Thursday, April 21, 2011

Clockwork Angel, Book 1

Title: Clockwork Angel - Book 1
Series: The Infernal Devices

Author: Cassandra Clare
Publication: August 31, 2010

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.


Ashley's Review:


I have a lot of opinions about Clockwork Angel. First, I would like to say I did end up really enjoying this book. It turned out to be very likeable. I had a problem with how long it took to actually get into the storyline and characters. Which took roughly about 200 pages…I also felt it had very similar qualities to City of Bones. When I say that, I mean specifically there were very similar traits with the main stars of the show as well as the storyline in itself. It seemed to have an equal personality in Clockwork Angel as City of Bones, all the way from the damsel in distress to the overall villain trying to conquer all.

At that I will say I did start to feel an attachment to each character and specifically because of their personalities. Tessa was a very sweet, intelligent girl. She could always see the good and bad qualities in everyone, yet she never let the bad qualities sway her opinion of them. She truly believed everyone had a good side and some people were just not strong enough to dominate the bad. I genuinely loved Will and Jem, for very different reasons. Will is very good at heart and is highly protective of each of his loved ones, even if he won’t admit it. He has a dark side that no one is completely sure of, but tries ot portray the bad boy mentality so no one will ask questions. He wants everyone to just think “oh well that’s Will being Will”. The last thing he would ever want to do is open up to anyone, especially those he cares for most. You will find the complete opposite traits in Jem. He is thoughtful and caring, always seeing the optimistic side of whatever the situation is. No matter the character and the situation, Jem gives the most amazing advice to help them through their issue. Definitely someone you would want around when you are feeling down.

The storyline itself felt pretty predictable throughout the drama to the villain, BUT I still found myself interested in finding out the end result. I did not feel like the story was completely original due to the similarities with City of Bones. It did answer quite a few questions that went without being said previously in all of The Mortal Instruments and it was nice to see the background of the characters I very much love in TMI. It will be exciting to see what characters will come back up in City of Fallen Angels. The book did take a lot to start enjoying, BUT it left me with wanting to see what the next adventure will bring in the next addition, Clockwork Prince. I do recommend this book if you love the Shadowhunter world as much as me!

4 comments:

Gwen Lightburn said...

After finishing A Clockwork Angel, I had many opinions, too. Most of mine weren't positive, though. The Mortal Instruments are among a very short list of young adult paranormal romances/urban fantasies that I consider "good." So when CA came out, I was thrilled and excited to read it. By the end, though, I felt like I'd read a fan fiction.

I have a few big complaints. 1) Tessa is even more of a captive than Bella Swan; literally, she only goes outside once. 2) Will is a pathetic Jace. 3) It's rushed, undeveloped. 4) Clare doesn't do Victorian England justice; she has soooo much potential material from this age, but she didn't go for it. Bummer!

Regardless, I enjoy reading your reviews. Feel free to stop by my blog and see what I had to say about this (and many other) YAs.

parapseudo.blogspot.com

Amber said...

Gwen, I am currently writing my review on this book as well and I have to agree with you on all those points! My review will be a 3 for this book. It took me too long to get into it and I was never truly satisfied. However, I know a lot of people who really loved it! I LOVED TMI, so this one was a let down for me. By the end I did feel like I liked it and it could pick up throughout the series, but still a disappointment for me unfortunately. Thanks for stopping by our blog!

Bookluvr Mindy said...

I'm a new follower through goodreads...check out my blog at http://www.magicalurbanfantasyreads.com/

Ashniss said...

I know what you mean Gwen! I just felt like there was not alot of thought put into the book. Cassandra Clare was originally a fanfic author so I am sure thats why there are such similarities. I think the book was really pointless, but hopefully the next 2 will be better. I really wanted to give it 3.5 stars, only because I did end up "liking" it at the end. Will it be something I read again, not a chance.