The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones; City of Ashes; City of Glass [Paperback]

Cassandra Clare (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 19, 2010 | Series: Mortal Instruments

Don’t miss The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, soon to be a major motion picture in theaters August 2013.

The first three books in the #1 New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series, available in a collectible paperback boxed set.

Enter the secret world of the Shadowhunters with this MP3 collection that includes City of Bones, City of Ashes, and City of Glass. The Mortal Instruments books have more than five million copies in print, and this collectible set of the first three volumes in paperback makes a great gift for newcomers to the series and for loyal fans alike.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Mortal Instruments series is a story world I love to live in. Beautiful". (Stephenie Meyer, author of Twilight)" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Cassandra Clare is the author of the New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Mortal Instruments series and Infernal Devices trilogy. Her books have more than 20 million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. Cassandra lives in western Massachusetts. Visit her at CassandraClare.com. Learn more about the world of the Shadowhunters at Shadowhunters.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1520 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (October 19, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1442409525
• ISBN-13: 978-1442409521
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (275 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > Teens > Horror
  • #69 in Books > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 54 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ten Reasons I Loved The Mortal Instruments August 19, 2010

By MM

Format:Hardcover

1. Amazing Heroes. I don't think there are enough words in the English language to express my love for Jace. And Simon. But specifically Jace. As a matter of fact, a speechless stance is probably the best to take anyway. If I'm not talking I can concentrate more fully on wiping away the drool.

2. Strong Heroines. Isabelle is definitely a strong female character, and so is Clary, but Clary makes some mistakes. We get to watch her grow over the course of the books, make her way, come into her own. She makes good choices - she makes poor choices. She's relatable. She's feisty. I want her for a friend.

3. Secondary Characters. There's not one token character anywhere in this entire series. All are multi-dimensional, richly drawn, vital, and each one serves at least a dual purpose. Even the Church the Cat.

4. Setting/imagery/worldbuiling/kick ass writing. You can see the lights of the Manhattan skyline and smell the scent of crisp apples and night blooming flowers. You can feel the weight of the weapon in your hand, the bass thumping against the walls of the club, the pressure of the stele as it draws the rune on your skin, and the crack in your heart as it begins to break. Whether New York City or Idris, you are THERE.

5. The covers. Do you SEE THEM? Aren't they PRETTY?

6. The fans. Best fans ever. Because we LOVE IT.

7. Cassie. She's a doll. She is vigilant about interacting with fans. She answers questions frequently on Twitter, has a Google group that she's very actively involved in, and she blogs on Live Journal as well. You can get more information about how to connect with her on her website.

8. The graphic novels!... TH3RD WORLD will be publishing The Mortal Instruments as comic books in monthly installments first, then bind them together as graphic novels - one for each book. Savvy fans were treated to a sampler on Free Comic Book Day.

9. The Prequel. The Infernal Devices kicks off with CLOCKWORK ANGEL on August 31, 2010.

10. THERE ARE MORE ON THE WAY! In addition to the already anticipated THE CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS, due out spring 2011, there will be two more books in The Mortal Instruments series, making the total six in all. Read more ›

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Awesome Series, Must Read July 12, 2011

By Amanda Welling

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I may be a little late to the game with this one. But that's OKAY. A good book still deserves a good mention. And with that mention, I would like to take a moment for the Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, City of Ashes, and City of Glass novels written by Cassandra Clare.

I believe it was shear fate that I read these books. You see, it started a few weeks ago while on vacation in Florida. Those pesky flights can be somewhat underwhelming. Waiting in airport terminals is boring. Airplane seats are very uncomfortable. And there is something just simply unnerving about being 32,000 feet in the air in a rocking tube. I'm not a bird. That scares me. So, I try my best to divert my attention. With my nifty smart phone in hand before take off, I reached out to the closest E-book store armed with Starbucks in hand. And thus the adventure began.

All three books are on all sorts of recommended reading lists. I've seen them before while browsing through Barnes and Noble. Certainly the covers all look great. I know, I know... You're not supposed to judge a book by its cover. But these really looked NEAT! None the less my interest was peeked, so I downloaded the first book.

What the Books Are About:

I don't want to give too much of the storyline away. It's hard not to. The plot line has been done before. Let's face it, nothing is original anymore. Boy meets girl. Boy has super powers. Girl has super powers. Insert struggle here. There are a few fights here and there. Good wins triumphantly. That's about the most I'm going to give away.

But what makes this series so interesting? What's so special? The little tweaks in the plot line are all sorts of fun.... Every time something starts to go right, someone just has to go in and throw that monkey wrench in the works, fouling everything up again. The author has the story line suspense twisted in such a way that it draws the reader in, forcing them to want to keep going, to see what happens next. Her use of foreshadow and imagery keep the story alive and the imaginations running free. The details and emotions are done so well, I often felt like I was watching a soap opera produced by Stephen Spielberg mixed with a blockbuster action movie. That sounds like a weird combination, but it's true.

And then there is the content. This is considered a young adult book. The vocabulary isn't outstanding. But that's perfect for me. Reading all three books is more akin to sitting and watching a good movie. Everything flows naturally. It's a simple and entertaining read.

So far I've been a little vague. Like I said, I don't want to give too much of the story lines away. But let's use this example. If Harry Potter, Twilight, Underworld, and True Blood all got together and had a massive literary orgy, this series would be the result of that love fest. I mean really, these books have a little bit of everything. The characters consist of vampires, werewolves, warlocks, fairies, shadowhunters, demons, satin, god, heaven, hell, and angels. The scenery takes place in diverse places like New York City, grave yards, under-earth dungeons, to fairy palaces, and to mystical and whimsical cities. Mighty battles happens. Little personal struggles take place. A surprise gay twist is thrown in for good measure. That ever pesky love triangle exists. Some people die and some characters live. Sudden family ties are discovered and quickly regretted, in more than one dynamic way. And other family ties are broken. The stories are very enticing. And they do contain a little bit of everything. And by the time it's all done you will miss the characters.

Did I mention there is now a 4th book in the Mortal Instruments Series called City of Fallen Angels?! Guess who just purchased it through Amazon.com? Me!

Would I Recommend These Books?

Yes! Yes! Yes! By all means, please go out and buy this series. You won't be sorry. These are one of those few series I truly wish Hollywood would make a movie from. It's deserving of that. The entertainment value is high. The story line is thrilling. I found it so difficult to put these books down. And I would love to know what happened to that character at the end after that thing!? Ms. Clare, I do believe you owe me another book explaining that situation (oh that's right there IS another book!)

But none the less, please purchase this series. They are wonderful fantasy novels good for any age group from sixteen on up. I really do promise that this purchase will not be met with buyer's remorse. Read more ›

36 of 42 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 10 times better than Twilight. April 19, 2010

By Cynthia M. Stock

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've seen this book lying around and the sequels. finally picked it up and couldn't stop until after the third one. action packed, angels and demons, magic, and a reluctant love triangle. This makes Twilight just raw dough to this series, which is the icing on the cake. I'm 40+ something, and a reader of anything worthy. Wow! There is to be a forth book next year. I'm so looking forward to it. Bring it on...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Series... September 24, 2011

By Mary Ann

Format:Paperback

I read these to my daughter when she was convalescent. Generally a good, exciting read, and well plotted, too. Lots of touches of humour.

I seem to be the only person in the world to feel some sympathy for Valentine! I always feel for the villains, even when their behaviour, like Valentine's, is inexcusable. Valentine's nasty quips as he jumped uninvited through the portal were priceless. You can see why he had such a terrible influence over his followers.

I loved Isabelle's toughness and liked Clary, but I wish she had more interests apart from Jace. After she falls for him, she loses some of her personality.

I found Jace a bit too of a male 'Mary Sue' -is there a name for male Mary Sue's? - for him to come alive as a person. He's so much the sort who no girl can resist, fearless, skilled in battle,detached and ironic, the type whose trousers would never fall down in a supermarket. Yet, the author does give him one vulnerablity; his longing to be with his father again.

Simon was a little too much of the opposite type - clever,funny and nice, but a bit of a nerd.

Overall, though, an exciting read and very well plotted.

**Spoiler Alert**

There was no chance that Simon could ever compete with Jace for Clary, so I guessed how The Thing That Must Keep Clary and Jace Apart could be resolved at once and so did my daughter, so there wasn't much suspense about the romance.