Clockwork Angel

Cassandra Clare

Aug 2010 · The Infernal Devices Book 1 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still. Discover the “compulsively readable” (Booklist) first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy, prequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series! Clockwork Angel is a Shadowhunters novel.

When 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 a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform 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 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.

Ratings and reviews

I thoroughly enjoy the way that Clare writes. It’s inviting yet her vivid and larger than life descriptions make everything pop. Clare combines the old with the new and the weird to create a unique & seamless whole for this world that she drops her readers into. She gradually builds up this world, allowing readers to dip their toes in, rather than having to plunge in head first and sink or swim. I really enjoyed this approach. This is an intensely stimulating and very interesting story. I loved it to bits. Clare doesn`t simply present her characters to you. She invites you into her world and introduces you to new friends bit by bit. I enjoyed getting to know the ins and outs of what it means to be a shadow hunter. The in-depth look at where they came from and what they do was Tessa learns about them made me feel like part of this world. Each individual`s take on what it means to be a shadow hunter also gives you a feeling of who they really are inside. This story was chilly and frightening at times yet very exciting throughout. I couldn’t put it down. Although targeted to an audience in their late teens anyone and everyone is bound to enjoy this.

This review MAY contain spoilers. Read at your own risk. This book was outstanding! I am so in awe right now. I have read all of the Mortal Instruments books and looking back at the first book in that series I can honestly say that this book is better than that one. Much better. And I loved City of Bones. I still do. If I could give this book all of the stars, I would. It would be well deserved. As with the Mortal Instruments series, the characters really make this book stand out. The best way that I can describe the way that you get to know the characters in this book is that it is intimate. When reading this book you feel right along with the characters. You discover along with them. You feel their pain and their joy. Each character, whether it is a villain or otherwise, evokes such feelings in you as you are reading. You feel them. You know them. I became very passionate about the characters early on, and the feeling is something that has lodged in my soul. Truly. These characters will now forever be a part of me. That is what it is like to read a Cassandra Clare book. All that aside, the character development is incredible. These characters are complex and they have tragic pasts and secrets. They carry a lot of pain, but you also get to see what brings them joy. Like Henry with his inventions, Tessa with her books, or Jessamine and her finery. There is a gorgeous balance to it that makes the character development thorough and magical. The world building in this was phenomenal. I truly loved seeing the Shadowhunter world of London in 1878. The different locale and the different time period gave this book such a magical feel. The plot of the book was very solid. It was interesting, engaging, and it wholly captivated me from the first page. This book kept me on the edge of my seat trying to anticipate what would come next. I could not get enough. There are unexpected twists and turns that are just exhilarating. The writing itself is flawless and beautiful. There is a perfect balance between humor and gravity. Cassandra Clare's writing will make you giggle, cry, and everything in between. She is a goddess when it comes to writing passages and I can only hope that she keeps creating inventive worlds for me to live in. Her written word is magical. Overall, I can't recommend this book enough! Go get it now! If you are a Cassandra Clare fan and have not read this book then you are doing yourself a great disservice. And even if you haven't experienced a Cassandra Clare book before, this book will set the bar pretty high for you. You will not be disappointed. I will immediately be starting the next book in this series!

Tessa thought she was just an ordinary girl but when she is sent to England by her brother after the death of her Aunt she starts realising things aren't the way they seem. After nasty encounters with the creepy dark-sisters and a mysterious man who calls himself the 'Magister' she realises the world isn't what she thinks it is. After finding herself saved by a band Shadowhunters secrets of her life are slowly unravelled and friends and love interests made. First of all, I am a huge fan of Cassandra Clare! I loved her other books and see her as a sort of idol now. But, I was worried that I would not like this book because a) I don't normally read books based in the Victorian Era or anything that isn't based in modern society; b) because I liked her first books so much I didn't want it to ruin the picture built up in my head. Though, as soon as I started reading, everything I was apprehensive about before was blown away. I loved this book! I thought the characters, Tessa and Will, were realistic and portrayed beautifully but my favourite character has to be Jem, I loved the way he acted and how Clare managed to make him so kind-hearted and different. I think Cassandra Clare really wrote this wonderfully, the story was smooth and had twists at the right moments but completely sucked me into the story and it's world. I also enjoyed that the England she portrayed wasn't stereotypical. I was both shocked and upset at some of the moments in the story and that's why I loved it so much.

About the author

Cassandra Clare is the author of the #1 New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Shadowhunter Chronicles. She is also the coauthor of the bestselling fantasy series Magisterium with Holly Black. The Shadowhunter Chronicles have been adapted as both a major motion picture and a television series. Her books have more than fifty million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. Cassandra lives in western Massachusetts with her husband and three fearsome cats. Visit her at CassandraClare.com. Learn more about the world of the Shadowhunters at Shadowhunters.com.