City of Ashes is the second book in the Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare. As in City of Bones, the author spins a tightly-woven tale of teen-age demon hunters, werewolves, vampires, warlocks, and the various other supernatural beings with whom they either align themselves or do battle. The stakes are higher, as are the tensions between the main characters. Clary, Jace, Simon and the rest spend most of the book exploring their complicated relationships, while still finding time to fight off an assortment of gooey, dangerous and disgusting demons. Filled with memorable characters who seem to come more alive in this second installment, City of Ashes is fast-paced and engrossing, and will certainly please fans of City of Bones. I would never call this series great literature... on the other hand, I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of City of Glass so I can find out how it all works out in the end.