City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones is a wonderful start to The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. It is a story about love, deception, betrayal, family, and friendship. I remember the first time I tried to read it, I wasn't able to get into the story line because I didn't think the plot was interesting. But thankfully, The Clockwork Angel changed all of that for me and I guess this is where it all began. I'm truly looking forward to reading more of Cassandra Clare's books and finding out how the Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments series are connected.

The story itself, is about a teenage girl named Clary Fray who is unsure of her identity in the world ever since she discovers that she is a Shadowhunter and who her real father is. Eventually, she is thrust into a world of Nephilim-- the Shadowhunters, the Downworlders-- werewolves, vampires, faeries, and even demons. But her life soon takes a turn for the worse, when she finds out that her mother was attacked by a demon and is rescued by a Shadowhunter named, Jace Wayland. I have to admit that the beginning was slow, but the author soon picks up the pace after Clary wakes up to find herself inside of the Institute where the Shadowhunters resides and meets Isabelle, Alex, and Jace. From the very beginning, I always knew that there was something special about Jace. He oddly reminds me of Will Herondale from The Clockwork Angel... so that must be a BIG clue as to who his parents are later in the books. I'll just have to wait and find out!

Let's take a deeper look on the characters of The Mortal Instruments series, shall we? Clary Fray is not only a tough heroine but she is also full of wit and backbone. She's not afraid to talk back to Jace and I absolutely love the chemistry between the two. Jace believes that she is beautiful, even if she doesn't know it, and I think that is the reason why he is attracted to her. As for Jace Wayland himself, he is sexy, sarcastic, and I have to say, a very intriguing character. And the ending of the book, holy cow. Another big betrayal and deception coming from the one and only Valentine. I never would have guessed it but I definitely refuse to believe that is true!

To sum up this review, this series has earned a place on my pedestal of books and I'm truly looking forward to reading more of these books. I can't believe I waited this long to start this series but hey, it's better late than never!

Rating: ★★★★★