Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3)

Epilogue saved this book for me.
Jem Carstairs will always be my favorite character and if he isn't happy, I'm sure as hell not happy either.

Amazing! I liked Clare's other series, The Immortal Instruments, but this series I love much, much more! I'm hoping that it will also be put into film, if The Immortal Instruments movies turn out to be successful. Clockwork Princess was just a great ending to the series, even though I was sad to see it end. I can't believe Clare made it all work! I wasn't expecting how things turned out. There was a lot going on in the last several chapters of the book and it made me want to cry and laugh all at the same time! :)

I love the shadowhunter world! I could envision how the landscapes, buildings, and characters looked like, and what was going on. The plot is fairly intense, but that alone wasn't what made this book intense or why I enjoyed it. What made it so fabulous were the characters and their relationships. I'm not referring to just the main characters either, but the supporting characters as well. Magnus, Sophie, Gideon, Gabriel, Charlotte, Henry, and Cecily are all each great characters in their own right and I loved each of them. I think what makes Clare's characters so great is that they aren't perfect. They don't always make the right choices (I was really upset with Tessa about one particular choice she made with Mortmain), but they do have many redeeming qualities and pull through in the end.

Of course I love Jem, Will, and Tessa! How could I not? I don't tend to like love triangles. This one was really tough too because I just about equally love Jem and Will. They are so very different! I think it helped that there wasn't all that animosity you normally find in situations like this that can come across so immaturely sometimes. They both have a deep respect and love for each other and for Tessa, otherwise it would never have worked. I'm not going to say who Tessa chooses or who lives or dies for those that haven't read it, but it worked and I am so happy that it did. I will tell you that it's not something I have seen done before.

The dialogue in this book was fabulous! Tessa, Will, and Jem all have great lines as well as some of the other characters. I also loved the inclusion of classic works, especially that Dickens' David Copperfield made a small appearance. It is my favorite of his books. I haven't read a lot of poetry, but this has made me want to read more of it and become familiar with the classic poets. One of the things that Tessa said from the first book is re-quoted in this one by Will and it is one of my all-time favorite quotes. "I recall what you said to me once," Will went on. "That words have the power to change us. Your words have changed me, Tess; they have made me a better man that I would have been otherwise. Life is a book, and there are a thousand pages I have not yet read. I would read them together with you, as many as I can, before I die-" I loved it the first time I read it, and even more so now with Will's addition. Then there are all the things said about different facets of love. There were so many phrases that I loved! This is one of my other favorites:

“And now I need you to do for me what I cannot do for myself. For you to be my eyes when I do not have them. For you to be my hands when I cannot use my own. For you to be my heart when mine is done beating.” -Jem

I highly recommend reading it, if you haven't already!

Content: There is one instance of non-descriptive sex, some violence
Source: Library

I would have to say out of all three books the third one was my favorite though I almost cried at the end but everything seemed to come together nicely. Through this series I have fallen in love with the characters so much that they almost feel real to me. And for this reason I give the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare 5 Stars all the way will 50 more stars added on! I love this series and feel that anyone could read it and fall in love with it just as I have. If you like fairies,warlocks,fallen angels,demons,vampires, or werewolves YOU WILL LOVE THIS SERIES!

Don't regret crying my eyes during the epilogue...

Dani’s Review:
Clockwork Princess has officially become my favorite YA book. I have read all of Cassandra Clare’s books released to date, and Clockwork Princess is the best by far. Ms. Clare’s vivid descriptions of the setting and the characters, careful planned plot twists, and heart wrenching romance made this novel flawless. She plunged deep into the lake of each character’s emotions. So many secrets are finally revealed!

Clockwork Prince left off with the London Institute in disarray because of an attack by Mortmain’s automatons. Jessamine had betrayed her fellow Shadowhunters, Tessa’s brother Nate died, and in essence a shadow fell upon the inhabitants of the Institute. However, love brought a ray of sunshine into the darkness....To all except Will and Tessa. Jem proposed to Tessa and Tessa agreed to marry him. A few minutes later, Will declared his love to Tessa and poured out his heart to her. Sadly, he is literally minutes too late. Will is stricken with shock and grief when Tessa pretends she is indifferent to his feelings and tells him that she has accepted Jem’s proposal. Both Will and Tessa are torn--Will is fighting his feelings for his parabatai’s fiancé and Tessa is fighting her feelings for Will. What a love triangle!

I can’t even begin to try to write about Clockwork Princess’s plot without spoiling anything. Here are a few SEMI spoiler-free things, so read at your own risk!

The fate of demon pox ridden Benedict Lightwood is revealed

Will and Gabriel’s enmity for each other is resolved....somewhat
Cecily eventually stops trying to drag Will back to their parents
Jem comes EXTREMELY close to death

Clockwork Princess is the heartrending conclusion to The Infernal Devices trilogy and finally reveals the mystery of what Tessa is, what Mortmain's ultimate plan is, and the resolution to the love triangle that is Will, Tessa, and Jem. I really loved this final installment on a really great series, up until the ending...

**Spoiler alert if you haven't read the book yet!**

Will and Tessa share a lifetime together (at least Will's lifetime). Their love is described as an inspiration to others. It spoke of Will's complete and utter devotion and adoration of Tessa. Tessa, in turn, seems to be a very devoted wife. We know that Tessa meets with Jem yearly for only one hour without fail during this lifetime. Was Will aware? Would he have minded? What would their children have thought about that? After Will's death, she can no longer stand to lose any more of those she loves (since her lifespan is much, much longer), so she flees, leaving her children and grandchildren behind. Where does she go? To meet with Jem, who is now, miraculously and conveniently cured of his illness and addiction, and has another lifetime to spend and not as a Silent Brother (apparently, you can stop being a Silent Brother whenever you feel like it?). Tessa, without hesitation, asks him to spend it with her, because she has never stopped loving him this entire time. Talk about having your cake and eating it too....

I cannot help but feel angry on Will's behalf. He deserved so much more and so much better. Loving two people equally at the same time? Really? I believe that the saying, being lucky enough to find not one, but two loves in one lifetime, did not truly mean simultaneously. If Tessa had loved Will as much as Jem, she would not have been able to leave her children and grandchildren behind, who are all that she has left of Will. I also suspect that Will was unaware of her annual meetings with Jem. If he were, would he not have jumped at the opportunity to see his parabatai again himself, year after year, and not only at the usual rituals that require a Silent Brother? If both Will and Tessa had met with Jem year after year, it would not feel like such a betrayal of Will's love when Tessa and Jem got together later. But no, Will was lead to believe that Tessa loved him completely, just as he did her.

What if Tessa were a man? However noble and valiant and honorable this man would be (and I can't say Tessa is all these things), would his wife be perfectly happy knowing that his heart is equally in love with two separate woman at the same time? Would she be happy with only half his heart? Would any woman?

Despite all this, the book was really beautifully written. I could feel the heartbreak and pain that life brings through each of the characters' adversities. I just really, truly wish it ended differently, consistent with the themes of life that the rest of the book emphasized...that there is love and loss and savoring of precious moments, but that you move on, stronger for it. The heroine, in this case, was apparently above all that; she got to have it all.

I love,love,LOVED this series and I finished the Clockwork Princess last night and was really sad then really happy. I have become so attached to the characters of this story that it almost feels like they are are people that have lived at one point in time.
FOR FULL REVIEW PLEASE VISIT MY BLOG: http://callievamp.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-infernal-devices-series-by.html

The final installment in the Infernal Devices took me on such an emotional ride that I will not forget. Throughout the novel I laughed, cried, and gasped with surprise. Everything about it was beautiful,
My favorite thing about this book was the characters. All of them grew so much in this book. It was nice to see them grow together and end their story together. It was sad, as all endings are, but it was inevitable. Tessa was my favorite with her finding out more and more about Jem and Will and letting neither of them be unhappy. Then there is Jem. My heart went out to him with every cough that wracked his body. And MY Will... Omg my heart was breaking into pieces throughout the entire story for him. And then when he lost his "central truth," my heart and all those little pieces shattered.
My other favorite part was the emotion. On every page Clare pulled at my heartstrings. On some pages I would laugh, and then a few pages later I would cry. And I remember even reading some pages with eyes like this O.O Especially the Courtyard scene. I was also very glad to have a little more action in this book. I on pins and needles so many times that I found myself having to read it at work on my Nook app because I could not put it down.
Lastly, although I say in other reviews how tired I am of love triangles, this is one that I can actually live with. There was a specific reason she was able to love both of them so strongly and it makes 100% sense. Also, in the end she did indeed choose so it was hardly a triangle anymore.
As for the ending, I was very glad to see everyone's "happy ending." Although the epilogue made me cry buckets with the music scene, I still loved it. It was nice to know how the family carried on. I also liked seeing some of the things that appear in the first two books of the Mortal Instruments series. It was interesting to see how they all came together.
Cassandra Clare really outdid herself with this one. She will make you laugh, cry, and gasp in indignation all in this one novel. She may have told the Shadowhunters goodbye to that era, but they are far from gone. I can't wait to see whatever else they have in store for us.

WOW! I guess Cassandra was saving the best for last. This book definitely took me on an emotional roller coaster. I have had to stop a couple of times while writing this review to compose myself. The ending was bitter sweet for me, but I felt that in the light of things it was for the best. Although I was not as impressed with the last two books, this one sold the series for me. I was swept right into this book from the beginning. It was such an action packed, emotionally gripping, mind blowing ending to this series. I must say I have to hands down agree with what people have been saying about this last book. It was, quite frankly, an amazingly heart wrenching story.

***This review contains spoilers***

I was put off from the beginning by the love triangle going on with Will, Jem, and Tessa. I felt that it so closely resembled the one from TMI. It seemed a bit repetitive. Then I realized what made it so different; Jem and Will were as close as two people could possibly be. They were technically one and the same. Two souls connected to become one. As difficult as it may seem, Tessa loved two completely different people who were entirely the same, but for two completely different reasons. I myself was in favor of her ending up with Will. He is a person I could see myself falling for. I was extremely happy when they ended up together, yet at the same time I was upset that in order for them to be together someone had to end up hurt. Although Jem made his choice, I am sure it was still hard to bear the loss of one’s loved one. I still tear up just thinking of how this series ended!

Throughout this book, I have been a huge fan of Henry. He is just the comical humor this book needed. When I thought he was killed in battle, I had to take a moment to compose myself before I could continue reading. Then to be further upset with the hand that fate dealt him! I was shocked, upset, bewildered, and mortified that Henry was left in such a condescending state. He was a Shadowhunter for goodness sake! Afterwards, I felt relief that he was alive. I am not sure how Charlotte would have carried on if she had lost him just when they had found out each others feelings. Not to mention the fact that she is about to have their baby! Their relationship also added a lot to this series. It was quite refreshing to see two complete opposites fall for one another.

There was a lot of loss and heart ache in this book! I was extremely overcome while reading this final installment. Although Mortmain is considered the “bad guy”, I can sympathize with his anger. I mean imagine someone killing off your family and finding no justice. Then to top it off, this “killer” is parading their remains in a showcased room. Although his anger has escalated beyond that of a sensible person, he sees his motives as a justification for his families deaths. I by no means agree with his execution of his revenge on the Nephilim, but I can understand where his vengefulness sparked from.

I thought the floor was going to open up and swallow me whole when I read the first implication that Jem had died. I was so upset! Although I was not a fan of Tessa and him, I still really enjoyed him as a character. I was astonished when I realized what had really transpired. I could not believe what I was reading! Jem was always so wise and understanding. He was the shoulder you could lean on and the strength you needed in times of need and despair. I never imagined he would choose the path in the end that he did. ***AHHH you will just have to read the story to find out what happens***

With so much going on in the story, I found myself falling more and more in love with Gideon Lightwood. He was such a strong character to me that really stood out. I respected his strong morals and loyalty. I was also quite delighted to find out he was enamored by Sophie. She was also one of my favorite characters. I was anxious to see them both have a happy ending. After having to deal with the loss and betrayal of his father, Gideon really needed the determination and strength Sophie could offer him. I was so relieved when Charlotte propositioned Sophie about becoming a Shadowhunter! I had to put the book down and merrily clap my hands like a giddy child. But theirs was not the only relationship that blossomed in this book! Cecily and Gabriel also found an adorable budding attraction to one another.

The ending of this book was a heart wrenching roller coaster for me. It was so bitter sweet reading about Tessa and Will’s life together, and then how she had to watch him die. I could never imagine living past the lives of the ones I loved over and over. It is stressful just imagining it. I loved how Cassandra incorporated the places they visited and the things they shared with one another during their life together. The final song performed for Will was also what sent me into a bout of tears. I could only imagine what Tessa had to of gone through when she made her final choice to leave. Yet, it was the very end of the book that left me feeling disappointment and relief. Tessa finally gets her second chance at love. It was just so tragically romantic. I am not sure it would have been so devastating wonderful if it had ended any other way.

4.5 stars!
This was definitely one amazing series. Worth reading for those who liked The Mortal Instruments and even those who didn't because it's set in Victorian London, the love triangle was not your typical kind of love triangle and Magnus Bane was in it! I loved the bond between Will and Jem and the braveness of Tessa. There were also other great and caring characters to add to this series like Charlotte and her husband Henry who are the head of the London Institute and Sophie who works there. A great plot filled with shock, heart break and romance that will take readers on one unforgettable journey.