Thursday 25 July 2013

REVIEW: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare


Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Series: The Infernal Devices, #3
Publication Date: March 19th 2013
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Hardcover, Collector's First Edition, 568 pages
Useful Info: Goodreads, Author's Website, Book Depository


Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

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.

Clockwork Princess was one of my most anticipated releases of 2013 and not just for one reason... The previous book in the Infernal Devices series, Clockwork Prince, absolutely left me speechless, so naturally I couldn't wait to read how the story would finally wrap up. And what an ending did Clockwork Princess provide!

But let's take things from the beginning. To every reader that has read even a single book by Cassandra Clare, it's no news that this author knows how to grasp your attention and make you travel in fantastic worlds. And here, after having read and the final book in this prequel to the Mortal Instruments series, I just have to say that Infernal Devices is so much better than the MI and so much more mature. At least it felt that way and in any case I found myself enjoying Infernal Devices much more. And the thing I have enjoyed the most is the way the love triangle was written. Shocking, I know! I usually absolutely hate love triangles. But in Infernal Devices it was one of the best triangles I have ever read in a long time, maybe ever. In this story the triangle was there, centre to everything that happened throughout the whole story but at the same time it wasn't the sole focus of the story. It felt just natural, something that was absolutely essential for the narration and not just a trend.
And now that things have finally ended and I got my answer with whom Tessa finally ended up with and especially after that epilogue I can only say one thing: every reader will feel satisfied with how things wrapped up, at least in the romantic department. But I, felt that it was just too good to be true. That last 15 pages or so were so fitting to the story but they made me feel that I was reading a fairy tale with an ending that was too good for everyone. Yeah, one could say that I'm a bit torn towards that ending....

You see on a deeper level, I wanted for Clare to end her story the way she did. It was the best way for such a triangle to be solved. But still, no matter how fitting, no matter how I wanted it to end that way, I still felt that it was a bit unrealistic. As unrealistic after a moment felt for me the reactions of Tessa, Will and Jem. Who on earth is so civilised when such truths emerge? But that's a matter of preference. Because whether I liked the ending or not, it was written in such a way that I couldn't possibly not love it.

As far as the story is concerned, Clockwork Princess is the most action packed of all three novels in this series and that was to be expected. I loved every twist and turn of the plot and I literally devoured this book in a matter of hours. The best part for me? The genealogical tree at the end of the book. Silly I know to love such a detail from a great book but I can't help myself!I love those kind of details and I only wished that there were more characters' lineage there :)

All in all, Clockwork Princess was one of the best books I read by Cassandra Clare and even if I didn't agree 100% with the ending, I couldn't see how things could end otherwise. Any other ending would be a compromise to an outstanding series. All I can say now is that I can't wait for the new series Clare has in store and takes place after the MI.Something tells me that that series will be the best one yet!


1 comment:

  1. And suddenly I am receiving your blogs emails again :) Great review Anna, someday I will read this series!

    ReplyDelete

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