Book Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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.

MY REVIEW:

Cassandra Clare sure knows how to shake my world.

      It’s been one year since I last read of Will, Jem & Tessa, and being with them once more is truly a formidable joy. Set in the historical and thrilling London in the 19th century, the midst of London, especially at night, makes me yearn and long for the place I haven’t even been too.

      Clockwork Prince was all things I didn’t expect it to be. The wonderful and fair love triangle that Will, Jem & Tessa are involved in, but ironically, they seem to be unaware of..until the end. It may be a bitter end for some, but for me it’s bittersweet. Painful heartaches engulfed me, but I thought, Cassie is very wise in deciding of who ends up with who. Given the circumstances... I’m quite sure, many things can still transpire in the next installment, Clockwork Princess.

      Meanwhile, the love triangle, as much as that was what made me excited and giddy all the time with this book. I’m also particularly thrilled with all the secrets, (oh finally!) revealed. Questions that have unnerved me since Clockwork Angel yes, Will’s secret is finally explained! I won’t talk much about the story, since you can all get that from the summary, but I can talk more in detail about the things I liked and disliked (maybe, i think there wasn’t any though,haha) and my say on some things that happened in this novel.
       Cassandra Clare, once again, didn’t fail to amaze me in her writing. I am simply in awe of how she writes. Clearly, this woman knows the specific buttons to push me to my limit (I was really, okay, I’m embarrassed with myself if someone else saw how I reacted while reading, that embarrassing!). There were hundreds of scenes in the book. From different perspectives, but mostly from Tessa. The story plot was not boring! Even the ordinary conversations, those little things were important to form the bigger picture..but some were part of each character’s development. The story’s plot was very much engaging and once I started reading, I didn’t want to stop, it’s like a music that kept me dancing and moving to the beat nonstop! I dreaded the times I had to put down the book because I’m running late for my class. In class however, it takes a lot of my sanity not to think about Will, Tessa and Jem so much, and what might yet happen next. I just can’t wait to go home and resume reading. (yeah i’m that addicted). The book had me leashed like a slave addicted to opium (or for the Shadowhunter’s sake, ‘yin feng’).

       The story. The main problem continues to focus on the Magister and there’s also this thing where Charlotte’s I like how this seemed to be a detective type of story, where there’s some serious investigations and spying done, with politics. But it’s not your usual mundane politics, but it involves the race we all know and love- Shadowhunters. There’s just some air of mysteriousness in the way “Shadowhunters” are pronounced and stuff, and I really want to be one, it’s not only cool but it’s brave. Anyway, in the end, after so much investigations, suspicions, research, intelligent guesses, travels, favors, and plans, the Magister is still not found. Throughout the story though, there’s some spying...some surprising relevations, and some ridiculous past family feuds. There’s a long many years of understanding cleared up, and the last 20% of the book was a good closure for the story.

       I can’t stop myself and I just have to say something about the characters. It’s such a shame not to praise them! Tessa. She’s only sixteen! yet she’s been through a lot, and she speaks and thinks not that of a 16-year old. Seriously. She learns more of who she really is, though it’s still quite vague, but it’s not frustrating at all. It just makes me more curious but not frustrated because it’s not ridiculously made (not like Fallen series, anyway). Seriously. There’s being torn between two equally great guys. One’s brooding and handsome, and hot and all those secrets hidden beneath those captivating blue eyes. Yes, that’s Will. And the other who became her confidant, and close friend. Nice and steady and calm Jem. I must not lie, but she’s inclining more to Jem in this book, they became closer here. There’s so much things I did not expect. Lots of making out, like lots. (i’m not saying with whom)... Another lovable character is Will. His walls are coming down. We’ll learn a lot of him, I for one understood his attitude because of this secret. I like how Magnus and Will bonded. When you learn of Will’s secret, you’ll adore him more! I sure did. I had lots of “poor will” mentions...sigh. Jem. omygosh, Jem. I never did had a crush on him on Clockwork Angel, but here! We’ll see a side of him that’s so unlike him. Jem, Jem, Jem. So much of him. soo so much. sigh. Sophie, well, sweet sweet Sophie arises from her shell and we’ll see how special she is. Jessamine, oh poor Jess...but. anyway, I simply loved Charlotte and Henry! Their family in the institute is so lovely to visit each time. Sigh. So much growth, so much maturity, so much so much!!!!

The ending is to die for. :)

PEOPLE, people! you have to read this book and share my JOY. I simply am happy to have read this fabulous and smart book! Cassandra Clare, you rocked my world! :) I can’t wait for Clockwork Princess.!!!


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