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Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1)
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Archived "Buddy Reads" > Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare (Start Date:October 13 , 2014)

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message 1: by Phoenix (Online Elf), Moderator (last edited Oct 08, 2014 11:55AM) (new)

Phoenix (Online Elf) | 4358 comments


Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare


In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them....

♥♡♡♥♡♡♥♡♡♥♡♡♥♡♡♥♡♡♥♡♡♥♡♡♥♡♡♥♡♡♥♡♡♥♡♡♥♡♡♥♡♡♥♡♡♥♡♡♥♡♡♥♡♡♥♡♡♥

Please feel free to join us. As always expect spoilers.


LIST OF CHARACTERS – from Shelfari

Theresa 'Tessa' Gray: Tessa has spent the first sixteen years of her life being overprotected by her aunt after the death of her parents in a carriage accident when she was three. She lives almost all her life in books, dreaming of having the kind of adventures the heroines she reads about do—until she is forced to travel from New York to London when her Aunt dies. She is left in the hands of only a pair of mysterious—and sinister—women called the Dark Sisters, who seem to have been 'hired' by him. The Shadowhunters of the London Institute may be Tessa's only hope of finding Nate, but their mysterious world of demons and Downworlders holds many dangers for her—especially when she realizes she might be more a part of it than she'd thought.
Wiliam 'Will' Herondale: Seventeen-year-old Will is the sort of young man nice Victorian girls
were warned against. He drinks, gambles, and enjoys the company of ladies of questionable virtue—at least, as much as he enjoys anything. Will hates everyone and everything, with the possible exception of Jem, and even that's in some doubt.
James 'Jem' Carstairs: Brought up in the Institute in Shanghai, Jem's parents were killed by a demon who allowed Jem to live—but with a terrible price to be paid. Frail and silver-haired, Jem seems an unlikely demon-killer, but his skills and swift intelligence make him a formidable foe. He finds a kindred spirit in Tessa as both of them feel they are torn between two worlds, neither belonging completely to one or to the other.

Some spoilers here I think (I haven’t read them all), so I’ll hide the rest of them.
(view spoiler)


message 2: by Phoenix (Online Elf), Moderator (new)

Phoenix (Online Elf) | 4358 comments Reserved


Ipshita (miss_romanceaholic) | 397 comments Thanks, Online Elf!


message 4: by Phoenix (Online Elf), Moderator (new)

Phoenix (Online Elf) | 4358 comments Your welcome , Miss Ipshitia.


message 5: by ShoSho , Moderator (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments I might read it with you .


Ipshita (miss_romanceaholic) | 397 comments That would be lovely, ShoSho :)


message 7: by ShoSho , Moderator (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments Just a suggestion , if you decide to read in October ,what about sometimes between 11th to 25th?


message 8: by Phoenix (Online Elf), Moderator (new)

Phoenix (Online Elf) | 4358 comments I went ahead and added a date for this buddy read , I hope this date is fine with you lovely ladies. I wanted to add it to this month newsletter with a date.


message 9: by Kit★ (new)

Kit★ (xkittyxlzt) | 1416 comments I've been wanting to get this series for awhile now. Almost bought this book like 4 times, but I keep putting it back and deciding to wait. Maybe I'll go ahead and take the plunge, though my reading schedule's already packed! So we shall see :)


Ipshita (miss_romanceaholic) | 397 comments I'm okay with the date.


Christina T (crysteena73) | 164 comments I'm ok with the date also.


message 12: by Lisa Kay, Moderator (last edited Oct 08, 2014 11:56AM) (new) - rated it 5 stars

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 20787 comments Okay, I've already read this... so, I don't know how you all want to do the Chapter Breakdown, but I thought I'd get you started with the first little bit.

I also had Online Elf add a List of Characters above, some under a spoiler.


message 13: by Lisa Kay, Moderator (last edited Oct 13, 2014 09:23PM) (new) - rated it 5 stars

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 20787 comments Lisa Kay’s Questions for Prologue – Chapter 2

1. I don’t read many Young Adult books, and have never read one set in Victorian England. Is this a genre or setting which you read a lot?

2. For the most part, the POV throughout the book is from Tessa perception. Why do you think the author opened the prologue from Will’s? What is your impression of him? Of Jem? Of their friendship/relationship?

3. The book is named after Tessa’s mother’s necklace. What is the significance of that?

4. Do you blame Tessa for going with the Dark Sisters? Did she use enough common sense? (The coachman was enough to scare me off; but then, I’m such a wuss!) Did she have any other alternative? We had the reader’s advantage of knowing the emblem of the two snakes was on the weapon that killed the young girl in the alley, so I can’t fault her for that. And “The Pandemonium Club,” is pretty much a wash, IMHO; it could be named that's just in fun. Comments. (BTW, do you think the Dark Sisters had access to Nate at all, or was that just a bluff? If so, how did they get his ring?)

5. What would a closer look at the globe in Sisters’ office have revealed?

6. Mundanes, Shax demons, Nephilim warriors? What do you think of the world building so far? Are you grasping enough of it to make it interesting? Is it too much info dump, just right, or too little and causing an overload of too many unanswered questions?

7. Though Tessa is not impressed with it, I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised by the ability that Tessa has. Taking on someone else’s appearance could come in quite handy, don’t you think? (Of course, I could do without the pain, vomiting, passing out, and someone kidnapping me for it, LOL!) Comments.

8. Whoever could the Magister be? Is he someone high up in the government or just in the upper echelon of whatever underworld society to which Tessa had been spirited away? What does he want with Tessa? And why does he need to marry her?

9. What was Miranda?

10. Is the reason Will showed up in Tessa’s room valid? Do you think she would have made it out of there on her second attempt without his intervention?

11. Why was Mrs. Dark trying to kill Tessa and not Will? I’m glad to see the last of the Dark Sisters (I hope - but maybe that was only one down)! Still, ugh, they stumbled across a slaughterhouse. What does that mean? And is Will an angel? Is Tessa alright? Will there be a lasting effect from her wound?



message 14: by ShoSho , Moderator (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments I got my book just now.
You read it in 10 days . Was it that long or were you savoring it?


message 15: by Lisa Kay, Moderator (new) - rated it 5 stars

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 20787 comments Well, it isn't short, but I think I was committed elsewhere. Plus, I don't read a lot of YA, nor Fantasy.


message 16: by ShoSho , Moderator (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments I'm going to start in either late tonight or in the morning .


Christina T (crysteena73) | 164 comments I'm currently reading The Hunter (because it fit in my current team challenge this week) and will start this book when I'm done. I'm not sure if I'll be able to comment as I read though. My reading will be sporadic this week because I've had a death in the family and things are a bit up in the air right now.


message 18: by Lisa Kay, Moderator (new) - rated it 5 stars

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 20787 comments Sorry for your loss, Christina.




message 19: by ShoSho , Moderator (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments I'm sorry for your loss ,Christina .


message 20: by ShoSho , Moderator (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments I'm starting .


message 21: by ShoSho , Moderator (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments I'm in the middle of chapter 4.

I'll answer the Qs in a few sentenses . I don't read YA a lot , in the last 5 years I've probably read less than 10 YA and none in this genre or era !
I got the impression Will is much younger than Jem .
I'm thinking Her mother has been one of the shadowhuneters or an angel !
I'm sure they didn't have Nate , they either had killed him or were just bluffing .
The info dump is not too bad ,I'm following it pretty good .
Miranda was a robot or something! Well I'd better say a clockwork or a mech !


message 22: by ShoSho , Moderator (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments I'm not sure how I feel about any of the Shadowhunters , they just seem weird.


message 23: by ShoSho , Moderator (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments I'm about to start chapter 8.
It didn't seem wise to me that Tessa gave her necklace to Henry. Even she didn't mind giving it to him , she should have at least watch over his shoulder when he was examining it .
I'm worried about Tessa meeting this vamp woman without her necklace.


message 24: by ShoSho , Moderator (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments And Will is on my nerves with his nonsense commentary !


message 25: by [deleted user] (new)

I'm so sorry for your loss, Christina.

I've been wanting to read this book for a while but for some reason I never picked it up. This is the perfect opportunity. I'll be starting tomorrow morning, because tonight I'm doing a The Walking Dead marathon. So hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to catch up with you guys. :)


message 26: by ShoSho , Moderator (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments Pri wrote: "I'm so sorry for your loss, Christina.

I've been wanting to read this book for a while but for some reason I never picked it up. This is the perfect opportunity. I'll be starting tomorrow morning,..."


That's great ,Pri! Commenting here without any replies was getting awkward ;)


message 27: by [deleted user] (new)

ShoSho wrote: "That's great ,Pri! Commenting here without any replies was getting awkward ;) "

Nonsense! I'm here and I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about!

Yay! This is my first buddy read! I'm so excited! I read a lot of ya books but lately I'm not connecting with the characters as much as I did before. And I really don't like love triangles anymore. Lol! There is a love triangle in this book. This doesn't look good. But I'm curious to see Cassandra Clare's writing in a historical novel. I'm a huge fan of the genre and I'm looking forward to it. :)


message 28: by ShoSho , Moderator (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments I'm not fan a love triangles either . Most YA books have them , I guess that's why I don't read a lot of YA.
I'm about 45% and there hasn't been any mention of love. A little bit of attraction maybe but not much.


message 29: by Lisa Kay, Moderator (new) - rated it 5 stars

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 20787 comments ShoSho wrote: "Most YA books have them , I guess that's why I don't read a lot of YA."

It is the reason I don't read more, too.


message 30: by Lisa Kay, Moderator (new) - rated it 5 stars

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 20787 comments ShoSho wrote: "I'm about 45% and there hasn't been any mention of love. A little bit of attraction maybe but not much."

Nah. It isn't really a Romance.


message 31: by ShoSho , Moderator (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments Good to know ! I was dreading the angsty teenage love triangle !


message 32: by Lisa Kay, Moderator (new) - rated it 5 stars

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 20787 comments Well... it is there...


message 33: by ShoSho , Moderator (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments Lisa Kay wrote: "Well... it is there..."

eeep ! You just gave me a little bit of hope but took it away! LOL I'm kidding .I started reading this knowing there would be some ,so I'm OK with it.


message 34: by Lisa Kay, Moderator (new) - rated it 5 stars

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 20787 comments Sorry. :o)


message 35: by Gisela, Moderator (new) - rated it 2 stars

Gisela (chicadorlando) | 4022 comments Just started this.


message 36: by ShoSho , Moderator (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments Yaay!


message 37: by ShoSho , Moderator (last edited Oct 14, 2014 09:10PM) (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments Lisa Kay's Questions (edited a bit by ShoSho) for chapter 3-8


12.What do you think about the Shadowhunters ? What about Enoch,Thomas , Agatha and Sophie? Anything stood out for you about them?

13.What do you think Will was really up to that night ?Why didn't he smell of alcohol as he should have?

14. Is Jessamine too much or what? LOL! What do you think of her plans for Tess? She spoke of Henry conducting experiments in the cellar – what kind? Did Henry really just marry Charlotte to gain access to the Institute, or does he truly love her?

15. Golden vines with diamonds growing from the tips? Oh, dear! It is a wonder any of the Nephilim are left. What did you think of how Jessamine took the goblin out? And her distraught reaction afterwards? Her showing Tessa her “doll house” – and subsequent conversation? Comments.

16. What did you think of Henry Branwell’s laboratory? The clockwork girl or automaton(Miranda)? I must say, I wasn’t expecting it (her?) to have a human heart.

17. Eep! Lady Belcourt sounds a shady character at best. The first thing I thought of was “double agent”, LOL! Do you have any concerns about her before reading Chapter 8? What did you think about her after reading chapter 8.



message 38: by Gisela, Moderator (new) - rated it 2 stars

Gisela (chicadorlando) | 4022 comments "Beauty fades but cooking is eternal." LOL


message 39: by Gisela, Moderator (new) - rated it 2 stars

Gisela (chicadorlando) | 4022 comments Answers for Qs Prologue - Ch.2

1. I've read some YA, mosrly fantasy. I find mainstream YA too ansty and introspective for my taste.

2. To show us the dagger. Going with YA stereotypes, Will is the jock while Jem is the intellectual. They're probably best friends as well as partners.

3. The necklace might be a symbol to identify the wearer.

4. No, I don't think she had a choice. I don't know if they had access to Nate, but how did they get the note?

5- No clue...

6- I've read the original trilogy in the Mortal Instruments so I'm familiar with this world.

7. She has a very handy ability, especially because she doesn't need props to change into a person a second time.

8- Don't know, but pervert comes to mind. He could make Tessa change into any woman he wants...

9- Robot or mechanical being.

10- She needed help, she wouldn't have been able to open the door.

11- Don't rhink we've seen the last of her. I have to wonder why did Tessa try to run back into the corridor, and therefor the interior of the house, instead of trying to escape through the hole in the wall...


message 40: by Gisela, Moderator (new) - rated it 2 stars

Gisela (chicadorlando) | 4022 comments Reading Ch.4 Tessa seems uptight and way too serious for a teenager.


message 41: by [deleted user] (new)

Just finished chapter 2. I'm enjoying it, it's a little creepy and the action is nice. But wow! The shadowhunters did a terrible job protecting Tessa, I mean, okay they saved her but what a mess!


message 42: by [deleted user] (new)

Lisa Kay wrote: "ShoSho wrote: "Most YA books have them , I guess that's why I don't read a lot of YA."

It is the reason I don't read more, too."


I don't understand why Ya authors and readers find love triangles so interesting, to me it's just annoying.


message 43: by [deleted user] (new)

I've read the first three books in the Mortal Instruments series a while ago and the beginning of this book feels very similar to City of Bones only with different characters and in a different setting. The formula is pretty much the same. The main character is this girl who doesn't know about this new world and she's part of it and, for reasons we'll find out later, very important to it. Then she's attacked and taken to the Institute where she learns everything about this new world. And then we have Will aka the sarcastic one aka Jace, Jessie aka the grumpy one who'll probably become friends with the main character later aka Isabelle, Charlotte aka the one who's in charge and explains everything to the main character aka Hodge.
This keeps distracting me. It feels like I'm rereading City of Bones. I was expecting more creativity from Clare. :(

Just finished chapter 4 btw.


message 44: by Gisela, Moderator (new) - rated it 2 stars

Gisela (chicadorlando) | 4022 comments I noticed it too Pri!


message 45: by Lisa Kay, Moderator (new) - rated it 5 stars

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 20787 comments I haven't read the City of Bones series. Seems like I should be glad, if this is just an echo of that one.


message 46: by [deleted user] (new)

I'm glad you noticed too, Gisela. Does it get better? I haven't read much since that message. Busy work day.

Lisa, I think you should be glad. But I'll stay positive. It'll get better towards the end. Hopefully.


message 47: by Gisela, Moderator (new) - rated it 2 stars

Gisela (chicadorlando) | 4022 comments It hasn't so far...


message 48: by [deleted user] (new)

Oh, dear!


message 49: by ShoSho , Moderator (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments Gisela wrote: "Reading Ch.4 Tessa seems uptight and way too serious for a teenager."

That's what I thought too. It might be the era she lives in, though .She probably is a normal teenager for that time.


message 50: by ShoSho , Moderator (new) - rated it 3 stars

ShoSho  (shoshost) | 12263 comments Pri wrote: "I've read the first three books in the Mortal Instruments series a while ago and the beginning of this book feels very similar to City of Bones only with different characters and in a different set..."

Wow that's too similar ! Good thing I haven't read anything else by this author!


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