Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices)

When I read The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, I was not hooked the way I was hooked with Clockwork Angel. I think that having some background knowledge about the Shadowhunter world--knowing what a parabatai is, knowing what an iratze and a stele are, knowing what the purpose of a Shadowhunter Institute is, etc.--definitely helped propel my liking of the book. But, there are also many other reasons why I fell in love with Clockwork Angel. Here are the five reasons why I gave Clockwork Angel 5 out of 5 stars, and since I wrote such a long intro I'll try to keep it short: ★ CHARACTERS The characters in The Infernal Devices are so lovable. I fell in love with Tessa, Will, Jem and all the inhabitants of the London Institute a lot faster than I did with the characters of The Mortal Instruments. However, there were some similarities between some of the characters in TID and TMI; for example there was a lot of Jace in Will. I also found that the characters of this series are incredibly complex. They all face a lot of internal struggles. There's Tessa, who learns that she has the ability to transform into anyone (living or dead). Discovering this supernatural talent causes her to question everything about her life. Then we have Will Herondale, the boy with lots of secrets. Will, for reasons unknown, abandoned his family when he was young and sought refuge at the London Institute, choosing the Shadowhunter life over his family's exiled-mundane lifestyle. And, finally there's Jem, Will's parabatai who also joined the Institute when he was young after his family was slaughtered by a demon. Jem suffers from a mysterious illness that will become very important to the plot of this trilogy in the next two books. I personally found this "illness" to be one of the most interesting character Achilles heels of the story. Jem's illness was a very different subject matter for Clare to write about and I loved it. And, of course, there's Magnus Bane, my favorite of all of Clare's characters. Magnus is just that character who I wish was my best friend--he's funny, charming, has a good heart, and is very resourceful. So, I was especially excited to find him in this series. I think that the characters of The Infernal Devices are very different from any other characters Cassandra Clare has written (besides Magnus, because, ya know, he's still Magnus). You can't beat this set of diverse characters Clare has so perfectly crafted. ★ SETTING I was reluctant to read TID because of the 1870s London setting, but I ended up really liking the story for that reason and I felt that the setting really added to the plot. With this book, I was transported to a different era and to a city I've never been to. But, I couldn't say that about TMI. Cassandra Clare is especially talented at worldbuilding. I think that that's one of the reasons why I love her writing so much--I feel like I am literally in her world. And, she did an especially good job with this in Clockwork Angel. ★ PLOT As is typical of Clare's works, in Clockwork Angel Shadowhunters go up against an evil villain who threatens to cause chaos and mass destruction in the world. That was expected; I wasn't surprised to find that this was the plot of the story. However, there were a lot of points that made this plot more unique than just that. For example: There is a villain, but the Shadowhunters do not know who he/she is. They know that the person's name is The Magister, but there are a number of people who he/she could be. So, it's kind of like a game of clue within the plot! Fun! Tessa is the weapon the villain wants to use to do evil things. Our main character could become a weapon of mass destruction. How intriguing is that? And there are a lot more spoilery points that make this plot unique, but I wouldn't do that to you guys. Of course there is plenty of action, adventure, romance, and... ★ HUMOR It ain't a Cassandra Clare book unless it's got some witty humor. I think I've said this before in one of my Mortal Instruments reviews, but I'll say it again: Cassandra Clare is so good at making me laugh! One minute I'm heartbroken, the next minute I'm laughing. When I wrote about The Mortal Instruments, I talked about how I love Jace's dry humor and sarcasm. Now that role has befallen his ancestor, Will. You are going to have to read my Clockwork Prince review in order to get an in-depth explanation of the perfection that is Will Herondale. It seems that sarcastic humor runs in the Herondale bloodline. As well a very amusing fear of ducks. ★ FILLS IN THE BLANKS OF TMI Reading TMI, there were so many references to ancestors of the New York Institute Shadowhunters, like Will Herondale, and I never quite understood them. But, now everything makes sense. Especially the end of CoHF. What I love most about Clare's Shadowhunter Chronicles is that they are all connected. All of her characters are connected in some way whether they know it or not. And, there is something very beautiful about that. It kind of makes you think of all the people out there that you are connected to, and you don't even know it. You may never meet them. But, it's the possibilities that matter. *** Needless to say, I really loved this book. This series is soooo good. If you've read The Mortal Instruments but haven't made it to The Infernal Devices yet, stop waiting! I realize that I did myself a terrible injustice in waiting so long to read these books, so don't do what I did! I have completed this series, and I will tell you that it is better than The Mortal Instruments. There, I said it. The Infernal Devices is better than The Mortal Instruments.

I really enjoyed reading this one. I enjoyed all the characters and can't wait to see what happens in the next one. Don't be fooled by me taking almost a month to finish the book to base how good the book is. I would have read this one quicker but I have been taking care of my grandfather fresh out of the hospital and haven't had much time. Synopsis: After having to bury her Aunt Harriet and sell everything including most of her wardrobe in order to do so, Tessa Grey leaves New York and sails to London. She has arranged to meet her brother Nate at the docks, but met the Dark sisters instead. The Dark sisters tricked her into going back to the house with them where she is held captive, and made to do things she didn’t want to do. When the Dark sisters were satisfied with Tessa’s transformations into other people they arranged for the magister to come and marry her. While waiting on the arrival of the mysterious magister, Tessa had escaped the straps that bound her to the bed however, she could not escape the bedroom let alone the house itself. She was searching for a way out when the handsome Will busted in the door and made her escape possible. Will had been searching for clues of a murder that had taken place and was directed to the Dark sister’s house by some of the downworlders. The escape ended with a fight, Will had managed to kill one of the sisters, but Tessa was thrown across the room and knocked unconscious. Tessa woke in the institute to the shocking appearance of Brother Enoch, and was very frightened until Charlotte—who runs the institution—calmed her down. Tessa had learned from her stay in the Dark house that their where things in the world that was not normal, and in fact she was not normal. However, she thought it to be a delusion, that she was trapped in a nightmare until now at the institution when Charlotte cleared things up a bit more, and made Tessa more acceptable to the odd things that were hidden from her. Tessa was told about the difference between downworlders—faeries, werewolves, vampires, and warlocks—and shadowhunters—“Warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons”—and learned that she herself was in fact a downworlder, though no one knew just what kind. The accords that help keep peace with the downworlders bound the shadowhunters to help Tessa. Charlotte gave her word she would help find Tessa’s Brother Nate, and demand nothing but help in the ongoing investigation of the mundane murders and the Pandemonium club members in return. Tessa might be able to help with the Dark sisters and the house that imprisoned her. Tessa met most of the members of the institute over dinner. Some she had met during her escape from the Dark house like Henry—Charlotte’s husband—and Will—the arrogant and handsome teenage shadowhunter. Then there was Jessamine and her servant Sophie. Jessamine was hateful and questioned Tessa’s innocence. Sophie on the other hand was kind and not like other servants, she could speak freely in the institute without punishment or disapproval. Tessa didn’t meet Jem—orphan from Shanghai China—until later when his violin playing woke her up out of a deep sleep. He was kind enough to her, more so than Will had been earlier that day. The next morning discussions of investigation took place over breakfast. Will and Jem went to search the Dark sister’s house and found a human-looking machine screaming warnings at the two nephilium. Charlotte and Hennery went to talk with Nate’s employer about his disappearance and to their surprise Mr. Mortmain—once a traveler and trader of spices, now in the machinery business—knew who they were. Charlotte was able to get some helpful information out of Mr. Mortmain, including the name of the magister—de Quincey. Later on that day a trusted vampire by the name Camille came to visit and observe Tessa and her abilities. She had a plan of getting the shadowhunters into one of de Quincey’s very private parties where killing of mundane take place. If the plan went well, Tessa would transform into Camille and be escorted by warlock Magnus Bane, and by Will as her subjugate. They would witness the murders for themselves and bring the enclave down on them. At the party the trap took place as planned. Tessa and Will met Magnus Bane and he led them into a library that also served as an office. Will searched until he came up with blueprints for the automatons, like the one Jem and he found at the Dark sisters house. When the ceremony started the three of them took seats among the other vampires and observed de Quincey slash a cut into the throat of a hooded mundane. That was Tessa’s clue to leave with Magnus so Will could hit the button on Hennery’s device and signal the enclave. Just when Tessa was leaving the room, de Quincey unmasked the mundane and Tessa saw it was her brother Nate. She screamed at Will, Will hit the button, but instead of a white light shooting out like appose to, the curtains burst into flames. Ciaos broke out in

Nachdem ich "The Mortal Instruments" regelrecht verschlungen habe, hat es nicht lange gedauert, bis ich mir "Clockwork Angel" zugelegt habe. Und was soll ich sagen: Es ist genauso toll, wie die Vorgänger - oder eben Nachfolger. Die Story steigert sich wie in einer Spirale immer mehr, bis sie dann in den letzten drei Kapiteln explodiert und mit Überraschungen aufwartet, die man vielleicht hätte vermuten können, aber eigentlich nicht wollte. So ging es mir nämlich. Die Handlung ist von vorn bis hinten perfekt durchdacht und es gibt keine Stelle an der ich fragend die Augenbrauen heben musste (außer denen, die vollkommen beabsichtigt waren). Interessant war für mich der Aspekt der "automatons"... erst in dem Buch "Die Landkarte der Zeit" ging es darum und mir war bisher gar nicht klar, wie viel Einfluss die Vorstellung davon wirklich auf die Menschen hatten - und noch immer haben. Natürlich fragt man sich, warum solche Maschinen nicht auch von den "heutigen" Dämonen genutzt werden, aber Cassandra sagte ja, dass man das Prequel kennen sollte, um das Sequel zu den Mortal Instruments zu verstehen. Vielleicht kommt die Antwort, als am 5.April. Dass das Buch als spannend war, versteht sich somit von selbst. Der Stil ist wunderbar wie auch in den vorherigen Bänden, vielleicht sogar noch etwas flüssiger und feiner. Es ist sehr angenehm zu lesen. Ich kennen die Deutschen Übersetzungen nicht, aber ich kann mir vorstellen, dass etwas von diesem Wunderbaren verlorgen geht, durch die Übersetzung. Zu den Charakteren... zu erst hat mich Tessa sehr an Clary erinnert: Ein Mädchen, dass zu anfangs von nichts weiß und langsam die Welt entdeckt. Doch Tessa ist anders und ihre charakterliche Entwicklung ist bemerkenswert. Vertritt sie am Anfang noch die Meinung, dass Frauen dem Mann nicht zu wiedersprechen haben, ändert sich dies in der Gesellschaft von Will sehr schnell. Sie wird außerdem mutiger, aufgeschlossener. Ihre wohl größte Entwicklung erfährt sich jedoch für mich in den Moment, als sie ihre Gabe für sich selbst nutzt. Dauert zwar etwas, aber sie lernt, dass sie nicht nur schwach ist, wie es Frauen eigentlich sein müssten. Will... Ein neuer Jace!!! Dachte ich... Bis mir dann bei dem Familiennamen einiges klar wurde und ich dann noch nur den Gedanken hatte: Irgendwo musste es ja herkommen.^^ Aber ähnlich wie Jace ist Will jemand, der nach außen hin eine Fassade aufgebaut hat und diese krampfhaft aufrecht erhält. Nicht einmal sein bester Freund Jem, scheint das dahinter zu kennen. Es macht Will geheimnisvoll und anziehend, aber man hat auch irgendwie Angst vor ihm. Der Cliff am Ende des Buches, der ja nun mal ihn direkt betrifft, war sehr klever und äußerst gemein gesetzt. Man gewinnt die Charaktere von Cassandra Clare nun mal lieb - eigentlich jeden, auch die anstrengensten - und MUSS wissen, was mit ihnen weiter geschieht. Um den zweiten Band kommt man nicht herum, wenn man den Epiog gelesen hat. Jem... James... ich weigere mich zu glauben, dass sein Schicksal wirklich schon besiegelt ist. Es geschehen noch Zeichen und Wunder, sonst wäre es kein Fantasy-Roman und Jem ist jemand, der mir sehr symphathisch ist. Wäre ich Tesse, wüsste ich wohl nicht, für wen ich mich entscheiden würde. -.^ Er ist scheint sehr liebvoll, nachdenklich und fürsorglich zu sein, hat immer Verständis für andere und versucht in allem etwas positives zu sehen. Nicht nur durch sein Aussehen, ist er ein Gegenpol zu Will, sondern eben auch durch dieses Verhalten. Es macht ihn zum ruhigen Punkt in all der Spannung. Das soll erst einmal genügen, obwohl man sicher fortfahren könnte, aber das würde wohl zu lange dauern. Ich werde auf jeden Fall weiterlesen und kann es schon kaum erwarten. Erst einmal aber, freue ich mich auf "City of Fallen Angels"!

Man, this series has me so overwhelmed; I can understand why so many people adore TID maybe even more than TMI (The Mortal Instruments.) While I love TMI too, I feel that TID was more intense both emotionally and plot-wise, as well as darker and sadder, though thankfully it was not tragic. It felt like there was more drama in The Infernal Devices than in The Mortal Instruments, as TID had great tension, excitement, and some very intriguing plot and character situations. Maybe one reason why The Infernal Devices feels more intense to me than The Mortal Instruments does, is that the former was set in the 19th century, where the things people do and say feel more foreign and quaint; The Mortal Instruments was set in our modern times, so it felt more familiar, safe, and lighthearted. So you could say The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices had different styles and tones. What blew my mind most about The Infernal Devices was the romance; Tessa, Will, and Jem are put in such a unique and strange situation...This is really not your average romance! Though I like Will, I have to say I still enjoy Jem and Tessa's relationship more, partly because Jem is my favorite character. Not only does Jem have an amazing personality, especially given his circumstances, he also goes through so many extraordinary experiences! And as saintly as Jem may seem, if you look closely, he is flawed, in a good way, and he is a complex, richly layered character who goes through some very interesting changes. I can really see why Jem might be one of the most popular characters in the whole Shadowhunter saga. Magnus Bane also seems to be one of the most beloved characters in the Shadowhunter stories, and I can see why too. He has a very likable personality, your heart feels for him, and he's pretty interesting and complex. As usual, I love how Cassandra's books have a thrilling and intriguing plot, as well as a lot of character relationship and personality development. This is very good because a lot of other books excel on the one but not on the other. As well as that, I like how the characters deliver some nice moral messages, through both their words and actions; their words don't feel like sermons, however, as these were things the characters would naturally say given their personal beliefs, experiences, and the current situation. These moral and philosophical messages make the books feel even more meaningful and deep.

"Clockwork Angel" is the first of a new series of books called "The Infernal Devices," which is set in London during the Victorian Period and acts a kind of Prequel to the Mortal Instruments Trilogy. Though it's probably recommended to read The Mortal Instruments first before reading this, you don't have to since the two story-lines don't interweave in any way and the fantasy elements are explained really clearly again in the first few chapters of the book. The plot revolves around Tessa Gray, a sixteen-year-old girl, who journeys from New York to London to live with her older brother Nathaniel, after the death of her Aunt, her one sole guardian. However on arriving she is meet by the strange and mysterious Dark Sisters and their coachman who insist that they were sent by her brother to collect her and it soon turns out that the sisters have a terrible fate in store for Tessa. They keep her prisoner while trying to train her to harness a unique power that she never knew she had, a power that makes her one of the most hunted people in the city. Soon Tessa is introduced to the Downworld of London, a place of warlocks, fey, vampires, werewolves and of course the Shadowhunters, a group of warriors whom she later seeks refuge with. Cassandra Clare is quickly becoming my favorite author and with her latest book, it's not hard to see why. As all her books, "Clockwork Angel" is highly addictive. The plot is engrossing and filled with so many unexpected twists that you don't expect, none of which I want to give away. The fantasy elements are also really well done, so that it still fits within the realistic setting of Victorian London and doesn't become too overwhelming but the best part of the book has to be the characters. Clare has a wonderful talent in making you love and care for her characters in only a couple of chapters. All of them are fleshed out, with secrets, histories and motives for everything they do, even the minor characters all have an important part to play but each uniquely different. The most infuriating character of all has to be the handsome yet morally corrupt Will Herondale, who is similar to Jace, since Clare has raised so many questions about his elusive past and motives. One of the biggest mysteries which I look forward to seeing revealed is that of Tessa who is also a very likable and believable heroine who though strong and brave also likes to fantasize about her most loved novels and characters as plenty of teenage girls would do. I also love the way Clare develops romance in her novels sine it is not cliched or quick with an instant connection with first sight, rather more, it develops slowly so that it becomes believable. Being the first book, there is some romantic elements but the characters are developing more as friends Clare paints the time period nicely as well, though don't count on it being very geographically accurate, as there is more emphasis on atmosphere that she evokes of the setting rather than the historical facts. The writing is also well done and improves with each novel she writes though the novel really primarily is a work of YA fiction. So if you're looking for a fun light read and well-written escapism fiction then this really is the book. Just sit back, relax and enjoy reading it.

Lo regalé a una loca de las sagas de Cazadores de Sombras y lo flipó. Edición bonita y con láminas con los personajes. Muy chulo. Íntegro en inglés, eso sí.

Sou completamente apaixonada no universo de Shadowhunters e já li todos. Infernal devices é minha trilogia favorita entre eles (mas isso não eh consenso, já vi muita gnt não gostar mt) O forte do livro são os relacionamentos (familiares, amistosos e amorosos) muito mais que a parte da “ação”. Tenho mil frases marcadas q me tocaram profundamente. Sobre essa edição: MARAVILHOSA Não li (pq não tenho coragem por medo de estragar e já tenho outras edições) mas folheei e por dentro é lindo tbm. Tem desenhos (no começo tem todos os personagens), aniversários dos personagens e o primeiro capítulo de Chain of Gold. O corte é normal. Chegou em perfeito estado e rapidinho. Vale mtt a pena se vc já for fã. Se vc não for, aí vai de vc pq não é tão barato, mas eu compraria só pela capa pra deixar na estante de tão lindo.