Book: Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1)
Author: Cassandra Clare
# of Pages: 476 (Paperback)
Rating: 4 stars
Goodreads Summary
Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.(
My Thoughts:
Tessa Gray travels from New York to England so that she can live with her brother, Nate. Upon arriving, she is kidnapped by the Dark Sisters who reveal to her that she is not who she thought she was and that she has a unique ability to change into other people. After escaping the horrors of the Dark Sisters, Tessa goes to stay with the Shadowhunters at the London Institute. With her brother missing and the man known as the Magister after her, Tessa struggles to find out what she is while trying to acclimate to the supernatural world that she has fallen into.
I thought Tessa was a a strong protagonist. She is brave and smart. As for the Shadowhunters, Will is sarcastic and witty. But, as funny as he was, I found that I did not like him that much. Jem is kind and intelligent and extremely likable. Though they appear to be completely opposite, they have one thing in common. They are both harboring big secrets.
Charlotte runs the Institute, and although she is underestimated by her peers, she is a very clever and determined woman. Her husband, Henry, is obsessed with his inventions. He is a little eccentric, but overall he is a very amusing character.
I loved how
Clockwork Angel was set in Victorian England and I do like Clare's writing style. I just thought there were points where there was too much description. I also would like to have seen more action.
