City of Ashes

Jace is the other protagonist of the series. He is handsome with long, blond hair, a lean physique, and amber eyes. Jace has angular, delicate features that Clary thinks of as “too pretty.” Witty, acerbic, and fearless, Jace often comes across as arrogant and supercilious, the archetype of the bad boy. Jace frequently speaks in an ironic tone, adding to the humor in the text.

However, Jace is also deeply ethical and fiercely loyal to his friends and family. Simon observes that while Jace always sounds supremely confident, his voice changes when he is alone with Clary, sounding concerned and defenseless. Jace is well-read and plays the piano beautifully. Clary and Magnus note that Jace is very neat and organized. He is also extremely devoted to being a Shadowhunter.

At the start of the novel, Jace is 17, and has recently learned that he may be the child of Valentine Morgenstern and Jocelyn Fray. Valentine—disguised as Michael Wayland—raised Jace away from Jocelyn in Alicante, the capital of the Shadowhunter country of Idris. The effects of Valentine’s upbringing are that Jace is suspicious of love and emotions, and also tends to look down upon mortals and Downworlders.

After Valentine abandoned Jace when he was 10, Jace found an adoptive home with the Lightwoods. The love of the Lightwood children and Jace’s feelings for Clary have thawed some of his arrogance. However, the sanctuary Jace has found is under threat once again, with Valentine’s reputation casting a shadow on him too. Worse, Jace cannot act on his romantic feelings for Clary. Embattled by these changes, Jace gets into fights as the novel begins. He is also unnecessarily abrasive with the Inquisitor, landing himself in trouble.

However, as the dangers around the Shadowhunters deepen, Jace shows his mettle by deploying patience when needed. For instance, Jace is very measured in his interactions with the Faerie Queen, since he knows a single misstep could be costly. When the Inquisitor captures him again, he is quieter around her this time, even telling Clary to guard her words. The change in Jace shows he is a dynamic character, ready to evolve.

As the novel ends, Jace tells Clary that she was right in pursuing a platonic relationship with him, as a romance between the two would be catastrophic. This is another example of Jace’s growing maturity and selflessness. Jace’s decision to feed Simon his blood marks another milestone in Jace’s evolving character arc, revealing that his beliefs around hierarchies and Downworlders are changing.

The third person in the text’s central romantic triangle, Simon is an important character who symbolizes change and transformation. Simon is a mortal at the start of the book, with dark hair and brown eyes. Simon also wears glasses and has a keen interest in anime and pop culture.

Simon is deeply in love with Clary, which is why he willingly enters the world of the Shadowhunters, even though many Nephilim disdain him as a Mundane. Simon often feels lacking in comparison to Shadowhunters and other creatures with special powers, but what he lacks in terms of magic, he makes up for with courage. For example, Simon insists on visiting the Seelie Court to be there for Clary, even though it is a particularly dangerous place for a mortal. While Simon’s best qualities are his bravery and loyalty, he tends to be possessive of Clary. When Jace kisses Clary at the Seelie Court, Simon walks away, unable to handle the pain. This shows Simon still has to grow up and evolve.

Simon’s transformation into a vampire is a metaphor for his evolution. Clary laments the loss of Simon’s former self, with a vegetarian, pacifist Simon now guzzling blood for sustenance. Although Clary and Simon have trouble accepting that he is now a Downworlder, the transformation has a positive effect on Simon. Simon becomes more empathetic toward the pain of others and gradually begins to accept the fact that he and Clary are better off as friends than as romantic partners. He reassures Maia that both of them are human in the way that counts—which is to experience love and compassion—and holds his own against Valentine.

Simon undergoes a second transformation at the end of the book, when Jace revives him with his angelic blood. Simon becomes a Daylighter, a rare sort of vampire who can withstand sunlight. This foreshadows a central role for Simon in the rest of the series. Due to his ability to change as a character, Simon has a dynamic arc.

Valentine is the antagonist of the novel and the Mortal Instruments series. Presented as the archetype of the evil genius, Valentine is persuasive, charming, and narcissistic. His portrayal mimics that of an authoritarian leader, who is sure of their ordained mission to change and cleanse society at any cost.

Valentine is tall, broad-shouldered, silver-haired, and handsome, though characters often note that his black eyes are soulless or cold. Though Valentine is (supposedly) Jace and Clary’s father, Jace does not resemble him at all. Simon notes a resemblance between Clary and Valentine. This foreshadows that Valentine is not Jace’s father at all; the series will eventually reveal that Valentine conducted experiments on Jace’s mother when Jace was in utero, killed Jace’s parents, and raised Jace as his own to see if Jace had any special powers. Valentine’s shabby treatment of Jace reveals that he has little empathy and uses people as pawns.

Clary comments on this controlling aspect of Valentine’s nature when she notes that, for Valentine, love only means ownership. Valentine retorts by quoting the Bible; he is often shown as quoting from literature and philosophy to prove the nobility of his ideals. He calls himself a reformer and a true patriot. However, Valentine’s high-flown talk is in sharp contrast with the horror of his actions, such as killing children and draining them of blood. Clary notes that Valentine is a master in the psychologically abusive technique of gaslighting: His words can make a person doubt their reality.

Another notable quality of Valentine is his bigotry and violence against those he considers “impure,” such as Downworlders. In fact, Valentine wants to rid the world of all warlocks, vampires, werewolves, and fairies. His ethnic cleansing agenda links him with real-world dictators. Much more than a two-dimensional villain, Valentine’s dangerous threat is palpable. At the end of the book, Valentine disappears. Though he can be assumed dead, Simon rightfully notes that “never believe the bad guy is dead until you see a body” (389). This foreshadows Valentine’s return in the rest of the series.

An important character in the novel, Luke is a bookseller, the leader of a pack of werewolves, and a father figure to Clary, Simon, Maia, and other teenagers. Luke is tall with a hunched posture, with blue eyes and brown hair. He wears glasses.

Luke straddles the world between Shadowhunters and Downworlders, since he was a Nephilim before being bitten. A member of Valentine’s Circle, Luke discovered the truth about his former parabatai and left Valentine. Perhaps because he fell under Valentine’s spell, Luke has stayed away from Shadowhunter society for 15 years. However, in City of Ashes, he honors Jace’s request and visits the Institute. This shows that Luke is generous and selfless. Clary notes that Luke, rather than Valentine, is a true father to her. Thus, Luke’s character is vital in illustrating the novel’s key theme of The Dynamics of Family Loyalty and Betrayal.

In the fight against Valentine, Luke plunges into the water after Jace, without a thought for his own safety. As the novel ends, Luke admits to Clary that he has always loved Jocelyn. He also tells Clary he will always look out for her, which reaffirms his paternal role in her life.

Magnus is the High Warlock of Brooklyn, a very powerful wizard who is at least 400 years old but presents as if he is 19. Magnus features in several books of the Shadowhunters universe; he is handsome with shoulder-length black hair and greenish-gold eyes. Often dressed in glittery clothing and make-up, Magnus is always quick to help out the Shadowhunters, despite his ironic front.

Magnus and Alec Lightwood are in a romantic relationship, though Alec does not want to admit this as he is still in love with Jace. While Magnus could find Alec’s denial problematic, he gives Alec his space. In fact, when Alec nearly discloses his relationship with Magnus to his parents, Magnus stops him, knowing Alec is speaking under the influence of Clary’s Fearless rune. Though Magnus taunts the Shadowhunters for constantly seeking his healing powers, he also nearly drains all his magical ability in protecting them during the book’s last battle.

Jace’s adopted sister, Isabelle is a fiercely sarcastic and loyal 16-year-old Shadowhunter. Beautiful and tall with long black hair, Isabelle dresses fashionably in dresses and high heels. Isabelle is quick-witted and given some of the sharpest dialogue in the book, such as when she tells her brother Alec that the reason she doesn’t get dirty while fighting is that “[she’s] pure at heart. It repels the dirt” (16). Isabelle is also easily angered, such as when she spars verbally with the Inquisitor in Jace’s defense. Family is extremely important for Isabelle, which is why she tells Alec that the law of family is above the law of the Clave. Jace, her adopted brother, is as dear to her as Alec. A positive and funny character, Isabelle adds humor and emotion to the narrative.

Eighteen-year-old Alec is the only adult of the teenage Shadowhunter bunch in the novel. He is black-haired and blue-eyed, tall and thin. Alec is brave and loyal to his family, although he tends to be quieter and more secretive than his flamboyant sister Isabelle.

Clary notes that Alec has had a raging crush on Jace, which is why he tends to hide his relationship with Magnus from his adopted brother. However, when she puts the Fearless rune on Alec, Alec nearly discloses the fact that he and Magnus are dating. Alec’s secrecy can be helpful, such as when he pretends to side with the Inquisitor to distract her, leaving him free to help Jace. This shows Alec’s potential as a strategist and a leader.

Like her daughter Isabelle, Maryse is tall and skinny, with “glacial blue” eyes and black hair. Maryse is a positive character in the novel, although her behavior can be ambiguous. This ambiguity may be a fall-out of her past: Maryse was one of the longest-standing members of Valentine’s circle and was in love with Valentine. After the Circle was defeated, Maryse surrendered, negotiating a lenient sentence for her and her family by running the New York Institute. She now feels pressured to present a good front to the officers of the Clave, such as the Inquisitor.

Due to her lingering shame about her association with Valentine, Maryse grows suspicious of Jace’s connection with the rogue Shadowhunter and asks him to leave the Institute. However, by the end of the novel, she defends Jace again and invites him back home. She tells Jace that she loves him and often sang lullabies in her native French to him when he was younger. Maryse can be harsh but ultimately has a good heart and is a protective, strong parent.