Title: Clockwork Princess
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Infernal Devices, #3
Genres: Steampunk, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (Imprint of Simon & Schuster)
Date Published: March 19th, 2013
Edition: Hardcover
Rating:
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.
My Review:
Warning: This review may contain spoilers for the series and this book as a whole. It’s a hard book review to write without some spoilers to please avoid reading if you haven’t read the book yet and/or do not want spoilers for the book/series.
This is one review that I’ve actually been dreading writing because even days after finishing the book I’m still not quite sure how I entirely feel about the conclusion of The Infernal Devices series. While I’ve enjoyed the books I never really felt incredibly connected or concerned for the characters, but I suppose they kind of snuck up on me at some point without me fully realizing it, because I found the ending to be bittersweet, surreal, and even a little sad.
From pretty much the start of the series I haven’t been a fan of this love triangle in particular because Tessa has always sort of seemed equally torn between Will and Jem — whereas a lot of times you can tell where the female’s heart truly lies. I’ve always felt like she had more of a deeper love with Will and more of a compassionate love for Jem. But either way they are both very good guys and aside from their shared love for Tessa, they both mean so much to each other as friends that it would be devastating to see that relationship dissolve because of Tessa’s choice.
I think the love triangle was sorted out well. However, what really broke my heart was the Epilogue. It really brought the realities of immortality to the forefront — especially when those you love most are not immortal as well. I understand why Clare wrote the epilogue because it brought the series right back in line (time wise) with the Mortal Instruments series. But I also kind of wish she didn’t give us that epilogue. I think I would have been happier with the ending had the realities of Tessa being immortal and both Will and Jem not been left to the imagination. It definitely makes you think though.
Aside from the epilogue though the book was definitely an emotional roller-coaster and the action up to par with the rest of the series. It’s probably one of my favorites of the series although it’s also sad that it’s come to an end. But the overarching storyline of Mortmain does come to a good conclusion and I was happy to see the ancestors of some of my favorite Mortal Instruments’ characters fall in line with creating the next generation and generations to come.
Overall I’d definitely recommend this series if you’re a fan of the Mortal Instruments books as well. Although you don’t have to read both series to understand what is going on in the other, it adds a nice dimension to the imaginative world of the Shadowhunters and Downworlders that Cassandra Clare has created — one of my absolute favorite worlds to read about to date.
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