Clockwork Prince - Book Review

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2)
by Cassandra Clare

What is it about:
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, but her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

What did I think of it:
I very much enjoyed the first book in this trilogy, so ordered the other two books not long after finishing Clockwork Angel. When Clockwork Prince arrived, I immediately started on it.

And this book is so cool.

The story is both entertaining and suspenseful. Some things I could easily figure out, but there were enough things and events that had me wondering where the story would lead to.

I love most of the characters. The love triangle between Will, Tessa and Jem is a really interesting one. For once I'm not annoyed or fearing I'm rooting for the wrong guy. I'm actually enjoying the complicated relationship Tessa has with both boys, and I'm wondering how this will end.

Of the other characters I'm still very much a fan of both Magnus and Henry. I like how Henry is not an Alpha male, but how he lets himself be led by his wife without it making him a weak personality. He's fun, intelligent and quirky. Some new characters were introduced as well, who gave extra dimension to the Shadowhunters as well as the story.

This book ends with a lot of story lines resolved, so you don't feel frustrated by the ending, but there were enough things still left open to make me eager to read the next book. And I can tell you Clockwork Princess was indeed the book I picked up right after finishing this one.

Why should you read it:
It's a very entertaining and cool Steampunkish Paranormal YA read