Clockwork Angel

I really didn't like City of Bones. I listened to it on tape with my daughter. It was a YA book not written for my age group and my daughter liked it, I am sure the movie is going to be great. I was hesitant to try another of Clare's book but this one seemed to have better buzz. I try to listen to YA books on audio with my daughter because we do so much driving and she needs to read a certain amount of books per school quarter so she can take a test on them to get points. If it wasn't for that I probably would never have picked it up. I am happy to report that I actually enjoyed this book. For one it is steam punk which my daughter is absolutely in love with. I am frequently dragged to steam punk events on the weekend. The Victorian London setting added something to the book for me.

The novel's plot centers on heroine Tessa Gray who comes to England to meet up with her brother Nate and who has gone missing by the time she has arrived. Naive Tessa is quickly captured and tortured by the Sisters who reveal something very unique about her. A whole new world is opened up to Tessa that includes shadow hunters and down worlders, a place familiar to the readers of The Mortal Instruments. Of course there is a love triangle, how could there not be? There are also some surprising twists so kudos for those. the book end of a cliff hanger and if I could find the second book on audio, we would probably be listening to it now. ( )

While this is not as good as the Mortal Instruments series, it is still an interesting read. ( )

I liked the fist 3 books of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments enough to be glad there is a prequel.
This was really engaging and I am quite looking forward to more of both series.
I had never heard of "steam punk" but now I am getting very comfortable in it. A prospect in which certain of my friends will be delighted. I wouldn't, have had much of a clue unless I had read the Mortal Instruments beforehand so I suggest reading them in the order in which they are written.


( )

This review is for the entire Infernal Devices trilogy: Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, and Clockwork Princess.

When teen-aged New Yorker Tessa Gray travels across the ocean to England to join her brother, Nate, after her aunt's death, her life changes irrevocably. Taken prisoner and forced to develop talents she never knew she had, she is introduced into a life full of beings she never knew existed, from warlocks to demons to vampires to the mysterious Shadowhunters. She discovers that her brother is not the man she thought he was, and that she herself is not who or what she had always believed herself to be. Rescued from captivity and torture at the hands of The Magister's minions by a handsome young Shadowhunter name Will Herondale, Tessa finds refuge amongst London's Shadowhunters. Mercilessly pursued by The Magister, Tessa and the others have to find out why he wants her so badly and what evil he has planned before it's too late. Friends and relatives become bitter enemies as betrayals run rampant in the battle for control of the Shadowhunters and their power. However, new attachments are also formed as Tessa finds herself caught between two young men--the dashing Will and his best friend, the sickly James (Jem) Carstairs. Can they stop The Magister from realizing his horrific vision of domination via the Infernal Devices? Can Tessa prevent herself from helping him bring about the destruction of those she has come to love? Can she divide her heart between two incredibly different yet equally honorable men? How much sacrifice will they all have to endure?

For the most part, I really enjoy this trilogy. While the characters are generally very young (15-18), they are necessarily more mature than ordinary humans at the same age because of what they do. They are trained to fight and kill at a very young age. They definitely grow and mature further during the space of time covered in the books. The love triangle, for lack of a better word, between Tessa, Jem, and Will was at times a bit uncomfortable for me, primarily because of their ages. (I'm sure that the fact that I have an 18-year-old daughter probably had something to do with that.) I had to remind myself, though, that at the time (late 19th century) this would not have really been unusual. The ending of the third book was the most poignant part of the whole trilogy, I think, at least the part that takes place prior to the last chapter. I won't spoil it, but it is a true tear-jerker. It's not hard to figure out once you realize that Tessa, due to her mysterious parentage, is immortal. Will is not. Jem is not. The other Shadowhunters are not. I'm not quite sure, however, that I liked the the last chapter. To me it seemed a bit unfair in some ways that Tessa essentially ends up getting to have her cake and eat it, too, although having to see everyone that you love, including your own family, grow old and die does perhaps make her somewhat deserving.

I will definitely be reading the Moral Instruments series next to see what else Cassandra Clare has in store. ( )

Some people have known me for being a huge huge fan of Cassandra Clare. In fact, I have all of her book, and they are lining up nicely on the front line of my bookcase. The first novel that had got me into loving Young-Adult book was, actually, City of Bones. So when Cassie announced that she would make a Shadowhunter prequel, I was so excited and got my hand on it almost immediately.

Clockwork Angel bring us into he Victorian London, way before the event on The Mortal Instrument happened. Tessa Gray, first introduced as a shifter, was being held captive by the Dark Sister in exchange for her brother safety. But when A group of Shadowhunter break through the Dark Sister's manor, Tessa was finally able to taste freedom once again. But little did she know, that nothing came without price. So when she learnt what she truly was-or was not, and where her brother truly was, it was up to her to take the action and reveal the truth . . . or do nothing.

Being Cassie's new Shadowhunter series after The Mortal Instrument, Clockwork Angel was truly a breath of fresh air for me. The plot was better that The Mortal Instruments, and there are many unexpected twist that you'll find in this book, and it would left you totally wanting for more. I also love how the book ended with such a satisfying way, but still keep the reader intrigued by its continuation.
The character was better too, with each character had their own difficulties in life, and they were all struggling with their own unique way to keep living and move forward.

Tessa Gray, our main character, was how you would expect a heroine would be. She was strong, independent, witty, and above all, had her own power to fight. I'm not quite fond of a heroine who would just wait on the sidelines and scream whenever the enemy show up. But Tessa definitely captured my heart when she fought for herself and was not expecting others to help her.
Tessa's counterpart, Will Herondale, was good as well. I love how Cassie portrayed him as a tortured young man quite nicely. And I think it was really sweet when he tried to win Tessa's heart, but trying to not show it as well. And how he held himself back when it goes against his heart's content, it was totally bittersweet.
Another character I found quite interesting was Jessamine Lovelace, another orphaned Shadowhunter living under the protection of the London's Institute. I think Jessamine personality easily stood out among the other character, with her despising the Shadowhunter despite being one. And how she would do anything to not be married to a Shadowhunter, I found it very unique.

One thing I'm not quite fond of this novel was Will and Tessa's love was love at first sight. Although their love was very sweet, it was not quite deep for me to feel the chemistry. And i think that basically was because their love's base was not strong-as strong as love at first sight out of nowhere would be.

Overall, if you love Cassie's previous book The Mortal Instrument, or you love a strong heroine or imaginative and captivating plot, or you just love urban-fantasy book, you should totally try this one. ( )