Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (The Infernal Devices #2)

Clockwork Prince picks up shortly after the conclusion of Clockwork Angel, although enough time has passed for both relationships and routines to be established. Tessa has come to feel at home in the Institute, so it is unfortunate that Charlotte's position of leadership there is threatened. If they do not find the Magister in a timely manner, then Charlotte will lose her authority, and Tessa will find herself homeless. Racing against the clock, the team struggles to outsmart the devious man who has been calculating his revenge for decades.

Not going to lie, this book took well over 100 pages to enrapture me, but, once it did, it was hard to look up for even a moment. As the story progressed, I forgot all about the earlier tedium and was swept away by this dark world.

Tessa really grows as a character in this. She is no longer married to the idea that she has to look and think like a proper lady. She is expanding her knowledge of the reality of the world and her ability to defend herself. She yearns to learn more about what she herself is and what she can do. There's just something about her in this book that makes her so much less delicate and so much more admirable.

I guess you could say she also grows... sexually as well. It would probably be difficult not to, what with fellows like both Jem and Will professing eternal and undying love for her. However, this love triangle thing is a dilemma, sometimes a brutal thing to read. It's especially difficult to experience because the reader becomes privy to things that the characters are not.  

This is something I have a problem with. We are allowed to be in the know because the perspectives from random characters appear throughout the book. Tessa is the primary narrator, of course. The role of secondary narrator probably belongs to Magnus Bane, but there are several other characters that have random, singular chapters throughout. I found this to be a little bit jarring and almost... too intimate. I felt like I had no business in knowing what was going on in a character's head for such a small number of pages and that their chapters exist only for the purpose of info-dumping. Had there been a little more consistency with the characters used, I possibly would not have even noticed it, let alone have been bothered by it.

I hate hate hate love triangles, even if they are done well- nay, especially if they are done well! Because if they are done well, then you fall a little bit in love with both parties, and your heart is going to be a little bit broken no matter what the outcome is. Most people seem to easily flock to one side or the other, but I (again, only if it's done well) flounder and flitter hopelessly between the two until I've mentally exhausted myself. This is truly a very trying process and is better left avoided most of the time.

This love triangle is particularly harsh for the following two reasons:

1. Because the two young men are not only best friends, they are parabatai (a very intense form of Shadowhunter partnership, more or less).

2. Because it's not so easy to blame Tessa for the awkward situation they are all in. If she were at all malicious or beguiling, then it would be simple to pin the blame on her and hate her. But she is not a hateful character, and therefore tension is just unbearable.

But she did not love anyone else in the world. These were the boys she loved. For better. And for worse.

It's a shame she can't just marry them both. And what about Magnus? He's still my favorite.

Really, there is a lot more to this series than just the aspect of romance. It takes place in an intricate, well-planned, and consistent universe with an ever-increasing panoply of supernatural creatures. As time passes, you can begin to see the story lines weaving together, although all of said lines are seamless. There is so much foreshadowing, but at the same time, no real hints. I was enraptured to learn the fate of Nate and Jessamine. I love the side characters, both the old ones and the new ones. I love the side romances-Henry and Charlotte, Sophie and Gideon.

Now I'm a little scared to read Clockwork Princess. Not because it will not be enjoyable, but because these characters are so very real and close to my heart that it's going to break no matter the conclusion.

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (The Infernal Devices #1)

Let me start by saying I have not yet read the Mortal Instruments Series. Clockwork Angel is the first book I have read by Cassandra Clare, and I intend to read the rest of the Infernal Devices series before beginning Mortal Instruments. Ahem.

Clockwork Angel introduces us to Tessa Gray, concluding her journey from New York to London, where she expects her brother and a bright new life will be awaiting her. Unfortunately, neither expectation is present upon her arrival, and instead she is abducted by two hags who confine her in order to train her to "Change."

Apparently Tessa is able to turn into other people, to assume their bodies, personalities, and memories. She had no knowledge of this ability prior to her arrival in England, but her captors are both resilient and insistent in her training, and she becomes skilled in this ability quickly. When she is finally able to escape, thanks to the help of Will, she is exposed to a whole new world, filled with supernatural creatures and the politics that concern them. She meets the Clave of Shadowhunters, part angel and part human, who offer her sanctuary and aid in finding her brother in exchange for her help in return. 

My favorite thing about this book is the way that Cassandra Clare incorporates so many mythical creatures and combines them for one solid story. I don't often encounter books that deal with all this supernatural variety (angels, demons, faeries, vampires, warlocks, etc.) and make it work. You would think this many creatures would seem like overkill, but it really isn't. In fact, it all works together rather nicely.

I personally find it to be a good thing that the mystery of Tessa's origin is not immediately (or really, ever) revealed. It would certainly take away a lot from the merit of this story if it were all wrapped up neatly for us. But, at the same time, aside from a baseline frustration that comes along with wanting to know what's going on, I find this story well paced in the fact that it reveals its secrets in a timely fashion. It's not too drawn out, but things also aren't revealed entirely too soon. The former would make it irritating, and the latter would make it boring.

On the subject of Tessa's origin... how is she not ecstatic to discover what she is able to do? I realize that she is an 1800s lady and that there is a great deal of unpleasantness in this supernatural world, but she seems resentful of her abilities, or, at best, indifferent. Never once does she relish what she is able to do, nor does she appreciate the edge it gives her over everyone else. This is not mere shape-shifting (although that would be phenomenal all by itself); this is the ability to become another person or being, to know their thoughts, their pasts, their secrets. This is essentially the ability to become invisible, to walk through walls, to go anywhere or do anything, all because you can assume more than just a person's face; you can learn what they know, speak as they speak, do what they can do. I'll stop ranting about it, but, for the book's entirety, I was blown away at Tessa's response (or lack thereof) to her newfound power.

I loved the literary references thrown in throughout the book, particularly the reference to Dante and the cold ninth circle of hell. I often read about characters that proclaim to enjoy reading, but unlike many of them, Tessa truly seems to love it. She backs it up her claim with numerous titles, particularly relevant to the time period in which she lives. I've even taken a few of her beloved titles and added them to my To-Read shelf.

It would seem that we have a love triangle on our hands, although this one is much more subtle and less obnoxious than I find most others to be. Will and Jem are pretty solid characters, and I'm interested to see where this is going. But, personally, I am rooting for Jem, because I think bad boys are just a little overrated. On that note, it’s a shame that Magnus isn’t in the mix.

Ultimately this is the start to what appears to be a very solid series. I find it to be engaging and well researched, although I think bits of it are predictable, such as the fate of Tessa's brother and the true identity of the magister. But, for the most part, the twists are thrilling and the imagery is compelling. It’s certainly worth reading; this is obvious even from the beginning. I blinked and the first 100 pages had blown by.