Book Review: Clockwork Prince

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.

If you've been reading this blog for a while, then you know I'm a big fan of Cassandra Clare's books. And I think Clockwork Prince is my favorite. We return to Victorian London, well... the steampunk version of Victorian London where Tessa, Will, and Jem are helping the Institute find Mortmain. In Clockwork Angel this creepy villain came after Tessa with his clockwork creatures, but then he disappeared.

One thing I love about this series are the characters. Tessa is a great heroine, and I absolutely adore Jem. Another thing I love is this world. While I love the modern comforts of my home, I wouldn't mind visiting this world for a few days. The third thing I love is how this story keeps me guessing. There are so many twists and turns that just when you think you know what's going to happen, Cassie Clare pulls the rug out from under you. I like The Mortal Instruments series, but I love this one so much more.

I could gush some more, but you all probably don't want to read that. Be sure to check out the shorts that go along with this series. You can find them on Cassie's website. We only have seven more months to wait til Clockwork Princess, and be sure to stay tuned for the release of the three-book manga series. Book one hits this year!

Book Review: City of Fallen Angels

The Mortal War is over, and Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most important of all—Clary can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her. His mother just found out he’s a vampire and now he’s homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse wrecking his life. And they’re willing to do anything to get what they want. At the same time he’s dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other.

When Jace begins to pull away from Clary without explaining why, she is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: She herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

I bought City of Fallen Angelsby Cassandra Clare when it came out. I liked the first three and loved her spin-off series, so I was excited to read this one. But... I hadn't heard the best things. So, sad, I put it off. I finally picked it up in December, and... I loved it.

I had heard a lot of negative reviews and comments about how Cassie Clare only wrote this as a quick money-maker and other negative assumptions. My biggest issue with the first three Mortal Instruments was that Clary was whiny, Jace was cocky, and they were predictable. But here I liked Clary and Jace, and the plot kept me guessing.

There was more Simon than in the previous books, which made me happy. I loved his scenes with Izzie. We had a few new characters and someone from the Infernal Devices shows up. Honestly, though, the thing that excited me the most about this new trilogy (and I call it a new trilogy since it's a new arc in this series) is the potential for Tessa to come into this world. It may not happen, but I've got my fingers crossed.

I'm super excited for City of Lost Souls to hit shelves this year. And have you seen the new cover? It's my favorite of the series!

Book Review: City of Glass

To save her mother’s life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters—never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family’s past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he’s willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City—whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the third installment of bestselling series the Mortal Instruments.

City of Glass is the third installment in the Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare. Jocelyn Fray is still in a magically-induced coma, and Clary and Jace travel to the City of Glass in the hopes of saving her. Clary uncovers more and more about her family’s history and ends up coming face to face with her father. The evil Valentine.

I enjoyed this book much more than the previous two. It was less predictable and I didn't hate the main characters, Jace and Clary, as much as in the past. Jace was more caring and Clary less whiny. Simon continues to be my favorite character. I love his scenes with Maia. I’m definitely rooting for these two to get together.

As it turns out, this is yet another trilogy is continuing with three more books. Basically, there are two trilogies in a series of six books. City of Fallen Angels recently hit shelves. And don’t forget to check out book one in The Infernal Devices series, Clockwork Angel. It’s set in the same world, only many years prior to The Mortal Instruments.

Book Review: City of Ashes

As readers of series starter City of Bones already know, teenager Clary Fray is a Shadowhunter, a demon slayer who has the gift (?) of spotting Downworlder werewolves, vampires, and faeries. She is also an adolescent in an abnormally dysfunctional family: Her mom is in a magically induced coma and her father is probably insane and undoubtedly evil. All of which places Clary in situations that would challenge even the most talented average American girl.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare picks up right where City of Bones leaves off. Clary is a Shadowhunter whose job, along with Jace, Alec, and Isabel, is to hunt Downworlders. Downworlders include vampires, werewolves, faeries, and a number of different types of demon. As if that isn't enough her mother is in a magically induced coma and her father is likely the big baddie.

One thing I enjoyed more about this book was the faeries. They weren't really in City of Bones, but here we get to see the Seelie Court. Another is Simon the vampire. Even better than Simon the human. And he wasn't panting after Clary as much here. A big step up for him.

Much like the first, it was terribly predictable. The writing wasn't that great. I hate Jace and Clary even more. But Cassandra Clare still managed to write a novel that I can't put down. It's fast-paced and exciting and left me begging for City of Glass.

Book Review: City of Bones

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

City of Bones is Cassandra Clare's debut and book one of The Mortal Instruments. Our main character, Clary Fray, finds herself a witness to murder by three teens covered in strange tattoos. These teens, Shadowhunters, are invisible to humans, so why can Clary see them?

Jace, Isabel, and Alec are Shadowhunters who protect the world by killing demons. Clary has questions, and the only person who can answer them has been kidnapped. She and her friend, Simon, are pulled into this new world that neither knew existed. And now it's up to her, and her new friends, to find her mother and find answers to her many questions.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The writing itself was only okay, but it was fun, if not too predictable. I was not a fan of Clary. She was much too whiny. And Jace, the main love interest and second main character, was a d-bag. So it says something for the story that I can enjoy a book while hating the two main characters. Simon was crush-worthy. And I enjoyed Isabel, Alec, and Max... three siblings of the family who has more or less adopted Jace. And Magnus, the warlock, was a lot of fun.

As soon as I finished this one, I grabbed book two, City of Ashes.

ARC Review: Clockwork Angel

I scored a copy of CLOCKWORK ANGEL at ALA. If you were there and didn't see them, that's because they were sneaky. You had to request one. I was surprised to get mine at the end of Sunday, but a lot of people didn't know where they were because the company wanted them only to go to people who were really wanting it.

I finally got to it, after a lag in reading and a few other things I needed to finish first. I can't believe I put this one off for anything. While I really enjoyed The Mortal Instruments books 1-3, I loved this one. The story was just as interesting, but with twists that you don't see coming. Cassandra Clare's writing has improved with each book, as well as her story-telling. I love when you get blind-sided at the end when you think you have it all figured out, and then you are so wrong. Of course, truth be told, I tend to miss obvious pieces in books.

Another reason I think I enjoyed this one more was the characters. While all of Cassie's books have been ensemble pieces, Clary was definitely a main character in TMI series, as Tessa is in this one. I was never really a fan of Clary (or Jace), which I know is not the popular opinion, but I loved Tessa. She was a really great character. And I'm definitely Team Jem. There were so many other characters in this book that I really enjoyed, and hope we get to see more of in the next two books: Charlotte, Henry, and Sophie among them.

This book should definitely not be missed. If you're a fan of The Mortal Instruments, you'll be a fan of The Infernal Devices. Pre-order it now on Amazon for almost half the price.

And... while we're on topic of The Mortal Instruments, and in case you hadn't heard, there will be three more books in the series. CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS will not be the last. Here's when to look for more fabulous books by Cassandra Clare:

August 31, 2010: The Clockwork Angel
April 5, 2011: City of Fallen Angels
September 2011: The Clockwork Prince
May 2012: City of Lost Souls
December 2012: The Clockwork Princess
September 2013: City of Heavenly Fire

And don't forget to check Cassie's LJ for more details --------> http://cassandraclare.livejournal.com/

Synopsis:

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.