I know I'm super late in reading this series but I'm so glad I finally did. Although not a "can't put it down" book, I really enjoyed it and found Cassandra Clare's writing to be descriptive and captivating. Clare does a great job of describing the characters and the scenery so that you can really picture it in your head. I love her use of words to paint a vivid picture that just stands out to you, the calling of a great author. 
 The thing I loved most about this book was that it caught me from the very beginning. Most books start off slow making you linger and not really want to read the book but then it grabs you and forces you to finish it and that's all well and good but what about trying a different tactic? That's what Clare did. She pulled me in from the very beginning of the story and made me want to find out more about this mysterious "Shadowhunters" and what exactly was Clary's role in all this. Even though her history was a bit predictable, I knew who her father was right away, it was interesting to read about her mother, how Clary was hidden from it all, and her connection to Jace. 
 Ah, Jace! When I think about him I imagine a young David Beckham; confident, built, and all "tattooed up". The relationship between him and Clary is very twisted and definitely different than the usual paranormal love story. And poor Simon, Clary's doting best friend, you can't help but feel for the boy and I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions between the three of them, Alec, and Isabelle. Another character I really liked was Magnus Bane, a witty guy that adds lightness and "magic" to the story. 
 I have to say though, it did get a bit slow in the middle with little action and it wasn't until the end when things picked up and I felt like I had to read it until the end. 
 One thing that caught my attention that I just couldn't get around was the large number of typos and confusing sentences scattered throughout the book. At first, I thought it was just how the story went, but after reading it a few times I'm sure that's not how it's supposed to be read. Obviously, typos do occur and that's not necessarily the author's fault, but still, for such a popular series, you'd think there would be more attention to detail. 
 Overall, I highly enjoyed this book and I immediately jumped right into the second book, City of Ashes, to see what will happen next. I'm hoping for good things for Clary and Jace!