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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Review: The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Book Description via Goodreads:

Advanced Bound Manuscript, 352 pages

September 27, 2011, Tor/Macmillan USA

Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger. 


The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.


Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.


Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…

Source: Kiki Hamilton (Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

Hamilton presented a London that had so many abandoned children, orphans and pickpockets. It was a fragile and problematic time wherein money was hard to earn and food came scarcely. I was entirely sold out to how the world was built. It seemed real, complete with all the drama of everyday life in the streets. I found it easy to sympathize with the street urchins of The Faerie Ring because here in my country, there are a handful of them too. Their situation was really heartbreaking.

Tara Kathleen, aka Tiki, was one of a kind. Born into a well-off family, she had luxuries as a child. She was well-loved and taken care of. But everything changed when her parents died. She wound up in the streets, penniless, hopeless and lost. She met Fiona and Shamus, two cousins who lived in the streets, striving to live and getting money from pickpocketing. Fiona and Shamus, among two other children – Clara and Toots, were Tiki’s new family. They were unfortunate victims of fate but they tried to make the most out of their situation. They were not related by blood but they lived together and helped each other.

Tiki had found Clara in a pile of trash, almost dead. She struggled to nurse Clara back to health. But with the lack of food, lack of clean clothes and water, Clara kept getting worse. But with Tiki’s amazing find, the Queen’s ring, she might just be able to get enough money to pay Clara’s hospital bills, bring her home, buy a house and supply enough food for her family. But it turned out, getting the money was going to be difficult.

Rieker, a known name among pickpockets, bumped into Tiki a couple of times. He had noticed the strange birthmark on her wrist – a swirl of vines and leaves – and had become intrigued with her. With his handsome face and his charm, he was easy to admire. But Tiki was worried about his interest in the Queen’s ring. Tiki did not trust him. Could Rieker prove that his intentions were good before it’s too late?

The Queen’s ring held the fire of the treaty between the royal family of London and the fey. With it gone missing from the palace, anyone (any fey) could easily get rid of it and then the treaty would be broken. War will set loose. The fey could conquer London.

As usual, there were two fey courts: Seelie and Unseelie. However, only Unseelie fey appeared in The Faerie Ring. They wanted to break the treaty, get back what was once theirs – London. Hamilton portrayed them as vicious, hot-tempered and unpredictable creatures donning human skin. Larkin, the blonde fey, was absolutely intriguing. Even though I hated her, I have to admit that her character kept me reading on.

The Faerie Ring is a perfect fusion of historical fiction and urban fantasy – the best of both worlds, outstanding in tragedy, suspense, peril and magic. Enthralling, dark, mysterious – the story took my breath away with every passing shadow, every budding doubt and every unearthed secret.

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Review: City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Book Description via Goodreads:

Hardcover, 424 pages

April 5, 2011, Margaret K. McElderry

City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever.

Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

Source: Gifted by mom (Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

I’ve read this for almost two weeks now but this is the only time that I was able to write a review. For the days after I read CoFA, the only thing that I could think of when I try to review this is one word: WOW. This is a more enthusiastic review, so please bear with me. So…now for my review:

I am in love with Cassandra Clare’s writing. It was simply beautiful, funny and breathtaking. I know some people were disappointed with this book but I was not. I think it was because I had no specific expectations. I just read for the sake of reading and continuing the story.

The relationships of the characters were given ample attention. Jace and Clary were having a bit of a ‘gap’ between but they had steamy, passionate moments together. Magnus and Alec’s relationship was great. I felt happy that Alec’s parents were able to accept his relationship with a warlock. I liked how I got to see into Maia’s past from another perspective. The characters had their own piece that fits into the whole story.

Simon finally plays a more important role. It was good to know about his daily experience and his feelings as a Daylighter. He was safe from everyone but at the same time, he was somewhat alienated from the vampire society because of his mark. The changes in his love life were amazing. Seeing their world through Simon’s eyes was a bit saddening. As someone who was once human, he missed the mundane things he used to be able to do such as eating and being able to enjoy it. The simple pleasures in his life were gone. I was glad to see Simon as an invincible character who had issues as both a Daylighter and a teenager. What was a bit unfair was that no matter how much Simon helped Shadowhunters, he would always be Other, an unwanted, a Downworlder among the defenders of humanity and of the Law. But as always, Simon’s sense of humour was one of the things that I love in TMI.

Clare’s writing still pulled me in as deep as the first three books of the series. The drama, the suspense and the action were enjoyable. Some of the things that happened were predictable but most of them were unexpected. There were moments when I was screaming ‘Noooooooooo!!’ at the characters, mostly at Clary, but of course, they couldn’t hear me and they got in trouble. There were mighty disturbing images in this novel, things that I would flinch at in real life, things that I would never ever want to see. It was so hideous that I found myself shocked, repulsed and worried for the characters. The fight scenes were well written. It was as if I was watching a movie in slow motion then it would speed up, I could see all the details. The ending was a killer! Be prepared, if you haven’t read it yet. Be prepared, that’s all I’m saying.

City of Fallen Angels excels in the action, romance and suspense department. Darker, sadder and more dangerous, this will leave readers begging for more. I recommend this to Clare’s fans and to urban fantasy readers!

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