Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1) in Q&A with Cassandra Clare

Sep 14, 2010 Dorothy rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. First off, confession time. I love The Mortal Instruments (TMI) series. I love it with a ridiculous amount of passion, and so when I found out a prequel would be released before the fourth installment (City of Fallen Angels), I thought I would rather have CoFA released first. It's not that I wasn't excited for this- I bought it on its release date after all- I was just looking forward to CoFA more. That hardly matters now because Cassandra Clare has managed to turn me into a believer once again. First off, confession time. I love The Mortal Instruments (TMI) series. I love it with a ridiculous amount of passion, and so when I found out a prequel would be released before the fourth installment (City of Fallen Angels), I thought I would rather have CoFA released first. It's not that I wasn't excited for this- I bought it on its release date after all- I was just looking forward to CoFA more. That hardly matters now because Cassandra Clare has managed to turn me into a believer once again. I wasn't in any way surprised that I ended up loving Clockwork Angel; I was surprised that I ended up loving it enough to think that the Infernal Devices series might turn out better than TMI. It's too early to tell for sure, but this much I can say: I loved Clockwork Angel more than City of Bones. It's much darker, which in this case actually works to be a good thing. The plot is more complex and intricate and I think Cassandra Clare (CC) is setting us up for big things. I'm saying all these even if I know that comparisons between the two series are inevitable. True, there are glaring similarities. Even the formula for the romance is almost the same. When I first started reading, I couldn't help but think of Tessa as Clary, Will as Jace, Jem as Simon and Jessamine as Isabelle. It wasn't until somewhere past page 200, when Tessa and Will came to the vampire de Quincey's house, that I felt the story really began to come into its own. Things only got better from there.

Having said all that, the coherent part of the review is now over. I'm on raving fangirl mode now (spoilers abound). The following is actually part of a series of text messages I sent a friend who is a fellow CC fangirl. When I start sending book reviews via text, I know I have it bad.

Tessa- She's awesome! She loves to read and that makes her ten times cooler to me. I like that CC's female characters are feisty and not the typical damsels in distress. And the Boadicea part! Genius!
Jem- He's super nice and super sweet and has a heartbreaking backstory. CC kills off characters (Thomas! Max!) but so far she hasn't killed a major character. Please don't let Jem be the first! Find a cure! I like him with Tessa and I love how he brings out jealous Will.
Will- Katy Perry's Hot n Cold should be on his playlist. He can make you swoon but he can also make you want to strangle him. That last scene with Tessa was harsh. It serves him right when Tessa realizes that Jem is good for her. But there is a big but. Will is an enigma. Clockwork Angel ends with more questions than answers, and one of the biggest is this: What in the world is wrong with Will?

I always have a clear favorite when it comes to love triangles, so I was very happy about how both the Jem and Will characters were developed to be equally worthy of Tessa. They both have their own strengths and weaknesses and I look forward to where CC will take their relationship with each other now that Tessa is in the picture. At this point I can say that I'm okay with whoever she ends up with. This is quite a significant first for me.

Now comes the hardest part- the waiting. I tried to read Clockwork Angel as slowly as I could, even limiting myself to 50 pages a night, just so I wouldn't have to end it so soon. But now it's over and I have a year-long wait ahead of me. I will just have to console myself with the thought that CoFA is due out in roughly seven months. ...more

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Sep 07, 2010 Quantum Thief- Behind the Mask rated it it was amazing

I just love love love love love love this book i cannot wait for Clockwork Prince!!

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Aug 14, 2010 Aaliyah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2010-book-challenge

To begin with I wasn't going to buy or read this series because I had heard to continue reading Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series it wasn't necessary that I read this. However I was at Waterstones one day in September and as if by magic this book made it into my hands, and I DO NOT regret buying it. Although the first few chapters didn't hook me in right away once I gave Clockwork Angel a chance I found myself immersed in the streets of Victorian England and caught up in Tessa's em ...more

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Sep 13, 2010 Meg rated it really liked it

If you loved the mortal Instruments you are sure to like Clockwork Angel. I loved the characters, the setting and the story however, It did take me a little while to get into the book and if it was not Cassandra Clare I may not have invested the time. That said I am looking forward to book two as I am sure Cassandra will work her magic and create a world where now that we know the characters we will be unavoidably drawn into. Deffinately worth reading :-)

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Jul 07, 2010 Katelyn rated it really liked it

This book was really similar to her previous series, TMI which I loved. The characters seemed a little too forward thinking for the time period. Otherwise the book flowed nicely, but I had a hard time getting over the similarities between the two series. Tessa and Clary were so similar with their naivety to the shadow world around them but then possessing a great power that no one had ever seen before. Jace and WIll were essentially the same person, but I guess based on last name they are somewh ...more

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Sep 07, 2010 Kelli013 rated it liked it

Shelves: regular-books

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

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Apr 12, 2010 Victoria rated it it was amazing

Very good. I enjoyed it all most as much as THE MORTAL INSTRUMENT books. It's nice to get some of the back story. Should probably have read them as they came out since things pop up in future books :). ...more

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