In Review: Clockwork Angel

And now, I come back and review one of my favorite teen books, "Clockwork Angel", the first book in The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare, who happens to be the author of The Mortal Instruments as well.

Now, I read this book before I really got into her Mortal Instruments series, and I was happy later on to discover that nothing from the latter series was spoiled at all for me in this book. I was able to follow it easily, and if I had to pick a favorite out of the two series, "Clockwork Angel" would win hands down.

There are several factors that have to do with this decision. The first would be the time period Clare chose to set the book in, the Victorian Era. I happen to be in love with that period of history in England, and I was very pleased with how skillfully the author pulled off setting the book in that time. The characters behaved as Victorian Era citizens would have behaved (with some exceptions, though they are understandable in context), and the amount of research the author put into the book definitely payed off.

The second would have to be the characters. Tessa, the main character of this series, happens to be my favorite over Clary, the heroine of The Mortal Instruments. Tessa, even though she is catapulted into a supernatural world against her will, remains strong and resourceful, considering she was a prisoner in the beginning of the book. She is thoughtful, curious, and well-read, and an all-together intelligent, likeable heroine. Granted, her curiosity does sometimes get her into a sensitive spot, and she can be a bit headstrong, but those flaws help make her more interesting. The boys, Jem and Will, are exceptionally swoon-worthy, and help to form one of the most intense love triangles I've read in a while. I can see the appeal of both boys: Will is the intense & passionate bad boy who can't keep away from Tessa even when he wants to, and Jem is the quiet & gentle good boy who only wants Tessa to be happy. (Although, here I'll be selfish and say that I'm actually rooting for Jem to end up with Tessa in the end, although that may be my bias towards sweet boys and violin playing)

There was a good balance of supernatural monsters, specifically warlocks, vampires, and demons. Faeries and werewolves are also present in this supernatural world, and I can't wait to see more in the sequel, "Clockwork Prince", coming out December 6th.

The book is available for purchase online or at your local bookstore. I definitely recommend this to any paranormal romance fan.