Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare-Review

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart. (Summary from book)

Cassandra does a great job in building her world in the Victorian Era London. London is burning with betrayal, passion, intrigue, secrets, and lies, all layout in an action packed carefully laid plot to unhindge our beloved Shadowhunters with these Infernal Devices.

I will say, Cassandra, more than any other YA author that I’ve ever read, has managed to totally capture the Victorian time period in her novels. I have never read another book that encompasses the culture, the literature, the art, the mind-sets and even the way they speak, and the twisted beauty of that time period as Clockwork Prince.

This book has the love triagle like no others. Its perfect. I never once thought Tessa was being selfish or silly. Her choices are mature and well thought out. There are some moments with Jem that will make you swoon and also with Will.

Will’s walls are crumbling down. Years of playing the cad and inciting loathing like armor had one kink, while keeping other from loving him, it couldn’t stop Will from falling in love with Tessa. He’s on a missing to find a cure for his curse and get the girl. Unsurprisingly Jem has a similar idea as he sets his sights on Tessa.

Cassandra has a way of creating characters that you just can’t help but feel bad for them. Both Jem and Will are hurting so bad, and you really feel for them. Their friendship is awesome, having a parabati is a great thing, better than family. Here is a quote from book that really sums up parabati connection.

“Jem: “Whatever part you [Will] might act to the contrary, I see you as you really are, my blood brother. Not just better than you pretend to be, but better than most people could hope to be.” Pg 481

This book was more of a character-driven book for me, but I still enjoyed how complex the fantastic plot is, and the cool urban fantasy feel to it.

I really believe that Clockwork Price was far more superior to it’s predecessor. (Clockwork Angel) And that is saying a lot, as it was also amazing. She successfully combines all the wondrous romance of the period and infuses it with a whole new life within her supernatural Shadowhunter world.

I will warn you, it drops a huge bomb on us at the end, and will make you cry, have tissues handy, and be warned. :) There is a cliffhanger in a huge way too.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Cassandra Clare's work, or even if you enjoy some romance in a supernatural world. Even if you have not read The Mortal Instruments, you can still read this series first. It does not matter. They tie in together nicely, but still are separate. This is more of a Prequel to The Mortal Instruments. Be sure to read Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices) first, so you can enjoy this story to its fullest.


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Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare-Review

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. (part of summary from book)

It all starts with Will Hereondale, and Jem (James)Carstairs. Will, with his deep striking blue eyes and black hair (sound familiar? Like Alec maybe??) , with a personality very much like Jace Herondale (Lightwood/Wayland) So, we wonder if Jace is indeed related to Will, most of us think so, but you can decide for yourself. With Will we do get glimpses of when he is at his most vulnerable and makes you feel for him. There's just something holding him back from opening up to people, hopefully that will be explained further in the trilogy. Jem is the complete opposite of Will. He is so kind and loving and poetic with his words--really insightful. I could see Tessa falling for him eventually if Will doesn't get his act together.

Clockwork Angel is the first in Cassandra Clare's new Infernal Devices Trilogy, it’s very descriptive, and enjoyable. I am sure it will be another knockout trilogy. It’s set in the Victorian era, and takes about 30-40 pages I would say, to get to some familiar ground that we all would be looking for. But when it does, it takes off, and sucks you into the world of Shadowhunters in the 1800’s London. You will get to know many ancestors of the current characters in The Mortal Instruments. Cassandra manages to sneak in plenty of humor alongside some of the darker and riskier action scenes. Will, is so witty, and fun, but so broken too, again you really do feel for him. There are many mysteries and secretes to these new characters, and for Tessa it is her heritage, and Will and Jem both have hazy backgrounds, that raise many questions. I am sure we will discover them as the next books come out, as I believe they are to become bigger issues later on.

Tessa’s humor is dry and clever, and very funny. The way she can “handle” Will is pretty fun to read. There is a joke in there about a seven fingered dwarf named Nigel that cracked me up, had me laughing out loud, and embarrassing myself when reading that part in public. Lol

I thoroughly enjoyed Tessa, especially watching her mature and break free of the ideals for women in this era. She opens her eyes and understands that women are capable of more than swooning, batting of eyelashes and all the other delicate habits of the female persuasion in the 1800s. She learns to fight and stand up for herself. Very nice, strong lead character for sure.

I love that Magnus Bane and Camille are in this series, they are immortal after all. We get to learn more about Magnus, which is interesting.

Now, the Clockwork creatures were pretty scary, certainly far more frightening than their creator and master, who I was really disappointed in.

Magnus Bane is totally fabulous and I really enjoyed the witty banter between the two main characters.

I also loved that Church the cat, was alive in the 1800’s , and Jem and Will were the ones to “rescue” him from some evil warlocks. So it gives us another mystery around Church, and how he is alive still, and how he ended up in the New York Institute in TMI.

Overall, it’s a great read, a great new series, which ties nicely into TMI (The Mortal Instruments) series. But, still separate. I recommend anyone who liked TMI series, to read this one, you will not be sorry.

If you have not read any of the TMI books, that’s ok, you can start with this series if you like. It’s really a prequel to TMI anyway, but not something that HAS to be read to enjoy TMI.

I really enjoyed this book and series and I didn’t think I would. Be sure to pick up the 2nd book Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices) Cassandra Clare

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City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare-Review

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In City of Lost Souls Lilith, the demon has been destroyed and Jace and Sebastian are missing. Clary, not getting any help from the Clave, decides to go out and find them herself. Alec, Simon and Isabelle tag along, of course!!

When Clary and Jace meet she feels that he's changed. Hanging around her evil brother, Sebastian/Jonathan, has made Jace into a different person. He's acting like him and Sebastian/Jonathan are close friends, and that he actually likes him. They soon find out that Jace has been bound to Sebastian/Jonathan, and killing one of them would kill the other as well. Since the Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, Clary and her friends must find a way to save Jace.

From there, Clary ends up on a rollercoaster of a ride, of heartbreak, and danger. She makes some decisions that she will regret, but you feel right along with her.

You get to see everyone work together in the fifth installment of The Mortal Instruments. Magnus, Alec, Izzie, Simon, Jordan, and Mia. They all come together in an effort to save Jace and, ultimately, Clary.

I can’t say enough at how much I love this book, and the series. We are yet again, left with a huge cliffhanger, keeps up wanting the final book now, lol. Even if you did not like the previous book, City of Fallen Angels (Mortal Instruments, Book 4) Be sure to check out Cassandra Clare's other series called the Infernal Devices if you have not read them yet, they are amazing as well. It’s a Prequel to The Mortal Instruments, with ancestors of these characters, and some immortal characters are in both, like Magnus Bane to name one.

Here is the book trailer.

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City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare-Review

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had the hardest time putting down any of these books including Fallen Angels. I Love the way Cassandra Claire writes, she paints the picture wonderfully and her creativity is amazing. She is one of my favorite authors for sure.

For some reason many people are under the misconception that this book is entirely about Simon, its NOT, just some of it. There is so much important stuff that happens, and a cliffhanger too, that will take us right into the 5th book City of Lost Souls. Without this book, you would be lost when the 5th came around. Trust me, you need to read this one as well as any other in a series. Again, NOT all about Simon. Lots of great suspense and action, and we get to see the aftermath of what happened in City of Ashes.

I will tell you one thing, Cassandra Clare is a fabulous writer! She worded everything perfectly and you were never bored, not even for a second. As each chapter ended, there was a cliff-hanger, just making you want to continue reading. My eyes were glued to the pages from the very beginning, the book completely sucked me in.
Lots of this book is written from Simon’s POV, but also Clary’s too, and even a tiny short piece at the end in Jace’s POV. Anyway, Simon is struggling with what he has become and the curse of the "mark" Clary put on him, and liking 2 girls Isabelle and Mia, and can’t make his mind up. I never was a huge fan of Simon’s, but he really grew on me in this book.

Overall, a great book, and a must read for the series. It leaves us with a HUGE cliffhanger, so I recommend having City of Lost Souls on hand before you start, as your going to want to find out what happens!
Be sure to read the first 3 books in this series first, you can visit Cassandra Clare's page to see them all.

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City of Glass by Cassandra Clare-Review

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

To save her mother’s life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters—never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight. (from book)

In this 3rd book of The Mortal Instruments, is an awesome book. I could not put it down, as it is for most of Cassandra Clare's books.

There are some heartbreakingly beautiful scenes in this book. The characters became more developed and more endearing, especially Jace. His sarcastic wit is certainly present in this book; however, he is no longer hiding behind his carefully constructed facade. His torment over Clary is very obvious from the very first chapter. You really ache for him, you really do. Some great things happen in this book, some questions answered, and then more questions come up. It is one of my favorite of the series so far. All the characters are developing nicely and add a few new ones too.

I highly recommend this book, to anyone who likes the books so far, or any of Cassandra Clare’s work. But if you have not read any in this series so far (The Mortal Instruments) then start with City of Bones, Book 1, and then City of Ashes, then this one.

Also, check out Cassandra’s other series that is a Prequel to this one, called The Infernal Devices, it has the anscesters of the characters of this series, and a few immortal characters who are actually IN The Mortal Instruments, Like Magnus Bane to name one.


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City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare-Review

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

WOW! Is one word to sum up this amazing 2nd installment to The Mortal Instruments Series. I, in a way was very lucky to have discovered this series late, meaning I started the first one, only a few months, or so, before the 3th was due out. SO when I got hooked, I was able to download the rest, and keep reading. This one was also “on the edge of your seat” amazing. Then the 4th was not long for me to wait after that.

So first, the really good thing about Cassandra Clare is she does a fine job of taking rich and varied and well known mythologies and giving them a brand new spark of life that has not been written into the ground already. I enjoy that she picks bits of mythology from all over and uses it to create a world full of truths and half-truths and the people who have to deal with it all. This isn't just another fantasy novel.

After the last explosive and personally upsetting ending of the first book I could only hope that this book would correct that. Unfortunately I was left with many more questions by the end. But that is the way it is with series of books.

Sometimes the next book in a series doesn't live up to its predecessor. Not the case with City of Ashes. This book is just as well written and will have you reading the whole book in one.

I recommend that you start with City of Bonesif you haven't read it already. If you have well you won't be disappointed with the City of Ashes.

I highly recommend this book, and the whole series. Its AMAZING!

You should also check out her other series, that is prequel to this one, called The Infernal Devices

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City of Bones by Cassandra Clare-Review

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love the whole Mortal Instruments series of books by Cassandra Clare, as well as the Prequel The Infernal Devices-Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Book 1), and Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices #2) so check them out too.

This series is a long one, and want to say that the story will grow and get you so involved with the characters. City of Bones is a great start, but keep in mind, its a START to an amazing series, and soon to be a major motion Picture, Yay. I hate all the comments i have seen comparing to HP, NOTHING like it. I mean, there is always the good guys, and the bad guys, no matter what form, they are always there if you want interesting stories. So please give this a chance, and i am NOT a teenager, but still enjoyed it immensely.

I have seen hundreds of thousands of die hard fans of the series, blogs, websites, ect, this series has a huge following, like other famous series HP and Twilight to name a few. So give it a chance, dont go into it trying to pick it apart and compare to other books, just read and enjoy. You wont be sorry.

Short summary of City of Bones (Mortal Instruments) (no spoilers, just same info on back of book and Amazon)

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

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