Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, #2) in Once Upon a Twilight blog

Nov 22, 2011 Lyndsey O'Halloran rated it it was amazing

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As much as I love Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments (MI) series, the minute I picked up Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) I knew I was going to love it more. Clockwork Prince has been on my highly anticipated list as soon as I finished Clockwork Angel and as soon as this one came through the door, I couldn't help but pick it up immediately.

Tessa is a fantastic main female character and as much as I like Clary from MI, Tessa is always going to win hands down for me. Forced into an As much as I love Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments (MI) series, the minute I picked up Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) I knew I was going to love it more. Clockwork Prince has been on my highly anticipated list as soon as I finished Clockwork Angel and as soon as this one came through the door, I couldn't help but pick it up immediately.

Tessa is a fantastic main female character and as much as I like Clary from MI, Tessa is always going to win hands down for me. Forced into an extremely terrifying situation, Tessa deals with things in Clockwork Angel with a great amount of strength and bravery. Her kick ass nature transfers perfectly into Clockwork Prince, where Tessa is about to face a whole load of new problems and situations. However, Tessa doesn't approach anything lightly. She doesn't jump into anything without thinking it through and she always does things with the best intentions and reasons. I loved that she had a very clear head and that she wasn't about to go and run straight into danger without knowing the reasons behind it first.

As this book is set in Victorian England, London to be more specific, a lot of detail has been put in to the scenery and settings. The streets, houses and rooms were described perfectly as well as smaller details like carriages and the outfits that everyone wears. Having a lot of this described really made me feel like a part of the story and made it possible to picture everything that was happening. Not only that but Tessa herself and her mannerisms are perfect. As a Victorian lady, Tessa must act in a certain way and is also supposed to think in a particular way. Ever so often, Tessa would find herself thinking in a way that was inappropriate or doing something that she probably wouldn't be and instead of just doing it anyway, she took the time to think about her actions and what would or could happen because of this.

Another wonderful aspect of this book is the use of literature. Tessa shows a true love for reading – both novels and poetry and because of this, I could connect with her really well. Between her and Will, there is a great banter back and forth concerning favourite books and why their choices were those exact books. I loved how Will randomly quoted authors and poetry throughout. The whole addition of literature gave Clockwork Prince a completely different feel to it compared with anything else I have ever written. The quotes used were extremely clever, well thought and out meaningful at the same time.

As YA books so often have a love triangle, I was originally hoping that this series wouldn't have one. It does. However, it is so cleverly written that I cannot help but love the situation that Tessa is in with two fabulous boys. Will is the adventurous, seemingly fearless boy that Tessa originally fell for. With Will pushing her away, not even being anywhere close to nice to her, she begins to be better friends with Jem who, although he is really ill, is sweet, sensitive and everything that Will is not. Will is not all he seems though and fights what he feels for Tessa whereas Jem is pretty open about how he feels. Instead of getting angry with Tessa for liking two boys, I actually sympathised with her. Both of them are wonderful characters who captured my own heart and I wouldn't know how to choose between them either. The nice thing too, was that Tessa felt terrible about not knowing what to do instead of thinking 'oh, I can just play them both and have the best of both worlds'. A quick note too... YA is normally pretty tame but Cassandra Clare throws in some especially steamy scenes that I was not expecting at all.

When it comes to the love triangle, what sets it apart from others is that Will and Jem are parabatai, blood brothers, best friends – they are everything to each other. Normally, a love triangle consists of two guys who aren't friends or can't even stand each other but this is where this one differs. The bond that Will and Jem share is something extremely special and a great bromance to read about. I loved getting to know how this came to be and why they meant so much to each other and also how far they would go to protect one another. Their friendship seems pretty solid and although it may look like nothing could ever come between them, I wonder if Tessa will eventually. The whole interaction between Jem, Will and Tessa was a very interesting thing to read about as the dynamics of the relationships between all three characters is complex but addictive at the same time.

Although the characters bring a hell of a lot to the story, the plot is just as amazing. Sucked into a Victorian world full of mystery, intrigue and secrets, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what was happening. With Tessa coming into her own in regards to her power, she is still unsure of what she actually is and even though there are hints all over the place, nothing is ever revealed fully. Then there is the mystery of Will. He has a massive secret and finding out his answers was one of the best parts of the book for me. Bad things are happening all over the place... Tessa's brother is up to no good, people are being blamed all over for things they may or may not have done and Tessa is still in danger herself. In a race against time, these great characters must figure out what is going on quickly or it may be too late for some. The pacing throughout is spot on, being exciting for the most part but also having some slower, more sensual and slower moments where I could really revel in the romance of the story.

For those others who have been waiting for this for a long time, you will not be disappointed. Clockwork Prince comes in a very close second to be my favourite book of the year!
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Jan 02, 2011 Lucia rated it it was amazing

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After reading The City of Fallen Angels, I was slightly wary of picking up this book. I loved the first three novels in The Mortal Instruments series, but with the fourth, I was slightly disappointed. This book dissipated any doubts I had about Clare's writing ability. It was brilliant. Or, as the Brits simply say, "brill." (I found myself reading this book with a British accent in my head. It made it all the more entertaining.) The whole thing Read the full review at iLive, iLaugh, iLove Books.

After reading The City of Fallen Angels, I was slightly wary of picking up this book. I loved the first three novels in The Mortal Instruments series, but with the fourth, I was slightly disappointed. This book dissipated any doubts I had about Clare's writing ability. It was brilliant. Or, as the Brits simply say, "brill." (I found myself reading this book with a British accent in my head. It made it all the more entertaining.) The whole thing takes you on a journey of a whirlwind of emotions. And in the end, I was brokenhearted. Devastated. And yearning for the final book, because I just didn't want the story to stop. It pulled at my heart, my mind, and twisted and twisted them. It also gave me a few punches to the stomach. Thanks for making me want to crawl into a corner and cry for days on end, Cassie.

As always, Clare builds up fantastic characters. The relationship between Jem and Will is just so... powerful. And the love triangle. I hate and love love triangles at the same time. Team Will, all the way. And Tessa again showed herself to be a compassionate, intelligent, even witty, girl that defied society's rules with her independence and resilience. Who knew she could be funny? Sophie played a larger part in this novel, and I really sympathized with her character. And Gideon. Sigh... he just... sigh... I loved his part in the story. I wished there was more about him.

Will. Will, Will, Will. He owns my heart. There's a little side story throughout the book concerning Will that reveals to us everything about him and why he is the way he is. Broken and cruel. In the end I just felt like he got trolled. But anyways, if you didn't love him before, you can't help but feel for him in this novel. When I picture him, I see light. He's such a beautiful character.

And Jem! He needs his own paragraph, too. He owns a lot of this book anyways. He's so much happier, and it's all because he loves Tessa. She makes him happy, he makes her happy. It's so sweet.

I hate it. Team Will.

Like in all her novels, Clare writes hilarious dialogue (my most favorite part of her books) and employs a writing style that one can really get into and enjoy. There's danger and adventure every step of the way. I was hoping to see more battles and more of the training sessions that Tessa and Sophie had. Most importantly, Clare has the ability to rip out your heart and stomp on it, multiple times. You gotta love and hate her at the same time. So, so cruel. I need to know what happens next... November can't get here any sooner!

This is probably my most favorite of Cassandra Clare's novels so far. I can't wait for Clockwork Princess, although I'm a little scared of how it will turn out. Oh, the suspense!

And one last thing: I think we can all agree that Charlotte and Henry make the cutest couple ever, yes? ...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Gabby (What's Beyond Forks?) rated it it was amazing

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Clockwork Prince is the second book in The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. I can't believe it has taken so long to finally read this book. It was even better than Clockwork Angel, and that's saying something because I enjoyed book one quite a bit. This book pulls at your emotions a little more. A lot more actually, and I think it's only going to get worse. You have Tess and her issues with Nate. The betrayal and level of pain only a sibling could d ...more

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Oct 11, 2015 Cesy rated it really liked it

Clockwork Angel was a great introduction to Tessa Gray, the protagonist, as well as a look into the Shadowhunter lives before The Mortal Instruments present day. Clockwork Prince being the sequel, you would expect to learn more and continue to follow Tessa's journey.

What caught me off guard was the fact that I felt more involved with Will's story. Considering how Angel ended in total suspense, Will's secret was going to be answered in this book. However, it was way more than the reveal itself.

Y Clockwork Angel was a great introduction to Tessa Gray, the protagonist, as well as a look into the Shadowhunter lives before The Mortal Instruments present day. Clockwork Prince being the sequel, you would expect to learn more and continue to follow Tessa's journey.

What caught me off guard was the fact that I felt more involved with Will's story. Considering how Angel ended in total suspense, Will's secret was going to be answered in this book. However, it was way more than the reveal itself.

Yes, you finally find out why he was always out long hours of the night, his will to keep people at a distance, and his sudden friendship with Magnus. But what made it more interesting was what he did after he found out the information he had been seeking for five years.

You are still following the same aspects of Angel, with Tessa trying to learn her place in the world, while trying to help the Shadowhunters track her own living family down. Nate is still at large and working with the one person the Shadowhunters want, and the same man who wants Tessa more than anything.

Tessa had began to irritate me with her lusting over Will and Jem, until I had a moment of realization. Tessa is like every girl on this planet! Tessa's close relationship to Jem did create some romantic feels, especially from someone as kind as he is. However, again like every girl, when a bad boy who flirts with you on and off, you can't help but feel a bit of irritating and confused with a female boner!

Will struggles in keeping people at arm's length, especially when he cares deeply for them. So when he and Tessa manage to converse privately, of course sparks fly. Just like any man whose awake, he turns away just as she beings to feel something for me.

Tessa is torn between the two boys, and as a reader, or me, I scream out that she should be with Will. It's a very stressful situation!

Will's story wasn't the only one I felt drawn to. Charlotte and Henry's relationship was incredibly moving! Charlotte is strong character that I definitely admire. Having the responsibilities of an institute that has always been run by men, shows how strong will she is. Charlotte deals with a lot of discrimination as a woman. This is the part where your feminist juices start flowing!

There was a betrayal that I kind of saw coming but an announcement that shocked me, as well as a new relationship that seems to fit perfectly.

What I wishes the first to two books did, was grab my attention as The Mortal Instruments did. What I will say, is that the last hundred pages or so got me hooked. Wish it started out that way. One book left of the series and I hope it ends on a high note, answers all the questions, and most importantly, with a happy ending. ...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Annie rated it it was amazing

I took my time with Clockwork Prince and almost thought I should reread Angel, but decided I just couldn't wait! It all came flooding back & I truly loved this one. I've become a bit burnt out with love triangles but never with Cassie's writing. Cannot. wait!! ...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Stephanie rated it it was amazing

http://stephsgrn.blogspot.com/2012/01... ...more

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Jan 16, 2011 Rachel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

OMG this book was beyond incredible! The action, the love story and the twist and turns. I loved it and enjoyed every moment of reading it. The last line in the book made me squeal lol

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