Shining Pages

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"'One must always be careful of books,' said Tessa, 'and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.'"

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them...

I loved this book! I chose to read Cassandra Clare's books in publication order, so I have finished the first three books of The Mortal Instruments series and now completed Clockwork Angel. I really appreciated this prequel to The Mortal Instruments series, and I enjoyed all of the nods to it. I got so excited when Magnus Bane was introduced (although he did not get enough pages) and even when Jem finds his new pet cat, Church! I liked being able to get some of the history behind The Mortal Instruments and I am really loving The Infernal Devices so far. 

I thought Cassandra Clare did a fantastic job of building the Shadow world in London, and it was interesting to learn about the Enclave and hear familiar names like Lightwood, Herondale, and Wayland. I was immediately hooked by the characters and I love the bromance between Will and Jem. I am looking forward to scenes with Tessa, Will, and Jem together because I found them so entertaining! 

The plot was captivating and I am left with so many questions that I just can't wait to read Clockwork Prince! I think Cassandra Clare does a fabulous job at leaving her readers with so many unanswered questions, so that they can't possibly lose interest and stop reading. Or that may be just me...but I don't mind, I still need to continue reading ASAP! Clockwork Angel is filled with action-packed scenes, a possible love triangle, and intriguing characters. I found the book to be extremely entertaining, especially receiving some backstory into the Shadow world. Also, I loved that short chapter at the end, set in City of Bones with Magnus looking through things he kept from his past. I am interested to see if Tessa makes an appearance in The Mortal Instruments series, since he did hint that she is going to live forever. I don't know what to make of his "vow" to never get attached to Shadowhunters again: is this a bad thing, showing that he might betray Clary's clan of Shadowhunters? Or, should I swoon at this because he did what he did not want to do in getting attached to Shadowhunters again?! Hm, I'm not sure, but I guess I'll find out soon enough!

(Spoilers may be below - read carefully!)

• Backstory of Shadow world
• I think this is something that I most enjoyed because every time I read a familiar name or even a subtle thing like the "Pandemonium" Club, I was immediately more intrigued! I just really liked the subtle nods to The Mortal Instruments world, learning more about the Enclave in London, and some history of Shadow world!
• Setting in London
• I like having The Infernal Devices set in London, because we get a look at a different world, while learning more about an actual city! 
• I appreciate that Cassandra Clare was trying to be as accurate as possible with the setting, and I think she did a very good job
• Tessa/Will/Jem
• I really like this group of characters, and I'm excited to see what they will do in the next couple of books. I enjoy their sarcastic conversations together and I do kind of like this love triangle. But, I like both Will and Jem and I don't want to see either of them hurt once Tessa chooses which boy she likes better. So, I'm not looking forward to that since that will definitely put a damper on this little clan.

"It's all right to love someone who doesn't love you back, as long as they're worth you loving them. As long as they deserve it."

• I can't even really think of anything that I absolutely didn't like in this book! Maybe I can fill this section in later, but for now...it's empty! 

• Tessa
• Can I first start off by saying how much I like the name Tessa? I think it's so pretty, I don't know why!!
• I found Tessa to be a very interesting character and saw some similarities between her and Clary. They both had no idea of the Shadow world and have some strange ability that everyone else seems to find very beneficial. (Also, she seems to have her eyes on a certain Shadowhunter, just like Clary)
• I liked Tessa's strong will and her loyalty to her brother, despite his...imperfections. I think I am going to love her as a character, and can't wait to see what she can do with this special power. 
• Will
• Will has so many similarities to Jace, it's crazy! Will seems to have some issues with his parents that we haven't learned yet, has a sarcastic and haughty attitude, and may live just to torture himself (although, he doesn't have as much of a self-pity attitude like Jace does). These Herondale boys seem to have some issues.
• I'm very curious as to why he left his parents and never wanted to see them again. And, Cassandra kept talking about Will carrying some box, so I'm not sure what that is either. 
• I do like his loyalty to Jem and their friendship is just so cute. They both want to protect each other and they do not mind each other's bad qualities. 
• Jem
• I love Jem!! I think he is so sweet and caring for others, not just for Will, but for literally everyone. He is a refreshing character because he doesn't seem to have an ulterior motive to his kindness.
• ...And then of course, his kindness and positive qualities are rewarded by giving him an addiction that will end up killing him. WHY??? I hope they find a cure for that in the next two novels, because I can't live with reading about his death.
• Charlotte/Henry
• I really like Charlotte and how she is running The Institute at such a young age and as a female, which seems unheard of in this setting. She has such a passion for helping those in The Institute and I hope she stays running it!
• Henry is interesting, I don't really know what to make of him. I honestly couldn't picture him in my head while I was reading about him, like I usually do with characters. He just confuses me, I don't know why. Like he married Charlotte just to be in The Institute? I'm confused.
• Jessamine
• Probably my least favorite character in this book...she just seems to be a brat. But, she also shows bravery and compassion when it is needed, so then I don't really hate her.

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