City of Ashes

     So, as I said, sequels are the best and worst part of reading for me.  Luckily, even though I was lukewarm about City of Bones, I decided to read the sequel.  I thought City of Ashes was a much better book.  The characters were more fully developed and the plot was more intricate. 
     My favorite part of the book was meeting all of the fantastical characters in the faerie realm.  I loved the way the faerie queen's trick on Clary moved the entire plot of the novel forward.
   I was intrigued with the Nephilium runes from book one.  The angels carve them into their skin to internalize the power of that particular rune.  A healing rune helps you heal quickly.  A fearless rune gives you courage in battle.  I loved this aspect of the angels, especially when Clary discovers that she can create new runes that no one has ever seen before. 
    I read the entire book in a weekend because I couldn't put it down.  Luckily I bought the third book, so I could immediately carry on with the series. 
    This is a great choice for a long weekend, especially if you love romance suspense, and fantasy.