Audio Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Narrator: Mae Whitman
Series: The Mortal Instruments #1
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books, Simon & Schuster Audio on 2007-03-27
Age Range: 14+
Length: 496 pages
Length: 14 hours and 44 minutes
Listening Speed: 2x
Reviewing Audiobook, Hardcover from Library, My Book Shelf
Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2025 Audiobook Challenge, 2025 Beat the Backlist, 2025 Library Love

Discover this first installment of the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series and “prepare to be hooked” (Entertainment Weekly).

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.

Way back in 2014 my husband gifted me the hardcover series boxset of The Mortal Instruments. I had never read them before and was so excited to jump into them. Skip forward to 2016, I finally started them. Then, we made the move to our house, and in the middle of City of Fallen Angels, I set the book down and never finished it 🫣 So I’m finally jumping back into The Mortal Instruments and hope 🤞 to have them read by the end of the year. You can see my original review for City of Bones here.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare introduces us to the world of the Shadowhunters and Downworlders. When Clary and her best friend Simon head out for a night on the town, Clary didn’t realize that her life would be changed forever. She witnesses a trio kill a demon right in front of her. The problem, she’s the only one who can see them. She thinks she’s going crazy, until one of the trio shows back up to see her. Then her mom disappears, leaving behind a wrecked apartment and another demon. What has happened to Clary’s seemingly normal life?

I love Clary. Rather than breaking down and blubbering like all the other girls her age would do, she sucks it up and asks Jace, one of the trio, what she needs to do to find her mom. She can breakdown later, she doesn’t have time now. I love that attitude in a main, leading character. Clary accepts everything she learns and just keeps going. Now does that mean she doesn’t have a few moments of doubt or blubbering, no because any sane person would. She just doesn’t let it control her.

Then, there’s the inevitable love triangle you see in all YA among Simon and Jace and Clary. Simon is Clary’s best friend. He’s a typical teenager and always been there for Clary. It’s obvious from page one that he likes her. In fact, it is obvious to everyone but Clary. Jace is a Shadowhunter and an orphan. He intrigues Clary as much as he frustrates her. I must say I shipped Jace and Clary hard. Their chemistry bubbles off the pages.

The plot here centers around Clary and her mom: who are they, and how does Clary have Shadowhunter abilities. And then there’s Valentine. The name that seems to be haunting Clary’s steps and all her encounters with the Downworlders. Valentine is the ultimate villain, like Voldemort is to Harry Potter. However, when he actually shows up in the book, I was a little disappointed. He wasn’t all that scary. Manipulative, yes. Scary, not so much.

Overall I loved City of Bones. I cannot wait to continue reading (and finally finish) this series. If you enjoy urban fantasy, amazing world building that leads to its own mythology, and a touch (just a touch, remember it is YA) of romance, I highly recommend it.

Audiobook Note: Because I’ve read this one before, I opted to listen to an audio copy from my local library. I do not regret that decision. Mae Whitman is amazing. She drew me back into the story, and I became lost to what was going on around me, fully focused on her narration. Highly recommend this format if you enjoy listening to your books!

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