Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Book Description via Goodreads:

Paperback, 496 pages

December 6, 2011, Walker Books (UK)

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. The special Collector’s First Edition will include a never-before-seen letter from Will to his family!

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.

Source: Bought

Warning: Might contain spoilers for those who haven't read Clockwork Angel. Read at your own risk! (Or you can just skip certain parts of this review.)

My Thoughts:

Clockwork Prince is definitely better than Clockwork Angel. I have been putting off picking up this novel for months. I’m happy that I finally read it – it’s one of the best sequels I’ve read so far.

The love triangle: Jem-Tessa-Will

After reading the book, I don’t know whose team, exactly, I’m on. Will, the Jace-like persona, was annoying and arrogant. As expected, he has a dark secret behind this façade: he was cursed. Everyone who loves him will surely die, like his sister did. He was forced to push away the people he cared for; including the girl he loved (Tessa.) I just felt so bad for him. It must have been so difficult to live like that. Will’s life was the life of a martyr with the mask of indifference.

But Jem was a different matter. He was the sweetest ShadowHunter in their history. With the Chinese features, the silver-bathed hair and eyes, as a consequence to his addiction and his fragility…I just couldn’t bear it to not side with him. I want an almost happy ending for Jem even though according to Clare tradition, it might not happen. In Clockwork Prince, he stepped out of his shell. He was no longer the shy gentleman who played the violin at night. He shed his skin, showed his weakness to Tessa and embraced his fate and love for her. He knew what he wanted and he took risks to get it.

Tessa, on the other hand, was not as likable as the other two. I’m a bit turned off with how she dealt with Will. But, of course, I couldn’t really blame her. All the time, she thought Will hated her. In this installment, I didn’t see the warlock Tessa – but the human one. Despite her abilities and her inhumanity, she was still in touch with her humanity. She was still searching for answers about her true identity. She’s another tragic case – everything she knew about herself and her parents was a lie. There were several scenes in which, while reading, I ached for her. I found myself sympathizing with her.

Romance, humor and sarcasm were abundant, balancing out the epic proportions of tragedy in the novel, as well as giving me enough time to breathe and slightly recover before the onslaught of another unfortunate revelation/event. As usual, I loved Clare’s writing: show not tell.

Clockwork Prince is more addictive with just the right amount of ingredients (romance, tragedy, humor and paranormal) to leave an unforgettable taste in my mouth (after I devoured it.) I highly recommend this to fans of Clare, readers who like urban fantasy, paranormal and steampunk!

Note: The short stories included in this edition (collector’s edition) were great as well. 

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