Synopsis
-from Clockwork Angel
In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. 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.
Ratings:
- Clockwork Angel ★★+(.5) (2.5/5)
- Clockwork Prince ★★★ (3/5)
- Clockwork Princess ★★+(.5) (2.5/5)
Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆ (2.67/5)
Trigger/Content Warnings: violence, torture, mentioned suicide
Buckle up this is going to be a really long review...
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I was first introduced to the Shadowhunters universe when I was 12 years old, and though I enjoyed the first couple books, it went downhill for me. However, despite the fact that it wasn't my favorite read, The Mortal Instruments series was a pretty important series to me as a child since it was the first and—I think— only time I ever saw Indonesian representation in English literature. So I decided to give Cassandra Clare a second chance. Thankfully, The Infernal Devices Trilogy is a lot better than The Mortal Instruments.
However, I'm gonna be honest and say that I'm the minority here—this trilogy was just okay to me. I really liked the characters, for one. But I felt that the plot moved really slowly—my attention wandered every other page I read. I also found a lot of the plot twists and revelations to be extremely obvious, since Cassandra Clare tried to drop frequent hints, but her hints were not subtle at all. However, I loved the literary references and the relationships and the characters.
If I were to put the books in order from my favorite to my least favorite, it would go: Clockwork Prince > Clockwork Princess > Clockwork Angel. I really loved Clockwork Prince a lot more than the other two books. I found Clockwork Angel & Clockwork Princess slow at times, and I thought Clockwork Prince had more emotion-evoking scenes and better character arcs.
I felt that the best part of the entire series were the characters. I loved Tessa Gray. She was very down-to-earth and practical, and she was surprisingly relatable with how much she loves to read & quote literature. I really loved her relationship with Will, and how they quoted literature at each other. My favorite relationship dynamic: when they quote literature at each other. And I also really loved her friendships with Sophie and Charlotte. Will Herondale, initially, was the stereotypical rude troublemaker, but in the first book it's heavily hinted that he's only acting that way. Also, I ended up really loving everyone's relationship with Will—his friendship with Jem, his romantic relationship with Tessa, his friendship with Charlotte & Henry & Jessamine & Magnus etc. I just really love Will. And JEM CARSTAIRS. I love Jem. He was just so good. He's always looking for the good in people, he rarely gets angry, he's always trying to make the most of what he has. Jem is probably my favorite character in the trilogy besides Magnus Bane but I can write many pages about how much I love Magnus Bane and how much the Indonesian representation means to me.
There were a lot of romantic relationships in this series. I feel like everyone found a significant other and...a lot of the relationships were very insta-lovey (Cecily & Gabriel). And I'm not a fan of insta-love. The only relationships I really felt a lot for throughout the entire series were Will & Tessa and Charlotte & Henry. I felt the chemistry between Will & Tessa immediately. I loved their banter and the way they quoted literature at each other and analyzed literature together—they're so cute. However, it took me a really long time to feel anything for Jem & Tessa and their relationship. I felt that there was very little chemistry between them since they didn't have much in common like Will & Tessa did. I think it could have worked had Cassandra Clare spent more time developing their relationship, but instead she just threw a bunch of angst in the mix and expected that to cultivate more sympathy towards their relationship. I loved Charlotte & Henry's relationship a lot. I think they were also representative of a trope that I really like—the strained but established relationship trope.
More than the romantic relationships, I really loved the friendships in this series. The friendship between Will, Tessa, and Jem was amazing, and I wouldn't have been mad if the trilogy was just about their friendship. Will & Jem's sibling-like relationship had my heart in pieces. They're always putting each other first and they're so loyal to each other I loved them so much. Will & Jem's friendship will always be one of the best friendships I've ever read about.
There were also a couple of characters that I was really disappointed with. I felt like a lot of characters could have had a really interesting character arc, or had the potential for some amazing character development, but I never got any of that. Some of the characters were just left flat and in the background when they had the potential to be so much more.
The one part that really met my expectations was the epilogue. I was told that the epilogue was really sad, and many people cried reading it. It was definitely as sad as they said it was. I don't shed tears easily, so I didn't cry, but I definitely felt that it was extremely bittersweet.
I thought the writing was just okay. It was very generic and pretty easy to get through, which is why I was able to finish the series quite quickly despite the frequent slow parts. But I also felt like the writing was lackluster, which is probably why it felt so slow. Because these slow parts that I mentioned were actually very integral events that really moved the plot along! The plot was moving, things were supposed to be exciting, but the writing wasn't able to capture my attention as much as I wanted it to. There was a lack of tension. Though the stakes were high, they just didn't feel high enough.
I also realized that her writing, to me, feels a little too...spoon-fed? I guess what I mean to say is that there is no subtlety. Everything is defined, which makes it an easy read and leaves very little up in the air, but it's also a writing style that I find quite dry. A lot of the "foreshadowing" felt very cheaply done; it felt as if, instead of a small, subtle hint towards the answers to the mysteries in the book, each of the hints were huge billboard signs telling the reader exactly what to expect. I was actually able to very easily and accurately guess the answers to so many of the mysteries—I felt cheated. The absolute lack of subtlety also meant a lot of extremely over-dramatic arguments and confessions and revelations, which I found a little ridiculous after the third or fourth time. I couldn't help but notice that quite a few of the lines spoken in heated arguments were quite cliche.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is: the characters were amazing, the plot was good, the writing was average, the execution needs work.
Overall, I was kinda disappointed, but it wasn't a bad read. I wish I loved it as much as everyone else since I thought the series would be a 4 or 5 star read for me, but I did have fun reading about Tessa, Will, and Jem, and I never knew I had missed Magnus Bane this much. I'm glad I gave the Shadowhunters franchise another chance!
For short, non-spoiler reviews on each of the books individually, I'll link the mini-reviews I did in my June monthly wrap-up.
End of Non-Spoiler Section—Spoilers Ahead!
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Earlier I mentioned that there were characters I wish had better development, and the character I was most disappointed with was Jessamine. I write each of my mini-reviews not too long after I finish the book, and in my Clockwork Angel one, I wrote that I was looking forward to Jessamine's character development because I felt that her character had a lot of potential. However, I got none of the development I was looking for. In the end of Clockwork Angel, she decides to help defend Tessa and the Institute, and I thought she would at least develop a protective instinct and closer relationships with the residents of the Institute, even if she never wanted to be a Shadowhunter. However, instead she was made into the spy and turned into the easily manipulated, love-sick fool. I felt that Jessamine could have been so much more than a girl who craved an ordinary life so much that she would fall for Nate's tricks again. And then in the third book she died?! And I was so upset. I really loved that short part at the end where she bonded a bit with Will.
I also wished there was more of a character development for Bridget, since, for two books, she was just the cook who sang depressing songs. And then she turned out to be a kick-ass fighter, and the most acknowledgement we got about it was Will pointing it out once.
I was also really annoyed by Consul Wayland. His character just made a total 180 in the last book, and I felt that his behavior in the last book was a big disconnect from his character in the other books. His reasoning for making Charlotte Head of the Institute made a lot of sense, since misogyny was extremely prevalent during that time period, but his behavior toward the Clave and Charlotte were so unlike his behavior in the first 2 books. It was jarring and extremely annoying. If he were trying to remove Charlotte from her position, I thought he would have tried to do it a little more subtly & craftily. Instead, he went from a charismatic, seemingly cunning man to an idiotic, raving misogynist so suddenly it gave me whiplash.
"If the past year were offered me again,
And choice of good and ill before me set
Would I accept the pleasure with the pain
Or dare to wish that we had never met?"
—Augusta, Lady Gregory, "If the Past Year Were Offered Me Again"
Again, the epilogue was AMAZING. I got really emotional reading about how Will & Tessa were able to live a lifetime together and raise children together. I also got especially emotional when they named their firstborn after Jem. And how Jem reacted when he found out their first child was named after him. I'm getting emotional just typing this God I loved them.
Every single time the book brought up warlocks' immortality I got emotional. Probably because I remember getting really emotional over Magnus and Alec since Magnus is immortal. I love how Tessa and Magnus meet up over the many many years. And how they reminisce the past together. Speaking of Magnus, I really loved his friendship with Will. He was such a great mentor for Will and he rescued the gang time and time again. Magnus is honestly the MVP of the entire Shadowhunters franchise; where would anyone be without Magnus?
Every single time I think about Tessa never aging, but being forced to watch Will grow old and pass away...I get emotional...The ending was extremely bittersweet, since Jem is now mortal and Tessa is always reminded of how she had to suffer through the pain of out-living her late-husband and her children and grandchildren, and she'll have to go through the same thing with Jem. MY HEART BREAKS FOR TESSA. But I enjoyed the epilogue so much, I'm actually contemplating reading Chain of Gold even though I'm not a fan of Cassandra Clare's writing.
I think when it comes to the Shadowhunters franchise, I really enjoy the concept and the overarching story, but I'm not a fan of Cassandra Clare's writing in general. But I do know that I'm the minority here. So if you've read this trilogy, let me know:
What do you think of The Infernal Devices Trilogy?
"One must always be careful of books and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us."
—璇
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