BOOK REVIEW: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Publication Date:December 6th 2011

 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

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.

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

Rate: 5 out of 5 stars

My Thoughts:
     Where do I even begin? Clockwork Prince completely blew my mind. It exceeded all the expectations I had for it. Clockwork Angel left me craving for more of this great series, and I definitely got it!
     The shadowhunters are still in search of The Magister, & Tessa has tried to help by using her power to Change. She feels guilty over her brother, being a traitor. Realizing that the war Mortmain is trying to start has a deeper, more personal meaning to it, the main trio will have to travel to The Yorkshire Institute to get more information. While on the search for The magister, Tessa and the rest find out thing they would have never expected.
     The characters are the thing that really sucks me in! You genuinely care about them. They are characters that we wish to be, or to have fall in love with us. Characters that we love, and hate, and love to hate who make us reevaluate our own views.
     Tessa honestly grew so much from Clockwork Angel, to Clockwork Prince. Finding out you're possibly a warlock, that your brother hates you and would sell you out to a psychotic crazy mastermind, and that you are the key to the said psychotic crazy masterminds plan for war, can do that to a girl. She’s strong and independent without being prideful enough to refuse help when she needs it.
     Knowing what exactly happened to Will when he was younger, made me want to throw my arms around him in a big obnoxious hug. You start understanding why he does, what he does. And why he starts changing. Like it's said in the book, "Will's wall is starting to crumble". Although, it kinda irked me that Will had 5 years to look into the demon that attacked him and find out the truth, but instead waited till now. It's understandable, considering the fact that he was still pretty young when he was was attacked, and his sister died,
     You learn alot more about Jem as well. Quite honestly, now that I think about it, Jem wasn't in the first book all that much. I mean, he was there, but he wasn't there as much as Will was. In this book, Jem and Tessa get alot more time together. And, oh my, that hot and steamy scene where they we kissing. :D I actually started blushing.
     Now lets talk about Jessamine being a spy for Nate. At first, when it was said that Sofie saw her sneaking out, I thought it was just that....Sneaking out. I thought "Maybe she just doesn't like staying in the institute. Or just maybe, she was getting a breath of fresh air, and all her clothes we dirty, so she had to borrow some of the guys cloths" (The second one is a little far fetched,isn't it?) It isn't until Tessa actually said that she was probably sneaking out to see a suitor, that made me think, "Hey, maybe she's with Nate!" So, when she was discovered as a traitor, it wasn't really an "OMG" moment. More like a, "Ohhhh, shit's about to go down" moment. (Sorry for my fowl language) Either way, it really hurt me when Charlotte started crying.
     My favorite part of the book, though, was when it was discovered that Benedict Lightwood had Demon pox. Will stood up, danced in a circle and started singing:

“Demon pox, oh demon pox
Just how is it acquired?
One must go down to the bad part of town
Until one is very tired.
Demon pox, oh demon pox, I had it all along—
Not the pox, you foolish blocks,
I mean this very song—
For I was right, and you were wrong!"

 

     So, am I Team Will or Team Jem? I'm pretty sure I'm Team Will, but then again, Jem is starting to grow on me!

      Clockwork Prince was a FANTASTIC addition to The Infernal Devices series. Cassandra Clare doesn't stop amazing me with these great stories. the writing is great, the plot amazing, and the twists in this book made for a great roller coaster ride. I will most definitely put this book in my favorites list. BTW, guess what book I'm reading next?! Clockwork Princess!

 

Quotes:

 

 “Ah,” said a voice from the doorway, “having your annual ‘everyone thinks Will is a lunatic’ meeting, are you?
“It’s biannual,” said Jem. “And no, this is not that meeting.”
― Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Prince



“They’re not hideous,” said Tessa.
Will blinked at her. “What?”
“Gideon and Gabriel,” said Tessa. “They’re really quite good-looking, not hideous at all.”
“I spoke,” said Will, in sepulchral tones, “of the pitch-black inner depths of their souls.”
Tessa snorted. “And what color do you suppose the inner depths of your soul are, Will Herondale?”
“Mauve,” said Will.”
― Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Prince

“Trains are great dirty smoky things," said Will. "You won't like it."
Tessa was unmoved. "I won't know if I like it until I try it, will I?"
"I've never swum naked in the Thames before, but I know I wouldn't like it."
"But think how entertaining for sightseers," said Tessa, and she saw Jem duck his head to hide the quick flash of his grin.”
― Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Prince

“Reparations,” said Jem very suddenly, setting down the pen he was holding.
Will looked at him in puzzlement. “Is this a game? We just blurt out whatever word comes next to mind? In that case mine is ‘genuphobia’. It means an unreasonable fear of knees.”
“What’s the word for a perfectly reasonable fear of annoying idiots?” inquired Jessamine.”
― Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Prince

“When Will truly wants something,” said Jem, quietly, “when he feels something — he can break your heart.”
― Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Prince