(The Infernal Devices, #3)
by Cassandra Clare
Hardcover, 568 p.
Synopsis
Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.
A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.
My Review
A while back, I was arguing with a couple of my friends about the term "love triangle". Technically, we figured, each person of the love triangle would have to love the other two, which would probably never happen, since YA usually doesn't like to stray into homosexual relationships. Usually. But strangely enough, after that heated rant/conversation, I got ahold of a copy of Clockwork Princess via my good friend Dabin (ThankyouthankyouTHANKYOUDABIN! :D), who runs the So Many Books, So Little Time book blog.
I couldn't start it for awhile because SCHOOL and STRESS go very well together.Also, I hadn't even read Clockwork Prince. But I eventually got a bit of time to settle down and read it, and let me tell you, I was bawling my eyes out by the end. I think my happiness has been stolen by this book, because frankly, all I want to do now (and am doing) is listening to angsty music and writing this review.
Clockwork Princess is definitely one of Cassandra Clare's better books. All the reviews I've seen thus for it have praised it profusely, and I'm about to join their ranks.
Ahhh...I was reading the Collector's edition, and a LOT of plot spoilers are on that family tree...But it was still good! The shippings were adorable; Gabriel/Cecily, Gideon/Sophie, Charlotte/Henry, and Jessa/Wessa (Silly! Of course I wouldn't reveal the most important one!). The character buildings and interactions were phenomenal,
Some of the best quotes I've ever seen from Clare are from this (this!) book.
"So you are dying for love, then."
"Dying a little faster for love. And there are worse things to die for." -p. 81
And I bet everyone knows who that's talking about.
And that ending. I haven't been so invested in the end of a book, let alone an entire series, since...well, I can't remember! Jem was pretty much the whole focus of that epilogue which, as a Jessa fan, I wholeheartedly approved of. And that epilogue....*sigh* :D Now I finally know why other people were raving about the ending. I am too--Clare really pulled out all the stops on this one.
The frequent references to Tale of Two Cities annoyed me a bit, though. Generally when authors take a classic, and then proceed to compare every aspect of the plot to the classic, it's really annoying. We get that this book is like the classic. You do not have to turn around and say that this character is the equivalent of Sydney Carton every single chapter. But for this book, I'll have to make an exception. I might even try to read this book that I can't get through for the life of me! And it'd all because of this book, which I suspect is one of Clare's goals.
The ending is so bittersweet--it promises a good life for both Will and Jem, but incidentally, not Tessa. Plot twist! :D No, not really. But sufficent to say, neither of them let go of Tessa completely. But...argh! It's so hard to review this without any spoilers! *deep breath* [JemisactuallyBrotherZachariahfromTMIbutheturnsmortalbackagaintobewithTessawhohasfoundthatshe'llneveragebecauseofheruniqueheritageandWillhasalreadydiedwaybackwhenandalthoughhegotmarriedtoTessaandhadkidshewasn'timmortalandnowJemisn'tsohe'sgonnadiebutTessa'llstillgettogetherwithim!!!!!!] <--my huge spoiler for the ending is in there. Highlight if you dare.
But seriously, I had lost faith in Clare after her more recent TMI books (City of Lost Souls, etc. etc.) because of the sheer stupidity of the never-ending love triangle. But this book...Not only does it end the "prequel" series with a BANG (rippingoutmyhearttoo) and a bridge, but it really shows Clare's growing complexity and maturity as a writer. All (or most) of those annoying metaphors and similes are gone, and what remains is her fantastic ability to write.
My Rating
If you've read that entire rant above, you will understand wholeheartedly.
Happy reading!
A while back, I was arguing with a couple of my friends about the term "love triangle". Technically, we figured, each person of the love triangle would have to love the other two, which would probably never happen, since YA usually doesn't like to stray into homosexual relationships. Usually. But strangely enough, after that heated rant/conversation, I got ahold of a copy of Clockwork Princess via my good friend Dabin (ThankyouthankyouTHANKYOUDABIN! :D), who runs the So Many Books, So Little Time book blog.
I couldn't start it for awhile because SCHOOL and STRESS go very well together.
Clockwork Princess is definitely one of Cassandra Clare's better books. All the reviews I've seen thus for it have praised it profusely, and I'm about to join their ranks.
Ahhh...I was reading the Collector's edition, and a LOT of plot spoilers are on that family tree...But it was still good! The shippings were adorable; Gabriel/Cecily, Gideon/Sophie, Charlotte/Henry, and Jessa/Wessa (Silly! Of course I wouldn't reveal the most important one!). The character buildings and interactions were phenomenal,
Some of the best quotes I've ever seen from Clare are from this (this!) book.
"So you are dying for love, then."
"Dying a little faster for love. And there are worse things to die for." -p. 81
And I bet everyone knows who that's talking about.
And that ending. I haven't been so invested in the end of a book, let alone an entire series, since...well, I can't remember! Jem was pretty much the whole focus of that epilogue which, as a Jessa fan, I wholeheartedly approved of. And that epilogue....*sigh* :D Now I finally know why other people were raving about the ending. I am too--Clare really pulled out all the stops on this one.
The frequent references to Tale of Two Cities annoyed me a bit, though. Generally when authors take a classic, and then proceed to compare every aspect of the plot to the classic, it's really annoying. We get that this book is like the classic. You do not have to turn around and say that this character is the equivalent of Sydney Carton every single chapter. But for this book, I'll have to make an exception. I might even try to read this book that I can't get through for the life of me! And it'd all because of this book, which I suspect is one of Clare's goals.
The ending is so bittersweet--it promises a good life for both Will and Jem, but incidentally, not Tessa. Plot twist! :D No, not really. But sufficent to say, neither of them let go of Tessa completely. But...argh! It's so hard to review this without any spoilers! *deep breath* [JemisactuallyBrotherZachariahfromTMIbutheturnsmortalbackagaintobewithTessawhohasfoundthatshe'llneveragebecauseofheruniqueheritageandWillhasalreadydiedwaybackwhenandalthoughhegotmarriedtoTessaandhadkidshewasn'timmortalandnowJemisn'tsohe'sgonnadiebutTessa'llstillgettogetherwithim!!!!!!] <--my huge spoiler for the ending is in there. Highlight if you dare.
But seriously, I had lost faith in Clare after her more recent TMI books (City of Lost Souls, etc. etc.) because of the sheer stupidity of the never-ending love triangle. But this book...Not only does it end the "prequel" series with a BANG (rippingoutmyhearttoo) and a bridge, but it really shows Clare's growing complexity and maturity as a writer. All (or most) of those annoying metaphors and similes are gone, and what remains is her fantastic ability to write.
My Rating
If you've read that entire rant above, you will understand wholeheartedly.
5 out of 5 stars
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