Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

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. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.




I probably should have written this review before I read the second book, Clockwork Prince...and then I forgot I hadn't! Oops. Anyway, if you have my reviews for any of Cassandra Clare's books, you know that I am OBSESSED. I love her characters and her story lines are always the bomb. Yes, I used the bomb. There are no other words to explain how fantastic her books are.

So this series was really different for CC. The "normal" Shadowhunter books, The Mortal Instruments, are set in modern day (2007), and the Infernal Devices takes a spin on the Shadowhunter world. The ID spinoff/prequel series is set a century before Jace and Clary are introduced.

At first, I was extremely skeptical about the characters in the prequel, just because Jace, Clary, and all of the others are what really makes the TMI series amazing. However, I was hesitant for absolutely no reason. Will rivals Jace. I'm still Team Jace, but I have a spot in my heart dedicated to Will Herondale.

Yes, he is a Herondale. Explains the attraction, right? What I also loved about the book was the faint ties between the two series. You could read them separately, but they really compliment each other nicely.

The story of Clockwork Angel is the only thing that left it wanting, and not quite catching up to the Mortal Instruments. The premise of evil extended family you have to live with when you become an orphan is a little overused in books. The Clockwork people and magic didn't really mesh well for me either...

As I said earlier in this post, I have already read the sequel, Clockwork Prince. It really upped my feelings for the series as a whole. If you have a hard time reading Clockwork Angel, I would definitely recommend sticking with it :)