Review: Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare

SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS:

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....

MY TAKE:
I was reluctant to start this series because I was worried that Tessa would be too much like Clary and Will would be too much like Jace.

In Clockwork Angel, Tessa Gray goes to London after receiving a letter from her brother. As it turns out, it was a trick. She is rescued by Shadowhunters and now she must work with them to find out what is really going on in London.

I actually enjoyed this book a little bit more than The Mortal Instruments series. Not all the plot twists are fiendishly clever, although there was one major plot twist that I only really figured out just a chapter or so ahead of the other characters.

The presence of automatons and such felt a little strange to me because it seemed like it was a different reality than the ones in TMI. Of course, it is said that the past is a foreign country, so perhaps it's not as strange as I think.

I actually liked the main villain here. His plot was intricate and his planning was excellent. I also liked that he wasn't the kind of villain you'd expect, especially in this universe where the power structures tend to be rigid.

As for the characters, I was right that Will is a lot like Jace. They're both arrogant and self-confident, with family issues they don't really want to talk about or reveal too much about just yet. Tess, thankfully, is a lot more tolerable than Clary. There were moments when she annoyed me with her recklessness and impulsiveness, but away from the field of battle, so to speak, she is okay. As for the supporting characters, the servants at the Institute were all quite nice, although I'm still wary about Sophie. The only Shadowhunter character I really loathed was Jessamine. She was irritating and she really sets back women's rights by several hundred years. She certainly fits the timeline, though.

THE GOOD:

1. The series could potentially be very interesting.
2. The villain is a surprise, but not completely unexpected.
3. The love triangle is more subtle than you'd expect. 

THE BAD:

1. Will reminds me too much of Jace. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

“Remember when you tried to convince me to feed a poultry pie to the mallards in the park to see if you could breed a race of cannibal ducks?"
"They ate it too," Will reminisced. "Bloodthirsty little beasts. Never trust a duck.”

READ IT IF:

1. You liked The Mortal Instruments series.
2. You like Jace Wayland.
3. You like love triangles that aren't so in your face from the get-go. 

RATING:


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