Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

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Source: Birthday present!
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Format: Hardcover, 502 pages
Release Date: December 6, 2011

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends. With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

I should probably warn you up front that my love for this book is INSANE. Hopefully it will turn out to be more than exclamation marks, hearts and flailing but... you know. No promises.

5 Reasons Why You Should Read Clockwork Prince 

1. The writing, the writing, the writing!

Not everyone falls for Cassandra Clare's writing style but I fall HARD. I connect so easily to the worlds and characters that she creates and so quickly too. Picking up this book was the perfect escape for me! 

2. Twisty-turny plot? Check.

Oh goodness! There is definitely at least ONE major point in Clockwork Prince that I did not see coming. I felt like I had it all figured out when I really didn't and trying to plot out what would happen next was lots of fun. Although I feel this book was largely focused on characters, the plot does keep moving and some great developments make themselves known!

3. Your heart rate will be off the charts... if it's still beating by the end of it.

I don't know about you, but I LOVE when an author can tug at my heart strings. Cassandra Clare does this like nobody's business and every second of emotion I experienced while reading this felt sharp and significant. With characters that you root for and care about, the emotional spectrum is all over the place. The feelings get messy and complicated, just the way I like them (welllll, I am still expecting a HEA but that's different ;)).

4. This love triangle is serious business!

Do you know how in some YA books it feels like the love triangle is there just to spice things up? Well, not in this series. Will, Jem and Tessa probably have the most convincing triangle I've ever read about. Each of them is tangled up in history and wants and chemistry and they all genuinely care for the other two. All of these characters are invested in each other for the long run and they ALL want a happy ending for the other person. 

5. JEM

I feel like this could very well be reasons 1-5 but since there are apparently some bizarre folks that prefer Will (!) I restrained myself. Jem is my absolute favourite book boyfriend of ALL TIME. That is a pretty huge honour if I do say so myself but it's one that he completely deserves. Sweet, caring, smart, funny, considerate, sexy, beautiful Jem... I can't get enough of him. Cassandra Clare manages to bring you even closer to the heart of his character in this instalment and every moment spent with him was one that I re-read about 5 times just to savour. 

If you haven't started this series... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?!?!?!?!

Cover Comments: Cassandra Clare wins the cover lottery every. single. time. Although I think the new Clockwork Princess cover has stolen the spot of my favourite from her books, this is a close second. My beautiful Jem!

5/5 stars (+10?)