# City of Ashes
**City of Ashes** is a 2008 young adult urban fantasy novel by [Cassandra Clare](https://www.edgepedia.org/cassandra-clare) and the second book in *The Mortal Instruments* series, which follows the teenager Clary Fray through a hidden New York of demon-hunting [Shadowhunters](https://www.edgepedia.org/shadowhunters), vampires, werewolves, faeries, and warlocks.[1](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/City-of-Ashes/Cassandra-Clare/The-Mortal-Instruments/9781416914297) It continues the story begun in *City of Bones* (2007) and was followed by *City of Glass* (2009); the three were originally planned as a complete trilogy before the series was later extended to six books.[2](https://cassandraclare.com/faq/what-is-the-mortal-instruments-series-about/) • [3](https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/44067-s-s-signs-cassandra-clare-to-two-more-books.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Author | Cassandra Clare (Judith Rumelt, born 1973 in Teheran, Iran)[4](https://books.google.com/books/about/City_of_Ashes.html?id=8NizhnZ4HlQC) |
| Publication | Margaret K. McElderry Books, March 25, 2008; 464 pages; ISBN 9781416914297[1](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/City-of-Ashes/Cassandra-Clare/The-Mortal-Instruments/9781416914297) |
| Series position | Book two of six in *The Mortal Instruments*; originally the middle book of a planned trilogy[2](https://cassandraclare.com/faq/what-is-the-mortal-instruments-series-about/) • [3](https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/44067-s-s-signs-cassandra-clare-to-two-more-books.html) |
| Central conflict | Valentine Morgenstern kills Downworlders to perform a ritual that will turn the Mortal Sword into an instrument of evil[1](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/City-of-Ashes/Cassandra-Clare/The-Mortal-Instruments/9781416914297) |
| Audience | Ages 14 and up (grades 9 and up); Lexile measure 720L[1](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/City-of-Ashes/Cassandra-Clare/The-Mortal-Instruments/9781416914297) |
| Recognition | ILA Young Adults' Choices; YALSA Teens' Top Ten[1](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/City-of-Ashes/Cassandra-Clare/The-Mortal-Instruments/9781416914297) |
| Screen fate | Planned film sequel shut down in September 2013 after *City of Bones* underperformed; the story world was instead adapted as the Freeform television series *Shadowhunters* (2016–2019)[5](https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/123945-the-mortal-instruments-will-return-as-a-tv-series) • [6](https://shadowhunters.com/about-shadowhunters/faq/) |
## Plot
The novel picks up directly after *City of Bones*. Clary Fray's mother remains in a magically induced coma, and Clary wishes her life would return to normal, a difficult goal for someone who has just learned she is a demon-slaying Shadowhunter and can suddenly see Downworlders such as werewolves, vampires, and faeries.[1](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/City-of-Ashes/Cassandra-Clare/The-Mortal-Instruments/9781416914297) [Kirkus Reviews](https://www.edgepedia.org/kirkus-reviews)' summary says Jace, the Shadowhunter she is drawn to, comes under suspicion of treason and Downworlder children are being ritually murdered; the publisher's synopsis states that Clary's best friend Simon is turned into a vampire.[7](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/cassandra-clare/city-of-ashes/) • [1](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/City-of-Ashes/Cassandra-Clare/The-Mortal-Instruments/9781416914297)
**Valentine's ritual.** The antagonist is Valentine Morgenstern, Clary's father, who murders Downworlders so that he can carry out a ritual designed to transform the Mortal Sword into a potent tool of evil. After the teenagers work this out, they visit the Seelie Court to ask the Faerie Queen for her help.[1](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/City-of-Ashes/Cassandra-Clare/The-Mortal-Instruments/9781416914297) The publisher's description frames the personal stakes alongside the supernatural ones: Clary tries to forget her love for Jace by avoiding him and dating Simon, and by finding a balance between the mundane world and the Shadowhunters she defines what sort of adult she will become.[1](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/City-of-Ashes/Cassandra-Clare/The-Mortal-Instruments/9781416914297) BookTrust's synopsis adds that Jace has been banished from the Institute and that [Valentine](https://www.edgepedia.org/valentine) intends to use the stolen Soul-Sword to raise a demon army, while Clary learns more about her own powers and buried family secrets.[8](https://www.booktrust.org.uk/book-recommendations/bookfinder/city-of-ashes/)
## Genre and style
The book belongs to urban fantasy, a genre that places supernatural beings and magic inside a modern city, and reviewers identify its genre features as an emphasis on characters and their dilemmas alongside the magical world-building.[9](https://www.supersummary.com/city-of-ashes/background/) Clare draws her magical elements from religion, mythology, folklore, and literature; in *City of Ashes* the characters quote the Bible and other religious sources, and chapter titles reference biblical events.[9](https://www.supersummary.com/city-of-ashes/background/) • [10](https://www.supersummary.com/city-of-ashes/part-2-chapters-11-13-summary/) SuperSummary also notes that Clare often refers to 19th-century works, connecting the novel's world to real literary traditions.[10](https://www.supersummary.com/city-of-ashes/part-2-chapters-11-13-summary/)
Kirkus Reviews called the prose "exceedingly purple" but judged that the action-packed tale uses melodrama and florid description to good effect, crafting emotional tension and heart-wrenching romantic drama, and recommended it to readers of urban fantasy while cautioning that the incestuous overtones of the Clary–Jace storyline might disturb some readers.[7](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/cassandra-clare/city-of-ashes/) Common Sense Media rates the book appropriate from age 14, describing it as a gripping but gory sequel with fantasy violence including stabbing, impaling, and throat cutting.[11](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/city-of-ashes-the-mortal-instruments-book-2) BookTrust describes it as a fast-paced, dramatic urban fantasy with an engaging cast, unexpected twists, and a more complex take on the paranormal romance genre.[8](https://www.booktrust.org.uk/book-recommendations/bookfinder/city-of-ashes/)
## Place in the series
Clare launched *The Mortal Instruments* in 2007 with *City of Bones*; *City of Ashes* and *City of Glass* followed, and by August 2010, when [Simon & Schuster](https://www.edgepedia.org/simon-and-schuster) signed books five and six, the series' first three titles had more than three million copies in print.[3](https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/44067-s-s-signs-cassandra-clare-to-two-more-books.html) The series was extended with *[City of Fallen Angels](https://www.edgepedia.org/city-of-fallen-angels)* (2011), *City of Lost Souls* (2012), and *City of Heavenly Fire* (2013).[3](https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/44067-s-s-signs-cassandra-clare-to-two-more-books.html) Reviewers commonly note that *City of Ashes* does not stand alone: Common Sense Media states it will not make much sense without having read *City of Bones*, which sets up the politics and history of the Shadowhunter world.[11](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/city-of-ashes-the-mortal-instruments-book-2)
The book's own honors include placement on the ILA Young Adults' Choices list and the YALSA Teens' Top Ten.[1](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/City-of-Ashes/Cassandra-Clare/The-Mortal-Instruments/9781416914297) Clare's Shadowhunter Chronicles as a whole have more than fifty million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages.[1](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/City-of-Ashes/Cassandra-Clare/The-Mortal-Instruments/9781416914297)
## Adaptation history
A film sequel was planned but never made. After *The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones* (August 2013) earned about $31.2 million at the domestic box office against a production budget of roughly $60 million, [Constantin Film](https://www.edgepedia.org/constantin-film) shut down production of *City of Ashes* in September 2013, which had been slated to begin within days with director Harald Zwart returning and [Lily Collins](https://www.edgepedia.org/lily-collins), Jamie Campbell Bower, and [Kevin Zegers](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-zegers) set to reprise their roles.[5](https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/123945-the-mortal-instruments-will-return-as-a-tv-series) • [12](https://www.thewrap.com/mortal-instruments-city-of-ashes-delayed-exclusive/) In October 2014 Constantin announced that the franchise would instead return as a television series, with Ed Decter as showrunner.[5](https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/123945-the-mortal-instruments-will-return-as-a-tv-series) Clare's own FAQ records that in 2014 Constantin Film, which owns the rights to the Shadowhunter books, announced it would not make a *City of Ashes* film and would develop a television show instead.[13](https://cassandraclare.com/faq/ashes/)
The resulting series, *Shadowhunters*, debuted on Freeform on January 12, 2016 and ran for three seasons until 2019, adapting the novels rather than any single volume; no standalone *City of Ashes* screen adaptation was produced.[6](https://shadowhunters.com/about-shadowhunters/faq/)
## References
1. [City of Ashes, Official Publisher Page, Simon & Schuster](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/City-of-Ashes/Cassandra-Clare/The-Mortal-Instruments/9781416914297)
2. [What is the Mortal Instruments series about? Cassandra Clare FAQ](https://cassandraclare.com/faq/what-is-the-mortal-instruments-series-about/)
3. [S&S Signs Cassandra Clare to Two More Books, Publishers Weekly (August 5, 2010)](https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/44067-s-s-signs-cassandra-clare-to-two-more-books.html)
4. [City of Ashes, Google Books entry](https://books.google.com/books/about/City_of_Ashes.html?id=8NizhnZ4HlQC)
5. [The Mortal Instruments Will Return as a TV Series, ComingSoon.net (October 13, 2014)](https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/123945-the-mortal-instruments-will-return-as-a-tv-series)
6. [FAQ, Shadowhunters official site](https://shadowhunters.com/about-shadowhunters/faq/)
7. [City of Ashes review, Kirkus Reviews (issue February 15, 2008)](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/cassandra-clare/city-of-ashes/)
8. [City of Ashes, BookTrust](https://www.booktrust.org.uk/book-recommendations/bookfinder/city-of-ashes/)
9. [City of Ashes Background, SuperSummary](https://www.supersummary.com/city-of-ashes/background/)
10. [City of Ashes Part 2, Chapters 11–13 Summary & Analysis, SuperSummary](https://www.supersummary.com/city-of-ashes/part-2-chapters-11-13-summary/)
11. [City of Ashes: The Mortal Instruments, Book 2, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/city-of-ashes-the-mortal-instruments-book-2)
12. [Future of 'Mortal Instruments' Sequel in Jeopardy, TheWrap (September 10, 2013)](https://www.thewrap.com/mortal-instruments-city-of-ashes-delayed-exclusive/)
13. [Will there be a City of Ashes movie? Cassandra Clare FAQ](https://cassandraclare.com/faq/ashes/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Literature and written works › Creative written works and worlds › Prose fiction › Novel series and sagas › Fantasy and science fiction novel series › Urban fantasy, horror, and paranormal series*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license