Clockwork Prince, by Cassandra Clare

 



Release date: December 6th 2011
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 5/5 stars











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.

My thoughts:

I was so desperate and anxious to read Clockwork Prince, that I bought the book immediately after I finished Clockwork Angel. And, big surprise, Cassandra Clare destroyed me. Again. I thought after The Mortal Instruments and Hard Bitten, my heart wouldn’t break again in 2011. Man, I was wrong. It seems I have yet to cry over a book before this year is over.

Spoilers are evil little worms, so this review will have none. That said, I’ll not reveal much about the plot, just what I thought about the characters and the book in general. Clockwork Prince did not fall into the second-book curse – if you’re not familiar with that term, it’s when the second book in a series is not as good as the first one, and you get slightly (or hugely) disappointed. Gladly, I can say that Cassandra Clare is free of this curse.

In Clockwork Prince, we get to know the characters a lot more deeply than in the first one. Will’s big mystery is revealed – it didn’t surprise me, I had something similar in mind when this issue was addressed in Clockwork Angel – and, finally, Jem’s mask of calm and assurance slips throughout the plot. I loved how we, readers, got to know Jem a lot better, and understand more of his disease, and how he feels about Will and the parabatai bond. As always, their relationship is awesome ^-^

Tessa surprised me (in a good way) when her relationship with both boys began to develop. I liked how she was mature and human when her feelings were concerned, but at the end, managed to make the right choice. Aside from that, Charlotte and Henry were so adorable and heart-warming, I found myself smiling and cheering for them to get over the Institute problems, and personal ones. They’re so perfect for each other, and the author, as always, pulled me into the book not just with the “love interests” and romance, but with the secondary characters as well.

And I’m sorry, but I can’t end this review without freaking out about the ending. What the hell? Why does this always happen in Cassandra Clare’s books? Can someone answer me that? Somehow, something happens to the characters that breaks our hearts.



And just like I said before, I loved how Tessa and Will handled this situation, but even then, I felt hurt not just for them, but Jem as well. I adore both boys, and I hope they get their HEA, either with or without Tessa.

If what I said in this review is not enough, then here it is: Clockwork Prince is fantastic, and I would give it 253641 millions of stars if I could. Yes, the ending broke my heart and made me desperate for Clockwork Princess, but the book was well worth it. This series is a must-read.