Review: Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Series: Infernal Devices # 1

Also by author: Mortal Instruments Series

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Description: When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.


Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.


Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Review: I just really love Cassandra Clare, okay? I wanna be in her books, I wanna kiss her heroes, and I wanna be best friends with her heroines. Along with many others, I want to live in the world that she creates, and fight side by side with the Shadowhunters and the Downworlders. Why can't I be them???

Clockwork Angel is the prequel to the popular Mortal Instruments series. In this book, we have our Jace, whose name is William Herondale, and instead of Jace's golden locks and blue eyes, Will is darkhaired and dark eyed. So, just imagine Jace in the 18th century, London. Then we have Tessa Gray, who is our version of Clary Fray. (That sentence is terrible and corny and rhyming and I apologize.) Tess lives in America and comes to London to find her brother. Then we have Jem Carstairs, who I just love. He's a nice addition, and Will and Jem's friendship is my favorite friendship ever.

Basically,Will rescues Tess, and Tess starts to devolp feelings for him, but he acts like a complete ass to her. So, I'm anti-Will. I liked him and Tess in the beginning, but now I like her and Jem because Jem is so cute and frail and I just wanna give him kisses and hold his hand. (That came out of nowhere.) I wasn't really invested in the romance part. Usually when I read a book, I automatically pick out my pairings and such, but in this book, I was more looking at Jem and Will's friendship. They are the ULTIMATE bromance.Okay, so Jem is sick, and Will looks out for him and it's so cute :3

I really enjoyed the inhabitants of the Institute in London. Charlotte and her husband, Henry, take over he Institute. Henry is an inventor and he comes up with inventions that the Shadowhunters in the future use, which I think is pretty cool. They're an adorable couple, Charlotte being badass and in control all the time and Henry just chilling in the back, nodding along to whatever she says. Jessamine Lovelace, (I just really love her name) is this single girl, and she doesn't want to live the life of a Shadowhunter, she just wants to get married and be normal. She's cute, and she wants to marry Nate, Tess's brother, until well, you know. Magnus Bane makes an appearance in this book. I think it's cool that he's friends with these Shadowhunters and friends with the current Shadowhunters. He's still his cool, classy self.

I thought the coolest part, bypassing the action and the love scenes, is when they discovered Church. Now, for those who do not read the series, Church is this cat that guides visitors around the Institute, and is generally a pretty cool fellow. I liked when Jem saved him from the horrible Mrs. Dark, and made him a permanent member of the Institute.

The storyline was okay in this book. I wasn't kept awake at night, trying to figure out the plot, but it did keep me interested to keep reading until the end. There was a few plot twists that I didn't see coming, and I enjoyed the end. I honestly threw my book in frustration, because the epilogue was like what? I hate sketchy epilogues. I was kinda confused with Will's ending, but I've been a frequent user of the Mortal Instrument wikia, which is like wikipedia.org, but with all Mortal Instrument and Infernal Devices information. It's very helpful if you're left feeling confused at the end of these books.

Overall, I'll add Clockwork Angel to the list of beautifully crafted Cassandra Clare books, and I'll look out for Clockwork Prince, which is the sequel.

Whatever you are physically, male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy-all those things matter less than what your heart contains. If you have the soul of a warrior, you are a warrior. Whatever the color, the shape, the design of the shade that conceals it, the flame inside the lamp remains the same. You are that flame.
-Clockwork Angel, Cassandra Clare