Book Review: Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare

Summary: 

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: Jem, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa.

As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Review: 

I absolutely love The Mortal Instruments series so I was a little afraid that Clare's new prequel series, The Infernal Devices, would not measure up.  That fear was put to rest as I closed the cover of Clockwork Angel.  I feel treasonous saying this, but I think I enjoyed Clockwork Angel even more than City of Bones!

Now, comparisons between Clockwork Angel and The Mortal Instruments Series are inevitable.  I urge readers to keep in mind that Clockwork Angel is only one book, and if you are going to compare, compare it to City of Bones only.  Because at first I compared it to the entire trilogy and that is not fair.

The book is set in the same world as City of Bones, with the differences being the time period and location---London instead of New York.  The main characters are Shadowhunters living in the London Institute, and there are a few parallels to The Mortal Instruments characters, namely Will and Jace, in my opinion.  That is where the similarities end.  The villains are different in Clockwork Angel, our heroine is different, and there are a couple of major twists at the end that I did not see coming.  My only complaint is that the book ends with a cliffhanger and now we have to wait, wait, wait to find out what happens next.

Lovers of fantasy, historical fiction, and YA in general will love this book.  I would recommend it to anyone.

Just One Gripe: 

The book is somewhat of a slow starter.  I read the first half in one day, then put it down for a week.  As soon as I started the second half, the story picked up a lot of speed.  I'm telling you this as a warning---if you find yourself dragging through the first half, just keep going because the plot moves so fast through the second half you won't be able to put it down.

The Best Thing About This Book: 

Clare's imagery and world-building is simply outstanding, as always. 

Appropriate for a younger audience: 

Yes

Score: 

Characters: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Setting/Imagery: 5/5

Originality: 4/5

Ending: 5/5

Total Score:  24/25