Review: Clockwork Prince

Book: Clockwork Prince
Author: Cassandra Clare
Release Date: December 6, 2011
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 497
Source: publisher (thank you, Simon & Schuster!!)
Stars: 5/5

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.

(summary taken from Goodreads) 

MY THOUGHTS:

Oh my gosh, this book was PURE PERFECTION! Cassandra Clare has long since earned her place as one of my favourite authors ever (with The Mortal Instruments series and the first book for this steampunk prequel series, Clockwork Angel), but she's outdone herself with this one!

I didn't think it was possible to love Tessa even more in Clockwork Prince, but I did! She was just so strong, and intelligent, and determined, and not once did my heart differ from hers — we connected like that. Like always, Clare managed to create a cast that amazed me with their intricacy.

And Tessa, Will (who I now love even more than Jace!! ♥), and Jem (who has his own chance to shine in this book!) make up the epitome of a perfect love triangle — one where you're honestly so torn that it splits your heart in two. I wanted to cry several times!

Don't get me started on the storyline. It was complex and risky and heartbreaking and breathtaking, and it didn't resemble the middle-book-filler pattern AT ALL. It actually had a plot with so many twists and turns that it could snap a neck, and it captivated me for all near-500 pages.

Words will not do this book justice. They can't describe how beautifully vivid Clare writes, how amazing she is at world-building, and how I could want to laugh and cry so much for one book. So I'll just have to say that if you haven't picked up a Clare book yet, then you are totally missing out!

And if you have, then know that Clockwork Prince is even more amazing than everyone's high expectations. And it's even better than the first book, too! I've never read a series that makes the characters and world feel as real as Clare makes hers! :) 

BUY or BORROW?: I am sending you subliminal messages right now to BUY THIS BOOK when it comes out! It's AMAZING to say the least!!! Definitely one of my favourites!

-Mimi