Review Wednesdays!

Admit it, Wednesdays are lame. Equally lame is calling it "hump day." Let's all stop doing that please. Instead, let's use Wednesdays to share some reviews- music, movies, books, whatevs. We'll see what happens!

Today, as I enjoy a bowl of delicious honey nut Cheerios, I'm going to share my thoughts on my newest paperback obsession: The Mortal Instruments.

It's been about a year since I dove headfirst into the young adult fantasy world of Twilight. I'm not ashamed to admit it, I loved every page of that story. And the next one. And the next one. And the next one. It drove me to explore other vampire works such as those by Anne Rice (Vampire Lestat, so hot!). Having exhausted my vampire reading, at least for the time being, I found myself looking for a new series. Being a sucker for young adult fiction, and more recently fantasy, I picked up the first title in The Mortal Instruments Series, City of Bones. Let me tell you folks, I'm hooked.

Author Cassandra Clare certainly did her homework with this one. While the story is unique, there are many elements borrowed from the fantasy genre. As I've mentioned, I've dabbled a bit in fantasy literature but in addition I've seen my share of fantasy movies, played some WOW, and consider myself a general acquaintance with the genre in all mediums. At the risk of revealing myself as a total nerd, I'm pretty sure if someone invited me to LARP, I'd join in a heartbeat. (Side note: See movie Role Models, it sure made LARPing cool and hilarious to me!) In reading the book, I enjoyed recognizing the references to the fantasy standards such as runes, vampires, warewolves, warlocks, and various others. It made me feel connected to the story, as if I had already read a prequel, or a companion work.

The story itself is quite enjoyable. I love me a good female heroine and Clary Fray did not disappoint. Her journey into self discovery is one that made me both excited and envious. Come on, at some point we've all wished we were switched at birth, possessing of magical powers, or born into a world of adventure, meant for something great. In this way, it was nice to live vicariously through Clary as she learned the truths of her mythical heritage. For that matter, the characters are all captivating, as are their adventures that make up the greater quest in search of the Mortal Cup.

I won't ruin the ending but suffice it to say, I didn't wait a day before buying book 2. City of Bones left me desperate for more and I'm confidant that City of Ashes won't disappoint. If you're looking for an easy read and something to make you forget about these April Showers, trust me, City of Bones is the way to go.

http://www.mortalinstruments.com/