Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Release Date: 6th December, 2011

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Pages: 502pgs

The Story

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 hlep of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers 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, though 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.

The Review

Is it possible to love a book more than your own pet? Or a family member? Or a friend? I think it's highly possible for addictive book readers such as myself. At least that's what my mind is telling me as I write this review.

CLOCKWORK PRINCE is the highly anticipated sequel of Clockwork Angel and it's by far my favourite 2011 book, and perhaps it's my favourite book written by Cassandra Clare herself. I laughed. I cried. I smiled. I cried over and over again. I gasped. I pumped furious fists in the air. I jumped for joy . . . like really embarrassingly (thankfully with no one seeing me). And oh yeah - I screamed in frustration (internally of course) so many times that I'd lost count. There's a lot to say about this book but not even my mind can think of the words that could do this book justice only that . . . there's no other book in my life that contained such a large variety of betrayal, heart-breaking twists and turns, and beautifully-created love triangles written at their best, and it's impossible - absolutely impossible - to forget a storyline like this one because it left such a huge impression on me.

First things first: if you haven't read Clockwork Angel then you're seriously missing out on this amazing spin-off series and you seriously seriously shouldn't continue reading this review any longer because you need to experience the first book for yourself in order to understand this one here. Anyway there's no hidden secret when I say I love The Infernal Devices series so much more than The Mortal Instruments series readers around the world have come to love. The storyline itself has much more depth and emotion in it, and there is not one character that I hate. I love them all. The good and the bad. And the damn-right ugly. Actually they're all beautiful people (sucks I know) and not one of them is ugly - well except the demons - so I'll refrain my said words from above.

CLOCKWORK PRINCE continues to follow the journey of Tessa Gray and her shadowhunter gang who are still on the hunt for the illusive Magister, and his band of clockwork armies. Without giving out too much information about the storyline, it's easy to admit Cassandra Clare knows how to entertain and it's not only that. It's the love triangle, too. I'm not a huge fan of love triangles because so many authors tend to write them as soppy and pointless relationships that you know will not work out. However, Clare has amazed me in the way she handled her threesome (not in the way you think, okay guys?) of Tessa, Will, and Jem. When one thing happens to one character and then with the other, the writing reaches close to your heart and you're praying for these characters because you're so hopelessly in love with them. It's the one thing readers will appreciate in this book.

Concerning the characters, I can say with all certainty that Tessa Gray has earned her rights to become a true heroine and one of my favourites in YA books. She's strong, fiercely independent, has a good head on her shoulders, sees greatness-over-the-doom-and-gloom in others where no one can see for themselves, and she's a book lover, whom you can respect of her book tastes. Seriously. She has really great book tastes. From the first book to this one, Tessa has developed into a really courageous young character and not to mention she's beautifully written. I admit at times I was furious with her with certain actions she'd done and certain thoughts she'd expressed throughout the book (concerning Jem and Will mostly), but she's an innocent girl that we all respect and one you will continue to respect. Jem and Will on the other hand are perfect matches for her and just what you need for her personal character growth.

Okay let's talk about the boys. We have the self-destructive and handsome and the sarcastically-excellent, Will, and the sweetheart and lovable and the gorgeously-delicious, Jem. Here's the thing fictional debaters . . . I love them both so, so much and they're dear to my heart. But as much as I love them equally due to their completely opposite personalities, but I have very different opinions of them that gradually shift and change as each of these two boy characters continue to impress me with their out-of-the-blue declarations of love. So . . . Will. (the GIF below should explain my feelings about him).

Will Herondale is such a complexed character. There's no denying that. In Clockwork Angel he was the kind of character you wanted to shake and constantly yell at, especially when it came to him and Tessa's relationship. You knew without a doubt that he cared for her a great deal but there's always something standing in his way; allowing him to pull away further and further away from her. While hinting at some dark secrets from his past. It irritated me so much in the first book and there were certain things he'd said in Clockwork Angel that made you detest him. But, to my surprise, as readers learn more about Will in CLOCKWORK PRINCE and have many questions answered, I can definitely guarantee more irritation coming from him except I loved him even more in this book. He was a darling. A sweetheart with a shadowed heart. There was just something about him that you couldn't help but love - even though I'm over the whole 'Let's-remain-mysterious-and-tormented-for-the-sake-of-humanity-in-order-for-girls-to-love-me'. I'm over that. But while he still has some issues to work out (trust me there is plenty) but he lives up to the swoon-worthy praises he receives and he deserves an award for being the heart-breaker of all heart-breakers-who--eventually-redeem-themselves. Now onto the man we all want to marry Jem. Well more like . . . I want to marry him. (Here's another GIF that sums up my feelings about him).

Jem how can you not be loved by all!? In CLOCKWORK PRINCE, Jem is a completely new and improved Jem (even though he was perfect to begin with) to the one you'd read in the first book. And he's sexier than ever before. A damn fine sexy beast. You know that Disney song, "Someday my prince will come . . ."? Well, clearly, it was written specifically or rather was meant for Jem and me since he's my prince without a doubt. Already being a hardcore Team Jem fan, it was not hard to try and convince me that he's the most beautiful boy on the fictional planet of YA novels. Because that's what he is. His godly goodness peels in millions of layers and you'll begin to see what a true man he is, and what a true young man he'll become in the future. His insecurities, his sweetness, his anger, his desperation, his adoration for Tessa and for his best friend Will . . . OH MY GOODNESS . . . HOW CAN I TYPE WORDS WITHOUT CONTAINING EXTREME MENTAL CASE LOVE EXPRESSIONS AND THESE SILLY CAPLOCKS AND SOME OF THESE !!!!!! THROWN INTO THE REVIEW!? He's just uber-amazing and I honestly think Tessa is not good enough for him. She doesn't deserve him. It's true. While I get the feeling Tessa is probably better suited to Will, but Jem has a lot to offer and with certain events occuring in the novel, I loved how everything turned out but I'm fiercely scared about what's going to happen in the third and final installment of this book series . . . because we need to cure Jem! We just need to!

I seriously need to wrap things up here, don't I? Longest review ever. Overall CLOCKWORK PRINCE is everything, if not more than I wanted it to be and there's so much attachment between me and these characters. It's as if we are a family of our own and you don't want to lose any of them. While I'm preparing for the worst in Clockwork Princess in 2012, but with twisty-turns, romantic gestures, steamy scenes, and heart-pumping action sequences, CLOCKWORK PRINCE will blow everything out of the water! I mean, talk about a serious and over-the-edge cliffhanger! Cruel Cassandra Clare . . . so very cruel.

The Rating 5/5 stars

with x 1000 of love hearts! <3