Title: “Clockwork
Angel”
Series: (The
Infernal Devices, #1)
Author: Cassandra
Clare
Publisher: Walker
Books
Publication Date:
August 31, 2010
Genre: YA
Paranormal Romance, Fantasy
Reviewed by: Books4Tomorrow
Source: Gifted
My star rating: 3/5
SUMMARY
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.
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.
REVIEW
I’m
really on the fence about this book. I read it in fits and starts and it took
me quite a long time to finish it. If I hadn’t read City of Bones first and enjoyed it as much as I had, I wouldn’t
have been motivated to finish Clockwork
Angel.
Of
course I’m not a fan of love-triangles, but this one didn’t bother me much, as
I really liked the opposite personalities of both male protagonists (Will and
Jem) and it was refreshing to see how both of them in their unique ways
complemented Tessa’s character. The author’s writing is neat and flawless, and
she effortlessly transported me to Victorian London and made me feel at home in
the world of the Shadowhunters, in an era I know very little about. Her
descriptions are vivid and painstakingly detailed, and world-building was done
superbly. In City of Bones (the only
book of hers I’ve read so far) the author has proven that she has a knack for
character development and in Clockwork
Angel this is no exception. The main characters are lifelike and likeable,
and written with care, but disappointingly they are too analogous to those I
loved so much in City of Bones, with
only a few differences here or there. I didn’t care much for Jessamine, or
Will’s mood swings, but at least it broke the monotone of the chapters that
moved at a snail’s pace. The dialogue is witty in some places especially that
of Jem who made me burst out laughing a couple of times. Another thing this
author is great at is making the creepy scenes and nasty characters really
intimidating, so much so I had chills running down my spine whenever I read
about the Dark Sisters, the Magister and others.
So with
all these good points about this book, why then did I struggle to finish it? I
honestly can’t put my finger on it, but I think one of the main reasons I
couldn’t stay focused on the story is because, hard as I tried, I didn’t feel
the magic and the author’s hold over me like she had with City of Bones. At times I had to put the book down, read something
else, and then come back and continue where I had left off. That could probably
be attributed to the fact that because this author is so skilled in adding
loads of tiny details to aide in world- and plot development, some parts ended
up being too lengthy and it impeded the pacing of the plot.
I might
still read the rest of the books in the Infernal Devices series at a much later
stage, or I might not. Time will tell. I’m definitely looking forward to
reading all the books in The Mortal Instruments series and picking up where I
had left off with City of Bones.
Cassandra Clare wowed me with her first book and since then I’ve been a fan of
her writing, but I’m not sure whether she’ll be able to win me over with her
Infernal Devices series.
READ more REVIEWS
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
has 8893 reviews on Goodreads. Read it here.
PURCHASE LINKS
AUTHOR LINKS
For
those who haven’t read City of Bones yet, here’s the
movie trailer for the Mortal Instruments movie rumored to be released in
August this year. I can’t wait for its release and the preview looks awesome!
Check it out and let me know whether you’ve read the book or not, and will you
go watch the movie or not.
Mortal Instruments: City of Bones – Movie Trailer
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