Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare review

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.


 Tessa, Will, and James show some hostile moments as they look for the truth behind Tessa's missing brother. The excitement never ceases as we follow the Shadowhunters through kidnappings, the Pandemonium club, vampires, and a mysterious creature that they have never faced before. Life doesn't stop for these Shadowhunters at any moment in this momentous adventure of love and betrayal.

True to form, Cassandra Clare created a wonderful storyline and characters. The dry humor of Will Herondale matched with the gripping story of James, Jem, left me wanting more from these amazing characters. Tessa's story did seem to drag at moments, but Clare stuck to a Victorian storyline more that I have seen a lot of modern writers do. The first part of the story seemed slow. Tessa's tale didn't come alive until the addition of Will. 

Will brought life to the story. His character led the story and helped provide moments of both humor and sadness. Along with the other Shadowhunters, there was a well-rounded cast in Clare's spin-off of the ever popular Mortal Instruments series. I will say that the series name (The Infernal Devices) is definitely fitting for this series. I've haven't read much in the way of Steampunk yet, but I see what I am missing now. 

Although the beginning of the book seemed to lack that spark that Clare's Mortal Instrument series had, I felt that the action never ceased in the middle. Throw in a little love angle here and there and a heart-wrenching tale for a main character and you have a great story. 

The denouement was amazing. Clare never disappoints in that part. I won't give it away, but the new creature the Shadowhunters face is truly fascinating and a wonderful spin in a fantasy related tale. I read this part so quickly that I had to read it again to make sure that I didn't miss anything. 

Despite the amazing middle and climax, I felt let down in the end. The ending seemed to try to leave me with a cliffhanger, but I didn't feel a need to read the next book to find out what Will wants. I want to read the next book to find out more about the new creature not Will's mysterious meeting. Although I am interested, I don't feel like the ending left me with the feeling I wanted from the amazing battle and struggle. 
Overall, Clockwork Angel is a great read and I would recommend it to anyone. You won't be disappointed by Clare's phenomenal creation. 





GRADE
B

Book Stats:

Genre: Young Adult
Hardback: 478 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Language: English
ISBN: 1416975861






HAPPY READING ~ MIA


No comments:

Post a Comment