Clockwork Angel

Sixteen-year old Tessa leaves her world behind in New York when she crosses the Atlantic to find her brother, Nate, in Victorian London. When she arrives, it’s not Nate waiting for her on the dock as she thought, but two women, promising to take her to her brother.

These women, known by many as the Dark Sisters, hold Tessa captive. She learns she has the ability to transform herself into another person and the Sisters have been taking advantage of this power. Tessa discovers that she is not human, but what is she? The Sisters prepare to present her to the Magistrate, the leader of the Pandemonium Club to which they all belong.

A completely different world within London is revealed to Tessa, a world of demons, vampires, & warlords. Tessa show more seeks refuge with the Shadowhunters, warriors who protect humans (mundanes) from demons. Together they must find Nate and uncover what it is about Tessa that makes her so special, so different than others with her powers.

I’ve been a fan of Cassandra Clare’s writing since reading The Mortal Instruments. She always delivers compelling characters with layers upon layers of history & depth. The same rings true with Clockwork Angel. I’m quite found of YA books with strong female main characters. Tess, while weak and naive in the beginning quickly transforms into a strong young woman. To top it all off, Tessa is lover of books. How can you not love her!?

Her feelings are divided between two young men: James “Jem” a fragile, sensitive boy and Will, a moody, defensive brute who won’t let anyone get close to him. Both clearly have secrets, but Jem was more willing to reveal his than Will. I have to say I’m clearly rooting for Jem in this case!

As with the Mortal Instruments series Clare builds a completely dynamic and compelling setting. While it is set in Victorian London, some aspects are true to life while in others Clare adds a bit of creativity. In any case, be prepared to become enveloped in this world. The detailed, flowing prose will pull you in from the first few pages. While Clockwork Angel is just shy of 500 pages, you’ll be swept away and won’t notice the pages flying by.

Clockwork Angel is prequel of the Mortal Instruments series, so fans of the series should definitely check this one out. While I enjoyed the Mortal Instruments series more than Clockwork Angel, it was exciting and to read more of Clare’s work and see where the series began. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series, aptly titled The Infernal Devices.

Following are a few of my favorite quotes from Clockwork Angel:

“One must always be careful of books, and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.”

” Only the very weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature & poetry.” (pg 87 of ARC) show less

Clockwork Angel, without a doubt, exceeded my expectations. I was somewhat hesitant of a prequel series considering how many twists and details and plot went into the Mortal Instrument series, but this book soared above my expectations.

There are a few things that are similar between Clockwork Angel and City Of Bones. Tessa, our witty protagonist, is a kick-ass heroine who is just discovering that her entire life has been fabricated and she’s not who she really thinks she is, just like Clary Fray. The same with Will Herondale and Jace Wayland. This was something that I thought might progressively irritate me, but surprisingly, it did not. The love/hate relationships and witty banter was, just like the MI series, enjoyable, enthralling show more and very humorous.

Another thing I loved about this series was the slowness. Where as City Of Bones was a non-stop thrill ride, Clockwork Angel brings the action down a few notches. (But do not fear! There are still plenty of those downworlder ass-kicking scenes that we all know and love!) The pace of the plot was also easier to grasp, though I imagine it’s an easier read for people who have read the MI books and already know the terms and world. Either way, steady-going London is a refreshing change of scenery from fast-paced New York City.

Overall, I enjoyed Clockwork Angel just as much, if not more, than the Mortal Instrument series. With a new cast of snarky, ass-kicking characters, creepy enemies, a new city and a not-so-dizzying love triangle, this is a perfect beginning to what sounds like an awesome new series! I definitely recommend! show less

“One must always be careful of books," said Tessa, "and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.”

First of all, I would never have expected this book to be this good. I've watched Shadowhunters on Netflix and to be honest, it wasn't quite my cup of tea. I did like the plot of the show, but the characters were a bit too much for me, if you know what I mean. However, I started this book because a good friend of mine said it was one of the best books she's ever read. So I gave it a try; and man, am I glad I did. Ever since I read the book, Clockwork Angel has become one of my favorites of all time. And here is why.

Although the story follows the life of Tessa Grey, the story has been written in third person. Most of show more the time I don't really like third point of view, but this time however, I didn't mind at all. Everything in the book matches well with each other and the built-up of the story is just complete. There really isn't anything that could've made the book better. I haven't read a lot of books that got my attention from in the beginning, but Clockwork Angel is truly an exception to make.

The story takes place in London of 1878 when technology still wasn't a thing. It's really interesting and fresh to read a story in a different century for once. The lifestyle back then was so different from ours, but all in a good way you know. The classy outfits, the years of the fun teasing and playing, the sense of romance, etc. The scene of London was so well written by Clare that it almost felt like living in it. And if that wasn't enough, the description of emotions and feelings were so living, that it almost felt like they were pouring right from the pages.

That brings me by the romantic side of the story. We all see the sexual tension rising between Will and Tessa, don't we? The subtle touches and conversations between these two lovers really are from another world. How love can be so gentle, but also so cruel. By that I refer mostly to Will. We know that Will has a bit of a rough past that he don't like talking about, what makes it difficult for him to open up. With Tessa, however, it seems like he had known her forever. You would think this is a good thing, but as Will begins to realise this, he tries to push Tessa away. This way, their story takes a difficult turn. Their connection gets complicated, but at the seem time they know their feelings for each other. But don't lose you're hope folks, I'm sure we will get a lot more romance in the sequels.

Last but not least, there is a strong difference between men and women in the book. As you can guess, the man is seen as stronger and more independent as a woman, which was a bit aggravating in the beginning. For example, female shadowhunters needed to wear a male uniform and on different occasions, there were things like 'because she's a women' mentioned. Of course female emancipation wasn't a thing back then and I'm not a feminist by all means, but as a reader from the 21st century, it made me wonder how this comes. However, I truly need to give Cassandra Clare credits for this, because the fact that she thought of this element is amazing.

As my final advise, I recommend you read this book at all costs. It it such inspiring and I learned a lot from it. It would be fantastic if The Infernal Devices got its own series like The Mortal Instruments on Netflix, but I don't think that's for anytime soon. Now get up and go grab that book! show less

Clockwork Angel is the first of Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter novels. Tessa Gray arrives in London expecting to meet her brother Nathan. Instead, a pair of women called the Dark sisters are waiting for her. Under the pretense of being sent by her brother, the sisters take Tessa under their wing. But what waits for Tessa in the Dark sister’s house is nothing pleasant. They force her to do things she never thought possible. Tessa enters the dark world that is home to vampires, demons, warlocks and more. Her only hope lies in the London Shadowhunters. Will and Gem will do all they can to save Tess and her brother, but nothing will prepare them for what’s to come.

I can see why this series didn’t take off as well as Mortal show more Instruments. There are a lot of Shadowhunter terms used with little explanation. If I didn’t have a clear image of the world, I would easily have been lost reading this. The characters also don’t have the same type of chemistry. The mood between Tessa, Will, and Jem is icy at best and slowly works its way into something more as the story progresses.

When I first started reading Will’s sarcastic comebacks, he felt a lot like Jace in Mortal Instruments. I was worried there would be a repeat characterization, but I was proven wrong. Will is vicious in this first novel. Just when the character started to grow on me, I realized his words were just as sharp as his blades. Both aimed to cut as deeply as they can. That’s not to say Cassandra Clare didn’t build enough of a backstory to understand it. She certainly gave the reader enough pain and suffering for him to act this way, but it didn’t make for a likable character. It certainly paves the way for a redemption arc that I hope to see in book two.

I wanted more of Jem. He was quiet in the first book and pushed into the background of scenes. Often times when Will was on a tirade, I silently wished for Jem to barge in a stop him. The slight mystery that surrounded Jem, didn’t really sink in for me with so little page time. The best moments were always when Will and Jem were together. They complement each other so well. Of course, being Parabatai I’m sure helps

Despite some hiccups with the characters, I love this world. The battles, the tension, the potential of it all makes me crave more. I want to learn about the history of the Shadowhunters, the before moments for characters I came to know and love in the later series. show less

My review of the first book in her Mortal Instruments trilogy, “City of Bones”, was hardly the glowing review of the year, and anyone with a white belt in google knowledge can look up the less than clean history of Miss Cla(i)re and her fandom shenanigans. I bring them up here because, as I mentioned in my first review of her work, her work reads like fanfiction (with one whole passage of it taken from her most famous Harry Potter fanfiction, as you can see from here.) So I knew I’d never read the rest of her Mortal Instruments trilogy (now padded out to an upcoming 6 part series) but when the Mortal Instruments prequel series, The Infernal Devices, was announced and released to great fanfare, topping the New York Times show more children’s bestseller list, my interest was piqued. The added addition of the increasingly popular steampunk trend also intrigued me since there was absolutely no mention of steampunk in the first series and I wanted to see how Clare handled the topic.

The answer for the more impatient readers – she doesn’t handle it well. Actually, there isn’t much in this book that Clare handles well. The choice of Victorian London for the setting could have been interesting but instead of being given a proper insight into the city’s streets, atmosphere and way of life, we’re given a few generic descriptions that seem to have been taken from research notes without any care. A true setting feels alive, like it’s a character in the story, but here London feels lifeless. The Victorian setting also feels stilted and awkward. Clare doesn’t handle the language change very well as the dialogue reads as inauthentic in style as well as wooden and unoriginal in substance. Occasional name dropping of books from the period (and comparisons made to them) such as “Jane Eyre” does not make an authentic setting, nor does shoe horning in some clockwork creatures make this a Steampunk novel, as it’s been trumped up to be. Steampunk isn’t just about dirigibles, goggles and cogs, it’s about the entire world image it brings up and nothing about this weak attempt at setting the book apart worked effectively. It also doesn’t make sense seeing as this is a prequel series and the Mortal Instruments had absolutely nothing pertaining to Steampunk, clockwork creatures or similar technology. Let’s be honest; Clare’s trying to cash in on a trend and she fails miserably. If you want interesting YA set in Victorian times, try Philip Pullman’s Sally Lockhart quartet, or the adult Lucifer Box series by Mark Gatiss (also an excellent example of how to write a charismatic jerk the right way.)

Outside of the world itself, the characters are not only derivative and boring with all the Mary Sue connections one would expect from Clare’s writing, they’re the exact same characters as the ones from the Mortal Instruments series. I’m not even exaggerating; they’re exactly the same! Tessa is a carbon copy of Clary (oh, and Tessa Gray – Clary Fray... subtle, Miss Clare), boring Mary Sue super special prettiness and all, even though she shows incredibly moments of stupidity. She’s got this amazing ability and is super special even when compared to the other super special people in the book but is still barely capable of saving herself. Will is Jace/fanon Draco through and though, because apparently being a complete jerk devoid of charm is still acceptable for a potential love interest in a half baked romantic element if he’s good looking (once again, the less than subtle undercurrent of beauty being the best thing ever is present and accounted for). The shadowhunters also still have the same holier than thou attitude towards humans/mundanes that they had in City of Bones, and yet nobody complains about it. Jem is Simon without the sense of humour and is clearly here just to be the nice, sweet alternative to Will so Clare can show how oh so different he is from Will, and Jessamine is Isabella, a.k.a. the token female character who exists to be a shallow bitch so everyone can see how much better Tessa is. Jessamine actually has some interesting moments, like her worries over never having a normal life, but any potential for depth is thwarted by terrible characterization. Fan favourite – and one of the few things I did like about City of Bones – Magnus Bane is here but with a girlfriend instead of a boyfriend and he barely makes an impact on the story. I was half expecting him to stand on a table and scream “Sexy cameo!”

And herein lies the biggest problem with this book. Clare is ripping off her own series. She’s just lifted characters from her original series and stuck them in a Victorian setting, hoping that petticoats and the London setting will hide her weak writing (also, I got really pissed off at super special American Tessa constantly going on about how terrible London was compared to lovely New York. Whining is still not a viable character trait in my book), although to her credit she has stopped using as many stupid similes as she used to so there’s no mind-boggling references to octopus tendril hair or the like. There are huge chunks of clumsy exposition as Clare shoves in mythology from the Mortal Instruments to make this series seem as if it’s a continuation of the world instead of a straight up cut-copy-paste job and the plotting is dull, derivative and predictable, much like City of Bones, which in turn was derivative same old repetitive nonsense borrowed/lifted from her fanfiction. Going all the way back to her fandom days, Clare has proven herself to be a mediocre writer at best and a thief at worst. It’s not just that she plagiarised the fanfiction that made her famous and may or may not have played a huge part in getting her a book deal. It’s not just that her first book series was a giant rip off of her fanfiction that she ripped off of other works. It’s that her next venture, where she could have proven herself to have some creative ideas, often a saving grace in derivative plotting and writing, and just copied something she copied from something else. Essentially, Clare has written a fanfiction of a fanfiction of a fanfiction. And that’s why I cannot give this book anything higher than 1 star.

There will be people who will enjoy this series. Maybe they’ve read the Mortal Instruments, maybe they haven’t, but the writing style is easy enough to read, it’s not the worst thing I’ve ever read and some people might enjoy the extremely light dashes of so called Steampunk. But for me this book was a complete waste of time. I do not use the word ‘hack’ very often for a number of reasons – it’s overused and often loses its meaning, there’s a wide spectrum for definition when it comes to good and bad writing, et cetera – but when a writer is as lazy as this and clearly cares about nothing beyond jumping on trend bandwagons and making money, then I can say this with complete confidence:

Cassandra Clare is a hack. show less

Setting it aside at page 246 of 482, because while there are no reasons to put it down, I can't think of any reason to keep reading. The characters are very facile and often glib, but there are no hooks for purchase on their smooth, shiny facades - Tessa lacks urgency (in her quest to find her brother, or about anything, really) or challenge (from her powers, or the new world she's uncovered). Will and Jem are full of obvious secrets that I just don't care about. Jessamine I continue to like, because her wants and needs are a wonderful cross-purpose and both are strong, but basically she's just being used for flounce. People are allegedly being killed, but it's basically off-screen and there's no sense of ticking clock.

I'm halfway show more through and I have no compelling reason to keep reading this book. Look, I know I said I'd give it 24 hours and it's barely been 11, but it's been a high-reading day, and I'm just bored and I want to move on. show less

Victorian London meets shadowhunters and steampunk magic ✨

I wanted to read more steampunk novels (I've only ever read Howl's Moving Castle) and this one delivered. Clockwork Angel threw me straight into 1878 London with Tessa Gray, who arrives expecting to find her brother but instead gets kidnapped and discovers she can shapeshift. Dark start? Absolutely!

This is followed by introducing us to the shadowhunters, there's worldbuilding, introducing us to the enemies, etc., and this part felt slow. BUT the story remains intriguing, and after I passed the halfway mark, it picked up! This was when the shadowhunters infiltrated the HQ of vampires. Many things were happening in the second half. There's a lot of action, and just when I thought show more all the secrets had been revealed, the plot twist left me stunned.

The romance (the love triangle with Will and Jem) develops alongside these main storylines but doesn't drive the plot forward. But Tessa's journey is ultimately about "saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world". The characters are well-written and I loved them all. I think the series is very original and unique.

The book is especially great if you love historical-urban fantasy, found family, gothic atmospheres, and stories where friendship matters as much as romance. show less