On Starships and Dragonwings

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare is part of the prequel series Infernal Devices (prequel to The Mortal Instruments). I actually haven’t had a chance to read all of The Mortal Instruments yet, so this audiobook was a great introduction to the magic of the Shadowhunters :D. I also can report that you don’t need to have read The Mortal Instruments to mightily enjoy Clockwork Angel! Finally, thank you so much to Simon and Schuster Audio for giving me the chance to review Clockwork Angel.

I received Clockwork Angel from the publisher for an honest review.
 Goodreads |Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: Clockwork Angel
Author: Cassandra Clare
Length: 13 discs
Genre-ish: Steampunk fantasy YA
Rating: ★★★★☆- awesome magic and narrator

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination 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 the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, 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 blue-eyed 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. – Goodreads

Strengths:

• The Shadowhunters have sweet powers based on runes drawn on their body. They also can make their weapons glow (and I assume hurt demons better >.>) with the names of angels :D. I love me a cool magic system!
• The narrator of Clockwork Angel was amazing. She did the American accents believably and the English accents equally awesomely. Each character had their own voice, and I could even tell the male character voices apart (impressive for a female narrator in my experience).
• There were some great plot twists in Clockwork Angel that I didn’t see coming :D.
• Charlotte is one of the Shadowhunters and the main character Tessa had an amusing reaction when she realized that Charlotte dressed as a man when she fought, how shocking!
• A lot of the characters that Tessa comes to know are orphans, including Tessa herself. There were lots of wonderful sentiments about making your own family out of the people you love instead of just who is related by blood. It was quite heart-warming.

Weaknesses:

• One of the love interests is a complete jerkbutt. I really don’t appreciate a male character being cruel and cold towards the female main character and the female main character continuing to swoon over him. Yes, I realize that you can’t control who you fall in love with, but when guys have been a-holes to me, I haven’t been much inclined to hang around them no matter how pretty.
• As the description implies, there is a love triangle brewing which I don’t consider a strength. But past that, Team Jem!
• Clockwork Angel ends with a lot of questions unanswered. I would have liked the book to reveal a bit more on its own, or at least give some hints about the magical questions :(. Guess I’ll just have to listen to the next one ;-).

Summary:

While I’m all grumpy about the YA romance element, I otherwise loved Clockwork Angel. The audiobook is fantastic and highly recommended. This is actually the first steampunk type novel that I’ve read/listened to and it was an excellent introduction to the genre; I want more :D. I’m looking forward to finding out more about the magic of the Shadowhunters and Tessa in the rest of the trilogy. I also am eyeing my copy of City of Bones excitedly, haha.