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: ★★★★★

The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

My response after finishing The Clockwork Angel: "What the, nooo!" Wow, I'm not really sure I have any words to say after finishing this wonderful book. The fact that I decided to read the this before The Mortal Instruments series might have made me confused in the beginning, but after reading the book, I began to feel as if this series is truly connected to its decessor. I'm not going to be biased and say that this series is better than Cassandra Clare's first series since I haven't read it yet, meaning there is nothing for me to compare. But I think overall, this book was truly good. It was exciting, mysterious, and rather shocking when the true villain was revealed. I also sense a love triangle so I'm looking forward to that and Will's secret!

I admit that the beginning of the book was a tad bit boring and slow. But soon, the plot picks up right after Tessa gets rescued by Will from the Dark Sisters and readers get a sense of what the plot behind this book is all about. Tessa is an essential asset to something, but it has something to do with her shape-shifting powers and that the Magister wants to possess her. Throughout the entire book, Tessa begins to question her heritage and why exactly she is the way she is. There is no answer for that yet, but hopefully in the next upcoming books, there will be. As for the other characters, I did mention that I find Will Herondale to be an interesting character. I'm pretty sure that Will will become Tessa's love interest, but also Jem as well. Although something tragic must have happened to him in the past... which is why he often tries to build up a wall between himself and Tessa. Jem will also probably be an important character later on in the books because in my opinion, he is the nicer counterpart of Will. And last but not least, the villains. I never would have guessed but I always sensed that it was much more than that and I guess I was right.

Overall, this was truly a great start to The Infernal Devices series and I'm anticipating for the next book, The Clockwork Prince. The ending of the book was a cliff-hanger so I can't wait to see what will happen next!

Rating: ★★★★★