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Beth's Reviews > City of Bones
City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)
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Beth's review
bookshelves: 2017-reads, book-series, characters-i-loved, faves, re-read, young-adult-fantasy, 2022-reads, 4-stars, 2020-reads
Jun 20, 2015
bookshelves: 2017-reads, book-series, characters-i-loved, faves, re-read, young-adult-fantasy, 2022-reads, 4-stars, 2020-reads
Read 3 times. Last read October 10, 2022 to October 12, 2022.
Runes have great power and can be used to do great good - but they can be used for evil.
4 Stars!
I was scared to re-read this okay! I absolutely ADORE both The Infernal Devices and The Dark Artifices. I’ve been umming and ahhing about this for such a long time, but I really really wanted to just so I could get re-aquantied with this series and see if I could pick up anything that I’d previously missed. I’m just going to be honest The Mortal Instruments isn’t my favourite out of the Shadowhunter world, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it!
When the re-read commenced I had to keep reminding myself that this was the first book brought out in the shadowhunter world, for a good part of the first section of the book it goes into a lot of detail about who people are, what they do, all of the knowledge behinds demons, faeries, Warlocks etc.
Before I even begin to start with character, please don’t hate me, this was just my impression in the first book and the majority of these change as the series continues!
Such conflicting views about Clary, I can’t tell if I like her not� there’s some things that I really really don’t seem to understand about her. The biggest thing in this is Simon, now in Book 1 I’m not his biggest fan, but Clary really doesn’t treat Simon in a good way. For example whenever he shows a slight interest in someone other than her she gets jealous. It’s as though only she can have him and no one else, but she only wants him when she actually needs something from him. Her friendship with Simon in this book is selfish. In other terms I like her because she does try to be strong and fearless, she’s hurtled into a new world and although she does question things she takes it in her stride! Along with this in the final part of the book we see Clary standing up for what is right, you see her develop and take on different roles, it was lovely to see!
Personally I find it really really difficult to like Jace. For me, he just comes off as so arrogant and not really charming at all. There was a moment in the greenhouse when I was like oh this is nice, and then he just acts like a complete arsehole. For once in this book I agree with Simon. Like I understand that cocky and arrogant characters are well loved. Sadly Jace isn’t one that I enjoy. I understand why he does the things he does and you see glimmers of hope that he is actually a nice person but in this book, not for me. There are some good moments though, how much he cares for Alec and Isabelle and how LOYAL he is. His backstory also breaks my heart, especially with the bird story!
I’m just going to come out and say it. I didn’t really like Simon in this book. There was just something about him that really annoyed me. To be honest I preferred him when he was a rat, simply because he wasn’t talking. I think at some points I liked his humour and his awful awful jokes, but his neediness for Clary to pay attention to him just grated on me. It makes me sad re-reading this knowing how much I disliked him as a character to begin with (THIS COMPLETELY CHANGES).
Finally I can say that I actually really really liked Isabelle so much, she brings a little bit of everything! A strong female character, knows what’s works for her and she’s unapologetic about it! I really enjoyed her little “bonding� session with Clary when they were getting changed and going through all of her clothes, it really made me laugh!
I really feel for Alec, I've never had to come out to anyone so I don't really know that aspect, however it would be difficult to like someone and know that they will never like you back. I think the way in which he handles things are very realistic. I loved his realisation at the end and it made him so relatable and you see a newer side which is actually lovely!
What I liked?
- This time around I really picked up on certain things, and there’s lot of little things that link in with the future books, first time reading it I just passed over it and when it was brough up in books I was a bit like ey? But now I’m like ahhhhhh� smart!
- Church gets a mention!
- All of the secrets, lies and deception!
- The foreshadowing
- THE CARDS!!!!
- The description of the silent brothers and the silent city was so soon descriptive!
- We all love Raphael, please don’t deny this! In fact that whole chapter was just too good!
-MAGNUS!!! His back story just makes me so sad!
- Lukes backstory is SO good!
- In fact ALL of part 3!
What I didn't like?
- It's really difficult to explain... for quite a bit of the story I didn't really like a lot of the characters
- LONG LONG CHAPTERS!
- I'm needing/wanting more Magnus please!
Overall I'm so happy I finally re-read this series! I remembered a lot more than I thought I would and can't wait to carry on with the story!
“The boy never cried again, and he never forgot what he'd learned: that to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed.�
Re-Read 12.10.2022
I'm sorry, but I just have a thing for shadowhunters, I know that this isn't the best but I just enjoy them so much! I'm hoping to actually make my way through the series and I do have thoughts and feels.
Still stand by that in this particular book Jace and Clary still aren't my fave main characters in the shadowhunter world, and I also forgot how much I disliked Alec in this book HOWEVER I do low key get why he acts like he does.
Seeing certain characters like Raphael and Luke and learning their back stories always gives me them feels, especially when you've read other novellas relating to Raphael. I think Cassandra Clare has such a way in intertwining all of the characters and she does it in such a way that I just really enjoy.
However this is the start of the incest plot and it's still a bit of an ick moment in all of her series, even though the majority of us know it's still a bit of an OOP.
All Cassandra Clare Reviews:
The Infernal Devices
Clockwork Angel - 5 Stars
Clockwork Prince - 5 Stars
Clockwork Princess - 5 Stars
The Infernal Devices (Manga) Reviews:
Clockwork Angel - 5 Stars
Clockwork Prince - 5 Stars
Clockwork Princess - 5 Stars
The Last Hours
Chain of Gold - 4 Stars
Chain of Iron - 5 Stars
Chain of Thorns - 4 Stars
The Mortal Instruments
City of Bones - 5 Stars
City of Ashes - 4 Stars
City of Glass - 4 Stars
City of Fallen Angels - 2 Stars
City of Lost Souls - 3 Stars
City of Heavenly Fire - 4 Stars
The Eldest Curses
The Red Scrolls of Magic - 3 Stars
The Dark Artifices
Lady Midnight - 5 Stars
Lord of Shadows - 5 Stars
Queen of Air and Darkness - 5 Stars
4 Stars!
I was scared to re-read this okay! I absolutely ADORE both The Infernal Devices and The Dark Artifices. I’ve been umming and ahhing about this for such a long time, but I really really wanted to just so I could get re-aquantied with this series and see if I could pick up anything that I’d previously missed. I’m just going to be honest The Mortal Instruments isn’t my favourite out of the Shadowhunter world, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it!
When the re-read commenced I had to keep reminding myself that this was the first book brought out in the shadowhunter world, for a good part of the first section of the book it goes into a lot of detail about who people are, what they do, all of the knowledge behinds demons, faeries, Warlocks etc.
Before I even begin to start with character, please don’t hate me, this was just my impression in the first book and the majority of these change as the series continues!
Such conflicting views about Clary, I can’t tell if I like her not� there’s some things that I really really don’t seem to understand about her. The biggest thing in this is Simon, now in Book 1 I’m not his biggest fan, but Clary really doesn’t treat Simon in a good way. For example whenever he shows a slight interest in someone other than her she gets jealous. It’s as though only she can have him and no one else, but she only wants him when she actually needs something from him. Her friendship with Simon in this book is selfish. In other terms I like her because she does try to be strong and fearless, she’s hurtled into a new world and although she does question things she takes it in her stride! Along with this in the final part of the book we see Clary standing up for what is right, you see her develop and take on different roles, it was lovely to see!
Personally I find it really really difficult to like Jace. For me, he just comes off as so arrogant and not really charming at all. There was a moment in the greenhouse when I was like oh this is nice, and then he just acts like a complete arsehole. For once in this book I agree with Simon. Like I understand that cocky and arrogant characters are well loved. Sadly Jace isn’t one that I enjoy. I understand why he does the things he does and you see glimmers of hope that he is actually a nice person but in this book, not for me. There are some good moments though, how much he cares for Alec and Isabelle and how LOYAL he is. His backstory also breaks my heart, especially with the bird story!
I’m just going to come out and say it. I didn’t really like Simon in this book. There was just something about him that really annoyed me. To be honest I preferred him when he was a rat, simply because he wasn’t talking. I think at some points I liked his humour and his awful awful jokes, but his neediness for Clary to pay attention to him just grated on me. It makes me sad re-reading this knowing how much I disliked him as a character to begin with (THIS COMPLETELY CHANGES).
Finally I can say that I actually really really liked Isabelle so much, she brings a little bit of everything! A strong female character, knows what’s works for her and she’s unapologetic about it! I really enjoyed her little “bonding� session with Clary when they were getting changed and going through all of her clothes, it really made me laugh!
I really feel for Alec, I've never had to come out to anyone so I don't really know that aspect, however it would be difficult to like someone and know that they will never like you back. I think the way in which he handles things are very realistic. I loved his realisation at the end and it made him so relatable and you see a newer side which is actually lovely!
What I liked?
- This time around I really picked up on certain things, and there’s lot of little things that link in with the future books, first time reading it I just passed over it and when it was brough up in books I was a bit like ey? But now I’m like ahhhhhh� smart!
- Church gets a mention!
- All of the secrets, lies and deception!
- The foreshadowing
- THE CARDS!!!!
- The description of the silent brothers and the silent city was so soon descriptive!
- We all love Raphael, please don’t deny this! In fact that whole chapter was just too good!
-MAGNUS!!! His back story just makes me so sad!
- Lukes backstory is SO good!
- In fact ALL of part 3!
What I didn't like?
- It's really difficult to explain... for quite a bit of the story I didn't really like a lot of the characters
- LONG LONG CHAPTERS!
- I'm needing/wanting more Magnus please!
Overall I'm so happy I finally re-read this series! I remembered a lot more than I thought I would and can't wait to carry on with the story!
“The boy never cried again, and he never forgot what he'd learned: that to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed.�
Re-Read 12.10.2022
I'm sorry, but I just have a thing for shadowhunters, I know that this isn't the best but I just enjoy them so much! I'm hoping to actually make my way through the series and I do have thoughts and feels.
Still stand by that in this particular book Jace and Clary still aren't my fave main characters in the shadowhunter world, and I also forgot how much I disliked Alec in this book HOWEVER I do low key get why he acts like he does.
Seeing certain characters like Raphael and Luke and learning their back stories always gives me them feels, especially when you've read other novellas relating to Raphael. I think Cassandra Clare has such a way in intertwining all of the characters and she does it in such a way that I just really enjoy.
However this is the start of the incest plot and it's still a bit of an ick moment in all of her series, even though the majority of us know it's still a bit of an OOP.
All Cassandra Clare Reviews:
The Infernal Devices
Clockwork Angel - 5 Stars
Clockwork Prince - 5 Stars
Clockwork Princess - 5 Stars
The Infernal Devices (Manga) Reviews:
Clockwork Angel - 5 Stars
Clockwork Prince - 5 Stars
Clockwork Princess - 5 Stars
The Last Hours
Chain of Gold - 4 Stars
Chain of Iron - 5 Stars
Chain of Thorns - 4 Stars
The Mortal Instruments
City of Bones - 5 Stars
City of Ashes - 4 Stars
City of Glass - 4 Stars
City of Fallen Angels - 2 Stars
City of Lost Souls - 3 Stars
City of Heavenly Fire - 4 Stars
The Eldest Curses
The Red Scrolls of Magic - 3 Stars
The Dark Artifices
Lady Midnight - 5 Stars
Lord of Shadows - 5 Stars
Queen of Air and Darkness - 5 Stars
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
June 20, 2015
– Shelved
October 11, 2017
–
Started Reading
October 11, 2017
–
0.0%
"I'm actually scared for this re-read... we'll have to see how it goes, wish me luck ^_^"
page
0
November 3, 2017
–
83.92%
"Part three! I took such a long break (like two weeks) from reading this and I’m hooked again, Cassandra Clare you’ll always be my favourite!"
page
407
November 4, 2017
– Shelved as:
2017-reads
November 4, 2017
– Shelved as:
book-series
November 4, 2017
– Shelved as:
characters-i-loved
November 4, 2017
– Shelved as:
faves
November 4, 2017
– Shelved as:
re-read
November 4, 2017
–
Finished Reading
December 31, 2021
– Shelved as:
young-adult-fantasy
October 10, 2022
–
Started Reading
October 10, 2022
–
0.0%
"Yeahhhhhhhh... it looks like I'm re-reading all things Shdowhunter related anddddd I'm doing it in the timeline from TID - TDA (I knowwww the way, but I'm doing it like this)"
page
0
October 12, 2022
– Shelved as:
2022-reads
October 12, 2022
– Shelved as:
4-stars
October 12, 2022
– Shelved as:
2020-reads
October 12, 2022
–
Finished Reading
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Nov 04, 2017 02:11PM
Fantastic review Beth!
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Thank you very much :)!
i love this book read it loved it
Charlotte...i love books wrote: "i love this book read it loved it"I really need to re-read the rest of them! :)
Raphael really deserved the world *sob*
Oh god, I reread this last month. First time I get close to it in years. And while I love my Shadowhunters & will always stand by this series I had a time falling in hate with Clary all over again 🙄 And while she's annoying I also think it has a bit to do with this being CC's debut. Also, Clary & Isabelle's early relationship is so 2000's. I can't.
And Jace... I honestly think he would be more likeable in this book if we had more of his POV. I'm curious what a rewrite including it would look like
