Welcome back!! I hope you had a fantastic weekend I know that I did. If you follow my twitter then you already know but don’t say anything because I am going to post about it tomorrow! But I will say Sunday was an exciting day.
The chicks are growing and the kids love seeing them. Every morning my two-year-old asks as soon as he wakes up if he can go and see the chicks. My older son always wants to hold his and he is so happy. I love seeing the boys happy, they are my world. I am so glad they like nature and animals as much as I do.
I could go on and on about things that are going on but I will stop here because I am super excited for today’s book review!! Today as a part of the #READshadowhunters readthon, I am reviewing Clockwork Angel!!
Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published: August 31st, 2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Book Length: 481 Pages
Genre: Fantasy (YA)
Buy the book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository (Use my referral ID: TheBibliophagist)
In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.
The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them…
I was so happy to reread this book. I love the shadowhunter world so much and honestly, reading the Infernal Devices books first just seems right to me. Maybe that is because that puts them in chronological order and I have OCD…I’m not sure. What I do know is that they just fit better this way.
Where do I even begin with this…I really love these stories. I think my favorite part about this specific book is how well Cassandra transports us to 1878 London. Everything from using Christian names to the way they dress, it really sets the scenes for the book, it seems more authentic. The scenes are so vivid for me, I watch them unroll in front of me like a movie playing. I was not super fond of the possible love triangle happening but things turned out alright.
The romances between characters are subtle, well mostly. Something overshadows the romance though and I love it…the action! There is always something happening. I was afraid to put the book down for fear of the story continuing without me. The way the plot is weaved together bring many of those ‘ah-ha’ moments. I found myself talking to the characters telling them a person seemed shady or not to trust them. I truly felt I was standing beside them, feeling their anguish.
I will say that there is heavy use of similies and metaphors throughout the book, many eluding to the same thing. There are also times where I think there should have been more descriptions of emotions rather than someone’s appearance but I understand. I do wish I was in the characters heads a little more. I really like to get to know them.
Cassandra is a literary genius. She not only created an entire world of downworlders and Shadowhunters, but she also created a hidden universe that seems so real you think you are there. The politics, although we did not see a lot of it here, are well thought out and explained adequately. I think the way in which downworlders and shadowhunters interact is very unique. They aren’t always trusted by downworlders and we can really see that tension. It would be one thing to create such a beautiful world but she even brought humans into it! Integrating them perfectly.
I am excited to see more of the shadowhunter realm in the sequel!
For me, the characters were what drove this story. They happen to be my favorite part as well so let’s get to know some of them.
Tessa: My husband is reading this book along with me and he soon pointed out that if I was written into a book, I’d be Tessa. I love that she loves books so much. When she was in trouble, she was worried about bringing her books with her. That is for sure something that I would do. She is so strong too! Despite being thrown into this new realm and going through everything in the book, she stands strong. She wants to fight and I love that about her. Tessa is someone who will risk her own life for those she cares about. But most of all…she loves books and seeks to understand everything she is learning.
Will: Will…where do I start with him. I love his character and I really want to know more about him. I love his sarcasm and how he always makes jokes to lighten the mood. He reminds me of someone I once knew who used humor to hide what he was truly feeling. Will is more complex than what he is letting on. He acts tough and macho but I think deep down, he is a big softie. Although he seems like one of those people who acts like a jerk to turn people away from him, to avoid getting close to others because of something in his past. I have to say, some of the things he says…I’d have to side with Sophie. I’m not all into him.
Jem: While most girls fawn over Will, the bad boy who is secretly a softie, I am here gazing at the mysterious Jem. He is so kind and caring, always helping those around him. He even defends Will’s behavior. He struggles with a lot and I just want to sit with him and hug him, tell him it will all be alright and that I’m there for him.
Jessamine: She comes off almost as a stuck up snobby girl but she truly doesn’t want to be a shadowhunter. I get what she’s feeling and understand her point of view. I was really hoping she would become best friends with Tessa and they would become badass women together but..alas no. Jessamine just isn’t the type of person I hoped she would be. Maybe we get to know more in the following books.
Charlotte: At the age of 23, she is the leader of the institute. For the times, that seems about right but she seems overwhelmed at times. Mostly with protecting Henry, her husband.
Henry: I actually like his quirky character a lot. He is always messing around and trying to craft something new to use. He does mess up a lot but that is alright, that’s what scientists do…experiment. All too often his ‘experiments’ get them into more trouble than they are worth. Other times…they work! He is a character that I would like to see more of.
Sophie: I honestly forgot about this character, she must not have made a huge impact on me during my first read through. I love that she is shown with a scar but I want to know more of her backstory. I love her sassy relationship with Will. It makes them seem like true brother and sister. I have siblings…I know how that goes.
Magnus: Oh I wish there was more Magnus in this one! I love him so much, such a fantastic character. He always has some good insight but I suppose I will see more of him later on.
Camille: We don’t know a lot about her either at the moment. I do know she seems seductive and that she does what she wants for her own gain. She seems a little selfish.
Nate: I’m not sure what it is about Nate but he makes my skin crawl. I just don’t like him. I actually grew to hate him more throughout the book.
De Quincy: Not super familiar with him yet either. We know that he will stop at nothing to protect his own kind though.
Mortmain: I dislike him as well. I just felt I couldn’t trust his character. I will say this…he is sly and manipulative, someone with his hands in many pots. He has power and boy does he love it.
I am rereading this book for the first time since it was published…that’s about nine years ago. I am trying to look at it with fresh eyes and I did notice a few things I missed the first time. My biggest takeaway is that this story is character driven for sure. I wish we saw more of Tessa’s ability. It would have been awesome if she chose to use it to her advantage and step up to fight more. I understand though, Clare is trying to remain accurate to the times. I love the shadowhunter world, it is just so beautifully written and I really wish I could be a part of it. There might an overuse of metaphoric phrases or similies but I can move past them, mostly. Reading this now, as an adult and someone who proofreads and edits books, these types of issues tend to stick out to me.
There is nothing that can change my love for this world and Cassandra’s books though. I am a shadowhunter junkie and I need my next dose, especially of Jem or Tessa.
Would you read this novel? Buy it or borrow it? If you have read it, what did you think? Have you reread any books recently? Which ones have you deemed good enough for rereading?
Be sure to stop in and read the second Infernal Devices book with us during #READshadowhunter. We’d love to have you talk with us and discuss what you think of the book.
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