Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1)

The first book in a prequel series to the best-selling series The Mortal Instrument. This series is set in London during the 1800s. It follows Tessa Gray who has been rescued by the local Shadowhunters and brought to stay at the Institute. A new threat has arisen in London being led by the mysterious Magister. Everyone and everything is endangered as the Magister develops his clockwork army in order to conquer England.

Tessa is invited to London by her brother but she is kidnapped by The Dark Sister and forced to face the unknown truth of who she is. Somehow The Dark Sister know that she is, a shape-shifter which Tessa had never known. Tessa is rescued by the Shadowhunters several weeks later It is revealed that she is some form of a rare shape-shifting warlock who can take on the personality and memories of the people she copies.

Tessa has her views about what a woman should and should not do, as most everyone did during the 1800s. However, as the story continues she learns that the Shadow World isn't that black and white. Tessa fights against the villains several times even though she stated that women do not get bloodthirsty or violent feelings. Tessa is a strong young woman who struggles with the revelation that she may not be human at all. Her desire to find her missing brother fuels Tessa during the story and as things become more and more complex she realises this may not be as easy as she’d hoped.

There is a love triangle between Tessa and two young Shadowhunters; Will and Jem. At first, it leans more towards Will but as his true colours begin to show Tessa learns he may not be the man she thought he was. However, Jem is consistently kind and caring towards Tessa. I hope that in the next book Jem and Tessa’s relationship will continue to develop.

Jem is terminally sick and it's revealed that this is due to an addiction to a demon drug that he was tortured into taking. Jem’s family was murdered and the demon that did so got Jem addicted to this drug which is slowly killing him. This is an interesting storyline which I hope we will learn more about.

Period stories are not ones I enjoy. I get frustrated by the strict views on gender roles and find the formality very serious and cold. Even with friends and family people still have to be very formal, polite and serious which I find cold and infuriating. However, I eventually overcame this as I got more and more absorbed into the story.

I enjoyed this book more and more as it went on as it becomes filled with complex twist and turns. I enjoyed The Mortal Instruments series much more but found Tessa’s mysterious powers interesting and loved that the main character was a Downwolder, someone who is neither human nor Shadowhunter. I’m really looking forward to reading the next book.

Tessa receives a letter one day from her elder brother, who's in London, telling her to come and join him there. So she jumps on a boat and does. What awaits her was not what she expected...

Two women, the Dark sisters, convince Tessa that they're friends of her brother (Nate) and once they have her trapped, the story really begins. They force her to use a power she didn't even know she had: shape shifting. They make her use her gift until she is good at it. She still can't wrap her head around all this though and wants nothing more than to leave. Is her brother okay?

Then she finds out the Dark sisters are preparing her for a wedding, her wedding to someone they call the Magister. She doesn't want to marry this guy and she doesn't have to when she is saved by Shadowhunters and not just any shadowhunters but Will Herondale. Yes, every one loves him to pieces by now. Though I've only read this book and so far I like Jem better. Please don't hate me for saying that.

Tessa learns of the shadow world and everything to do with it. She finds out that she has a bigger part in this world than she ever thought. She is the key to it all pretty much. She learns she is a special warlock and doesn't take it so well. She wants nothing more than to be normal.

After lots of heartbreak and betrayals, they finally solve the problem but not without loss of life on the shadowhunter side. Also, the big bad of this series gets away at the end to set up for the other two books.

I really enjoyed this book it's a wild ride of ups and downs, happiness and scenes that rip your heart out. As usual, I love Cassandra Clare's writing and characters. She really makes the characters feel so real. Will I can see why everyone loves him so much he is pretty awesome, but he can be a huge jerk sometimes. So as of this book, I like Jem better. He is such a sweetheart and so kind. I feel for him, and wish I could make him better. It's not right he should suffer.

Overall, I really loved this book. It's so good. If you haven't read it yet, you should, ASAP! I can't wait to finish the rest of this series. I even dreamed about it one night haha.

First off, I have just finished reading The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare and I loved that series a lot, so when I started Clockwork Angel, I had very high expectations. I was not disappointed!

It's hard, reading a six book series about shadowhunters and downworlders and getting used to the characters and bonding with them, and then start a new series with shadowhunters and downworlders, but have to get used to a whole new group of characters.

Plot:
I only gave the plot four stars because, ignoring the fact that it was very intense and shocking, it was very advanced and fast paced and I found it hard to keep up. Other than that it was very good and was surprising with a lot of changes along the way.

Characters:
Tessa - I really liked Tessa, because she wasn't vain or cliché. She was nice and thoughtful and would do what a normal person would do in the situations that she was in, which made her easy to relate to.
Will - Despite his attitude, I actually quite liked him. Not so much as Jem i suppose, but he was funny and sarcastic. I really want to find out this deep secret he had been holding on to. He was too rude for his own good at times, and I wanted someone to punch him.
Jem - Sweet Jem. I love Jem to pieces. He is sweet and kind and I want him and Tessa to get married.

I love Cassandra Clare's writing style, and I really feel like she understood the Victorian Era and how they spoke, and she grasped it completely. I love how she adds in the sass and the sarcasm into the characters.

oh Will...

I really enjoyed reading this book, I found the first 50 pages a little dark but after that it really captured me. This series really kept me going. You can talk about these books and never get sick of it.

I had such high hopes for the Infernal Devices. I guess I have myself to blame for placing it on such a high pedestal. With that said, this book did not grip me the way I had hoped. I could not connect with the story and found myself confused half way through. I was extremely disappointed since I had heard so many praising reviews. It was a slight relief to see characters from the Mortal Instruments making a reappearance.

Revisiting the shadowhunter world was exhilarating. It is so intriguing reading about this world Cassandra has created. I found myself wishing more than once that I could live in this magical place of wonder. But reading this book, we find out that not everyone shares my enthusiasm. Jessamine would like nothing better than to forget all about the world of shadowhunters. I feel so horrible for her. She feels trapped and unable to find her break. She was not one of the characters I enjoyed though. I found her ungrateful, disrespectful, and rude. She left a sour taste in my mouth.

Will has a mysterious side to him. I was really happy to discover this in the story. I was worried he would end up being a straight forward character. His haunted past sculpts his whole personality. I am not sure how I feel about him so far, but I do find somewhat of a pull to him. He is the bad boy who has a soft spot that he hides from the world. I am interested to see where his relationship with Tessa goes and why he feels the need to push her away. WHAT IS IT THAT TROUBLES WILL!?! I am definitely eager to find this information out.

First off, having a power like Tessa’s would be amazing. I was definitely drawn to her character. Her personality would probably clash with mine, but I really respected her strength, determination, loyalty, and mannerism. She was definitely what I could picture as a “Southern Belle”. After enduring torture and abuse from the Dark Sisters, she remains diligent in her quest for discovery and answers. In the end, she was a noteworthy character. I did find myself yelling, “WHAT IS WITH THIS CLOCKWORK ANGEL?!?!” I am not one for patience and it is driving me mad lol. I felt remorse for her struggle with acceptance, loss, humiliation, and betrayal. She suffered most of them more than once. At the end of the day, I am rooting for Tessa!

Although the story had promise, it fell short of my expectations. It was a very slow read for me. I am hoping that the next book will hold a little more promise. As the ending of this book drew near, I felt that so little had actually happened. I am trying to determine how this story ties in to the Mortal Instruments (other than being about shadowhunters and downworlders). I am also eager to read the next installments in hope that we find some of the answers to the questions we had from the first book.

The reason I put off reading this book was because it’s Steam punk; and more specifically it’s set in 1969. This is the first Steam punk book I’ve ever read before, which made me nervous. Also I’ve never been one for books set in the past, because the language can get confusing and generally feels awkward.

I have to give the author a lot of credit though. Once I took a deep breath, calmed down and just tried to read the book I found myself really enjoying it. Not only does she do wonderful at keeping the flow of words natural and pretty darn familiar, but does a nice job of immersing you in the past.

I found myself sitting down for long stretches of time to read. The book had a nice flow to it, and many times I would hit a part where I just could not set the book down. It wasn’t like it was a straightforward, boring plot either—she put all these little hits and twist through the book that when something clicked you wonder why you didn’t see it before. I also applaud her for weaving just a smidgen of romance in the book, when the era considered public hand-holding scandalous.

The book is in third person, and while it's mainly focused on Tessie it does move to different characters during the chapter. I’m not generally a huge fan of third person perspective, but again I was happily surprised at how smoothly she managed it. Third person can be awkward, especially when you hop characters in the middle of the chapter but it felt very smooth.

I would defiantly recommend this book. It’s a beautiful plot line, and I absolutely adore Cassandra Clare’s writing voice.

Once again Cassandra Clare has written an sultry, seductive, and stunning novel! From the very first chapter I was hooked, and I read the book in one sitting!!! This will definitely be one of those books I read over and over again.

Tessa is a great heroine--spunky and brave, but not without her flaws. She's vulnerable in her powers and with her heart--which makes her so much more believable than those heroines who can do it all (cough, Bella Swan, cough). I can't wait to see what the future has in store for Tessa....and which boy she will chose!

Oh Will...how you make my heart ache! What is the deal with this mysterious boy with a dark sense of humor? He loves danger, he loves fights, and more importantly....I'm pretty sure he loves Tessa....but he has secrets of his own! Oh, how I wish I knew what they were!

And then there's Jem...sick, soft, and quiet--but still he stands strong in the face of danger. He's the opposite of Will (who stole my heart), but I think there's more to him than meets the eye.

Can't wait for Clockwork Prince!!

The first in Cassandra Clare’s new series, Infernal Devices, is similar to her previous series. For the first few chapters, I worried that this series would be a repetition of the previous with new characters, but similar relationship dynamics. While some of the characters do seem familiar, and a few are in fact the same, this novel does distinguish itself from its predecessor somewhat. Even if they were the same, I would prefer this prequel, set in nineteenth century London, because it is steampunk, which is quite fun. The historical setting does bring annoyances too; Tessa Gray, the main character, has an unfortunate tendency to play the fainting damsel in distress, rather than making use of her powers to help defend herself and others. Hopefully, she will learn to do so with the later books in the series.

Previously published on my blog: http://fictionfervor.wordpress.com/2012/07/29/review-clockwork-angel-by-cassandra-clare/

Clockwork Angel, to be put simply, is a beautifully woven tale of mystery and romance.

I have a hard time believing that more people like Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments series than The Infernal Devices (the first book of which is Clockwork Angel). The writing in the ID series is so much more eloquent than that in TMI (which may be due to the different era), and the characters are so much more likable. The mystery is even greater, and more surprises were thrown my way in ID. And plus, the covers are so much prettier.

Yes, I believe that the Infernal Devices series is ten times better than the TMI series.

Tessa Gray, the protagonist, is definitely not a Mary Sue; she has a strange ability to change into other people. And no, she isn’t like a regular shapeshifter; she not only changes her appearance, but she can access the memories and thoughts of the person into whom she changes. In addition to her supernatural powers, she’s an avid reader. (Bonus points for us bookworms, eh?) She may not be kick-butt, but she’s got cool points.

Don’t get me started on the love triangle. Will Herondale may be the hot, sensitive guy with hidden feelings, but he treats Tessa rudely and pushes her away. But Jem Carstairs, Will’s parabatai, is sweet and kind, showing Tessa his feelings through his actions. Trust me, this is one love triangle that will make you pull out your hair and scream in frustration–because both Shadowhunters are so lovable.

And while there may be romance, that isn’t the main plot. (Thank goodness for that.) Planning to visit her brother, Nate, Tessa travels from America to England, where she gets kidnapped by the Dark Sisters who want to use Tessa’s power for a mysterious person named the Magister. Then she is rescued by Will and Jem, who take her to the London Institute. But the Magister wants Tessa, and he’d be willing to do anything to get her back…

If I could sing the praises of this book even further, I would. C’mon, it’s a mixture of fantasy (the vampires, the werewolves, the faeries, the Nephilim!) and steampunk (clockwork army for the win, yo) set in the Victorian era. You’ve got to try that out. Especially since I’m saying this: Clockwork Angel is phenomenal. Read it now.

Source: Hardcover borrowed from library