Welcome, everyone!! I am very happy you are all here, your first time or not. I am Cassandra, the head of the London Institute, meaning I will be leading discussions for The Infernal Devices trilogy.  This is the first official discussion post for the #READshadowhunter readathon! Be sure to visit the organizer of all of this, Stephanie, at Books in the Skye. First, let’s learn a little about what #READshadowhunter is.

 

The world is full of people who love the Shadowhunter series written by Cassandra Clare, myself included. Last year, Stephanie decided that she wanted to reread the series and better yet, she wanted all Shadowhunter fans to join in. Thus, #READshadowhunter was created. This is no ordinary readathon though. We are only reading one book a month so that everyone can keep up even if their lives are busy with blogging or reading other books. I know that life can get crazy and things get in the way. Spreading out the reading like this helps us a little bit by creating smaller sections to read at once.

 

See more about this amazing even in my introduction post here.

 

Clockwork Angel Reading Schedule

 

 

Isn’t that super easy to follow along with?!?! That is roughly 5 chapters a week…less than a chapter a day! Each Monday there will be a discussion post with So, let’s get to our first #READshadowhunter Discussion Post of the year!

 

There may be spoilers so do not read if you do not want to see them!

 

1. Chapter 3 begins with a Robert Browning quote, “Love, hope, fear, faith—these make humanity; These are its sign and note and character.” Do you agree? What other characteristics do you think are the hallmarks of humanity?

 

I do have to say that I agree here. These are all things we as humans feel on a regular basis, we are so concerned with either feeling them or avoiding them. Jealousy…that is another that I think is a hallmark of humanity, that or competitiveness. We are always competing for the best technology, the most expensive food, best-looking clothes, most followers, etc…we are competitive at our core.

 

As we are in the midst of this pandemic, it is easier to see some of the more negative hallmarks of humanity. Greed, selfishness…yet there are some other positive ones as well. Though we don’t see them as often they are there.

 

2. During the scene before Tessa and Jessamine went dress shopping, Jessamine had stated that a lady does not read the newspaper. In which Charlotte responses that she’s a Shadowhunter first and a lady second. From what we’ve learned about this world so far, do you think Jessamine is wrong for wanting to be a lady first and not a Shadowhunter?

 

That scene never fully sits well with me. I see where Charlotte is coming from and I know her reasoning but I don’t agree with her. I understand that being a Shadowhunter is more than a job, it is a way of life but they are each their own person as well. Sexism is not something I speak out about often but I think I see a little bit of it here.

Only knowing what we do right now, it seems Will and Jessamine are treated completely different with regards to their personal behavior. Will tends to get into trouble, go to bars, brothels, etc. People roll their eyes as if it’s expected but when Jessamine refuses to do something as mundane as read a newspaper, she is told that being a lady should not come first. Almost as if she is forbidden from being her own person, that she needs to put everything aside for this.

Regarding Charlotte’s view, I understand her. Being a Shadowhunter is more than a job, it is a lifestyle, more than just their lives are at risk. They are responsible for protecting all mundanes (humans) and downworlders alike, well aside from those who choose to break the accords. The newspaper is a vital source of information for them that Jessamine should be up to date on. I suppose if they discuss it at dinners and someone informs her that is fine but she should step up and take responsibility for the role she plays in the world.

That being said, I can’t really say she is all wrong or all right. This is such a tough question and I really have a hard time choosing a side. Maybe part of it is that I am a mother or my strong idea that you need to do what your job requires regardless of how you feel about it. But as an individual, I know how it feels to have to become an entirely different person, to become someone you’re not because of a job. All I can think about is her mental health in the long run or the mistakes she makes for not putting being a shadowhunter first.  What do you think?

 

3. Why are books so important to Tessa? What do they add to her life? Do the Shadowhunters have things in their life that serve this same purpose?

 

I’m sure many of us could answer this from personal experience. Tessa has been locked in a building, her life essentially controlled but she has control in one place…her books. That is the one place where she can let go, experience new things, and even escape reality. It is a sanctuary during dark times.

 

Do the shadowhunters have something similar? I have to say some of them yes! Jem has his music, Henry his inventions, etc. Some are more involved than others but I think most of the shadowhunters have something similar to Tessa’s books.

 

Further Thoughts

Let’s talk about the characters.

 

Tessa: If I was written as a character I think I would be a lot like her. I love how her life was in danger and Will was saving her but she was more concerned with leaving her books behind. I’m sure many of you can relate. She doesn’t seem helpless at times but she has been through a lot and I know that many would-be keeping to themselves during those times as well.

 

Will: Will…he seems very arrogant and full of himself but something makes me feel that there is a lot more to him and we just haven’t found out about it yet. Especially when he said he was at a bar and had a pitcher of alcohol broken over his head but he did not smell of alcohol at all…… Something is up and I need to know what it is. I do love the relationship between him and Jem already! He just seems a little cocky.

 

Jem: Jem…I really like him. As of right now, he keeps to himself mostly but he intrigues me. I want to know more about him and his illness. I think I like him so much right now because he is mysterious, something I need to understand. He is mysterious and I just need to know more!! Jem seems kind and I truly love his character so far.

 

The Black Sisters: I hate these women so much. They are cruel, kidnapping and shaping a woman into something just so they can sell her off to someone for power? I’ve no idea where they came from though and would love to find out more so that I can watch their demise.

 

Who is your favorite character so far? I would really like to see more of the relationship between Will and Jem. I see a deeper connection between them than we’ve been shown yet.

 

There is so much more I’d love to talk about but I don’t want to keep you here all day. I’m really excited to see how these newly formed relationships grow and develop. Let me know what you think so far, I’d love to hear your thoughts. I think one of my favorite things so far is that this feels so true to the times. Especially when they discuss using Christian names and how it implies an intimate connection. I really just fell in love with the times and the world that Tessa has been thrust into.