Sunday, December 29, 2013

Review: The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Title: The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Walker Books
Year of Release: 2010
ISBN: 9781406330342
Source: Purchased (The Book Depository, $13.16)
Number of Pages: 482

Summary:
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray arrives in England during the reign of Queen Victoria, something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Friendless and hunted, Tessa seeks refuge with the Shadowhunters, a band of warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons. Drawn ever deeper into their world, she finds herself fascinated by - and torn between - two best friends and quickly realises that love may be the most dangerous magic of all. 

I loved this! I was so impressed after the fail that was City of Lost Souls. The characters were excellently portrayed, the settings wonderfully described and the events and plot sequences expertly placed. Witty, funny, entertaining, descriptive, suspenseful, plus lots of action, Clockwork Angel was an infinitely superb book! 

The characters were so wonderful to read about, their differing personalities made the book all the more entertaining and interesting. I was so pleased that Magnus Bane made a few appearances, he's awesome and I am in love with his character. We also saw a little bit of Camille Belcourt, and though she's not a particular favourite of mine, I still enjoyed the surprises of old characters appearing in this book.

While we're on the topic of characters, let's talk about Will, shall we? Will Herondale is a Shadowhunter residing in the London Institute. He has got his fair share of demons, and carries a superior air, never letting his walls down for anybody. When he meets Tessa, he is surprised by her ability to make him laugh and appears to fall for her, yet he continuously pushes her away. 

Then there's James Carstairs, or rather, Jem, who is the complete opposite of his best friend, hottie Will Herondale. He's kind, conscientious, always thinking about others and tries to help in any way he can in every situation. I fell for his character immediately. He's always cleaning up after Will, and Will is very protective of him, as Jem is hiding a dark secret that Tessa yearns to learn. 

As Tessa gets to know both boys, she finds herself growing inexplicably more and more towards Will, who tries to keep his distance from her, without realising Jem's feelings for her becoming increasingly obvious. I think it's clear at this point that the formation of a love triangle is in effect. Sucks for them, great for me! I adore love triangles and I haven't read about a good one since Twilight, so I'm really looking forward to this series. There was also a second love triangle in this book, though not much emphasis was placed upon it, it was there (Sophie - Thomas - Jem). 

Ah, so much unrequited love. 

I really enjoyed this book, possibly more than I enjoyed The Mortal Instruments, which is definitely saying something. The Infernal Devices series is sure to be an excellent trilogy if it continues as Clockwork Prince did. 

If I may propose an idea to Cassandra Clare book virgins. If you're yet to read The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices, you might want to read the first three TMI books (City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass), take a break and read TID trilogy, then read the last books of TMI. Just a suggestion, if I had've read the series' this way, I would have understood much more of the references and terms used in the last two TMI books. 

Let me know your thoughts on these series in the comments! 

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