Product Description

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #188975 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 496 pages

From Publishers Weekly
This Buffy-esque YA novel does not translate well to the audio medium, and part of the problem lies in the story's pacing. Teenager Clary discovers she can see supernatural beings that no one else can, gets drawn into the world of the Shadowhunters (teens who kill demons and monsters) and learns that her mother is somehow mysteriously connected to all the strange happenings around her. As a result, a good chunk of the novel consists of long explanatory passages, as various characters fill Clary in on supernatural creatures, the history and rules of the Shadowhunters and her mother's entanglements—all of which come across as tedious lectures. In addition, narrator Graynor makes almost no attempt to differentiate the various teen characters' voices. Only the minor character Dorothea, played as a faux witch with a gravelly New York accent, is memorable. Graynor also frequently ignores the author's explicit textual directives, such as [Simon] came back, sounding worried or The tone of arrogant superiority was back in [Jace's] voice, for her performance, making this a program with an intriguing premise and cast but disappointing execution. Ages 14-up. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up–When Clary Fray witnesses three tattoo-covered teenagers murder another teen, she is unable to prove the crime because the victim disappears right in front of her eyes, and no one else can see the killers. She learns that the teens are Shadowhunters (humans who hunt and kill demons), and Clary, a mundie (i.e., mundane human), should not be able to see them either. Shortly after this discovery, her mother, Jocelyn, an erstwhile Shadowhunter, is kidnapped. Jocelyn is the only person who knows the whereabouts of The Mortal Cup, a dangerous magical item that turns humans into Shadowhunters. Clary must find the cup and keep it from a renegade sector of Shadowhunters bent on eliminating all nonhumans, including benevolent werewolves and friendly vampires. Amid motorcycles powered by demon energies, a telepathic brotherhood of archivists, and other moments of great urban fantasy, the story gets sidetracked by cutesy touches, like the toasted bat sandwich on the menu of an otherworldly restaurant. The characters are sporadically characterized and tend toward behavior that is both predictable and slightly repellent–Clary finds out who her real father is about 200 pages after readers will have it figured out. Despite the narrative flaws, this version of New York, full of Buffyesque teens who are trying to save the world, is entertaining and will have fantasy readers anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.–Heather M. Campbell, Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From AudioFile
After witnessing three teens murder a vampire in a Manhattan nightclub and then returning home to find that her mother has been kidnapped by demons, Clary realizes her typical teenage life is over. As Clary discovers her magical background and becomes confident in her destiny as a Shadowhunter, narrator Ari Graynor often falls short of the mark in depicting her emotions. Voices for the other teens are not well defined. A minor character is the only one with a New York accent, and the growls employed for monsters are hard to take seriously--much like this urban fantasy itself, which does not translate well to audio. M.M.O. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

I liked it
After reading a few of the first reviews I'm thinking to myself did I read the same book. I enjoyed this book from the start. Clary is a bit childish at first (for lack of a better description). I liked Jace immediatley and I love Simon. Isabelle grows on you. I too am aware that this book has things that have been done before in other books/movies. However, that's not a bad thing. I feel this is a page turner and I never found it boring. I enjoyed the mystery of who is Clary's father, who exactly is Luke and what is going to happen between Simon and Jace and Clary. I agree it does offer more sexual intentions that most of the "children's books" I've read but I also was not shocked by it nor do I think this should not be labeled a young adult novel. This book isn't half as explict as what shows are on main stream television everyday. As for Alec being gay, so what. This is written in today's world and I felt it just put a intersting twist on this book. All in all, I enjoyed this book, it's suggestions, the warlock, the werewolves, the vampires, the characters, the magic, the adventures, and mostly the fantasy mixed with modern day. Honestly, if you are a teenager, this is G rated compared to your daily life in highschool, I know for me it sure was. If you want to read a good book, read this book.

Loved it!
The perfect balance between action, romance, and fantasy. The plot was original and intriguing. The dynamics between the characters were entertaining and intricate. I couldn't put it down.

wow
city of bones is a fabulous book along with the rest of the series i can not wait until the third book comes out. you must read this series!