Magic is dangerous–but love is more dangerous still. Discover the “compulsively readable” (Booklist) first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy, prequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series! Clockwork Angel is a Shadowhunters novel. When Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of … 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 a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform 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 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.
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This is such a unique setting—1880s London—but with a fantasy bent you’ll love delving into. The start is a bit slow for me, but the world and characters come together beautifully.
Love it too
Okay so we all love the Shadowhunters series, but I have to admit I much preferred Clare’s Infernal Devices series. Not entirely sure why – I think the setting had a lot to do with it, I love a historical novel. But I also enjoyed these characters more, with their old world charm.
Love the series. My favorite books to read.
This is one of my favorite series! So good!
Hard time putting it down. Love the characters and their interaction with one another.
This series is my favorite installment by far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love Jem and Will as parabatai so much their bond is amazing. I am in love with Tessa she is an amazing addition to their team. She is my favorite female wore-lock. Her love for Wll is so pure its amazing, but she also shows and amazing love with Jem that I love just as much. I also want to give Jessie credit for her sacrifice because she just gets looked over. Henry and Charlotte deserve recondition to they help out future shadow-hunters. Icaan’t forget to mention Magnus is in these too!!!!!!!!! There’s also a cute cat named Church
I think it’s because although in the past the same world as the Mortal Instruments and Cassandra Clare has already introduced us to the world which of course helped. Some of the settings and how they describe London sort of reminds me of some of the old stories and things I know, the stabbing really reminded me of Jack the Ripper. I don’t know why but it did.
Tess. I loved her character. With how girls were meant to be in that era, I felt after she arrived in London and was kidnapped (is that a spoiler? Idc. SORRY IF IT IS) she changed into being just like the other shadowhunters like Charlotte, Will, and Jem, she just really fitted in with them although she was not a shadowhunter she fitted in with them and they treated her the same. After she shows them her gifts she fits in of course. I loved Tessa’s personality the fact she stands up to the people straight away at the institute made me smile and the fact she wasn’t scared to hide her opinion over some of the issues. She also was very stern on them helping to get her older brother back and find him. (Total side note, I’m glad now Grey brings another meaning to my life other than 50 shades of Grey)
Will. Erm he was a jerk, a cocky jerk and in the first chapter, we pretty much see that I didn’t think his attitude could get worse but it did but it weirdly brought me in. I wanted to know why this fool was such a jerk, and in the first book, we still don’t know why he’s a jerk other than what we learn off Jem and what he sort of lets off himself. I loved his character I think we are all suckers for jerks, or just you know. But although he was a jerk, I could feel his feelings for Tessa sinking through and when they kissed. I was like YES. Then it went weird and then he insulted her at the end of the book. One thing that did make me laugh is Will biting the vampires (I don’t think that’s a spoiler) we learn from Jem that he has done it before and his reasoning is the fact it shocks the vampires, and I literally laughed out loud. It was brilliant. I really did love him.
Jem. He was very mysterious he didn’t let much off and Tessa doesn’t meet him until a few chapters into the book when she hears him playing music and finds him in his room. That’s how they meet, Jem’s illness got me very curious to what was wrong with him and also the fact he didn’t say much about parents, and it seemed to change the story of them a few times. But when it was revealed what was wrong with him and I just wanted to hug him and squeeze him. Tessa’s reaction to this is brilliant and the fact she wants to try and find a cure and tells Will off for not finding a cure it just quite amusing if I do say so myself. I loved Tessa and Jem together, I really don’t know who to ship… Can they live in a happy threesome? Although there were limited scenes together, what they had together was amazing.
Nate. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. I want to spit on him, you know I always felt there was something dodgy when they got him back and I am on Team Will with this! We should have done what Will said, Nate just seemed very dodgy and it bugged me the fact that Tessa wasn’t even curious about what her brother had done to get into that position. Erm, so I was right if you had read this book we know I was right. Nate is a despicable human being doing what he did to Tessa it got me mad and the fact she still hoped there was a reason for it made me madder, she still loves him after it. I am just like why bitch?! Why?! I hope he gets a horrible death by the end of this if not I will be disappointed.
I just wanted to mention a bit about those 4 characters being that I had the most to say about them rather than the others, they are good but I just I don’t contain many thoughts about them.
The plot was amazing, Cassandra Clare never fails to disappoint me when it comes to her plots, they are always something different, which is why I will from now on pretty much buy her books on the spot. The whole plot was full of twists and turns, it was nice seeing Camille appear in it because we of course only get a bit of her in the Mortal Instruments. Magnus, he was there bae was there. I love Magnus, like honestly but he needs to wait a lot of hundred of years so he can be with Alec. So it was nice seeing the characters before we saw them in Mortal Instruments. At the end of this book, we are told that Charlotte may have to give up her leadership in the Institue and that the Lightwoods might take over. My prediction that’s how Alec and Isabelle’s family got in charge in the Mortal Instruments. That’s my prediction and I’m probably right because you know it makes sense. I loved this book and that was my one thought when I finished it. Love. Love. Love. Love. Love. That is literally what is on my Goodreads review.
Awesome trilogy, highly recommend! Love the Victorian era setting, and the demons, warlocks, vampires, etc. The romantic aspects of the book are great and don’t take away from the plot.
It took a couple of chapters before this book grabbed me, but once it had a hold on me, it never let go. I finished the entire trilogy in under a week because I got so attached to the characters. The story, the characters, the suspense, the EVERYTHING. I loved it!
Dang, I forgot how much I love these books. There are so many friggin books in this universe, it’s sometimes hard to keep them all straight and I read this trilogy so long ago that I wanted to do a reread before I hit up the newly released Chain of Gold. I’m glad I did too! I forgot so much and there were a lot of little Easter eggs that I appreciated this second time.
I started reading Cassandra Clare books when City of Bones first came out in 2007. Most of the time it feels like me and the Shadowhunter universe grew up together, so I haven’t really noticed Cassie’s growth as an author before. But now that I’m rereading these books as an older adult, it seems so obvious. To this day I love The Mortal Instrument books, but it’s mostly out of a deep nostalgia. The characters and world building are great, but the story is very soap-opera-dramatic and over the top. I know this and love it anyway because it was the first fandom I was ever really a part of.
Now this series feels light years ahead of The Mortal Instruments. There’s a very stilted feeling in The Mortal Instrument books after City of Glass where the series was supposed to end before awkwardly being drawn out over three more books. But The Infernal Devices feels so much more intentional. A lot of planning must have gone into this story and it’s so fun watching it all play out.
And the characters! Cassie has always been the queen of giving us awesome characters, but I especially love this group. Tessa, Sophie, and Charlotte are some of my favorite women in this universe (so far anyway) and the brotherly/bff vibes between Jem and Will can’t be beat.
I’ve seen several people over the years recommend starting with this series as an introduction to the Shadowhunter universe, which always made me nervous. Even though they’re first in the chronological timeline, I worried that the explanations and world building would be too brief to understand since they weren’t *written* first. Now that I’ve reread this book though, I’m realizing that was silly. These are a great introduction to this world if you’re looking to break into the shadowhunter universe! Personally, I think this series is far superior over The Mortal Instruments, so I think reading this first will give you the strength to get through that not-as-great series later on.
~FINAL WORD~
*Chef’s kiss*
One of my all-time favorite series. So good! Much better than Mortal Instruments imo.
Ermigerd. So good