BOOK REVIEW | Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Prince
Series: The Infernal Devices
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publication Date: December 6, 2011

Pages: 500
Source: I bought this via Book Depository!

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.

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Warning: this might just be rave instead of  review of this book. Clockwork Prince is the second book in the Infernal Devices, and the sixth book I've read by Cassandra Clare. This is also my favorite Cassandra Clare book I've read so far. I read Clockwork Angel a year or two ago, and I didn't love it at all. I thought it was good opening novel, but it wasn't anything special. Clockwork Prince blew me away.

What I really loved bout this book is how high stakes this book has become. People are in grave danger, and Clare really upped the ante in this one. In the first book, I wasn't too scared for the characters, but now I am. I know that Clockwork Princess is going to be epic, as Clockwork Prince  kept building up to  great showdown. there were plenty of directions that Clockwork Prince went in that I wasn't suspecting at all, and I am happy that this book kept me on my toes throughout the whole thing. Though I predicted some things that would happen, I was never bored. 

Another aspect that made this sequel infinitely better than its predecessor was the character building and development, especially for the three core characters. In the Clockwork Angel, Tessa was a main character that I didn't mind, but didn't necessarily care for. Now, Tessa is one of the best female protagonists I've read. She is headstrong, brave, and intelligent and I love how she handles everything. This might sound weird, but I also love the way she thinks. She thinks in a similar way that I do, and I could easily see some parts of myself in her, which made her so easy to empathize with. Jem also had some great character development. He didn't stand out that much in the first book, but I love him now. He's so precious and deserving. Jem has such a good and pure soul, and his situation is just so sad. I've been spoiled with what happens to Jem in this next installment and then later on in the Shadowhunter universe, but I am still not prepared. And lastly, Will. I didn't like Will at all in Clockwork Angel, and Clare definitely did that on purpose. In one book, my opinion has changed 180. I felt and feel so bad for Will, as he's in such a shitty situation. He's basically thrown away all of his adolescence for no reason, which is such a shame. I look forward to seeing this improved version of Will in the last book. I can see why so many people refer to this love triangle as one of the best they've read, and I can see where they are coming from. While most love triangles are tactless, this one is handled pretty well. It is obvious, at least in my opinion, who will "win."

As for the "secondary" characters, I loved them. This is what really pushed the book over to the five star range for me. In The Mortal Instruments, I care for the main characters, but some others I can do without or don't care about as much. But in this series? I yearned for more scenes with Sophie and Gideon! Their budding romance was one of my favorite story lines, and they only had a handful of pages together in comparison to the other pairings! Charlotte and Henry are just darling, and I'm hoping for a redemption story line for Jessamine. 

Now that I a m over the raving, let's get to some of the things that I didn't LOVE. I wish that we get some more scenes in Jem's point of view. We see plenty in Tessa's and even some in Will's, but I want to see more of Jem. He's such a great character, and I loved reading his kissing scene in his point of view. I think that Clare missed an opportunity to flesh out Jem's character into something more than just a good boy with a horrible situation upon him. Also, I want to know more about how the Clave works. Seeing the similarities and differences between The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices is really interesting, and I wish we actually get to see more of the inner workings of the Clave. 

As I'm sure you can tell, I loved this book. I think it is such a vast improvement over Clockwork Angel, and so far my favorite by Clare. City of Glass was done so well, and City of Fallen Angels and Clockwork Angel didn't really hit the mark for me. But Clare kept swinging and got a strike with Clockwork Prince for me. As for whether I'm continuing the series, it is a yes. I've been getting through Calre's books and have finally made a dent in her published works. So far I am onto City of Lost Souls, which I am currently reading right now. Don't be surprised to see a review of that within the month!

By the end of the year, I hope to be caught up with all of the Shadowhunter World. Have you read any of Cassandra Clare's books? What is your favorite of hers?

With that, I give this book
4.5 out of 5 Stars!

  

Thanks so much for stopping by and bearing through this incoherent review! :)

I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!