WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS
Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.
Review:
The Mortal Instruments are awesome. The Infernal Devices are amazing! Thrilling, suspenseful, action packed, almost like an action movie, but with more words. I loved it! You know, I was originally going to put off reading this prequel series until Clockwork Princess came out, but I went out and bought the Clockwork Prince on an impulse (and also because I won it a billion years ago and still haven't gotten it). Totally worth it. Shockingly, I bought the Collector's Edition. Target rules!
Clockwork Angel introduces us to the past of the Shadowhunters in London, 1878. A whole new set of characters, a beautiful setting, and a plot that says steampunkk all over it. And I say steampunkk because of all the clockworks and the automatons. I'm not sure what The Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments true genre is, but The Infernal Devices are definitely steampunkk. And I say, this is the first steampunkk novel I've ever read, except when I think of steampunkk, I think of future Victorian Era, not past, but who cares about the difference. It's an awesome book. Anyway, the setting of the novel is kinda creepy, yet beautiful. As a lover of traveling, I dream of going to London. I want to see Buckingham Palace. But unlike my fantasy of London, Cassandra creates this dark and damp world that plays perfect into the Shadowhunters' world. I never really thought London was always rainy and wet and dull all the time, but apparently it is. Odd, but the rain and fog makes for a good cover at night when trying to kill some demons.
Plot: The Magister wants Tessa, a shape-shifter, for some unknown reason, and he wants to take down the Shadowhunters with his automaton army. What I find amazing is Tessa's necklace, the Clockwork Angel. Despite it only use as a necklace in the book, it has a hidden ability we get to see at the end. Anyway, the plot was full of twists and shocking secrets, I wanted to scream. I really hate Tessa's brother. And because I wanted to know what happened to him, I looked it up, and I'm happy he dies. He's a crappy brother if he puts money over his own sister.
Characters: I see so much of The Mortal Instrument characters in these characters. Jace is just like Will. Will is just like Jace. Arrogant, somewhat selfish, hidden soft side, a great fighter. Hello, and he's in love with Tessa, but can't be because of a curse. Kinda like Jace and Clary. Jace's curse: first their brother and sister and then he thinks he's going to kill her because he's just like his dad.
Tessa, she's determined, strong, and doesn't take crap from anyone. Clary.
Jem, sweet Jem. ALEC ALL THE WAY!! He can be sweet, he can be sour, he cares about his parabatai more than Will deserves, and there is something 'wrong' with him. Alec--he's gay. Jem--addicted to a demon drug.
Now, as much as I LOVE these characters, I was hoping for new personalities, new problems, not ones that mirror the first ones but in different ways. Jem is shunned for his 'illness'. Alec isn't shunned as much, just avoid, for his being gay. I do like the characters, but something new is nice.
The rest of the characters mirror the old ones as well, except Jessamine, who, unlike Izzy, doesn't want to be a Shadowhunter and is a complete bitch. Just saying.
And I LOVE it that Magnus is in this series, even if it is a small role. *Sigh. :D Malec rules!!
Romance: Well, love triangle, again. Jem, Tessa, and Will. Mostly Tessa and Will in this book, more of Tessa and Jem in the second. As I said before, Tessa and Will are just like Jace and Clary, and their romance was kinda like "Let's flirt---oh, I love you but I can't be with you because of some stupid curse/problem! Damn my life!" Honestly, I was hoping for more, but the really sweet and touching scenes between them were lovely.
Ending: I hated it. I want to rip Nate's head off. Mortmain can go jump off a cliff and die for all I care. And what I learn about Jessamine in the next book makes me wish she was killed by that stupid troll in the park.
Future: Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess
Quotes:
Will, Jem, Tessa
"'I have an assignation in Soho this evening with a certain attractive someone.' (Will)
"'Goodness,' Tessa said to the back of his head. 'If you keep seeing Six-Fingered Nigel liek this, he'll expect you to declare your intentions.'
Jem choken on his tea." pg. 117
Jem, Will
"'Remember when you tried to convince me to feed a poultry pie to the mallards int eh park to see if you could breed a race of cannibal ducks?'
"'They ate it too,' Will reminisced. 'Bloodthirsty little beasts. Never trust a duck.'" pg. 199
Clockwork Angel may be a bit like The Mortal Instruments, but with it's original plot and setting and extraordinary characters, its' not hard to like. Fans of the Mortal Instrument series will fall in love with the Infernal Devices and wish the Clockwork Princess would come out sooner.
Rating & Cover
Ending:
0.
Did you read what I put for the ending?
*I think I won this book. Yeah, I did. Long time ago.
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Over half way!
I have this book on my TBR shelf.
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