Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1)
by Cassandra Clare
Genre: Urban
Fantasy/Steampunk
Reading Grade: Young
Adult
Publishing Type:
traditional
Publication Date:
August 31, 2010
Source: Amazon store
(hardcover)
Age Rating: 13+
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.
My Review
I purchased this book
back in September 2010, right after it was released, and I only
recently got around to reading it. It was worth the wait. This is a
really great story with well-conceived characters. Compared to City of Bones, which I recently read before this book, Clockwork
Angel is far superior in every way, especially the technical
writing. Gone are the clunky, lazily placed adverbs, which were
making my eyes roll every two minutes during City of Bones.
The characters really
sold me on this book, in that, Tessa, the main character, is a
likeable protagonist. She's not some heroine kicking butt every other
minute, but I don't need my heroines like that, anyway. She's smart
and uses her cleverness to get herself out of difficult situations.
She does require some help from others, but she doesn't seem like a
damsel-in-distress, at all.
There are pretty boys,
of course, like Will and Jem, and both are interesting and charming
in their own respective ways. Will is strong and dashing, very
sarcastic and witty (making me laugh out loud A LOT), although he
tries to make people hate him for some unknown reason. Jem is a
polite, nonjudgmental silver-haired sweetheart, and honestly won me
completely over. I'm a huge Jem fan now! I don't even know why Tessa
fancies Will more than him. James, honey, you know where you can find
me when she refuses you!
What's funny about
this novel is that, while reading it, I felt like it followed a sort
of set pattern I was already familiar with, so I expected the plot to
unfold in a certain way. But, once I got about three-quarters of the
way finished, it pulled a very unpredictable plot twist on me. I
never saw it coming, and it was shocking! When I discovered who the
real villain characters actually were, I was appalled by them.
Horrible people, just as villains ought to be. I was immensely
impressed.
Obviously, I rate this
newer Cassandra Clare series higher than the original for which it is
based on. City of Bones is good, but Clockwork Angel has
a more clever plot and far more intriguing characters. The indelible
Magnus Bane appears in this series, and he's hilarious, even if not
integral to the plot. A certain clever gray cat also makes a cameo
that existing Clare fans will be delighted to see.
If you didn't like
City of Bones, or anything from The Mortal Instruments,
I bet you'll actually enjoy this one….
My score: 4.5 out of
5 stars.
