Title: Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1)Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Publication Date: August 31, 2010
Source: goodreads
Genre: Young Adult/Historical Urban Fantasy
Pages: 476
Challenges: 1. Horror and Urban Fantasy 2. Mystery and Suspense
Rating: 4 out of 5
SUMMARY
Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.
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
The shadowhunters are back! ;)
So this book centers around Tessa, who is NOT nephilim. She sails to London to live with her brother after her aunt dies and is kidnapped by the Dark Sisters who force her to discover what she is. The shadow hunters come to the rescue and the rest of the book is centered around the mysteries of The Pandemonium Club and Tessa's family.
When I first saw that Cassandra Clare was writing this book... lets just say I was less than pleased. For some reason, it peeves me so much when authors decide to make spin-offs. I guess I just get annoyed that it may be bad compared to the original series, and no one wants to read a bad book, especially if it's a spin-off of a book/series you like. Therefore I didn't grab this until a few weeks after it came out, and hadn't started it until December.
I wasn't a huge fan of the beginning, probably because I didn't understand what was going on but as I read it got more and more addicting. I actually like these characters better than the ones in The Mortal Instruments! Plus, this book had GREAT plot twists. I love when a book can surprise me and thats exactly what happened. It also didn't end with a huge cliffhanger, which I like. But it left me thinking, "Huh, I wonder what's gonna happen next." This was such a good book! I don't really have a good reason for why I gave it a four but at the same time, a five didn't seem right. Regardless, it's still a great book!
This quote gives a good idea of what to expect in this book ;)
"'Many who have gazed upon me have compared the experience to gazing at the radiance of the sun.' Jem still had his eyes closed. 'If they mean it gives you a headache, they aren't wrong.'" (Page 343)
For a spinoff, it wasn't so bad although to be honest, the pull of the characters of The Mortal Instruments series was definitely stronger. I did enjoy reading this.
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite lines though that definitely made me laugh:
"You know," Gabriel said, "there was a time I thought we could be friends, Will."
"There was a time I thought I was a ferret," Will said, "but that turned out to be the opium haze. Did you know it had that effect? Because I didn’t."