A Review: Clockwork Prince

Book: Clockwork Prince
Series: The Infernal Devices
Author: Cassandra Clare
Goodreads link: Goodreads Description
Rating: 5/5

Review:

CAUTION: Possible spoilers below. If you are like me and hate even hints at what could be a spoiler, stop reading this, and just read the book. This has been your warning.

When I originally picked up the first series about Shadowhunters by Cassandra Clare, The Mortal Instruments, everyone was telling me something along the lines of "Oh, you've got to read the prequel series!", and let me assure you, it was very much in my intention. With everyone suggesting I read The Infernal Devices, I read my way through TMI and loved it, and wondered to myself "How can the prequel series possibly be better than the original?" because everyone suggesting I read it claimed it was better. They were right, but it took me until Clockwork Prince to realise this. One reason I love a series of books more than a stand-alone novel is because I get more story and more character, and it's easier for me to fall in love with the characters straight-away (unless the stand-alone book is amazing, but I honestly cannot pick one out -- I pretty much love on book series -- sequels, triologies, quartets, etc.), and The Infernal Devices was no exception to this.

 Not that I disliked Clockwork Angel, but it took until Clockwork Prince for me to really appreciate the characters, and I think the main reason for that is because I knew we were only getting a small part of their individual stories in the first book, and that more was to come in this one. So when we got to learn more about the characters, my gosh, I fell in love with them. Not all of them, of course, but I came to appreciate the ones that I did dislike and hate. I mean what we learn about Will, in particular, as his background story is the one we really get to focus on in this book, just really make you FEEL for him. In Clockwork Angel, I glared a lot at Will (yes, I glare at my books) when he was being an ass (which was basically every time he spoke),  and even though I knew there was more to him than his outer shell, I could not feel for him like I did in Clockwork Prince because I did not know his story. I don't feel blindly, and I'll use Jessamine as a perfect example for that. She was rude, and I felt there was more to her. But there really wasn't; she ended up being completely selfish and a backstabber. But anyways. Amazing character development in this book. It really made me feel for each of the characters, even if I could not relate to them in a way where I understand what they were doing and why (aka Jessamine).

The reason why I'm talking so much about the characters, by the way, is because they are generally what keeps me reading a book. The plot draws me in, but the characters make me want to stay even more. This does not, however, mean that I disliked the plot. The plot was amazing. The things we learned about everything going on created so many more questions. Between Mortmain and, of course, the plot between Tessa, Jem, and Will (which, may I just say here: I DON'T KNOW WHAT MY FEELINGS WERE DOING WHEN WILL FINALLY FOUND OUT YOU KNOW WHAT, AND CAME BACK ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT TESSA AND JEM YOU KNOW WHAT). These questions, I sincerely hope, will be answered in Clockwork Princess, which is not due out until later 2013 (hold me, please). Questions like, 'what is Tessa?' and ... Actually, that is my biggest question right now. Of course I cannot wait to see how the war will play out -- it has been so far set up beautifully. I like how Clare did not make the first half of Angel just about Tessa being introduced to the Shadowhunters and then BAM! War. The war is coming, we know that, but the little battles and side-paths are important and integral. They feed us information and create more questions and don't move the plot too slowly that we get bored. I think I am rambling now, so let's move on.

Okay here is the serious spoiler of this review. The ending chapters seriously blew me away. I was not expecting a proposal. I'm glad Jem stepped up and went for what he wanted, but it tore my heart to remember Will. Speaking of Will, I was very proud with how he handled the situation. Him asking Tessa to change her mind and tell Jem no was a little selfish, but I do not blame him. And I'm glad that Tessa told him she can't do that. But later when Jem announced to everyone their news, Will stood up and congratulated them first and that was very good of him. I'm intrigued as to how this will play out in Clockwork Princess. As well as with the ending cliffhanger there. Cecily. I mean, oh my goodness! With so few pages left I did not expect Will's family to be brought back up until Clockwork Princess. But nope! Cecily shows up and seriously it was such a shock to me. Maybe that's just me. I mean, of course I knew Clare would bring the Herondales back up, but I thought it would wait for Princess, as like I said there were too few pages left for me to imagine it. But she brought in Cecily and it was like slamming into a brick wall -- in the best, most painful way possible. The noise that escaped me reading those last words was so inhuman I'm glad I managed to keep quiet because I finished this book around 1 am when everyone else in my house was asleep. HOW I managed to keep quiet... But anyways, this is not about me.

CLOCKWORK PRINCESS WHY ARE YOU SO FAR AWAY?