City of Ashes

City of Ashes (2008) by Cassandra Clare is the second novel in the six-part Mortal Instruments series. The book follows 16-year-old Clary Fray, who has recently discovered that she is not an ordinary mortal, but a Shadowhunter, part of a group who saves the world from demons. In City of Bones (2007) the first book of the series, Clary also learned that she is the daughter of rogue Shadowhunter Valentine Morgenstern and that her romantic interest, Jace Wayland, may be her brother. Struggling with these emotional upheavals, Clary and Jace also have to stop Valentine, who is summoning an army of horrifying demons, killing Downworlder teenagers, and collecting the magical artifacts called the “Mortal Instruments” to change the world forever. When Valentine seizes their friends Simon and Maia, Clary and Jace have no choice but to meet their father in his demon ship and enter the battle of their lives. The novel explores themes of The Dynamics of Family Loyalty and Betrayal, The Struggle for Identity, and The Complicated Conflict Between Good and Evil.

The Mortal Instruments series is part of the larger Shadowhunter chronicles universe and remains hugely popular among both teen and adult readers.