Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publication Date: December 6th, 2011

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre: YA/Paranormal/Steampunk/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Romance

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Synopsis:

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. The special Collector’s First Edition will include a never-before-seen letter from Will to his family! 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.

My Thoughts: I would like to start by saying, I am so glad I discovered Cassandra Clare! This book was set as the book of the month to read for a book group I'm part of a couple months ago. I had to read the first in the series first, Clockwork Angel, and I did, and it was amazing to say the least, then I joined the waiting list at my local  library to read this one. I waited for months, and finally, I got my turn to read the book! It was so worth the wait, this book does not disappoint! I only wish I had discovered these books sooner. I love her writing so much I went out and bought the series that this series is  a prequel to, The Mortal Instruments, and I am so anxious to read them!

This book really sucks you in, you will find yourself attached in someway to almost all of the characters. We all know that most YA books have a love story, and also common is a love story with a twist, or a love triangle, forbidden love, you get the idea. This book, has a love triangle that will drive you mad! (I mean this in the best way possible)  Tessa has two possible suitors, each of them carrying their own baggage along, but each an excellent choice in unique ways. Both these men, Will and Jem, are desperately in love with Tessa, and Tessa  also loves both of them, whatever will she do?!  I loved the romantic scenes in this book, they were so wonderfully written, so intense and bursting with emotion, while reading them, I could feel my own heart beating faster, and my eyes drinking up every word and still being thirsty for more! As is common, there is always the question, which team are you on? Which guy are you cheering for? I am without a doubt Team Will! I love both Will and Jem, but I really feel the attraction and connection between Will and Tessa is so much deeper and intense. There is of course no loss of love between Tessa and Jem, but even still, I feel that the Will's love  for Tessa surpasses that of Jem's. You can't help but pity and feel your heart ache for each of these boys, the way it plays out towards the end made me yell out loud. You will understand what I mean when you read it for yourself, seriously, go read this!

Poor Tessa is surrounded by a world of unknown and confusion, she doesn't know who she is, where she might come from, what the future will bring, where her powers come from, and more. I fell in love with Tessa, I love her strong-willed, courageous, but at the same time, gentle, loving, and oh so caring and thoughtful in concern of those she loves, character. She is a wonderfully developed character, as are many others in this story, you will find yourself feeling for and with her as she tries to find out where in the world she belongs.

I really don't want to say to much about the story line for this one, I don't want to give one ounce of the greatness away. There is heartbreak, betrayal, love, sadness as well as pure happiness, action, drama, mystery, suspense, and more!  I just love Cassandra's writing, reading her stories is fun, and it flows so beautifully, it makes her books almost possible to put down. I was up way to late at night reading, it's the kind of book that keeps you awake because there is no point where you aren't dying to see what happens next! You will reach the end and wish that there was more, I know I cannot wait to read Clockwork Princess, waiting for it's release is going to be hard, but I have faith that the wait will be totally worth it.

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince
(The Infernal Devices #2)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publication Date: December 6th, 2011

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre: Fantasy / Steampunk

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Synopsis:

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. The special Collector’s First Edition will include a never-before-seen letter from Will to his family! 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.

My Thoughts: I loved this book so much, I was up until 1am finishing it last night, not the best idea for a mom with a baby that won't sleep through the night and decided 5:30 was a great time to get up this morning. I think what I liked the most about this book was how quickly things were happening, well they seemed quickly, even though the book is based over a two week period. There is a lot more action than in Clockwork Angel, and the beginning isn't as slow.

The story actually progressed a lot in this book. Charlotte is challenged for the running of the Institute by Benedict Lightwood, which causes a lot of stress on those living in the institute. All Charlotte has to do to prove her herself to stay in charge is find Mortmain, without the help of the Clave. So everyone starts looking for clues as to  his whereabouts. There are surprises for Will, as he tries to find away to fix his life. Tessa has a confrontation with Nate. There is a spy in the Institute. Sophie finds love. Charlotte and Henry have a heated discussion about their relationship. And it looks like we are going to get to know Cecily in the next book. So a lot happens and it's a book that is extremely hard to put down. When I wasn't reading, I was thinking about it, or when sleeping, I was dreaming about it. Needless to say, I'm definitely looking forward to reading Clockwork Princess, now it's just the wait that will kill me..

Team Will or Team Jem? Poor naive Tessa, just can't see that they both love her until they both tell her, and then she has a huge predicament. I'm still Team Will. I know how things have ended up at the end of the book, but I still can't help but feel Tessa and Will are made for each other. I feel really bad for Will after learning why he's pushed everyone away. I do feel bad for Jem, since he is dying, but I don't feel Tessa loves him like she loves Will, I feel like there is a lot of pity on her part for him. Yes, she does have some feelings for him, she does love him, but she loves Will so much more. There is lots of making out in this book, every other chapter Tessa is kissing one of the boys. I guess I'll just have to see how Clockwork Princess fills out. I can't help but feel bad for everyone involved right now.

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Angel
(The Infernal Devices #1)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publication Date: August 31st, 2010

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre: Fantasy / Steampunk

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Synopsis:

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.

Jenn's Thoughts: All I can say about this book is that it is a great read. I just spent the last two days reading it in my spare time, I didn't really want to put it down. I love that it is based in the Victorian Era. The story is great, and I was hooked from the first chapter. I felt a connection with the characters, which is always a good thing for me. Cassandra Clare is an amazing author and I can't believe I haven't read any of her books before. I'm looking forward to starting Clockwork Prince tomorrow.

The only negative thing I can say is that it does drag a little bit in parts, but really, there is quite a bit of information that is given so that you'll understand what's going on if you haven't read her other series. I'm looking forward to reading that one as well.

Now, for the huge debate everyone has, the Tessa-Will-Jem triangle. I'm going to have to root for Will. The reason Ithink they should be together is because from reading just this book, Tessa immediately falls for him, and even though he might act like he doesn't care most of the time, I think he really cares for her a lot. For Jem on the other hand, yes he loves Tessa, but it seems to me that her feelings are more of a sisterly love towards him. I guess I'll just have to see how things unfold in Clockwork Prince.

Meghan's Thoughts :  I flat out loved this book. It really reached out of the pages and grabbed me. While I was reading this book it was all I could think about. I spent most of the two days it took me to read it immersed in the pages, and when I didn't have my nose in it I was thinking about what I read last and when I would get to pick it up again to read further.


I really enjoyed reading about the characters in this book, they are all very well defined. You get a really great description that makes you almost feel you know them. I gotta put in my thoughts on the Will versus Jem debate of course. Although I still feel a little torn, I gotta vote for Will. The attraction between Will and Tessa seems much deeper and I can feel that Will feels very strongly towards her but he has some yet unknown to us detail that is holding him back.


Reading this book has me very excited to read the follow up, Clockwork Prince. I asked to be put on the waiting list at my Library, unfortunately it's a really long wait. Which is understandable since this book was so good, how could you not want to read the sequel? Cassandra Clare is a really great writer and I can't believe it's taken me till now to read any of her books. I've been thinking of reading the Mortal Instruments series for awhile now and after reading this I am going to do it a lot sooner, I even went so far as to buy the first 3 in the series. I have absolute faith they will be as great or even better than their prequel. Really great work Cassandra Clare, I can't wait to read more of your work :)