Review: The Clockwork Prince

The Clockwork Prince
By Cassandra Clare
Release Date: December 6, 2011
Series: The Infernal Devices

Description:
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, though 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.

Review:
So I literally just finished the book moments ago and I could not wait to put my thoughts down as quickly as possible.  I have loved everything I have read by Cassandra Clare and this book did not disappoint.

We are back in the magical under wold of Victorian London where the London Institute now continues their search for the Magister.  If you've read the last book you know that Nate, Tessa's brother was deep in cahoots (yes I said cahoots) with the Magister and they all got away last time.  In comes the Lightwoods who question Charlotte's authority and demand that the Magister be found within two weeks or the institute should be deemed his.  In starts the adventure...

Here's a quick synopsis of each character I will try not to give too much away because you should really read the book and see what you think, but it was fabulous.  I'll start with minor characters and work my way up.

Henry - still as absentminded as always but in this book he seems to be a little more on the emotional side, with expressing his true feelings for Charlotte and they have a really cute moment together in the book towards the end.

Sophie - she is the maidservant and seems to play a slightly bigger role in this book, she falls for someone but I won't say who.  She does help in the Institutes success in depriving the Lightwoods of the honor of taking over the institute.

Nate - continues to be a selfish bastard and in the end he tries to redeem himself but really it's always just about himself.

Charlotte - stressed and running around trying to keep everything under control but everything is all over the place in her world.  She feels betrayed and just dumbfounded at how blind she could have been. 

Jesse - she continues to be a sad girl with desires that do not work out well for her.

Jem - Oh Sweet Jem, if you think about it he really did win out in the end but we shall see how he fares in the next book, for some reason I just don't see him lasting much longer with his illness but who knows maybe everything will turn around for him.

Tessa - She is still on the search to find out what she is.  She seems to be doing much easier with her powers but still there are so many unanswered questions for her that she just doesn't know what to believe anymore.  She just wants to know what she is.  Rumors have it that her mother was shadowhunter and her father is a demon but that cannot be as one has never been alive to prove it.  She is still torn between Will and Jem.  A decision was made but it was not something that she can fully go into wholeheartedly but I think she is doing it for the right reasons.  At least I'd like to think she is.

Will - Dear Will I heart you so!  Will ever with his tough facade, it begins to crumble more and more as the book continues.  He is so in love with Tessa but he's afraid of a curse that was put on him when he was 12 years old, that if someone loved him they in turn would pay with death, because of this he is cruel to everyone.  Magnus helps him find the demon to see exactly what can be done about this.  All I can say is my heart breaks for him - literally I feel it every time he looks at Tessa.  It's tragic and ironic and just heartbreaking. 
 
The Magister aka Mortmain - little more is discovered about him but he always seems to be just a step ahead of everyone.  He is still a mystery and still has yet to have been found ... where is he???
 
My thoughts - You should check out this series, it really does tie in with the Mortal Instruments, kind of like a back story.  Every time I read more and more of this series I can't help but think back to Mortal Instruments and what has played out in that series (and what is still playing out in that series).  Jace really is a Herondale! You must read it to get all the details and I cannot wait for the next book to come out.
 
So I did this review a little different then I've done in the past, please let me know if you like this fashion with updates on all the characters.  Thanks and everyone Happy Reading!! On to the next book.