Clockwork Prince - Review

Title: Clockwork Prince, Infernal Devices Book Two
Author: Cassandra Clare
Source: Read on Nook, courtesy of my husband

Goodreads Summary:

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.

 My Thoughts:

I loved this book as much as the first, Clockwork Angel.  Something about this world appeals to me, with its supernatural creatures and hunters set in Victorian England.  This book reveals a few answers to mysteries, and creates a few more.  As a warning, this review will contain spoilers. 

The Shadowhunter crew and Tessa are still hot on the trail of  Mortmain, and while they diligently follow their leads, they never find him.  Following one of their leads, Will is shocked to see his sister, Cecily! Will has been operating under a curse that states death will come to any that love, or so he believed  - he is working closely with Magnus to to try to reverse it, as he is in  love with Tessa.  Because of this curse, he ran from his family, to protect them.  The event where he is cursed is a very good scene  in the book- you feel so bad for Will! And Magnus, what a great character.  His parts were few and there needed to be more of them.

I didn't feel bad enough for Will though; Tessa and Jem's relationship gets closer, and steamier. The whole book I was terrified that Tessa was going to break his heart! Tessa seems more mature in this book, however, and I liked where this plot went.  As for Charlotte and Henry, they reveal to each other the fears they had regarding the other's feelings, and are firmly, madly in love.  The best scene in the book is Henry's heroics in a tea warehouse.  Charolotte is my favorite character, small but mighty, mothering and strong. She has her own battles to fight in this book, and was up to the task.

Sophie and Jessamine have secret loves in this book. These two and their romances play pivotal roles in the plot of this book - you will have to read it to find out what happens there.

This novel ended on quite a cliffhanger- I can't wait to read the next in the series!