In Cassandra Clare’s “City of Bones,” I was instantly transported into a vibrant world of demons, magic, and intrigue, right in the middle of New York. From page one, the plot was compelling, and the characters had incredible depth.  Clare artfully introduced me into her secret world, not giving everything away, but, at the same time, not letting me drown in confusion.

The story quickly took a direction I didn’t expect, and continued on an exciting journey through the past, present, and future, all hanging in the balance.

Clary, our main narrator, is a girl with a definite personality and a healthy dose of spunk. She’s thrown into a world of mystery, and handles it excellently. The cast of characters also includes her best friend, Simon, who I absolutely adore. Tough as nails Jace, who took some getting used to, and Alec and Isabelle, those characters and their relationship have a special place in my heart.  Each character has strengths and flaws, and they feel like real people.

Cassandra Clare leaves nothing to guesswork, she knows exactly what’s going on in her story, and I could tell, even when I didn’t know exactly what was going on. This is a series I look forward to finishing, and I would highly encourage reading it. Action, adventure, mystery, romance, and fantasy, all wrapped up into a beautiful book. It also gives a fresh feeling, completely different, in some ways, from other books I’ve read.

Cassandra Clare, congratulations, your book is fantastic.