In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.
Review:
Cassandra Clare does it again folks! Action, drama, and love like never before in Clockwork Prince, Clare had me scream and laughing and excited through the whole thing. Mostly thrilled actually. There were so many scenes where the buildup to the climax was so tense, I was trying not to scream or skip forward to see what happens. And I will admitt, I did skip ahead just to sneak a peak, and I found a page where I felt so sorry for Will and fell in love with him that I nearly cried. Sorry Jem, but I'm Team Will. You'll see what I'm talking about in the Quotes.
Plot: So the Magister, Mortmain, is still out on the lose, and Benedict Lightwood has challenged Charlotte for control over the London Institue. Charlotte has two weeks to find Mortmain so she can keep control of the Institue. And while she does this, both of Mr. Dickhead's sons, Gideon and Gabriel, are to train both Tessa and Sophie, for they both are the only ones of the London Institue's staff/permanent guest that aren't trained to defend themselves. With all of this going on, there's a spy or two, parabatai issues, and a love triangle that makes you want to strangle Will and marry Jem. *Sigh.
A lot went on in this book, you can see, but unlike some of her Mortal Instruments books, it's not so overwhelming, it just keeps it going and suspenseful. There were points that I thought were kinda stupid until later on that they made a contribution somehow.
And now for the spy thing. And if you read the beginning paragraph, about Mr. Dickhead's sons being at the Institue, then you guessed right, they are spies, except for surprisingly Gideon. In the book, Gideon turned around to surprise you and rebel against his father, for he's found out the truth about what has happened to his father and why his mother killed herself. Plus what his father is actually dealing in. (Note: he's dealing with Mortmain) This was a subplot, of course, but one that helped Charlotte win the Institue, even if it was cheating/blackmail. Gideon has to be on the more likeable characters in the Infernal Devices. Gabriel, because of what happened between Will and his sister and Will breaking his arm, he's okay, but a pain. But I also thought Will was an ass for doing that to their sister.
Now, the real spy. In the beginning, I had my suspicions, and turns out I was right. Smart, but stupid spy. And though if this spy was right of mind, they probably wouldn't have done it, but because this spy was blinded by their own selfishness and Mortmain's evilness, they were sucked into his evil plot and currently rioting in the Silent City. Personally, I thought this spy was stupid, but the way Clare hinted who it was before we actually found out who it was was through Sophie and Tessa, mostly Sophie, since she was in and out of this spy's room everyday. And I kinda hope Sophie goes through the Ascension. She has the strength and the courage and the kickass-ness of a Shadowhunter. Plus, what she did to the spy was hilarious.
Characters: Of course, we have all of the main characters who havent' really changed, just gotten more braver and more sure of themselves as they try to fight off evil. But it's Charlotte and Henry and Sophie the really changed. Sophie, if you read in the last paragraph, has grown to be a risk taker, learning things she shouldn't, doing things she shouldn't, and not being the terrified little servant girl from the first book. Charlotte and Henry you all know dont' have the best relationship. Mosth thought Charlotte married Henry to have control over the Institue, and others thought Henry married her only because he was paid to because her father believed no one would marry her because of head-strong attitude. But no. There were a lot of rough patches between these two, sometimes I believe more than Tessa, Will, and Jem because they were actually married and Henry does nothing to help run the Institue but try to create inventions he believes will work. But later, Clare changes it around to where their relationship changes them as people and finally to start talking more. They changed more than anyone.
Now, why not Tessa or Will or Jem? Well, Clary and Tessa are alike, both are loyal to those who they love and are head-strong and determined to help. And both don't take crap from Will/Jace. Nothing changes about Tessa. And Will is just Will, except he's desparate to get rid of something he believes he has, and this little subplot had me rooting for him the entire way, even if all his work backfires in his face. Jem, well, Jem becomes more stronger, more sure of himself. At one point though, I thought he was going to kill himself because he believes he has nothing to live for becaues he's dying, but turning around, he finds his light. That's what I love about Jem.
Romance: Tessa, Will, Jem. If you looked on Wikipedia, then you know what happens between these three. There was a lot of tension between Tessa and Will, and Tessa did get closer to Jem. But in the end, I was heartbroken and screaming and crying. But as much as I feel what happened shouldn't of had, Clare did make me see that doing what Tessa/Will wanted to do would have hurt Jem, then it wasn't worth making him feel more horrible.
Now, you all know Charlotte and Henry start over, in a way, and they are on good terms, and that the spy was stupid and thought love could get him/her through it all, but in the end, his/her lover didn't really love him/her, just using him/her for information. How crappy is that? I'm happy the lover died. Magnus, of course, comes back and helps Will with his problem, but as all of you who have read City of Fallen Angels, he finds out the bitch Camille cheats on him, and he leaves her. Now, it doesn't indicate that he actually starts a relationship with Woolsey Scott, but from CoFA, then yes, we do know he does. Magnus and Alec are much better. But there's a surprising relationship that actually forbidden by Laws that had me shouting for joy. I hope it works out in the end. (Hint: reread the fifth paragraph and guess.)
Ending: First, it was great. It started with a lot of happy endings, with Charlotte keeping the Institue and some other happy secrets coming out, but then BAM! Clare hits us with a bomb that we know won't go over well with Will and his family. Hopefully, the next book will pick up right where this one left off.
One thing I forgot to point out eariler though is how the title fits into all of this. On the cover, it's Jem. Yeah, he doesn't have anything to do with the title, he's just a pretty picture (better than Will's). But then, later on, Clare makes a reference to Mortmain's past (which is the cause of all of this mess) that makes the title make sense.
Oh, and we don't learn much about the Clockwork Angel except that when Tessa's in trouble, it somehow comes alive, and that Nate wants her to wear it at all times. That's it. Wish there was more.
And you know how Will's afraid of ducks? (Or, you will.) Well, as a geek, I wanted to know what the fear of ducks was, and it's orinthophobia (sounds more like the fear of the orthodontics.) That or this one: Anatidaephobia — fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you (fictional, from a Gary Larson cartoon published in The Far Side Gallery, 4). Taken from Yahoo UK & Ireland Answers. It's hilarious.
Future: DAMN IT! THE CLOCKWORK PRINCESS DOESN'T COME OUT UNTIL NEXT YEAR!!!
Quotes:
Magnus and Will
"'....Every day dawns blacker and blacker, and I will lose her forever if you---'
"'Lose her?' Magnus's mind fastened on teh word; he sat up straight, narrowing his eyes. 'This is about Tessa. I knew it was.'
"Will flushed, a wash of color across the pallor of his face. 'Not just her.'
"'But you love her.'
"Will stared at him. 'Of course I do,' he said finally. 'I had come to think I would never love anyone, but I love her.'" pg. 140
Magnus
"Will is right," said Magnus. "Mabas, you are a blue-skinned bastard. Burn and die!" pg. 411. This made me laugh.
And the quote you have been waiting for that nearly caused me to cry! Will!
"You see it, don't you, James? Without Tessa there is nothing for me--no joy, no light, no life. If you loved me, you would let me have her. You can't love her as I do. No one could. If you are truly my brother, you would do this for me." pg. 479
Rating, Cover, & Ending (which was a happy/shocking one)
I love Jem on the cover. At first I thought it was Will, but then I see that the man has lighter hair than what Wil would've had. And I know now that Will's on the Clockwork Angel, and that's not the most flattering picture of him.
*Bought this from Target. Collector's Edition with Will's Letter to his parents in the back.
Keep On Reading!
Up Next:
I finished it actually. Today. :D I LOVED IT!! Review to come soon. :D
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