Review of City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare!!

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Ok, if you haven't read the first book, stop reading this review NOW!!  There are going to be spoilers in it that are given away in the first book!  

Ok, at the end of the first book we found out that Jace and Clary are brother and sister. *GASP!* I know I know... I was heartbroken too...  

In this book, Clary starts finding more about herself as a Shadowhunter.  Also, she realizes she can't just turn her feelings off for Jace now the he is her brother.  It does give Simon hope they can be together, and she does give it a try with him.  She knows though, that there isn't anything more then friendship between them.  

In the first book, they were looking for the Mortal Cup.  It is then that Clary realizes that she has a gift for creating new runes.  By finding this out, she's able to find the Mortal Cup in a set of taro cards owned by her neighbour.  

Once people starting finding out the truth about Jace and who his father is, he is faced with a lot of uncertainty.  First Maryse Lightwood, Isabelle and Alec's mother kicks him out, making him believe the only real mother he's ever known, never really did love him, and second The Inquisitor has come to ask him questions about Valentine.  You soon realize that she has an agenda of her own regarding Jace.

Sending Jace off to the Cells of the Bone City, it is while he was there, the Silent Brother's are slaughtered.  He doesn't know by who or what scared them, but he does know his father is somehow responsible.  While in there, he sees Valentine with the Mortal Sword and that's when he figures out what his father was after, and why the Brothers were killed.  

When his father leaves him in the cell, it is Clary, Isabelle and Alec who come to rescue him.  Once they're able to get out of the Bone City, they are surronded by Shadowhunters who are there to aid the Brothers.  The Inquistitor immediately blames Jace for what happened and puts him in the care of Magnus Bane.  I love Magnus!  He's hilarious, and you know he cares for Alec more then he wants to admit.  

After the slaughter at the Bone City they find out there was a fae child killed and drained of blood.  At first they believe the vampires did it, but then come to realize it could be Valentine in his attempt to turn the Mortal Sword.  He needs blood from a fae child, a wolf child and a vampire child in order to make his plan come to light.  

It is because of this, Jace, Clary, Simon and Isabelle head to the Seelie Court.  They explain to the Fairy Queen what Valentine's plan is, and what he hopes to achieve.  While here Clary unknowningly drinks something that was offered to her.  Because of this, she can not leave the Seelie Court.  Now, this is my favorite scene in the books!  Only because of what happens with Jace and Clary.  The Fairy Queen tells her she can only leave if she kisses the one who she desires most.  Simon, thinks it is him, but of course it isn't.  It is Jace... and it is one hell of a kiss she gets from him!!!  

After everything that happened at the Seelie Court, this causes Simon to go running off.  It is only when Rapheal, the head of the Vampires, comes with a dying Simon, that Clary realizes he's a vampire.  She blames herself and Jace for what happened to him, thinking the kiss in the Seelie Court was what pushed him to go to the vampires.  

Jace is like Edward Cullen to me.  He has the same effect on me... I LOVE HIM!!!  He seems like a hard ass, and in a lot of ways he is; but when it comes to Clary, you see right through it.  She softens him in a way no one else ever has before, but feels guilty about having these feelings for her.  He can't seem to keep away from her; and the thought of losing her is terrifying to him.  Trust me when I say that I would marry him if he wasn't fictional!!!  His love for Clary is endearing!  He never lets her think she is weak in any way, never lets her give up.  In fact, he gets mad her if she even thinks of giving up on anything.  He knows she can do anything, and knows she is stronger then even she knows.  He has faith in her when it counts, and it is that faith that makes Clary know she can accomplish anything.

When Jace finds out that Valentine has a ship hidden from plaine sight, it is Valentine who asks him to join him.  Jace says no, and by doing that, sets of a series of events that are amazing.  First, Jace is taken by the Inquisitor, believing he is league with Valentine.  It is when he's taken prisoner by her that he realizes that Valentine was responsible for her son's death.  She believes she can exchange his son for the Mortal Instruments, and doesn't believe Jace when he says that Valentine will say no.  Second, Simon and Maia, a werewolf from the first book, are taken by Valentine.  Because of his plans, they all know what is going to happen with them.  In order to escape Jace finds out that he can jump extremely high, or jump from extreme hieghts without getting hurt.  

It is after this, Luke, Magnus, Alex, Jace and Clary set out to board the ship.  Magnus is needed to bring down the glamour being used to protect the ship.  There are demons being summoned by Valentine that surround the ship for protection.  This is one major battle that is amazing!!  I was glued to the book for a good two days to see what happened!  I had to find out!  

This is when you see Clary's real strength with runes.  She puts all her emotions and feelings of the battle into it and ends up destroying the ship.  Completely.  

I loved this book!!  Absolutely!!  Maryse, who I thought had turned on Jace, shows her real love for him.  Makes it known to him that he is her son, even though he isn't her blood.  She and her husband raised him, and he would forever be their son.  It was one Jace had been worrying about, but in the end it was Clary who made him see.  It seems the two of them are always finding their way back to each other.  Even though he tries to push her away for her own good, he can't seem to keep away from her.