City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

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Permalink Reply by Ashley on January 29, 2009 at 3:11pm

I have GOT to catch up with you guys! I'm halfway through COA, I think. Simon was just turned. I was happy. Is that wrong? I'm hoping this means that he and Clary will be just friends. And that scene with the faerie queen.... Jace is irresistible! He and Clary have to work something out.

I just love this little world that she's created. Magnus Bane might be my favorite second-tier character so far.

Back to my original City of Ashes question -- Steph, you were right. It does refer to the Silent City because of all the marble arches created from the ashes of Shadowhunters. The chapter in COA titled "City of Ashes" is set there. So I guess that makes the Silent City/Bone City both the City of Bones and the City of Ashes.

The scene where Brother Jeremiah died -- terrifically gruesome! I was both fascinated and repulsed. Don't you hope they'll make this into a movie?

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Permalink Reply by katarinasmama on January 29, 2009 at 5:53pm

Oh!!! YAY!! You're past Simon and the Seelie Court...the latter is my favorite scene in the book...okay, my favorite Jace scene *winks*.

I love Magnus!! He's hysterical. Totally see him all campy. Love him!!

You are brilliant on the City of Ashes, Steph!! And thank you Ashley for the thoroughness in the research. I should get my audiobook from the library tomorrow so I can listen to it...lazy I know, I need to re-read it.

Yeah, Brother Jeremiah's death. CC describes things very thoroughly. I'm a big fan of that level of descriptive writing. It's somehow more palatable. Although I agree, gruesome at times.

Another Team Jace person...hmmm...are there other teams out there?? LOLz.

Did you like the deleted scene, Ashley?? Sigh.

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Permalink Reply by katarinasmama on January 29, 2009 at 5:55pm

No, I felt the same way. Yay! Simon's not a mundie!! Woo-hoo. Now let Jace and Clary be, Simon. Find your own interest, please.

And yes, yes, yes it should be a movie. But no word on that.

Ashley said:

Simon was just turned. I was happy. Is that wrong?

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Permalink Reply by Ashley on January 29, 2009 at 6:04pm

Love this! They have to end up together, right? That would be so cruel to the fans if they weren't. I need to get to the end of COA so I know where things stand with them. This being related-thing is killing me!

On a different COG note, who is on the cover? Is that Jace with the bow and arrow?

katarinasmama said:

Okay, I was in her Google Group and came across this...Ashley, it's not a spoiler. StephDC it's ::killing:: me. Arrgh. Italics are CC's comments on this released Outtake-

This one's short, but I think you'll like it. It no longer appears in
the book, and someday, after City of Glass comes out, we can discuss
why. :D

Clary drew his hands away from her body, and held them, trapped
between her palms. He could have pulled away if he’d wanted to, but he
didn’t; he just looked at her. His face was flushed, his mouth set,
his eyes darkened to a hard metallic gold.
“Please, Jace,” she said. “Please, don't.”
Her hands were trembling; she knew he could feel it. If he kissed her
again, it would be all over. She would do whatever he wanted.
- - - - -

CC took this out?? Crap. Then my la-di-dah Happy Ending can't happen *pouts and retreats into her corner*.

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Permalink Reply by StephDC on January 29, 2009 at 7:05pm

i don't think that is Jace on the cover of COG... there is supposed to be a new character introduced to us in the book and I *think* it's him.. but thats just me guessing.. not sure if thats right or not.

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Permalink Reply by StephDC on January 29, 2009 at 7:12pm

ooh.. didn't you just love seelie court?? see, thats why they CANT be related because if they were related but never knew it, wouldn't they subconsciously know somehow that something wasn't right??

Just talking about seelie court makes me want to reread the books but I can't. My stepdaughter has both COB and COA and won't hurry up w/ them lol. I think she is right around the part you are Ashley. she told me how happy she was when Simon was turned. She sees him as an annoyance and that he just needs to leave Jace & Clary alone.. I can remember her saming almost the exact same thing about Jacob, Bella & Edward lol..

I think since you are passed seelie court now i'm going to go find that Llama Lightwood video, (or whatever it is called) you would understand it by now..

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Permalink Reply by StephDC on January 29, 2009 at 7:15pm

Here is the Lightwood Llama Song (Mortal Instruments)

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Permalink Reply by katarinasmama on January 29, 2009 at 7:31pm

CC says it's Sebastian. Here's her description -

From April 12, 2008 -
Sebastian is a new character in City of Glass. He's a Shadowhunter. He's a
cousin of the Penhallows, who are friends of the Lightwoods', and who the
Lightwoods are staying with in Idris. He's about seventeen. He may well be
on the cover of City of Glass. Right now, that's the idea. It depends how
the art turns out.

From April 13, 2008
Q. are you starting a new love triangle now that Simon is
(basically) out of the picture as far as we know?"
A. Somewhat. Sebastian is interested in Clary.

From April 15, 2008
Sebastian has dark hair and dark eyes, but is described as hot in the book.
I guess it depends on whether you find his personality appealing, too.

From April 21, 2008
Q. on page 184 when Clary is dreaming and she sees Jace and
"He smiled like a cat and pointed behind her, and Clary turned to see
that a dark-haired boy - was it Simon?- was standing there, and wings
spread from his back as well, feathered black as midnight, and each
feather was tipped with blood"
It that Sebastian or is it really Simon???
A. *That* is Sebastian. Good catch.

From April 22, 2008
Q. is there a meaning as to why his are tipped with blood?
A. Sure there is.

From June 3, 2008
Here is, in fact, the description I wrote of Sebastian for my editor
to pass on to the cover artist for the cover.

"Black t-shirt sounds good. He's an active Shadowhunter, in Idris, so
weapons are a possible signifier (that's there's a war in this book,
etc) — a strap across the chest that could hold a knife, wrist cuffs,
etc. I think of him as muscular but probably not as much so as the
Jace on book 1, more like a swimmer, perhaps. He's handsome, with
straight black hair, not longer than chin length, high cheekbones.
He'd have Marks all up and down his arms and hands and maybe showing
under the collar of the shirt. Possible suggestion of wings in
background, or maybe only visible when you turn the book a certain
way, that sort of thing."

From June 5, 2008
(Someone asks her about a quote from "Twelfth Night" she used in her HP Fanfiction)

"My stars shine darkly over me; the
malignancy of my fate might, perhaps, distemper yours; therefore
I shall crave of you your leave that I may bear my evils alone.
It were a bad recompense for your love, to lay any of them on
you."

I've been toying with the idea of using it as a preface quote in City
of Glass, since I can't use the preface quote I originally wanted —
it's still under copyright. It's a lovely quote, yes, though it fits
another character better than it fits Sebastian specifically. And Jace
is really the one who quotes, though he doesn't quote Twelfth Night in
CoG. [He does quote the passage in Christabel about "life is thorny,
and youth is vain/and to be wroth with one we love/doth work like
madness in the brain"] which is another favorite of mine.

I also like fictional men who quote - must be a Francis Lymond/Peter
Wimsey/John Smythe thing.

- - - - -

There you have it. My research on mysterious Sebastian. There's a lot of discussion that he's really Valentine's son not Jace. Hmmm. And the blood tipped wings, yowie. Bad guy? Vamp/Shadowhunter hybrid...hmmm.

StephDC said:

i don't think that is Jace on the cover of COG... there is supposed to be a new character introduced to us in the book and I *think* it's him.. but thats just me guessing.. not sure if thats right or not.

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Permalink Reply by katarinasmama on January 29, 2009 at 7:37pm

Steph, I love that video!!! And I've downloaded her playlists...quite good. Some songs crack me up. The COG ones are making me thinkthinkthink. Eh gads. When is March? There's no leap year this year? One day less.

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Permalink Reply by StephDC on January 29, 2009 at 7:43pm

i really need to check out the playlists.. i saw you said they were at mundiesource right?? haven't made it over there yet :P

oh and thanks for the research. i thought i had read that it was sebastian but wasn't sure if i dreamt it or what hehe

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Permalink Reply by katarinasmama on January 29, 2009 at 7:45pm

There's also a hot little cookie (October) with Sebastian and Jace in it...that twists the pit of my stomach...It won't spoil COA for you but oh goshgollygeewhiz it opens up possilibities -


"But you're supposed to be in New York!" Isabelle exclaimed. "Jace said you'd changed your mind about coming. He said you wanted to stay with your mother!"
"Jace lied," Clary said flatly. "He didn't want me here, so he lied to me about when you were leaving, and then lied to you about me changing my mind. Remember when you told me he never lies? That is so not true."
"He normally never does," said Isabelle, who had gone rather pale. "Look, did you come here—I mean, does this have something to do with Simon?"
"With Simon? No. Simon's safe in New York, thank God. Although he's going to be really pissed that he never got to say good-bye to me." Isabelle's blank expression was starting to annoy Clary. "Come on, Isabelle. Let me in. I need to see Jace."
"So . . . you just came here on your own? Did you have permission from the Clave? Please tell me you had permission from the Clave."
"Not as such—"
"You broke the Law?" Isabelle's voice rose, then dropped. She went on, almost in a whisper, "If Jace finds out, he'll freak. Clary, you've got to go home."
"No. I'm supposed to be here," Clary said, not even sure herself quite where her stubbornness was coming from. "And I need to talk to Jace."
"Now isn't a good time." Isabelle looked around anxiously, as if hoping there was someone she could appeal to for help in removing Clary from the premises. "Please, just go back to New York. Please?"
"I thought you liked me, Izzy." Clary went for the guilt.
Isabelle bit her lip. She was wearing a white dress and had her hair pinned up and looked younger than she usually did. Behind her Clary could see a high-ceilinged entryway hung
with antique-looking oil paintings. "I do like you. It's just that Jace—oh my God, what are you wearing? Where did you get fighting gear?"
Clary looked down at herself. "It's a long story."
"You can't come in here like that. If Jace sees you—"
"Oh, so what if he sees me. Isabelle, I came here because of my mother—for my mother. Jace may not want me here, but he can't make me stay home. I'm supposed to be here. My mother expected me to do this for her. You'd do it for your mother, wouldn't you?"
"Of course I would," Isabelle said. "But Clary, Jace has his reasons—"
"Then I'd love to hear what they are." Clary ducked under Isabelle's arm and into the entryway of the house.
"Clary!" Isabelle yelped, and darted after her, but Clary was already halfway down the hall. She saw, with the half of her mind that wasn't concentrating on dodging Isabelle, that
the house was built like Amatis's, tall and thin, but considerably larger and more richly decorated. The hallway opened into a room with high windows that looked out over a wide canal. White boats plied the water, their sails drifting by like dandelion clocks tossed on the wind. A dark-haired boy sat on a couch by one of the windows, apparently reading a book.
"Sebastian!" Isabelle called. "Don't let her go upstairs!"
The boy looked up, startled—and a moment later was in front of Clary, blocking her path to the stairs. Clary skidded to a halt—she'd never seen anyone move that fast before, except
Jace. The boy wasn't even out of breath; in fact, he was smiling at her.
"So this is the famous Clary." His smile lit up his face, and Clary felt her breath catch. For years she'd drawn her own ongoing graphic story—the tale of a king's son who was under a
curse that meant that everyone he loved would die. She'd put everything she had into dreaming up her dark, romantic, shadowy prince, and here he was, standing in front of her—the same pale skin, the same tumbling black hair, and eyes so dark,
the pupils seemed to meld with the rest of the iris. The same high cheekbones and deep-set, shadowed eyes fringed with long lashes.
The boy looked puzzled. "I don't think—have we met before?"
Speechless, Clary shook her head.
"Sebastian!" Isabelle's hair had come out of its pins and hung down over her shoulders, and she was glaring. "Don't be nice to her. She's not supposed to be here. Clary, go home."
With an effort, Clary wrenched her gaze away from Sebastian and shot a glare at Isabelle. "What, back to New York? And how am I supposed to get there?"
"How did you get here?" Sebastian inquired. "Sneaking into Alicante is quite an accomplishment."
"I came through a Portal," said Clary.
"A Portal?" Isabelle looked astonished. "But there isn't a Portal left in New York. Valentine destroyed them both—"
"I don't owe you any explanations," Clary said. "Not until you give me some. For one thing, where's Jace?"
"He's not here," Isabelle answered, at exactly the same time that Sebastian said, "He's upstairs."
Isabelle turned on him. "Sebastian! Shut up."
Sebastian looked perplexed. "But she's his sister. Wouldn't he want to see her?"
Isabelle opened her mouth and then shut it again. Clary could see that Isabelle was weighing the advisability of explaining her complicated relationship with Jace to the completely oblivious Sebastian against the advisability of springing an unpleasant surprise on Jace. Finally she threw her hands up in a gesture of despair. "Fine, Clary," she said, with an unusual— for Isabelle—amount of anger in her voice. "Go ahead and do whatever you want, regardless of who it hurts. You always do anyway, don't you?"
Ouch. Clary shot Isabelle a reproachful look before turning back to Sebastian, who stepped silently out of her way. She darted past him and up the stairs, vaguely aware of voices
below her as Isabelle shouted at the unfortunate Sebastian. But that was Isabelle—if there was a boy around and blame that needed to be pinned on someone, Isabelle would pin it on him.
The staircase widened into a landing with a bay-windowed alcove that looked out over the city. A boy was sitting in the alcove, reading. He looked up as Clary came up the stairs, and blinked in surprise. "I know you."
"Hi, Max. It's Clary—Jace's sister. Remember?"
Max brightened. "You showed me how to read Naruto," he said, holding out his book to her. "Look, I got another one. This one's called—"
"Max, I can't talk now. I promise I'll look at your book later, but do you know where Jace is?"
Max's face fell. "That room," he said, and pointed to the last door down the hall. "I wanted to go in there with him, but he told me he had to do grown-up stuff. Everyone's always telling me that."
"I'm sorry," Clary said, but her mind was no longer on the conversation. It was racing ahead—what would she say to Jace when she saw him, what would he say to her? Moving down the hall to the door, she thought, It would be better to be friendly, not angry; yelling at him will just make him defensive. He has to understand that I belong here, just like he does. I don't need to be protected like a piece of delicate china. I'm strong too—
She threw the door open. It was dim in the room beyond, the only light coming from a window half-covered by curtains.
Clary blinked her eyes for a moment, wondering if Max had sent her to the wrong door. Then her eyes adjusted, and she saw Jace standing in the middle of the room. He wasn't alone, though—not by a long shot. There was a dark-haired girl with him, a girl Clary had never seen before, and the two of them were locked together in a passionate embrace.

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Permalink Reply by katarinasmama on January 29, 2009 at 7:46pm

Her myspace page has the most organized cookies -

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&frie...

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