Cassandra Clare - Clockwork Prince.

Cassandra Clare – Clockwork Prince

Rating: 9 out of 10.

Hi guys! Today I am following on from yesterday’s post on The Infernal Devices trilogy with Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare, the second book in the series. This book only got a nine as I felt it was more of a filler book when compared to the first and last ones. That doesn’t take away from how much I loved it, or how good the writing and development was, I just wish there was more. Happy reading!

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, while her longing for Will continues to unsettle her. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers to who she is and what she was born to do?

A little about the author:

Cassandra Clare is an American writer who publishes mostly YA novels. She is most known for The Mortal Instruments series and has published a number of books based around the Shadowhunter world. Her most recent works being Chain of Gold and The Lost Book of the White.

A little about the story:

The main characters are the same for the entire Infernal Devices series. It follows Tessa Gray, Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs. A trio of whom I have completely fallen in love with.

This story continued to follow Tessa and the Shadowhunters in their fight against the Magister. In the second book of the series the group must get through a great betrayal in the midst of the war with the Magister. We get to witness Tessa’s growing feelings not only to Will, but increasingly to Jem too. How torn she is between the two and her finding her place in the Shadowhunter’s home, a place she doesn’t feel she entirely belongs. This story follows new love and new beginnings after each character is left scraping together the remnants of their pasts to form a new future together.

The main problem recurring throughout this book is that of betrayal. The Shadowhunters are betrayed by someone closest to them, who just wanted to be loved. And Tessa is betrayed by the person she was closest to in the world. This is the constant theme in the story. The second most important theme I feel is similar to the first book, that of a found family. That family isn’t just blood, you can choose it.

My favourite character has and always will be Will Herondale. I relate to him so much. The use of sarcasm and his survival tactics to push everyone away is something I relate to so much. I am a person who also chooses to deal with things alone and watching Will and how he eventually opens up to people pushes me in my own life. He is so well written and so three dimensional. One of Clare’s strengths is writing fully developed characters. It’s a pain when it comes to picking favourite characters. My second favourite character naturally is Will’s parabatai Jem Carstairs. In this book we see almost a completely different side of Jem. In the first book he was timid, and he came across as physically weak and frail, and in a way in Will’s shadow. In Clockwork Prince we see Jem come out into the light. We see him love, we see him annoyed, disappointed, everything I wanted to see from him in book one. And most importantly, the way he grows into himself when he is around Tessa. I love their dynamic.

It is no secret that I adore the entire Shadowhunter saga. As mentioned this book does feel like more of a filler than another adventure. But it works. It gives so much additional information about the characters, it displays their growing relationships and new dynamics and it is all the extra information I wanted to read. I loved it.

My favourite part of the book is a massive spoiler, so I’m not going to say what it is. I’m going to skirt around it instead and try not to be obvious. At the end of the book we see Tessa and Jem’s relationship change for the better, and I cried. It was beautiful and I don’t know why but it was so unexpected but at the same time it was perfect.

If I could change anything about this book it would be to add more about Charlotte and Henry. I have so many questions about them that haven’t been answered. I want to know everything about how they met, how they didn’t know how the other felt, I want to know everything about the backstory with their parents. Everything. I know this isn’t necessarily their story. But it was the main thing I had more questions about when I finished the book.

I always recommend Cassandra Clare’s books to everyone. I feel that she writes characters that almost everyone can relate to in one way or another, so even if it is just for that reason, these books would be enjoyed. In a more specific sense it would be for people who love fantasy books. Individual’s who love exploring new worlds and what they have to offer.

I will be going over the final book of The Infernal Devices series tomorrow, Clockwork Princess. I love it so much and I’m so excited to share it with you. I’d love to hear your thoughts if you have read the series! I hope this encourages you to pick up a book and explore a new universe.

Stay Curious!

J x