Review: Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare

SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS:

Tessa Gray should be happy—aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her. 

MY TAKE:
Overall, I liked The Infernal Devices series better than The Mortal Instruments series, thanks in part to this book.

In Clockwork Princess, Tessa has been taken by Mortmain, and what's left of the group of Shadowhunters in the London Institute must do what they can to save not only Tessa but also defeat Mortmain's army.

The above summary covers only the main plot point, because there are a lot of things going on in this book. First, there's the business of who Tessa really is and what the clockwork angel is for. Second, there's Jem's fate. Then, of course, there's all the romantic relationships between the many characters in the series.

The mystery of what Tessa really was is a good one. I wasn't able to guess it exactly, but the explanation seemed logical enough so it doesn't feel like it's just a way to keep readers guessing. The whole fight scene at the end was unexpected, in a way, as well, but again does make sense given the time period and Shadowhunter politics.

The romantic relationships weren't super interesting to me, other than giving me a way to guess who were the ancestors of the characters in TMI. If you're a fan of their descendants in TMI, then you'll probably find their interactions fascinating. I did too, at first, but after awhile, the number of relationships started to feel like a chore to read.

As for the Tessa-Will-Jem triangle, I already had an idea about what would happen since I read the TMI series first. Honestly, I found Will and Tessa's relationship to be too emo and dramatic. I found myself rolling my eyes and skipping passages. I was more interested in Tessa and Jem. Jem and Tessa had their dramatic moments too, but it never felt overboard to me.

The resolution to their triangle felt like a safe answer to me. Everyone is happy eventually. I'd rather that Tessa chose just one, but I guess this is okay too, since they all got what they wanted.

THE GOOD:

1. Team Jem and Team Will both win.
2. A lot of questions from previous books are answered satisfactorily.
3. It's fun to read about the ancestors of the characters from TMI. 

THE BAD:

1. I thought Will and Tessa's angst was just too much. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

“Men may be stronger, but it is women who endure.”  

READ IT IF:

1. You liked TMI.
2. You like the Shadowhunter world.
3. You like love triangles. 

RATING:


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