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.
Since I recently finished re-reading this novel, I'm not going to write a review of it - it seems difficult to review the first book in a series when I know where it is headed later on. However, that doesn't mean that I don't have opinions of the book; those who know me say I have opinions on pretty much everything. I absolutely loved this series the first time I read the first three installments; they're long books, but I devoured all three of them in about a week. And while some of the tension created in the first novel dissipated upon re-reading, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Jace and Clary, the two main characters in the series, are the sort of characters I immediately adore. I love Clary's awkwardness, especially since she is always willing to put her reservations aside to rescue a friend in need (there's a lot of rescuing that goes on in these novels, after all). Jace is a delightfully complicated young man, the sort who covers his vulnerability with a mask of supreme arrogance. However, probably my favorite aspect of Clare's series is the fact that even minor characters get rich development. As characters are introduced, it becomes pretty important to remember who they are, as they will likely star later in the series. Case in point, my favorite character of the series: Magnus Bane, the flamboyant and compassionate warlock. We are only briefly introduced to him in the first book, but by the end of the series, I find myself staunchly in his corner in any conflict.
What drew my attention the first pass through this series was Clare's incredible world-building (the books even made a Top Ten Tuesday list!). She seamlessly integrates the Shadow world - the world where the battle between demons and angels is still raging, and many supernatural creatures help - with modern day New York City. Seeing her characters battle various forms of evil, as well as their own personal problems, kept me reading.
When I first read the series, I was teaching middle school, so I didn't really pass the books along. There are some pretty mature themes in the novels, as well as plenty of language. However, I have had great success hooking my high school students on them, particularly my girls who enjoy more action-oriented novels. I will certainly continue to recommend these books to my more mature students, as they are highly engaging.
Stay tuned for my thoughts on the other books in Clare's series, including reviews of City of Fallen Angels and City of Lost Souls!
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