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quintessenceofdust's review against another edition
3.0
A 2.5 rounded up.
It genuinely could have been worse, the main reason I'm marking it average is because it took me a while to read it as I kept putting it down or falling asleep...
As someone who has written and read a lot of fanfic, it comes across as a book that was born from fanfic (which I believe it was, somehow managed to avoid that drama when I was in the HP fandom!)
There's a couple of things that bother me; I'm not particularly a fan of anything that's not 'shadow hunter' being considered something with Demon Blood. Werewolves, Warlocks, Vampires, I love fantasy that has these kinds of characters in them, so it's kinda 'meh' to me that these are all considered 'demon' despite the point being, confusingly, that those with demon blood aren't lesser or whatever.
Valentine is an odd sort of amalgamation of Voldemort, Lucius, and Snape in this book, but having watched both the Mortal Instruments Movie, and the Shadow Hunters TV show, I'm not sure if he continues along that way. The one from the TV show is the best of them imo.
Clary is awful. I seem to find it impossible to like her no matter what version. She's a half-hearted Mary-Sue, who hates Isabelle for no reason other than she's pretty (and I hated that last conversation with Izzy being all 'I didn't like you but now I think I do...') like Izzy is allowed to be a little wary of new folks coming in, Clary seems to be completely unaware that other people dare have feelings about someone suddenly intervening on a little secret group she knows nothing about.
I still feel like there's stuff missing, but not in a 'ooh they are keeping things under wraps for now!' sort of way, but more in a 'that wasn't relevant so I can't be bothered writing it' sort of way.
For a book I said I'd never read, it wasn't the worst thing ever, but its not the best by any means either.
It genuinely could have been worse, the main reason I'm marking it average is because it took me a while to read it as I kept putting it down or falling asleep...
As someone who has written and read a lot of fanfic, it comes across as a book that was born from fanfic (which I believe it was, somehow managed to avoid that drama when I was in the HP fandom!)
There's a couple of things that bother me; I'm not particularly a fan of anything that's not 'shadow hunter' being considered something with Demon Blood. Werewolves, Warlocks, Vampires, I love fantasy that has these kinds of characters in them, so it's kinda 'meh' to me that these are all considered 'demon' despite the point being, confusingly, that those with demon blood aren't lesser or whatever.
Valentine is an odd sort of amalgamation of Voldemort, Lucius, and Snape in this book, but having watched both the Mortal Instruments Movie, and the Shadow Hunters TV show, I'm not sure if he continues along that way. The one from the TV show is the best of them imo.
Clary is awful. I seem to find it impossible to like her no matter what version. She's a half-hearted Mary-Sue, who hates Isabelle for no reason other than she's pretty (and I hated that last conversation with Izzy being all 'I didn't like you but now I think I do...') like Izzy is allowed to be a little wary of new folks coming in, Clary seems to be completely unaware that other people dare have feelings about someone suddenly intervening on a little secret group she knows nothing about.
I still feel like there's stuff missing, but not in a 'ooh they are keeping things under wraps for now!' sort of way, but more in a 'that wasn't relevant so I can't be bothered writing it' sort of way.
For a book I said I'd never read, it wasn't the worst thing ever, but its not the best by any means either.
superbeck's review against another edition
5.0
I just could not put this book down when I started it. I had gotten it for Christmas. All I wanted was books really. I got this one and the second City of Ashes. I started and was absorbed by it. I recommend it for anyone. I got it my sister to read it too. And a friend or too. My sister read the whole series. And its going to be a movie so why not? There is a prequel too, called The Mortal Devices.
mizannie4's review against another edition
3.0
Read for Popsugar 2023 prompt "book that started out as fan fiction."
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
tmoo's review against another edition
4.0
I was surprised I like this book since I hate reading. After my sister picked up because she liked the cover art, she recommended it to me. She seamed to believe that it was something i would actually enjoy reading, she was right (but I already said that). Read it. The end.
the_raven_writes's review against another edition
4.0
Like many YA urban fantasies, Cassandra Clare's City of Bones is full of teenage angst, unrequited love, and a kind of hard-edged rebellion that populates so much YA fiction nowadays. But unlike other books of this sort, City of Bones also contains a mix of interesting characters, richly-crafted world building, and a very compelling plot.
When Clarissa Fray, Clary to her friends, accidentally stumbles across a troupe of demon slayers in action at a downtown New York dance club, she isn't sure who is more repellent: the demon or the Shadow Hunters who take it down. But before she can make up her mind about who are the good guys and who are the bad, she finds herself smack in the middle of a war that's been raging in the Underworld for years. And when her mother is captured and hauled off to the lair of one of the most evil Shadow Hunters of all, Clary must join forces with a group of teens who dislike her company as much as she dislikes theirs in order to get her mother back.
Unlike some books, City of Bones isn't all about making googley eyes at the vampire (er, boy) you love but can't have. No, there's much more substance to this story. Clary struggles to deal with the lies she's been told all her life, the rejection by a man whom she'd loved like a father, and her own insecurities about her place in the world. And she's no shrinking violet. She's afraid, but acts courageously. She's uncertain, but she makes her mark on the story. She's a strong heroine, but a good friend. She may be interested in boys, but she's not so myopic that she'll run headlong into a bad relationship.
There are a few trouble spots in the book. Speech tags, a particular bugbear of mine, run rampant. The pacing, especially towards the end, isn't quite where it should be And there are some point of view issues as well. Overall, however, the book reads well.
I'm sure that any teenage girl who loves urban fantasy would love this book, but even from the jaded eyes of a forty-something, there's something to appreciate.
When Clarissa Fray, Clary to her friends, accidentally stumbles across a troupe of demon slayers in action at a downtown New York dance club, she isn't sure who is more repellent: the demon or the Shadow Hunters who take it down. But before she can make up her mind about who are the good guys and who are the bad, she finds herself smack in the middle of a war that's been raging in the Underworld for years. And when her mother is captured and hauled off to the lair of one of the most evil Shadow Hunters of all, Clary must join forces with a group of teens who dislike her company as much as she dislikes theirs in order to get her mother back.
Unlike some books, City of Bones isn't all about making googley eyes at the vampire (er, boy) you love but can't have. No, there's much more substance to this story. Clary struggles to deal with the lies she's been told all her life, the rejection by a man whom she'd loved like a father, and her own insecurities about her place in the world. And she's no shrinking violet. She's afraid, but acts courageously. She's uncertain, but she makes her mark on the story. She's a strong heroine, but a good friend. She may be interested in boys, but she's not so myopic that she'll run headlong into a bad relationship.
There are a few trouble spots in the book. Speech tags, a particular bugbear of mine, run rampant. The pacing, especially towards the end, isn't quite where it should be And there are some point of view issues as well. Overall, however, the book reads well.
I'm sure that any teenage girl who loves urban fantasy would love this book, but even from the jaded eyes of a forty-something, there's something to appreciate.
alcraig's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book! I can't wait to see what happens in the second book!
helenbellauthor's review against another edition
4.0
Though I didn't enjoy this as much as some of Cassandra Clare's other work, that's largely a measure of how high she's set the bar rather than due to any particular weaknesses in this story. I liked the way almost every character grows and develops, and there's a very clear sense of there being more to learn, about them, the land of Idris and the power of the Cup. The rest of the series beckons!
As a writer I particularly loved the little snippet at the end, showing Jace and Clary's picnic in the rooftop conservatory from Jace's point of view. Not only was it too beautifully written a piece to scrap, sometimes even if you can weave another point of view into later book in a series it's just too long to wait, so nice to see the author break convention and put it in here.
As a writer I particularly loved the little snippet at the end, showing Jace and Clary's picnic in the rooftop conservatory from Jace's point of view. Not only was it too beautifully written a piece to scrap, sometimes even if you can weave another point of view into later book in a series it's just too long to wait, so nice to see the author break convention and put it in here.
buckeyebreezey's review against another edition
4.0
My dad's wife had a copy. Was good and different... wish I had book two already!!
A second reading allowed me to get to know the characters better and appreciate the nuanced telling of the story. Still ready for book 2.
A second reading allowed me to get to know the characters better and appreciate the nuanced telling of the story. Still ready for book 2.
ogbsmary's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
joanna1266's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Rereading this in 2024 (after having read it the first time in 2016) was not the experience I was hoping for. I started this book planning to reread all of TMI, TID, and read the additional spinoffs - TDA and TLH, but now I am glad I didn't buy the boxed sets.
TMI was not my favorite YA series the first time I read it, but having LOVED TID, I remember this book seeming better than it was. I am a firm believer that a book marketed as YA does not inherently diminish its quality, but going back to read City of Bones again as an adult, the writing feels juvenile - there's too much rambling, stilted dialogues that feel unnatural coming from a teenager but too naive to be spoken from an adult, and the plot itself feels too contrived. The best part of the fantasy genre is feeling that the plot and characters are realistic for their setting; while a certain amount of suspended disbelief is expected in any urban fantasy, everything in City of Bones just felt like plot armor to the point where it took me out of the story. Furthermore, my main focus in a fantasy novel are the characters - I really couldn't care less about the plot if the characters feel real. While Clare writes teenagers well (many of the interactions were cringy but still feel true to form for a band of 16-year-olds), the character development is too fast, likely resulting from the deep tropes each member of the team fell into.
Unfortunately, I think I am going to need to end my reread before it really even begins. I loved the books as a kid, and I was looking forward to a nostalgic/comfortable activity to distract me from everyday life. But now, I am worried that if reread these books, if think a bit too critically about their content, my perception of them will completely collapse. Ultimately, this series was perfect in my memory, and I would much rather leave it that way.
Linking a review that sums up a more realistic review of the series: https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2015/nov/08/mortal-instruments-cassandra-clare-review (moral of the story: better than Twilight, but that bar is low)
TMI was not my favorite YA series the first time I read it, but having LOVED TID, I remember this book seeming better than it was. I am a firm believer that a book marketed as YA does not inherently diminish its quality, but going back to read City of Bones again as an adult, the writing feels juvenile - there's too much rambling, stilted dialogues that feel unnatural coming from a teenager but too naive to be spoken from an adult, and the plot itself feels too contrived. The best part of the fantasy genre is feeling that the plot and characters are realistic for their setting; while a certain amount of suspended disbelief is expected in any urban fantasy, everything in City of Bones just felt like plot armor to the point where it took me out of the story. Furthermore, my main focus in a fantasy novel are the characters - I really couldn't care less about the plot if the characters feel real. While Clare writes teenagers well (many of the interactions were cringy but still feel true to form for a band of 16-year-olds), the character development is too fast, likely resulting from the deep tropes each member of the team fell into.
Unfortunately, I think I am going to need to end my reread before it really even begins. I loved the books as a kid, and I was looking forward to a nostalgic/comfortable activity to distract me from everyday life. But now, I am worried that if reread these books, if think a bit too critically about their content, my perception of them will completely collapse. Ultimately, this series was perfect in my memory, and I would much rather leave it that way.
Linking a review that sums up a more realistic review of the series: https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2015/nov/08/mortal-instruments-cassandra-clare-review (moral of the story: better than Twilight, but that bar is low)