Book Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Angel

By Cassandra Clare

Release Date: August 31, 2010

Source: Own Copy

Summary: 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….

Review: I may be three years late, but I FINALLY started The Infernal Devices series! I absolutely loved the first three books of The Mortal Instruments (I haven't gotten to the last ones yet…), so I was really excited to see how the Shadowhunter world was back in the 1800s. 

When Tessa's Aunt dies, she heads off to London in search of her older brother. What she doesn't expect to find is a supernatural world that she never knew she was a part of. Forced to uncover her hidden powers, Tessa is much more than the average American girl she thought she was. Soon, Tessa finds herself under the protection of Shadowhunters, running from a man called The Magister who wants Tessa's powers for herself. With a clockwork army, The Magister is willing to do anything to get Tessa in his grasp, and the Shadowhunters will do anything to protect her. 

When I started this book, I really didn't know what to expect. I absolutely love books that take place in London, and the fact that this is in Victorian London made me love it that much more. The whole lifestyle during that time period is so different from today, so it was cool to see how Tessa and the Shadowhunters acted in that kind of society. Tessa was so shocked by how informal the Shadowhunters are among each other, and it was fun seeing how she reacted not only to the magic but also how against societal norms they all acted. 

Now onto the Shadowhunter/magic aspect. Tessa's power is so cool and I love the mystery behind what she really is. No one has seen something like her, but they know for a fact she's not human. Why does The Magister want Tessa so badly? Why is she special when she had no idea of her powers back in America? No one knows! The battles and investigations that go on are so intriguing and tease at some possibilities that don't really give you the exact answers you want. There is definitely a lot of action and every moment had you yearning to know what exactly would happen next. 

I have missed the Shadowhunter world and loved entering into the Victorian world with these new characters. I loved everyone- Will, Jem, Charlotte, Henry, even Jessamine. The new world Tessa finds herself in may be a mystery, but at least she has great people to lean on for support. Speaking of mystery…what the heck is up with Will? That ending just made everything so much more obscure and I'm dying to know what's going to happen next. I guess the good thing about waiting so long to start this series is that I don't have to wait for the next book to be released…it's already out! So while I go and find myself a copy of the next book, all of you who haven't started this series should start right away. You're missing out on a fantastic world in an even more fantastic era.