Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Book 1)
by
Cassandra ClareYoung Adult Fantasy
496 pages, hardcover
Target reader: ages 14+
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
978-1416975861
Release date: August 31, 2010
From the publisher: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.
Read an excerpt.
I loved Cassadra Clare's Mortal Instruments series (City of Bones, City of Glass, City of Ashes), and since this series is a prequel to that series, I thought I'd check it out.
It was not what I expected.
While those who are familiar with Mortal Instruments will recognize some family names, and one of the characters, there's really no cross-over between characters in the two series. You don't have to have read Mortal Instruments to read and enjoy this series.
Set 150 years earlier than Mortal Instruments, this book definitely has a Victorian flavor to it—in pacing, in style, in manners. It also has a bit of that steampunk feel to it, with animated machines made of clockworks.
It took a while for me to get into this book. A couple of times, I almost stopped reading but I kept on because I believed it would get better. I'm glad I was persistent. Once I let go of the expectation that it would be like Mortal Instruments and adjusted to the Victorian-style pacing, I really, really liked it.
I liked the characters—even though they do sort of mirror the characters from Mortal Instruments (Tessa = Clary; Will = Jace; etc.). At first it was a bit annoying, but then I found I didn't mind it. They were different enough that I grew to like these new characters almost as much as I liked those in Mortal Instruments.
We have a love triangle in the making, strong characters, weak characters. Tessa is very well-written and I could relate to her despite some of her Victorian attitudes. Will and Jem are awesome—I don't know which one I like best. I really liked watching how the women Shadow Hunters dealt with the constrictions of the society they lived in. Jessamine is totally the Victorian helpless female, hating to fight, expecting men to rescue her and make her life wonderful—except when she is pushed to the edge. Charlotte takes the opposite tack, embracing her Shadow Hunter skills and even *shock* wearing pants! Tessa is trying to find her own way and also discover her heritage, which is unusual and not completely resolved at the end of this book. Magnus Bane shows up in this series. He's not as flamboyant and apparently liked women at some point. Tessa's brother bugged me—I didn't find him completely believable.
The plot was involved and intricate. There were many unexpected twists and turns, lots of surprises, with the bad guys staying one step ahead through most of the story. I was surprised at the end by who the bad guy really was—and perhaps a little disappointed. There were times throughout the book when every male character was in question. At the big reveal, I felt there hadn't been quite enough foreshadowing for the evil being that he turned out to be.
Overall, I liked this book and will definitely read the next two in the series. But I think I'm more excited about reading City of Fallen Angels, book #4 of Mortal Instruments, which comes out in April 2011.
Plot: Characters: Ending: Cover: Content RatingsLanguage: 
Mild swearing
Violence: 
Some of this is pretty intense. Demons, possession, vampires, clockworks people who try to kill you. Some secondary characters are killed in a graphic manner.
Drugs/Alcohol: One of the main characters has to deal with an addiction that was forced upon him.
Immorality: Some reference to secondary characters being lovers, but nothing descriptive.
Values/Themes: Evil is everywhere; can't trust others. On the good side, keep trying, fight the darkness, do what is right.
Age Appropriate: I'd say 16+
Writing Mechanics: 
Good for the genre—Victorian Steampunk Paranormal.
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