City of Bones - A Review

"City of Bones" by Cassandra Clare

I will admit that young adult fiction is not really geared towards someone like me, but I will occasionally make an exception and pick one up. I did enjoy "The Hunger Games", although the movie  was a mess, and "City of Bones" is set to be released in theaters this August. Like most young adult, the writing is dumbed down a bit. This is not necessarily a bad thing as long as the characters, plot, and pacing remain interesting throughout the novel. There are typical tropes of the genre here (love triangles, vampires fighting werewolves etc.), and your opinion of such tropes will ultimately determine how you feel about "City of Bones"

I should mention that when I read fantasy novels I typically prefer Epic Fantasy over Urban. It is a blind spot that I have but I will be reading Dresden soon, and "City of Bones" is a stepping stone of sorts. Anyway, like usual there will be no plot spoilers here, and I will try to convey my thoughts on this novel with as little prejudice as possible.


Plot: To say "City of Bones" borrows heavily from other works is an understatement. There is hardly anything original here, which again, seems to be a trope of young adult. Ever since Twilight defaced the name of vampires (although I've never understood the obsession with vampires) it seems they have to pop up in every story now. But yes, there are werewolves, vampires, demons, forsaken, witches, warlocks, spells etc. Basically anything that is considered a fable or magic exists in this world. It is a coming-of-age tale, that unfortunately, focuses more on plotting than developing the characters. There is a decent amount of backstory, some interesting aspects, some retreads, but it does come together nicely and there is a decent payoff. Although, I tend to dislike anything that relies on plot twists, but Cassandra Clare build them up decently. It is relatively fast-paced as well and the dialogue is at least supportive, if not clever or humorous. That being said, it is an average story that borrows heavily, but it is certainly not boring and is written well (for young adult).

Characters: The story is told from one perspective (there are some brief occurrences when it is not) and Clary is the main focus. Again tropes: 15 year old artist, she lives alone with her mom, she has a best friend who is in love with her. I would not say she is interesting, but I guess relatable to the right person. She cares about her friends and her family and is willing to sacrifice herself to save the people she cares about. However, Clary is somewhat competent, but her love interest/badass Jace is there to protect her most of the time. Jace has a tortured past and is cocky and stubborn. He is a tad bland as well. Everyone seems one dimensional besides Clary and her best friend Simon but the focus of the first novel is world building. I will say that Clary's Uncle Luke develops surprisingly well and the villain turns out to be a much darker character than I expected. Props to Cassandra Clare on Valentine.

Action/Magic System: There is a magic system that revolves around runes and carving symbols onto your body, but it is only briefly explained. Perhaps it will further develop in subsequent novels. The action is not afraid to be bloody and for the most part it works. Some of the bigger battles lose scope occasionally but it does a decent enough job. It's nowhere near Brandon Sanderson as far as creativity goes, but the rune system is certainly intriguing, and hopefully plays a bigger role in the other books.

Conclusion: Look, it takes place in Brooklyn, where essentially every creature exists in the world but normal people (referred to as mundanes) cannot see them. There is also a covenant of people who are trained to protect humans and kill demons. There is strife in the covenant that directly involves our protagonist and her comrades. If it sounds familiar...it probably is. I did not dislike "City of Bones", but at the same time I have trouble recommending as well. So I will say this: if you like familiar archetypes and enemies, vampires, than this should be enjoyable. Personally I care more about character development, but if you're looking for something new and original, skip it. The Clary/Simon dynamic is somewhat realistic, and some of the world is interesting, though it lacks originality. I would like to see more of the The Silent Brothers though...but, I am not too intrigued to read the sequel, but we'll see how I'm feeling in a couple of months.

Should you read it: Depends on your tastes

Rating: 6.7/10

Currently Reading/Next Review: Hyperion by Dan Simmons