Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
Book 2 of the Infernal Devices Series
Synopsis:
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, but 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.
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I hope you're ready for some serious fangirling because I am about 10 seconds away from full-out squealing. This book was beyond amazing, and I loved every single word from it.
My favourite part about the book is probably the 3 main characters:
Tessa, Will and Jem.
Tessa is a 16 year old girl who is shapeshifting shadowhunter, or a warlock, and due to a number of situations and circumstances she ends up in the London Institute, following the events of the first book of the series, Clockwork Angel. So in this second book, Tessa explores her shapeshifting powers and her ability to transform into someone else, and becomes more sure of her power. Her relationships with the two boys also change dramatically, with Jem from friendship to something much more (I won't spoil it for you if you haven't read this book yet - but if you haven't read this book you have to read it right now!) and with Will as well, with a bit of this "forbidden romance" thing, due to a so called 'curse' placed on Will. But we'll talk about that later.
Being the complete sucker for romances that I am, I focused on more of the romance aspect of this book , particularly the relationship between each of the main characters,
1. Jem and Tessa
So in this second book, a very different side of Jem is revealed, that makes him seem incredibly alluring. Jem stole my heart in this book and I completely fell in love with him. About a quarter way into the book, we slowly begin to see how Jem has feelings for Tessa, and really, it's the most adorable thing in the world. Sweet, beautiful, charming Jem. He's so gentle and calm, and the way he speaks to Tessa just melts your heart!
"I only regret that it came too soon. I-I would have wanted to-to court you first. To take you driving, with a chaperon."
"A chaperon?" Tessa laughed despite herself.
He went on determinedly. "To tell you of my feelings first, before I showed them. To write poetry for you-"
You don't even like poetry," Tessa said, her voice catching on a half laugh of relief.
"No. But you make me want to write it. Does that not count for anything?"
Oh Jem. Sweet, sweet Jem. You've just stolen my heart and I don't think I'm ever going to get it back *swoon*
2. Jem and Will
In case you haven't read the first book, Jem and Will are
parabati, which means they are like brothers and are bound to protect each other. I love their relationship because they fit so well together ; Will, who is sometimes cruel and rough at the edges but Jem, the calm and gentle one, softens the rough edges of Will and is really the only person that Will fiercely cares about until Tessa comes along.
"I though you needed me," Jem said. "There is a wall you have built about yourself, Will, and I have never asked you why. But no one should shoulder every burden alone. I though you would let me inside if I became your parabati, and then you would have at least someone to lean upon. I did wonder what my death would mean for you. I used to fear it, for your sake. I feared you would be left alone inside that wall. But now... something has changed. I do not know why. But I know that is true."
"That what is true?" Will's fingers were still digging into Jem's wrist.
"That the wall is coming down."
The language in this book is just amazing and I love every sentence of it - it's not the modern way of speaking but rather the old, kind of formal way which I absolutely love and I think that's what makes the book really interesting too.
3. Will and Tessa
These two kind of have a love-hate relationship from where we left of in Clockwork Angel, where Will said to Tessa
"There is no future for a shadowhunter who dallies with warlocks" Major ouch. But still, Tessa can't help herself as she falls for Will, and secretly he loves her too but won't let himself get close to her due to a curse placed on him from a demon, which caused him to leave his home when he was young - I won't say anymore in case you haven't read the book! So throughout this book, Tessa and Will have this love-hate relationship, and at some parts it's actually quite hilarious, and also quite sweet. I actually really love Will though, for all his rough exterior and seemingly cruel attitude, he's actually very soft and gentle on the inside, which made me fall for him completely.
“They’re not hideous,” said Tessa.
Will blinked at her. “What?”
“Gideon and Gabriel,” said Tessa. “They’re really quite good-looking, not hideous at all.”
“I spoke,” said Will, in sepulchral tones, “of the pitch-black inner depths of their souls.”
Tessa snorted. “And what color do you suppose the inner depths of your soul are, Will Herondale?”
“Mauve,” said Will.”
I also really love that sense of dry-ish humour that's present throughout the whole book, making me smile and giggle at some parts. And right at the end of the book, Will (spoiler alert!) realises that his so called "curse" was actually fake, and goes after Tessa, rejoiced in the fact that he can finally be with the girl he loves, when he finds out that she is now engaged to Jem. And so Will leaves, his heart broken to pieces and Tessa also realises that she can never be with Will too, who she loves deeply as well, and the way Cassandra Clare describes it is so perfectly heartbreaking that it makes you want to cry. I'm pretty sure I shed a tear or two- or a thousand - while reading this part.
"You can never love me," He said flatly, and when he did not respond, when she said nothing, he shuddered - a shudder that ran through his whole body - and pushed away from the armchair without looking at her. ........
For a moment she felt absolutely nothing. And then, as if from a very great distance, she heard herself cry out, and it was like a key turned inside her heart, freeing the tears at last. The poker clattered to the ground.
When Sophie came dashing in, having heard her scream, she found Tessa on her knees by the fire, her burned hand pressed to her chest, sobbing as if her heart would break.
And lastly, another thing I loved from this book was the constant referring to books and really, the love of literature.
I really love the constant quoting of books like A Tale of Two City's, or the characters ability to make a little rhyme on the spot.
For Tessa Gray, on the occasion of being given a copy of Vathek to read:
Caliph Vathek and his dark horde
Are bound for Hell, you won't be bored!
Your faith in me will be restored-
Unless this token you find untoward
And my poor gift you have ignored
-Will
Oh Will , you never cease to make me laugh. And this particular part also made me smile and really fall in love with the 2 male main characters:
Will set his fork down and began cheerfully, in the manner of Edward Lear's book of Nonsense:
"There once was a lass from New York
Who found herself hungry in York.
But the bread was like rocks,
The parsnips shaped like-"
"You can't rhyme 'York' with 'York', " interrupted Tessa. "It's cheating."
"She's right, you know," said Jem, his delicate fingers playing with the stem of his wineglass. "Especially with 'fork' being so obviously the correct choice-"
I can go on and on talking about this book, quoting bits here and there that I really loved but really, this could go on forever. If I could, I would quote the whole book because there's not one part that I didn't absolutely love and fall in love with. This book was utterly amazing and I fell in love head-over-heels with it. And I'm sure you've realised by now that this review has been nothing but me fangirling and sqeualing over the main characters and the romance but oh well....what can be done?
If you haven't read it, I highly suggest you go and read it now! And with that, I'll leave you with a little rhyme by my dear Will.....( You'll only get it if you've read the book!)
"Demon pox, oh, demon pox,
Just how is it acquired?
One must go down to the bad part of town
Until one is very tired.
Demon pox, oh, demon pox
I had it all along-
No, not the pox, you foolish blocks,
I mean this very song-
For I was right, and you were wrong!"
