TMI Source (original) (raw)

DECEMBER 6, 2011

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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, but 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.

_“_In “Clockwork Prince,” the second installment in a prequel trilogy to the bestselling “The Mortal Instruments” series, Cassandra Clare demonstrates her relentless authorial alchemy, blending societal restraint and an otherworldly battle into a steamy steampunk drama.”

-The LA Times

Many times second books in a series fall short of readers’ expectations. Not so with Clockwork Prince. From the first page, readers are in the grip of an almost Shakespearean rollercoaster ride with a curse, a betrayal, a death, a secret marriage, a proposal, an impending birth, a long-lost relative, magic, and love—both given and unrequited—and behind the scenes are the Magister and all his clockwork machines and machinations. All the main characters from the first book are back, and there is the addition of the Lightwoods and Consul Wayland, as well as items such as the Mortal Sword and Book of the White. Tessa is still attracted to both Will and Jem but is more concerned with finding out who—and, perhaps, what—she is since the clues only manage to deepen the mystery. Will and Jem become more human and less warriors, with Jem teaching Tessa more about the Clave and Shadowhunters and Will’s desire to drive everyone away finally explained. All the other characters also become more complete. Clare’s books never disappoint, and this one will have readers clamoring for its sequel.

-VOYA

“One of the things that Clare is best at is making not only her characters feel but her readers feel, as well. And there is a lot of feeling going on in Clockwork Prince.

There were so many emotions that I felt while reading; I would be laughing one moment, crying the next and then laughing again. It was an emotional roller coaster that was so addicting that I wouldn’t have stopped if I could have.”

-Alyssa Barbieri, TMIsource.com