Review - Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

(476 pages)
Pub. date: 08/31/10

My rating: 3.5/5

Series: The Infernal Devices #1

 

About the book:

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.

 

My thoughts:

While I enjoyed Clockwork Angel I didn't like it near as much as I did the Mortal Instruments series. I think the biggest reasons were that the two novels were too similar and I didn't really care for two of the main characters. I felt like the whole I'm-special-but-I-didn't-know-I-was thing was overused. First with Clary, which was okay, but now with CP's MC Tessa, that was too much. Tessa wasn't my favorite character, she was a bit naive and single minded. But she was kind and witty and I did end up liking her okay.

What I disliked most though was Will. He was arrogant and rude and selfish and I did not like him one bit. I have no clue what Tessa saw in him. He was even worse than Jace, and that's really saying something. Sure, his "nice" side showed occasionally, usually when around Jem, but more often than not the rude side overshadowed the nice. I spent most of the novel cursing at him and hating him and wishing him dead. Sadly, that didn't happen. 

One character I really loved was Jem. He was sweet and kind and wonderful and completely opposite Will. I have no clue how the two became best friends, and I have no clue why Jem doesn't tell will off ten times a day. But that's just the nice guy in Jem. Jem's backstory makes him so much more loveable and I just wanted to jump inside the book and hug him! 

 

I was really excited that Magnus, one of my favorite characters from the Mortal Instruments series, came into the book. He's a 800 year old warlock, and Alec's boyfriend in MI, but Camille's lover in CP. It was strange seeing him with Camille, even if they really never had many scenes together. (Like 1 maybe?) I like to see how his character changed and how he was different back then. I've been most intrigued seeing how Will tied into his story. I remembered a little tibit of info Camille let slip in City of Fallen Angels about Will, and have been anxious to see what it meant.

Plot wise, I felt that it was a little slow sometimes, but it was fun and intense and I wanted Tessa to succeed. I got really into the story about getting Tessa's brother back, and was even more into it when it came apparent the vampires were involved. 

The ending left me wanting more. And me wanting to strangle Will. Again. I can't wait to see what happens next, even if I'm not a fan of Will. I can only hope someone kills him and Tessa does NOT pick him.