TITLE: Clockwork Prince
AUTHOR: Cassandra Clare
SERIES: The Infernal Devices, #2
RELEASED: December 6th, 2011; Margaret Ferguson Books
GENRE: Fantasy
AGE RANGE: YA

SYNOPSIS: 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?

book 1

If you’ve read my Clockwork Angel review, you already know that this series didn’t start out on the right foot with me. After how much I have been loving The Mortal Instruments as a series, I was so hyped to start this trilogy that I never imagined it might be anything less than amazing. Unfortunately, the first half of this middle book suffered the same problems as the entirety of the first book: I couldn’t connect to the story, I didn’t care about most of the characters, and I was bored. Thankfully, sometimes it just takes a little time for a book to “click” with its reader, and in the end, Clockwork Prince finally clicked with me.

“Lies and secrets, Tessa, they are like a cancer in the soul. They eat away what is good and leave only destruction behind.”

I never thought I would say this about any book in my life, but what finally made me start to love this series wasn’t the plot, or any specific character, or a twist, or a theme… it was the love triangle. If you haven’t read this series, let me tell you, I am convinced that it is the singular greatest exception to the rule when it comes to my general distaste for love triangles, because I have never, in my entire reading life, rooted so hard for both love interests as I do in this triangle.

“Will has always been the brighter burning star, the one to catch attention — but Jem is a steady flame, unwavering and honest. He could make you happy.”

This love triangle breaks my freaking heart and I don’t even know what to do with myself. Every angle is doomed in some way or another, and there’s literally no possible way for everyone (or anyone) to turn out completely happy in the end, and that is absolutely awful in the most addicting way possible. After finishing book 1, I didn’t care when I started book 2, but after finishing book 2? I need to read book 3 right now, even though I feel like I am literally gritting my teeth in preparation for the undeniable heartache barreling towards me. Oh, and don’t even get me started on how precious Will and Jem are with their little parabatai bonding moments…

“I am not the one of us who has no heart.”

All in all, while it wasn’t a perfect read, I was still entertained, and the ending definitely has me simultaneously looking forward to and terrified of Clockwork Princess. I’ve already been warned to keep tissues on hand, and I’m sure I’ll be posting plenty of updates to let those of you who have already read the series cry right along with me.

“He’s very pretty. For a human.”
“He’s very broken,” said Magnus. “Like a lovely vase that someone has smashed. Only luck and skill can put it back together the way it was before.”

*record screeching to a halt* WAIT. You guys didn’t really think I could get through an entire one of these reviews without gushing over my sweet little bisexual warlock baby Magnus, did you?! Seriously though, oh my word, my poor heart and everything that this precious, wholesome, lovesick puppy does to me in each and every one of these books. I would read endless books just about Magnus Bane and never tire of them.

“It was books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone. They could be honest with me, and I with them.”

One last thing: let’s talk about the audiobook narrators. I may reread this right after I catch up on the universe, because it feels like I missed a lot. It alternates between two narrators, Ed Westwick and Heather Lind, and while I loved listening to Heather Lind, Ed Westwick’s narrating voice is so muddled (and, at times, cringe-inducing) that I had to replay bits to make out what he said. It’s not an issue of accent (most of the audio narrators I listen to are also English); not to be cruel, but I just don’t think he’s a very good narrator.

He also narrated part of City of Fallen Angels, and I had the same issue in that one—I actually switched back to the physical format after only one chapter of that one, but in this book’s case, I needed something to listen to while running errands a lot over the last two weeks. I’d be really interested to know if I would’ve liked the book better without his narrative pulling me out of the story constantly. (Sorry, Gossip Girl fans!) Anyways, he doesn’t narrate anything besides those two books, so I’d recommend steering clear of this one and Fallen Angels, but I hear the rest of the audiobooks are great and I look forward to finding out for myself!

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