Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince
by Cassandra Clare
Series: The Infernal Devices #2
Publication Date: 6 December 2011
by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Hardcover, Collector’s First Edition, 528 pages
Source: Library

Goodreads | The Book Depository | Amazon

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR CLOCKWORK ANGEL.

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.

Rating: ★★★★★

Oh, Jem. Oh, Jem. I’m going crazy for Jem! So I’m obviously obsessed with James Carstairs. As for the book, I loved it too! It wasn’t slow at the start like how Cassandra Clare’s books usually are. Clockwork Prince was much better than Clockwork Angel, probably because it gets straight to the fun stuff, whereas many introductions and explanations had to be made in the first book, being the first one and all.

Basically, the hunt for Mortmain continues, but this time, failure could mean losing the Institute. As the story progresses, many secrets about all (yes, all) the characters were revealed. I loved how no one was neglected and every single one of the characters were so filled with life, it was as if I knew them! Honestly, this surprised me as I have not really connected with the characters in Cassandra Clare’s books until Clockwork Prince, so kudos to Cassie there!

The Infernal Devices, in my opinion, is much more character-oriented and personal as compared to The Mortal Instruments. I do like this better as, I myself, feel characters are of a higher priority because they are what make stories emotional. But since every plot in the Shadowhunter Chronicles is practically flawless, the focus on the characters did not mean the plot and world-building were neglected. In fact, I would say everything was balanced because I finally, finally got all teary-eyed, which has never happened before when reading TMI.

Yes, I like books that get me all touchy-feely. But which avid reader don’t?

On to the juicy stuff now… The Infernal Devices is one of the rare series where I like both guys – Jem & Will (not equally though). Well, I just like Jem better because he’s so darn sweet to Tessa (actually, to everyone) yet deadly when in combat. But that doesn’t mean I dislike Will. As for who Tessa should end up with, I’ve got mixed feelings about that. Because Will & Tessa give off the ‘soulmate’ vibe. However, due to my preference for Jem… I really can’t decide for Tessa. For those of you who have read Clockwork Prince, you should see now why my feelings were all jumbled up at the end of the book.

A little thing I’d like to share about Clockwork Prince… Cassandra Clare is an utter genius for including Mandarin Chinese phrases spoken by Jem. I speak Chinese & could understand every word he said (in Mandarin), which made me all mushy on the inside since the sentences were spot-on, without grammatical errors. As Mandarin is my least favourite (and worst) subject in school, I found it ironic that I started bawling like an idiot (from being emotionally overwhelmed) when Jem said something to Tessa in Mandarin while she was unconscious. Crazy, huh?

Anyway, after finishing Clockwork Prince, I’m dying to get my hands on Clockwork Princess. I’m actually considering to use my savings to buy a box set of the whole trilogy. In the end, my heart just wanted explode. Because I’m so worried about whether or not Jem would die. And what would become of Will and Tessa? I unfortunately saw a huge spoiler on Tessa & Jem for this book while searching up some info on Tessa’s appearance for my Clockwork Angel review. I really wish I never saw it. So please, those of you who have not finished the whole trilogy and despise spoilers, visit Shadowhunters Wikia at your own risk. It is the perfect place for a plot recap but at the same time, filled to the brim with spoilers. You have been warned!

Now I shall end off with a (partial) quote from Jem.