Hello everyone! I hope you had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend. I know that I sure did! My older son’s birthday was Saturday, so he is now 8! I can’t believe he is that old already. Time sure does fly. My husband and younger son traveled to West Virginia for a family wedding and spent the weekend in a beautiful cabin. We were only a short walk from this beautiful river where you could fly fish.
I chose to simply walk the river shore instead and enjoy nature. It was catch and release fishing which I am not super fond of. If I fish, I want it to be because I am supplying my family food. Anyway…it was a wonderful time, being closer to nature. I enjoyed the hot tub, listening to the sound of the rushing river. It was so peaceful but next weekend won’t be because my husband and I are going to BOOKCON!!!!
This is our first time and we are VIP so I am so excited to go. This week I will be posting about my packing list and what I plan to bring. I might also post about what I plan to do or who I plan to see during Bookcon. I am so excited to meet other bloggers going so if that is you…please get in touch! I’d love to meet up.
If I don’t stop now, I could go on forever about my weekend so let’s leave it here. Today as a part of the #READshadowhunters readathon, I am reviewing Clockwork Prince!!
Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published: December 6th, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Book Length: 502 Pages
Genre: Fantasy (YA)
Buy the book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository (Use my referral ID: TheBibliophagist)
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, but 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.
Clare continues her story with accuracy fo the times. I think that is one of my favorite things about this series. I am not only transported behind the veil of mundanes and Shadowhunters or demons but to an entirely different time period. She doesn’t just write it well, the characters and some of their behaviors or ideas match with the times as well. For example, a male character thinking that a woman is not fit to run an Institute…that is accurate for that time period, as upsetting as it may be.
In this sequel, we learn a little more about Mortmain and his plan but there is not as much action as I would have liked. I wished for more battle scenes. Rather, I was given some fantastic development of relationships…and more about the love triangle between Will, Tessa, and Jem. Boy, do things get good between them. Though it lacks some epic battles, the pacing was very well done. I never once felt bored or wanted to put the book down. This might just be because I know what comes next but I truly think that it is because the writing was seamless and easy to follow along with.
Once again, we are pulled deeper into this realm that hides behind a thin curtain. I love seeing the dynamics between the various species…vampires, warlocks, Shadowhunters. Clare has built an entire social ladder for each of these species. They have their own politics yet many abide by the same laws set by the Shadowhunters despite their true feelings about them.
Shadowhunters…the protectors of the world, humans and otherworldly beings alike. I would love to be a part of this world. That is how I know Clare has created a wonderful novel…I want to jump between the pages and become one with the colorful world she has created. The imagery she uses to describe scenes is as if she painted an image of each scene before me and I am watching it unfold.
For me, the characters are what make the story…again. I love this book because we see so much more development between them here.
Tessa: I love Tessa so much and I really feel for her. I can feel her heartache and the love she feels for both Will and Jem. She is such a strong woman and the way she handles everything that is thrown at her with such composure. I see so much of myself in her and I think that is why I love her so much.
Will: After reading this, I enjoy Will much more. I knew there was a history behind the reason why he was always so closed off and rude. My heart broke for him! He deserves a happy ending. I still don’t agree with his behavior at times, I understand it but I don’t like his behavior. He is so kind deep down though, he wants happiness for Jem above happiness for himself. He is selfless and I love him a bit more for that.
Jem: Jem…I love him so much. I know many people love Will but Jem resonates with me. He is so sweet and I still just want to hug him and tell him everything will be alright. Aside from his unwilling drug addiction and the fact that he is dying slowly…he is the perfect book boyfriend. Polite, handsome, caring…the list goes on.
Jessamine: Now…if you read my posts and follow along with the #READshadowhunter discussion posts then you already know how I feel about what she did in this book. I understand why she made that choice but I do not agree with it. She has a dream and is selfish about it, doing anything that she believes will get her there. In my opinion, she could have saved money and left the institute…she could have put money aside rather than buying fancy dresses. Part of me thinks she was weak and doesn’t like her while the other part feels sympathy toward her. She is a character that I sit on the fence about.
Charlotte: Once again, I love how strong she is. Despite everything she has thrown her way, she stands tall and manages to make things work. She and Henry have such a cute relationship as well and I just love it.
Sophie: I really enjoy that we see so much more of her character in this book. She is underrated and I feel not enough people talk about her.
Magnus: *Jumps up and down in excitement* He is such an amazing character and we see even more of him in this second book. He stands strong to his beliefs, even after those he cares about to try to sway him. Yet, he does anything he can for those he loves.
If you are expecting a book loaded with intense, edge of your seat battles…this is not it. This seems like the calm before the storm, the build-up for the final book in this series. It builds tension and character relationships. We see a lot more internal conflicts than external, meaning the problems among the residents of the institute itself. The love triangle continues! If you hate them then feel free to skip this book but I enjoy this one thoroughly. Tessa does have a very difficult decision to make because both Will and Jem are great men and I see why she cares for both. I agree, love triangles are overdone at times but Clare writes this one perfectly and she makes sure that each person is cared for. By this, I mean that there is not a lot of hatred here but only kindness and compassion when it comes to understanding the choice made.
I did enjoy this book more than its prequel, I think it might be because much of the awkward introductory conversations are over and we really get to know each character. I think my biggest issue with this book was the lack of plot movement or presence of the series’ antagonist.
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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Enjoy Bookcon!!! And Happy belated birthday to your son. Fab review, I was looking at that book the other day – I keep seeing this author about!