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This week I have been heavily reading completing the rest of The Infernal Devices series: Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess, by Cassandra Clare. Now I have no idea what I’m going to go onto next. Comparing the three series in the Shadowhunter Chronicles, I would have to put this one in second place after the first half of The Mortal Instruments (City of Bones to City of Glass). I love the second half of The Mortal Instruments, but The Infernal Devices just ranks slightly higher than those. The Dark Artifices comes in after followed by Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy.
I think I’m going to get the Ghosts of the Shadow Market next to tie me over until the sequel series to The Infernal Devices comes out in March 2020, which includes a bunch of story stories from Jem throughout the ages, Kit Herondale after he leaves the Blackthorns, and Jace (Janus) Herondale from Thule adjusting to the universe where Clary didn’t die (but is engaged to the real Jace Herondale).
Thoughts on Clockwork Prince
I was honestly surprised when Tessa accepted Jem’s proposal as up until that point from her sections, she only had eyes for Will and Jem came across as a friend. I felt awful for Will as it literally happens right before he realized he wasn’t cursed. If Will had just figured that out a few pages earlier, I have a feeling Jem and Tessa never would’ve happened. As she stays engaged to Jem purely out of not wanting to hurt his feelings and burns her hand after rejecting Will to punish herself. My god those two belong together. As for Jessamine, I was not surprised by her betrayal and I cared very little about Nate dying. Tessa also hears from her brother that she is part Shadowhunter though she doesn’t believe it’s true during the course of this book.
Magnus throughout the series, I loved the inclusion on as he’s hilarious. You see his relationship with Camille when it falls apart. His fling with Woolsey Scott before the Praetor Lupus becomes the organization we see it in The Mortal Instruments. And you see his thoughts behind Will Herondale when he helps him break/realize the curse on him isn’t real… along with his love of dark hair and blue eyes (foreshadowing of Alec Lightwood). You also get a sense of his “I’m not going to be no helper of wayward Shadowhunters” attitude… oh hunny, give it ’til 2008 then you get Jace Herondale, Alec Lightwood, and Clary Fairchild with all their disasters. You’ll love it and eventually marry into it.
Thoughts on Clockwork Princess
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions. Considering I know what happens from the other two series, I was surprised I honestly felt that invested. I cried when Will said goodbye to Jem and thought he had been killed. When Will and Tessa finally got together (granted they didn’t know Jem was a Silent Brother and not dead), I was so happy. Those two honestly belong together in my opinion. Though Tessa really did love Jem, they had a sweet relationship. I couldn’t help but laugh when Church interrupted them making out in the music room. Jem was such a gentleman of the times, whereas Will was basically the same as Jace (probably why I loved him so much). Also I thought Will was lying about the Welsh Dragon tattoo… but nope… that’s a real thing… Tessa confirmed it’s existence after she sleeps with Will before the big battle where she turns into Ithuriel. That angel, I swear he gets imprisoned a lot. First into the Clockwork Angel necklace by Mortmain and then by Valentine in a basement for decades. I was a little surprised that it took Jessamine as a ghost to get Will to propose to Tessa. I suppose he didn’t realize Tessa loved him since basically Clockwork Angel, and thought she was just settling for him (which is not the case at all). Seriously those two… are two peas in a pod made for each other.
Also, I love how we got to see where everyone’s ancestors came from. Charlotte and Henry are Clary Fairchild’s ancestors as they name their son using Charlotte’s maiden name since she game Consul. From Freeform’s Shadowhunters I had assumed they kept Branwell but no they didn’t. It also pieced in Henry making the portal with the assistance of Magnus Bane (a fact I knew from the show). Not that they are the main couples of the books but I enjoyed every minute of Sophie with Gideon Lightwood, and Cecily Herondale with Gabriel Lightwood. I can so see where Alec Lightwood came from. Plus, I couldn’t stop laughing at Will introducing Gabriel as Lightworm not Lightwood to his parents. Or that Cecily rated their first kiss like it was target practice, it fits them. Or when Gideon announced he was going to marry Sophie to everyone before ever asking her by accident, and up until that point Sophie had been furious with him. I’m a sucker for love stories if you couldn’t tell, but I cannot stand actual “romance” novels. I need that supernatural, fantasy, dystopian, or thriller element aspect in there somewhere.
We also got confirmation on Tessa being part Shadowhunter, having been a descendant of the Starkweather family, and Axel Mortmain’s explanation on why she could have children whereas other warlocks cannot. Which I thought was interesting how they got around that little detail as I was curious throughout the books. Since I know she has two kids, James and Lucie, with Will after the events of The Infernal Devices. And I loved the inclusion of the scene on the bridge that takes place after The Mortal Instruments City of Heavenly Fire where Jem and Tessa reunite/get back together. It really completed out the series nicely (though I was teary eyed over Tessa talking about Will after he passed away of old age and going through the loss of him).
I could go on forever about the Shadowhunter Chronicles, so I’m going to force myself to stop there. As I didn’t do this type of thing at all with The Dark Artifices, I could have especially with the last book since it was a monster level of a novel in the amount of pages. But at least in my edition I love that it has pictures occasionally added, so it really helps you picture the characters and what’s going on.
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Love ya,
Mae Polzine
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