Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

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

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, 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.

My Thoughts: I went into this book with the full expectation that it was going to rip my heart out and leave me bleeding. I feared, people. I feared. This is, if I'm completely honest, the sole reason I put off reading it for so long. I expected so much angst and drama that when I finished the book my first thought was "Well, at least Cassandra Clare didn't drown London under a sea of molten lava, killing everyone." I was pleased with this lack of extreme death and dismemberment. Then a few hours passed and I came to realize that what I had read WAS JUST AS BAD! I couldn't stop thinking about it. I just can't... *weeps a little* ... WHY DO YOU TORTURE US SO, CASSANDRA CLARE?!?!?!

Here's the thing - I want to like Jem as much as I like Will but... I don't. It's not that there's anything wrong with Jem. In fact, I think he's an outstanding balance to Will's emotional mood swings and his ingrained fight or flight response. As Tessa says, he's steady. Despite his addiction and the toll it takes on his body, he's the one that is always there when Tessa or Will need him. He's Will's rock. But he's not Will. Will is the one that I want to see triumph over his inner demons. Knowing that Jem is as ill as he is makes it hard for me to see him having any future with Tessa.

This book ended up being rather bittersweet. Certain truths come to light that have a profound impact on everyone at the London Institute. Will battles his inner demons with surprising results. I'm not implying anything but Will might have been involved in some actual demon battling too. Oh, and the ending? It kind of killed me.

On one hand, at least I only have a couple of months until the final book comes out and I can see how far this wild ride takes me. On the other hand... *weeps*

Books in this series
1. Clockwork Angel
2. Clockwork Prince - Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle
3. Clockwork Princess

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