Review: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess

Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Infernal Devices, Book Three
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Format: Hardcover, 592 pages
Release Date: March 19, 2013
Source: Mid-Columbia Libraries
 

Synopsis: 
 
Tessa is preparing for her wedding and she should be happy, but a dark cloud hangs over her and her friends. Mortmain needs only one last thing to complete his plan to destroy all Shadowhunters with his army of automations, the Infernal Devices. He needs Tessa. When the last words of a dying Shadowhunter give a clue to Mortmain’s whereabouts, they know that they have to move on him now. But the Consul doesn’t believe them and they can’t defeat Mortmain alone. Then, when Mortmain seizes the last of the medicine that keeps Jem alive, Will must risk everything to save Jem and the girl they both love.

Magnus Bane and Henry Branwell join together to create a device that could buy them the precious time they need to defeat Mortmain. As everybody works together to save Tessa, she realizes the only person that can save her is herself. As she discovers her true nature, she unleashes a power that she never dreamed possible. But can she face an entire army alone? Danger, betrayal, secrets, and tangled romance all intertwine as the Shadowhunters embark on the most dangerous mission they have ever faced in this stunning finale to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

My Review: 
 
Wow. This book blew me away. If this is any indication of how the finale to the Mortal Instruments series will be, then I have no clue how I am going to make it until March. This book was gorgeous. It was action-packed from start to finish. The various love stories that played out throughout the book were complex and confusing, yet also beautiful. The detail that Clare has put into this entire trilogy has blown me away.

I have read quite a few prequels and none have even come close to this series. I hate when I read a prequel and it doesn’t connect in any way to the original series or the original characters. I know that a prequel series is meant to be a completely different story with a completely different plot, but I want it to connect in some way to the original. Cassandra Clare nailed it. There are so many tiny details within this book that connect back to the Mortal Instruments series. We discover the origin of Isabelle Lightwood’s ruby necklace that pulses when demonic activity is nearby and how it came to be a part of the Lightwood family. We discover how Sensors and the very first Portal were created. We even get to see where Clary and her mother got their fiery red hair. I mean, simply incredible. I have no words. There is even a part in the book where Magnus Bane makes a comment in regards to all Lightwoods looking the same to him, which, if you have read the Mortal Instruments series, is ironic because he ends up falling in love with a Lightwood. All of these little details really sold me on this series. If any of them had been missing, I guarantee I would not have enjoyed the books so much.

This was the most action-packed book of the series, making it my favorite one. The action is non-stop from the beginning, keeping you on the edge of your seat the whole time. From fighting with demons and automations, to discovering dangerous secrets, the action and suspense never lets up. This isn’t the traditional Shadowhunter fighting we have seen in the Mortal Instruments. The automations are an entirely different enemy and the Shadowhunters really must use brute force in order to bring them down. This particular fight shows just how strong and just how much heart the Shadowhunters all have. None of them ever give up even when facing certain death including Magnus Bane (who I’m pretty much in love with).

The love triangle between Jem, Tessa, and Will heats up in this book and attempted to tear my heart in two. I just couldn’t pick between the two of them. This was probably the most heart-wrenching love triangle I have ever been presented with. I’m not sure if I liked the way Clare resolved it. It was an okay resolution, but I think that there were other directions she could have gone that would have made it better.

Let’s talk about Henry Branwell because I feel like I haven’t talked about him much in my previous two reviews. He is Charlotte’s husband and is a little scatterbrained. However, he is actually extremely intelligent and a revolutionary inventor. Throughout the series he talks about working on a Sensor that can detect demon energies which we all know comes to fruition in the Mortal Instruments series. He also, with the help of Magnus, creates the very first Portal. Henry is a sweet, caring husband completely devoted to Charlotte. He never lets anything darken his spirit, no matter how bad things get.

I like the addition of Will’s sister Cecily to the little group. She has the same fiery, sarcastic personality that Will does and she is a fierce fighter. Just like Will, she jumps headfirst into dangerous situations without thinking about the consequences and she fights with more heart than any other Shadowhunter. I loved watching her transform from a girl riding in to rescue her brother to a girl who begins to understand and love the Shadowhunting lifestyle. She grows up and discovers who she is.

Overall, this book was absolutely incredible. Clare tied up all the loose ends nicely. There were parts of this book that were heart-wrenching and other parts that were so filled with joy it was impossible to keep a smile off my face. The book was thrilling and suspenseful, keeping me on the edge of my seat the entire time. My only complaint is that it is now over. I have officially read all of the books Cassandra Clare currently has published and I’m not sure how to go on with life now. I will miss my Shadowhunters greatly until next March and will probably end up re-reading both series while I wait, that’s how good these books were. Thank you Cassandra Clare for giving the world your beautiful writing for us to treasure forever. Happy reading all! 

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