Clary discovers her true identity as a Shadowhunter and goes on a mission to protect the Mortal Cup from Valentine. The novel follows the story of Clary Fray, an ordinary teenager whose life starts changing when she meets a strange group of teenagers in a club called Pandemonium. She is out with her best friend Simon and sees an incredibly attractive boy who is being followed by the group as he sneaks in a storage room. She witnesses the killing which no one in the bar seems to notice. The next day, her mother Jocelyn tells her they will go on a summer vacation with Luke, her mom's friend. Clary disagrees with her mom and leaves with Simon to go to a poetry reading. She sees Jace, one of the guys she saw at Pandemonium. Jace tells her about the Shadowhunter world. Clary's mom calls her and tells her to stay away from their home but it seems like she is in danger. She hurries to her house only to find a devastated house and a Ravener. As the Ravener attacks her, she hears it saying that it wants to eat her and something about Valentine. She uses the sensor she got from Jace as a weapon that kills the monster. However, the Ravener's blood spills over her skin and she collapses because of her head being struck. Jace brings her to the Institute and Alec bickers about bringing a mundane in because it is against the rules of the Clave, the governing body to the Shadowhunters. Hodge tells her that the first Shadowhunter was created by drinking Angel Raziel's blood from the Mortal Cup. This cup went missing since after the uprising by the Circle, an organization led by Valentine that wants to overthrow the Accord, or the rules governing Shadowhunters, and Downworlders. Clary and Jace go back to her apartment only to find a Forsaken, a human that went crazy after having too many runes on its body. She also talks with Madame Dorothea, her next door neighbour and psychic who tells her about Jocelyn's history. Madame Dorothea tells her about the Portal which is designed to let them escape from Valentine. Clary goes through it, and Jace follows and both arrive at Luke's home. Simon is also there, spying on Luke as he is acting strange and he tells them about the weapons that Luke packed. They saw two warlocks named Pangborn and Blackwell who interrogates Luke about the whereabouts of the Cup and threatens him that Jocelyn is in their hands. Clary finds out that Jocelyn is still alive, Luke Garroway is Lucian Graymark and might not be entirely human, and that the two scary guys killed Jace's father. The three of them return to the Institute and tells Hodge about everything they learned. Hodge tells them that he was once a member of the Circle and was punished after the Uprising, his punishment is banishment from Idris, the Shadowhunter's world. Clary learns that Jocelyn is Valentine's former wife. To know more information about Clary's history and her connection with Valentine, they go to the Silent Brothers. They travel to the City of Bones and Brother Jeremiah accessed her mind. She sees the name in her mind, and it is Magnus Bane. Magnus Bane is the High Warlock of New Orleans. To get to him, the group attends his party and admits that he blocked Clary's mind of anything related to her true nature. In his party, Simon accidentally turns himself into a rat because he drank something that Isabelle gave. Simon, now a rat, is captured by a group of vampires and brings him in their lair in Hotel Dumort. Outside the dilapidated hotel, a boy named Raphael helps Clary and Jace get in. Raphael turns out to be the second in command in this vampire lair and there appears a group of vampires. Raphael makes a bargain with Jace to not hurt him in exchange for Simon's freedom. They both agree and the vampires attack. Werewolves come in the picture and the three are caught in the war between werewolves and vampires. They return to the Institute and Clary was unwelcomed by Alec because he thinks that she causes Jace too much danger. Jace invites Clary to a picnic in the botanical garden and kisses her. Once she gets back in her room, Simon confesses his love.
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Clary realizes that her mother, being artistic that she is, hid the Cup inside the Ace of Cups. Jocelyn gave Madame Dorothea the handpainted set of Tarot cards because she knows she can protect it. Clary goes to Madame Dorothea and draws a rune on the card. The Cup appears and Clary keeps it. Abaddon appears and attempts to retrieve the Mortal Cup. Simon kills him with Alec's bow. In the Institute, Hugo, Hodge's bird attacks Clary and gives the Mortal Cup to Hodge. Valentine appears and Hodge gives the Cup to him in exchange for his freedom. Valentine disappears and Hodge escapes the Institute. Clary follows her and she is attacked by Hodge using a metal disc. A pack of wolves appears and brings the injured Clary to their den. It turns out that Luke is the leader of the pack and he tells her about how Valentine betrayed him, her mother and the Circle.
They go to Renwick where Valentine hides and they find Jocelyn on a bed with a lot of medical equipment attached to her. There is a huge fight between the werewolves and Valentine's minions. Valentine then talks to Jace and tells him that Jace is his son. Clary tells him not to believe Valentine but it seems like his words have already affected Jace. Jace gives his sword to Luke and Luke tries to attack Valentine when Pangborn attacks him. Jace fails to kill Valentine and he escapes in the Portal with the Cup hidden Idris.
Best part of story, including ending:
It is action-packed.
Best scene in story:
When Valentine tells Jace that he is Jace's father. Jace feels conflicted because he is in love with Clary who is supposedly his sister.
Opinion about the main character:
She is a kickass heroine, smart and brave.
