Review: Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Angel

Series: The Infernal Devices #1
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Margaret K. McElderry
Publication Date: August 31, 2010 
Pages: 481
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical Fiction, Steampunk
Source: Paperback

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In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them...

MY REVIEW

This review MAY contain SPOILERS. Read at your own risk.

This book was outstanding! I am so in awe right now. I have read all of the Mortal Instruments books and looking back at the first book in that series I can honestly say that this book is better than that one. Much better. And I loved City of Bones. I still do. If I could give this book all of the stars, I would. It would be well deserved. 

As with the Mortal Instruments series, the characters really make this book stand out. The best way that I can describe the way that you get to know the characters in this book is that it is intimate. When reading this book you feel right along with the characters. You discover along with them. You feel their pain and their joy. Each character, whether it is a villain or otherwise, evokes such feelings in you as you are reading. You feel them. You know them. I became very passionate about the characters early on, and the feeling is something that has lodged in my soul. Truly. These characters will now forever be a part of me. That is what it is like to read a Cassandra Clare book. All that aside, the character development is incredible. These characters are complex and they have tragic pasts and secrets. They carry a lot of pain, but you also get to see what brings them joy. Like Henry with his inventions, Tessa with her books, or Jessamine and her finery. There is a gorgeous balance to it that makes the character development thorough and magical. 

The world building in this was phenomenal. I truly loved seeing the Shadowhunter world of London in 1878. The different locale and the different time period gave this book such a magical feel. 

The plot of the book was very solid. It was interesting, engaging, and it wholly captivated me from the first page. This book kept me on the edge of my seat trying to anticipate what would come next. I could not get enough. There are unexpected twists and turns that are just exhilarating. 

The writing itself is flawless and beautiful. There is a perfect balance between humor and gravity. Cassandra Clare's writing will make you giggle, cry, and everything in between. She is a goddess when it comes to writing passages and I can only hope that she keeps creating inventive worlds for me to live in. Her written word is magical.

Overall, I can't recommend this book enough! Go get it now! If you are a Cassandra Clare fan and have not read this book then you are doing yourself a great disservice. And even if you haven't experienced a Cassandra Clare book before, this book will set the bar pretty high for you. You will not be disappointed. I will immediately be starting the next book in this series!

If you have read books by Cassandra Clare, whivh of her series is your favorite and why? If not, let me know what your most recent read was!