Review: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (Spoiler-Free, chillax!)
Clockwork Princess (Infernal Devices #3)
by: Cassandra Clare
Publication Date: March 19, 2013
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genre: Steampunk
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Purchased for Nook
Page Count: 568 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy
Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.
A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.
Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.
A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.
-goodreads.com description
I don't really even know how to start this. Except to say that I totally called the outcome. I said it to my best friend who had already read the book, but of course she wouldn't tell me if I was correct or not. I don't know how I feel about the epilogue just yet. I think I may need to sit and think about it for a few days before I really make a sound decision. Because right now I'm feeling very conflicted.
Do I think Clare wrapped everything up? Yes, I do. Granted, it has been quite some time since I've read the other books in the series, but I believe all of my questions were answered. However, I am now curious and want to go back and re-read Mortal Instruments and look for Infernal Devices clues.
Was I an emotional basketcase over this book like I thought I was going to be? No... no, I was not. Actually, I can really only count one heart-wrenching scene where I had to put the book down and go clear my head. Because damn, my heart HURT. Does this mean I am devoid of a heart? Maybe. Maybe not.
It is no secret that Tessa loved both Will and Jem and that they both loved her, as well as each other. This book is FILLED with unconditional love and that is what made this book beautiful. All three of them are all so self-sacrificing in my opinion and sometimes its so much so that your heart does shatter a little bit every time. All three of them have some incredibly beautiful, heartfelt lines relating to loving each other, and I wish I could quote them all because they are so amazing. Ok. I'll give you my favorites:
"For this I would have been damned forever. For this I would have given up everything."
"You've saved me over and over and over again. You are a good man, one of the best I've ever known."
"Come with me. Stay with me. Be with me. See everything with me."
Besides Tessa-Jem-Will, I love that we got to see so much of the other characters and that certain points of the book were told from their points of view. That was a huge perk in my opinion. Seeing friendships form and relationships bloom between them was very satisfying to me.
I will say that you cannot help feeling the weight of Tessa and Magnus's immortality. If you've read The Mortal Instruments, then you can see how it affects Magnus, for sure. It saddens me to think of the loneliness both him and Tessa endure every day because of that and what it must feel like watching the ones you love die and be powerless to prevent it. GAH. Darn my best friend for making things logical for me. Maybe I'm starting to retract my earlier statement about being conflicted over the epilogue.
In conclusion, I will say, whether you're rooting for 'Team Will', 'Team Jem', or even 'Team Tessa', I think you will be very pleased with the ending Clare has given us.
"Most people are lucky to have even one great love in their life. You have found two."
8 comments
I was also completely blown away by how much these three characters unconditionally loved each other. It's been almost two weeks since I finished reading this, and I'm still trying to absorb it all, especially the fact that the series is over.
ReplyDelete:) I was quite surprised I wasn't as emotional as some of the others who read it were. I kept reading Twitter posts about ugly crying, but there was not any of that for me. I am sad the series has ended, but I'm looking forward to City of Heavenly Fire next year!
DeleteIn my eyes, all this heartbreak and deep, unconditional love was a tiny bit too much. I mean, this isn't a romance but a YA fantasy novel. Don't get me wrong, I adore both Will and Jem. But I was annoyed by all the cheesy phrases constantly thrown at me.
ReplyDeleteDamn, why am I the only one who's disappointed in this book? That sucks!
I can definitely see that. As much as I loved the cheesy, sweet lines I kept thinking, no 17-18 year old would EVER say this stuff. And I don't think you're the only one disappointed, I can see where alot of people would feel that it was unsatisfying or just didn't work out the way they wanted.
DeleteI love this novel but I did not like the ending at all. It just didn't work for me. Apart from that I was an emotional wreck! Great quotes!
ReplyDeleteI kept having issues with the ending too. I wish she hadn't done an epilogue, to be honest.
DeleteI loved this book until the epilogue. Without the epilogue this is my favorite book of CC's, but with it, I feel like all her books are meh. I kept reading post of CC's on tumblr of her explaining why she wrote CP2 the way that she did, and I understand, but I disagree with it (at least the ending).
ReplyDeleteAly @ My Heart Hearts Books
I kind of felt like she was trying to appease everyone by making the ending the way it was. I personally would have liked her to end it with no epilogue also.
DeleteLeave me some comment love! And I will get around to commenting back!
My blog is an award-free blog, however, as I just do not have the time to follow-up.