City of Bones by Cassandra Clare is a great urban fantasy novel. Readers of Holly Black’s Modern Faerie Tales will especially enjoy this novel as it has the similar style of a strong female character fighting against dark forces. There is a lot of action and violence that is balanced by the wise-cracking humor and the clever banter that the central characters use throughout the novel. The story follows a teenager, Clary, who suddenly realizes that she has the power to see Shadowhunters and the demons that they have vowed to kill, as well as vampires, werewolves, mages, and fey. When a powerful and corrupt Shadowhunter that had been thought to be dead takes Clary’s mom, Carly and her best friend Simon are thrust into a strange, exciting, dark world that they never knew exsisted, led by teenage Shadowhunters Jace, Alec, and Isabelle. Not only does Clary have to deal with a past that she never knew exsisted, she also has to navigate ever-shifting alliances and personal relationships. This cleverly written book will pull you into Clary’s world and you will fell strongly connected to each of the teenage characters. Luckily the next two books in the series, City of Ashes and City of Glass are both released. (Loft Zoë)
City of Bones is also available on CD.
