Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1) in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Oct 29, 2011 Ellen rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio-book, ya

The nephilim vs the dark ones is a battle as old as the ages, but Clare adds a steampunk twist as her young and naive (of course) characters are pulled involuntarily (of course) into the thick of it in Victorian London. Tessa Gray, newly arrived from New York City after the death of her guardian aunt, is kidnapped by the evil Dark Sisters who keep her captive and train her to use her as yet undiscovered ability to shape-change in order to use her for their nefarious purposes. There is mystery, a ...more

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Jul 06, 2021 katy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I wasn't sure i would enjoy these as much and to start I was already irritated with Will and Tessa being so...cliché? But Will grew on me, same as Jem said he would, and while Tessa is irritating she does have her moments. She's far less headlong stupid as Clary that's for sure.

The setting kind of changes everything and I love that about it. I love Henry's wild clothes and inventions. Jessamine's ability to show up even if she's mad about it. And damnit Will is charming as all get out even when ...more

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Apr 22, 2011 Amanda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-stars, young-adult

I love this one, but then my favorite character for this trilogy was Jem, so...

Merged review:

I'm still giving this one a four but my feelings about it are far more complex than my feelings over The Mortal Instruments. I was very conflicted for about the whole first third-to-fifth of the book about how the set up parallels were far too much exactly the same not to grate.

Pretty Capable Girl, who is not all that aware she is pretty or capable, and who is not-quite-human falls into The Institute/Sh I love this one, but then my favorite character for this trilogy was Jem, so...

Merged review:

I'm still giving this one a four but my feelings about it are far more complex than my feelings over The Mortal Instruments. I was very conflicted for about the whole first third-to-fifth of the book about how the set up parallels were far too much exactly the same not to grate.

Pretty Capable Girl, who is not all that aware she is pretty or capable, and who is not-quite-human falls into The Institute/Shadowhunter hands through mysterious circumstances and must be educated/protected. The Institute for the most important part consists of three children. One extraordinarily beautiful-but-vain girl, one fragile-sensitive-boy and one reckless-self-preservation-lacking boy (who just happens to apparently have future-passing-genetic traits towards quoting things in other languages).

Someone try to tell me this does actually paraphrase itself as being both series.

Things I really, really, really liked?

Charlotte's age. Henry's bumbling. Seeing different sides of Camille, and more of Magnus, who really seemed normal for himself. Gaping when I'd recognize names. The whole of Agatha, Thomas and Sophie existing and how fraught (with the balances of love, humility, jealousy, loneliness, and gratitude) all of their positions seem to be. Jem's disability.

I teeter totter back and forth on how much do or do not like that the second trilogy of The Mortal Instruments and the whole of The Infernal Devices are going to be unavoidably, intertwined up in each other. The events of Infernal Devices are already all over The City of Lost Angels. Which means if done right (and extensively planned) this could knock my socks off with brilliance. Or it could be a massive let down (if not well planned previously).

I have so many theories about where this one will go already though. Especially how the whole of Will, Jem, Tessa, and Magnus thing will work itself out. And I have a feeling, if it is done right, it will utterly break my heart before it is done. And though I still waffle on whether I like Tessa at all, this is my favorite quote of the book, which is hers while she's being all prickly at the person she usually is:

"Only the very weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature and poetry." ...more

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Jul 08, 2010 Terri rated it liked it

Shelves: all_part_of_the_job, paranormal

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 13, 2010 Laurie rated it liked it

Shelves: 2011

I really liked Clare's first series, The Mortal Instruments, so I was excited to read this one which is set earlier in history in the same world. I was disappointed, though. The characters and story are still good, but I think the writing could have used a few more edits. There are some really long, awkward sections of exposition, and I found some of the ways the characters talked and acted to be too modern for the setting. Still, it was a satisfying book, and I am hopeful the rest of this serie ...more

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