Monday, February 13, 2012

Review of Clockwork Prince (Book Two of The Infernal Devices) by Cassandra Clare


Overview
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, though 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.


Recommended: Yes.

                 About Clockwork Prince
Available as: New Hardcover $13.59 from Amazon.com/ Paperback $8.77,  
Recommended Ages: 15 and Up
E-book: 359 pgs.
Published: December 6th 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

                  For This Review: * Self-Provided Copy*


The Infernal Devices prequel series is in its own way such a reminder of The Mortal Instruments and its characters. Even so, the world of The Infernal Devices is much more emotional. More in-depth in detail which could be because you actually have read already The Mortal Instruments (if you have then) then you get to see how the past would affect and later connect to the future present world of The Mortal Instruments.

From where we left off in Clockwork Angel, The Infernal Devices Book 1, Will Herondale has willingly pushed Tessa Gray away by saying hurtful words to her. His heart could be seen to not be in it but Will feels he had to it so Tessa wouldn't fall in love with him. Tessa can't believe that he would be so cruel to tell her she and him could never be because there is no future for a Shadowhunter that dallies with a warlock. The reason being Tessa can supposedly never have children if she's a warlock. Will is later mentioned to studiously avoid Tessa altogether. 

He turned to look at her, but before he could reply, a sepulchral voice spoke out of the shadows, 
  “‘Mortality, behold and fear! 
  What a change of flesh is here
  Think how many royal bones
  Sleep within these heaps of stones.’” 
  A dark shape stepped out from between two monuments. As Tessa blinked in surprise, Jem said, in a tone of resigned amusement, “Will . 
  Decided to grace us with your presence after all?” 
  “I never said I wasn’t coming.” Will moved forward, and the light from the rose windows fell on him, illuminating his face. Even now, Tessa never could look at him without a tightening in her chest, a painful stutter of her heart. Black hair, blue eyes, graceful cheekbones, thick dark lashes, full mouth—he would have been pretty if he had not been so tall and so muscular.

Yet, Jem seems to be happy to spend time with her. Tessa Gray and Jem Carstairs end up spending more and more time together. At first friends they start to grow closer and closer. Just as everything is growing to be steady for Tessa. Everyone involved with the plot of the Magister (everyone who had to stop and intervene against Mortmain at The London Institute) is questioned by the Shadowhunters of the Clave. Charlotte is found responsible in finding Mortmain or suffer the consequences of losing  the London Institute if she doesn't find him. She's given time to find him, so he'll be captured. It will spell disaster for Tessa if she's to stay at The London Institute without Charlotte wielding the authority. To which Benedict Lightwood wants to acquire. Will is distracted  too. The lies created to distance himself from everyone one including Tessa have started to become hard for him to keep up. He desperately wants to be free to be with Tessa. Magnus Bane, a warlock (present in the majority of The Mortal Instruments series), has agreed to help Will with his problems, so he can be free to do whatever he wishes. Although, Tessa and Jem meanwhile have been growing closer for a long time now and it seems Tessa has started to fall in love with Jem. They definitely start to grow closer together. Almost since Clockwork Angel you could tell in small traces the relationship of Jem and Tessa.

“Tessa,” he said. She looked up at him. There was nothing steady or reliable about his expression. His eyes were dark, his cheeks flushed. As she raised her face, he brought his down, his mouth slanting across hers, and even as she froze in surprise, they were kissing. Jem. She was kissing Jem. Where Will’s kisses were al fire, Jem’s were like pure air after a long time of being closed up in the airless dark. His mouth was soft and firm; one of his hands circled the back of her neck gently, guiding her mouth to his. With his other hand he cupped her face, running his thumb gently across her cheekbone. His lips tasted of burned sugar; the sweetness of the drug, she guessed. His touch, his lips, were tentative, and she knew why. Unlike Will, he would mind that this was the height of impropriety, that he should not be touching her, kissing her, that she should be pulling away. 
  But she did not want to pul away. Even as she wondered at the fact that it was Jem she was kissing, Jem making her head swim and her ears ring, she felt her arms rise as if of their own accord, curving around his neck, drawing him closer. 

 Though Tessa will always love Will she realizes that Jem to her has started to make her feel fluttery with love. When she doesn't have Jem around her she can now feel she is missing something. 

Clockwork Prince shows us readers how while Tessa very much may always have a thing to that of attraction --naturally-- to Will, she has now started to develop feelings for Jem which really are much stronger than she'd ever believe possible. While before loved Jem for being beautiful and sensitive in Clockwork Angel it now gets cemented further. No, didn't like Will at all before and now with more Jem there is certain inclination to a certain direction with Clockwork Prince. Yet you still get to see why Will is the way he is. Though found his arrogant attitude infuriating there's now an open channel to understanding him better. So when Tessa and Jem come along to be more obvious then you do feel terrible for him.


“Will,” she said in surprise, but he was pinning her to the wal with his body, his hands sliding up her shoulders, into her damp hair, his mouth sudden and hot on hers. She fel and spun and drowned in the kiss; his lips were soft and his body was hard against her, and he tasted like rain. 
  Heat spread through the pit of her stomach as his mouth moved urgently on hers, wiling her response. 
  Jem’s face flashed against the back of her closed eyelids. She put her hands flat against Will’s chest and shoved him away from her, as hard as she could. Her breath came out on a violent exhalation: “No.” 

Towards the end of Clockwork Prince we see that Jem felt that way toward her too for a while now that he announced in the final pages. Everyone in the London Institute finds very surprising including Will. The second in the Clockwork Prince was perfect in every way from Clockwork Angel. It was always driven by strong suspense and intrigue. The romance was handled so well and just getting back to the world of the Shadowhunters is amazing.
Overall: Amazing read!
Genre: Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Demonology/Demons


                  About the Author
Cassandra Clare was born overseas and spent her early years traveling around the world with her family and several trunks of fantasy books. Cassandra worked for several years as an entertainment journalist for the Hollywood Reporter before turning her attention to fiction. She is the author of City of Bones, the first book in the Mortal Instruments trilogy and a New York Times bestseller. Cassandra lives with her fiance and their two cats in Massachusetts.

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