CITY OF BONES Read-Along: Chapter 11

In honor of the movie coming out in theaters on August 21st, I have decided to join the City of Bones Read-Along. If you haven't read this book, now is the perfect opportunity! Especially if you're planning to see the movie. If you would like to join, click here for more info. NOTE: If you haven't read the book, please beware of spoilers in the Read-Along posts. There will be quotes and chapter summaries, as well as my own thoughts on certain events that occur within the story and I don't plan on holding back.

Chapter 11: Magnus Bane

Summary:

Jace and Clary are in a cab on their way to eat at a restaurant called Taki's for breakfast. Jace calls Alec and tells him to meet them there. After exiting the cab, Alec comes walking up to them and says that Isabelle and Simon are meeting them as well. They walk into the diner after talking to a man who Clary assumes is a demon but is actually an ifrit--a warlock with no magic--as Jace explains. After reading the menu, Clary realizes that this is no ordinary diner, with meals suited for all Downworlders. Isabelle and Simon slide into the booth next to Clary and Isabelle immediately asks if Clary got her memories back. Jace replies that they only got a name--Magnus--and then goes to flirt with one of the Downworlder waitresses. After Jace's return Isabelle shows them a party invitation she received from a kelpie that will be held at the home of Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn. They all agree to attend.

Because the party doesn't start until midnight, Jace and Alec go to the weapons room to kill time and Isabelle and Simon go for a walk in Central Park. Simon asks Clary, who's furious, to go but she refuses because she's 'tired'. She attempts to sleep but sleep won't come; her mind is too wired on the images she had seen while at the Bone City. Realizing she isn't going to get any sleep she heads to the library hoping Hodge can help her, but it's empty. She walks over to Hodge's desk and picks up a book. A photograph flutters out of it; a photograph that has her twenty-year-younger mother in it with her arm around a boy who has nearly white hair and black guys. Clary notices how good-looking he is. A voice tells her it's Valentine and Clary nearly jumps out of her skin. She mentions how nice Valentine looks and Hodge says that he wasn't nice; he was charming and clever and persuasive. Clary looks closer at the other people in the photo: Hodge, Luke, the Lightwoods and Jace's father. Hodge explains to her why they all followed Valentine and believed in him and what he stood for. Clary asks if she can keep the photo and he gives it to her asking her not to show it to Jace. Then he gives her a potion to help her sleep.

When she returns to her room she finds Jace on her bed looking through her sketchpad and ends up dropping the potion vial onto the floor in surprise which ends up angering her further. Jace asks why she doesn't show anyone her drawings because she's very good and she explains that it's private, like a diary. He suggests a bedtime story to help her sleep and she agrees to it, lying down on the bed and closing her eyes. He tells her the story of a boy and his bird, which ends up not being a very good bedtime story. Clary declares that it's an awful story, but before she could say much more she was slipping into sleep.

Clary is woken up by Isabelle who's already dressed for the party. She tells her it's almost time for the party and that Clary needs to get dressed. When Clary mentions wearing her jeans and t-shirt, Isabelle is flabbergasted and suggests that she wear something of hers instead. She drags Clary to her room and hands her an outfit. Clary puts it on, commenting on its being too short. Isabelle hands her a pair of boots and fishnet tights and tells her to put them on with it. Isabelle then fixes Clary's hair and does her make up while having a conversation about Alec being gay. Isabelle pales when Clary asks her and begs her not to tell anyone, not even Jace. Clary agrees not to say anything and heads to her room to grab a light jacket and her backpack.

When Clary and Isabelle met up with the boys they're all wearing black, including Simon. Their eyes fall on Clary with astonishment. Saying that the dress needs something extra, Jace hands her a dagger. To Simon's horror, Isabelle suggests a thigh sheath to put it in, but Clary refuses. Jace then says, "and one more thing." Pulling the pins out of her hair so that it falls around her neck, he smiles and says "much better."

Quotes:

"Don't order any of the faerie food," said Jace, looking at her over the top of his menu. "It tends to make humans a little crazy. One minute you're munching a faerie plum, the next minute you're running naked down Madison Avenue with antlers on your head. Not," he added hastily, "that this has ever happened to me."

" . . . The boy never cried again, and he never forgot what he'd learned: that to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed."

"Demon hunting and fashion," Clary said. "I never would have thought they went together."
Isabelle laughed out loud. "You'd be surprised."

Thoughts:

This chapter isn't quite as long as the last, but it is rather lengthy. Clary finally gets to see a picture of Valentine and her mother together, along with the rest of the original members of the Circle. This is also the first time that we see a nice conversation between Isabelle and Clary happen, which shows that it's possible for them to be friends. A big revelation in this chapter is about Alec when Clary outs him as gay. It's strange to Clary that Isabelle is the only one who actually knows it. Jace also shows Clary another piece of his true self when he tells her the story of the boy and the bird, though he doesn't say it was him. It's nice to see him open up to her about himself.

Do you have any thoughts you like to add/share about this chapter? Maybe a favorite quote?

Feel free to leave a comment!

Happy Reading!