Paranormal meets Victorian England
For all those who know whom I’m talking about, Cassandra Clare is one of my favourite authors. Her way of writing stories that have complex plots, a variety of memorable characters and witty one-liners is amazing; I’m sure many have either heard of or read her debut series ‘The Mortal Instruments’ and have, like me, been taken along for the ride of a lifetime with the detailed world of the Shadowhunters (and of course, Jace). What awed me so much about this series was the amount of thought that had gone into Cassandra’s world – places, runes, history, character links. I mean, all that was missing was Mr. Darcy – or was it?
Cassandra’s prequel series ‘The Infernal Devices’ is a Victorian era fan’s wildest dream – as is, for that matter, Libba Bray’s ‘Gemma Doyle Trilogy’. Both intertwine the intrigue of Victorian England and the paranormal element that is so over-used in today’s fiction – creating masterpieces that have you reading for hours under the covers (not that any of you should be) or during class (not that you should be doing THAT either). Oh, and note: Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini (Eragon Series), is the LAST BOOK in the series and is coming out on the 9th of November!
Clockwork Angel
By Cassandra Clare
“The handsome young fellow who’s trying to rescue you from a hideous fate is never wrong. Not even if he says the sky is purple and made of hedgehogs.”
Tessa Gray, as a young American woman, has never thought to question the world she lives in – until she’s captured whilst travelling to England and held captive by dark forces, hoping to use her for even darker purposes that she hasn’t the slightest idea about. Rescued from that fate by people who call themselves ‘Shadowhunters’, Tessa comes out of her ordeal unscathed…besides the unlocking of her powers; powers she never knew she had.
Taken to the Shadowhunter’s ‘lair’, so to speak, Tessa is forced to come to terms with a whole world she never knew existed, forming alliances in order to find her only brother, Nate, whom she believes to be in great danger. There’s Charlotte and her husband Henry, who run the Institute (a.k.a lair), Jessamine – a young woman whose flippant attitude conceals a troubled past -, James/Jem – a kind young man whose heart is in the right place – and last but not least, Will Herondale. And it is Will, with his charm, wit, love of literature and casual indifference, which attracts Tessa’s attention and her affections...though that attraction could just be her greatest mistake.
But there are bigger troubles than who to love - clockwork agents with mysterious origins, Tessa’s parentage, an unknown enemy, Will’s dark secret and the fact that no Shadowhunter wants to admit…that they can’t fight their new enemy alone. They’ll need the help of a Downworlder and that Downworlder just happens to be Tessa. But how can Tessa find the strength to fight when she can’t even find the strength to the face the truth – about her life, about her situation and about her true self?
Definitely 5 stars - perhaps 4.5, 'cause the end (no spoilers) makes me angry. At Will. Mainly. For those who have read it you'll understand and sympathise...if not, you have some serious issues!
Coming out soon (6th December 2011): Clockwork Prince
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