City of Ashes is the second novel in Cassandra Clare’s urban fantasy young-adult series, The Mortal Instruments. The narrative follows the story of protagonist Clarissa “Clary” Adele Fray, who discovers that she is a Shadowhunter, or human with angelic qualities. When Clary makes this discovery, she also finds out that her father is a violent rogue who is gathering specific items with the intention of creating a demon army and going to war with the Shadowhunters. City of Ashes explores themes of prejudice, family, and coming-of-age.
