Thursday, January 17, 2013

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

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.


*****

This book made me laugh. And this book made me cry. THE FEELS, GUYS!

As far as plot goes, there was definitely less fighting and action-packed scenes in the sequel compared to the first book in the series, Clockwork Angel. And this is really the only criticism I have. It was, at times, a bit slow moving and I was sort of fighting my way through some passages.

But then the drama! I think this is the first time I can't decide on a team because Will and Jem... We definitely find out more about Will's past in this book, and while I first thought his curse was extremely cheesy, Cassandra Clare managed to make me see past that and just... it was heartbreaking! And then Jem is so good and so much in love and how can you deny a dying person anything? I really can't see how this epic love triangle will be resolved, and I simply can't wait for Clockwork Princess to come out!

This book definitely lives off character development and romantic tension. I loved how much more depth Clare added not only to the three main characters (Tessa, Will and Jem), but also to Sophie, Jessamine, Benedict Lightwood, Charlotte and Henry. And while the beginning and middle where sometimes lacking in action scenes, the last third definitely kept me on my toes.

As for the laughing part... There's one scene with Will that literally made me laugh out loud. I somehow wished there had been more of the light banter between Will and Jem, but I also enjoyed the more dark, lonely path Will took in this book. As for Tessa, I can't say I liked all of her choices, but I can see why she made them.

All in all, a worthy sequel to Clockwork Angel that set up one of the best love triangles I have ever read. The writing is, as always, flawless, and I can't wait to read the final instalment in the series!

My rating: 

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