which was probably on purpose).  Will was Jace.  Tessa was Clary.  Jessamine was Isabelle, and so on.

City of Bones was one part Harry Potter and one part Star Wars.  I think this was also done knowingly, there were a number of Star Wars references.  We have an evil villain everyone who fears who wants pure bloods to rule over all.  Boo to the werewolves and vampires and fairies and so on.  Boo to Shadowhunters who marry mortals and weaken the bloodline.  It was very Voldemort.

Spoilers coming.

 Clary and Jace are siblings, but they don't know it until after they've kind of fallen in love and have kissed.  VERY Luke and Leia.  And then Clary finds out that her father is the villain, and Jace finds out his father is NOT dead as he thought, but alive and actually the villain, and there's a very dramatic "I AM YOUR FATHER" moment.


I liked it, I was into it.  There weren't a whole lot of surprises.  I could figure out pretty well what was going to happen as I went along.  I don't know if I feel like I need to read the rest of the series, but I might read Clockwork Angel again.  Yeah, I really like that one better.  I can't put my finger on why.

City of Bones is followed by City of Ashes and City of Glass, and then the prequel, Clockwork Angel which is going to become a series itself.