Monday, June 11, 2012

Clockwork Prince
Cassandra Clare
YA Paranormal (series)
Published: 2011
"Will has always been the brighter burning star, the one to catch attention — but Jem is a steady flame, unwavering and honest."

Clockwork Prince delves deeper into the lives of the characters from Clockwork AngelIn the second book of the Infernal Devices series, we see more contrast between Will and Jem, two of the Shadowhunters at the Institute where Tessa lives. If you want a good love triangle, it's here. No one relationship is solidly more favorable, the more we learn about each character, and about Tessa's own desires, the more complex the relationships grow. What makes for a compelling love triangle is that the relationships with each character are explored, along with Tessa's shifting desires. She's young and still trying to figure out her place among the Shadowhunters; it makes sense she might not know yet who she wants to commit herself to romantically.

This isn't just a love story. Lots of chaos is afoot in the magical underworld of Victorian London. Charlotte, who runs the Institute, might be replaced. Meanwhile, the Magister continues to target the Shadowhunters, blaming them for a past injustice. Researching this, Tessa discovers secrets about her own parents and her brother, while Will also uncovers the truth about his curse.

Clockwork Prince is a great mix of fantasy with steampunk elements told from a YA perspective. I listened to the audio book: the male narrator is fantastic, I could listen to his voice all day! The female narrator got a bit grating at times with some of the accents, but overall it's a quality audio production.

4 comments:

  1. "No one relationship is solidly more favorable, the more we learn about each character, and about Tessa's own desires, the more complex the relationships grow."

    I think you've summed up the perfect love triangle here. I'm not opposed to love triangles, I just want them to be believable. They reflect the MC's desires and the different directions the MC can see his/her life taking. Great to hear about a book where this is well done! :)

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  2. I read the original trilogy, but haven't read these yet. I guess I need to get to getting. :-)

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  3. I have loved every single one of these books! They take the reader on such a ride!

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  4. I keep hearing about these books but I have not read the first one. I'm sort of interested in the steampunk aspect!

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