Clary is still an untrained Shadowhunter in New York City, but she is not ordinary. She is the only daughter of Valentine, the evil, renegade Shadowhunter who wants to overthrow the Clave. Jace, Clary's newly found brother, is showing traits of their father-arrogance, pride, and disobedience. Valentine offers Jace and his family refuge, but Jace chooses good over evil. The Clave's Inquisitor is not helping-she is obsessed with her own family drama and does not believe that Valentine would betray his own son. In a climatic mÛlÚe, the Clave, with support from the Seelies, werewolves, and vampires, battles Valentine and his demons. With the plethora of vampire titles published lately, it is difficult to find the good ones, but this one is it-a must-read for all vampire fans. If your teens missed the first book in the Mortal Instruments series, buy multiple copies and watch both books fly off your shelves. Clare cleans up the cheesy dialogue from City of Bones (Margaret K. McElderry/S & S, 2007/VOYA April 2007) to create gripping battle scenes and intricate family drama. The interaction between Clary, Jace, and Simon, Clary's on-and-off-again boyfriend, is fascinating. The plot is fast paced, and the gory battle scenes are straight out of an action movie. Give this to fans of Stephanie Meyer, Holly Black, and Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. Look for the third installment, City of Glass (Forthcoming, 2009).-Sarah Hill.

In City of Bones (2007), normal teenager Clary discovered she was a Shadowhunter, long-lost daughter of murdering megalomaniac Valentine—and therefore the sister of her new boyfriend Jace. Now she's caught up in the dangerous politics of the Downworld, where Jace is suspected of treason, non-human kids are being ritually murdered and best friend Simon is transforming into a werewolf. Clary must protect Simon, save Jace from a vindictive Downworlder Inquisitor, prevent Valentine from building an unstoppable demon army and fight her undiminished passion for Jace. The prose is exceedingly purple: Eyes are always paint chips, black pits or jewels in a spider's web; ichor-leaking demons have voices like shattering glass; fairies have hair like autumn leaves or poison green skin. But this action-packed tale uses melodrama and florid descriptions to good effect, crafting emotional tension and heart-wrenching romantic dramas. Readers of urban fantasy will devour this deliciously overwrought adventure. Despite hints that Jace's parentage is in question, the incestuous overtones might be too disturbing for some. (Fantasy. YA)

Gr 9 Up-In this sequel to City of Bones (S & S, 2007), the nonstop action continues. The Shadowhunters are battling a world of demons that few people can see. Guided by the laws of the Clave, these hunters balance fighting with the other more mundane aspects of lifelove, betrayal, and confusion. Jace, the fiercest teenage Shadowhunter, seems determined to make everyone around him angry, and is looked upon with suspicion because his father, Valentine, is out to rule the world. Meanwhile, love triangles abound, vampires are reborn, and general teenage angst blossoms among a group of friends and siblings. Set in an alternative present-day Manhattan, the story comes complete with Britney Spears references and even, ironically, refers to the scientific CSI . Well written in both style and language, it compares favorably to others in this genre. The human characters are well developed and quite believable. The whole book is like watching a particularly good vampire/werewolf movie, and it leaves readers waiting for the next in the series. Watch this one fly off the shelves. Jennifer-Lynn Draper, Children's Literature Consultant, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada