The Infernal Devices 3: Clockwork Princess (Infernal Devices, #3)

by Cassandra Clare

Third in Cassandra Clare’s internationally bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy about the Shadowhunters.

Danger and betrayal… Secrets and enchantment… Third and final book in the bestselling prequel series to The Mortal Instruments, set in Victorian London. A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain needs one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. But Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa’s heart, will do anything to save her. This edition contains a map and a new foreword by Cassandra Clare. Read all the sensational books in The Shadowhunter Chronicles: The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, The Bane Chronicles, The Dark Artifices, The Last Hours and The Shadowhunter’s Codex.

• ISBN10: 1406321346
• ISBN13: 9781406321340
• Publish Date: 5 September 2013 (first published 19 March 2013)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Walker Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 576
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kim Deister]

Clockwork Princess is the final book in the Infernal Devices trilogy, the prequel series to the Mortal Instruments series. It picked up right at the end of Clockwork Prince. It was a beautiful end to a great series, with happy moments as well as sad.

The action was just as fierce in this book with some truly epic battle scenes. Throughout this series, I found Mortmain's creatures horrifying and they were even more so in this book. The combination of steampunk elements and magic was fantastic, totally embodied in these creations.

The romance in this installment was at times beautiful and at other times heart wrenching. The love between Jem and Tessa is beautiful, while Will's heart is being broken. But that love is not the only love in this book, either. We see it growing between some of the other couples in ways that are just heart warming.

The characters are what make this series so wonderful for me, both the good guys and the bad. Even those that we are supposed to hate were often surprising, showing just enough humanity to make the reader empathize with them. It may not excuse their behavior, but it gave a whole other level to their characters. The supporting characters are not just background props to the protagonists, but characters with their own stories to tell. I love how their stories, while not always in the forefront, were woven into the whole. Magnus remains one of my favorites in the series, as he was in the Mortal Instruments. He's so different as a person in this series, but in many ways, you can see the person he will become. Jem, Tess, and Will... three distinct characters who in many ways are one. In very real ways, they are who they are because of one another. It's a love triangle like none other, with no true jealously or hate. Just love and loyalty and a deep selfless desire to see the others happy, even at the cost of their own.

One of the things I love most about these books is that we don't always get what we want with the characters. It isn't all perfectly wrapped up HEAs, but instead reflect real life in that sometimes life just doesn't work out as planned and that there are obstacles in life. It is tragic and heart breaking, yes, but I like that the author doesn't shy away from that.

My Recommendation: Fantastic series that adds so much to the story told in the Mortal Instruments! I gave it 4.5 mugs!

[KitsuneBae]

This review first appeared on my blog at: Thoughts and Pens

Perhaps it isn’t proper for me to write this review while I am undergoing an emotional upheaval right this very minute. My thoughts are still incoherent and I am not sure whether I would be able to properly convey my feelings for this book. Clockwork Princess has been on my 2013 must-read list and to say that I am looking forward to read it is an understatement. I was so immersed in the world of Shadowhunters that I couldn’t rest until I’ve read the final installment of The Infernal Devices. Unlike The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices left a sorrow in my heart with the events that transpired from the last two books. I admit that I’ve grown to deeply care for the TID characters which I haven’t felt for TMI. I wished that everything would end beautifully with TID and so it did. But what I didn’t expect is the fact that I am now confused. Am I really happy with the beautiful ending? The fairy tale lover in me said yes. However, my realistic and partypooper self said NO.

Clockwork Princess immediately started where it left off in Clockwork Prince. I haven’t yet gone through a lot of pages when I was immediately bombarded with a lot of sentimental moments especially the scenes between Jem and Will, and Jem and Tessa. There’s just so much pain and sadness there. I couldn’t help being reminded of the friendship shared between Sam Gamgee and Frodo. The kind of friendship exhibited by these characters was unrivaled…poignant and beautiful. Whenever I read about friendships like these, it always shred me to pieces. There were moments that I just can’t breathe. Why do you have to hurt me like this, Cassie? Two days …two days that I looked like shit hiccupping and crying my heart out. The friendship is perhaps the strongest point of Clockwork Princess. I couldn’t find fault with that one.

The characterization in Clockwork Princess is also a major plus. Because I wasn’t able to review the first two books, I think I need to mention that one of the reasons why I enjoyed Cassie’s work is that she was able to create fleshed out characters. I love Will, Jem and Tessa. It helped that these characters have amazing background stories which made them complex and worth rooting for. Even the secondary characters were well developed and it wasn’t hard getting into their shoes.

Speaking of world building, Clockwork Princess didn’t disappoint. Cassie Claire was able to paint London in a breathtaking fashion. London 1800s would certainly make an awesome era to live in. I can’t stop myself feeling nostalgic even if I haven’t been to London. TID just give me that weird sensation.

Though there were a lot of things worth rooting for in this book such as the above, I cannot fully say that I’m one fulfilled reader. Not even the 2 rolls of tissue or the three wet towels could make me ignore the prominent flaws of this book.

The plot of Clockwork Princess was heavily pierced with Jem’s looming death and the various blossoming relationships among the members of the Institute. I was drowning from all the teenage innuendos here. Seriously? The issue and the battle with Mortmain were almost ignorable. I love me an epic battle. Clare may have fooled the others with all the drama that was going on in this book but not me. I appreciated the drama (it made me cry) but as Ron Weasley said, people would explode with feeling too many emotions. It was a wonder why our leads didn’t die of heart attack. The Clockwork Princess greatly reminded me of soap operas.

Another downfall of this book was the ending. I couldn’t believe for one second that Will and Tessa would do “it” after the painful things that had happened. Is that the new way of mourning someone you deeply loved? And while I still can’t move on with that nagging thought in my head, everything ended way too perfectly that it was unbelievable. Okay, I was really happy that Will and Tessa ended up with each other. I have always been a Team Will. I was also delighted that Jem got a reprieve from Clare and became a Silent Brother. And for what it’s worth, I am also happy that all the other teenagers in the Institute ended up with their partners (I was surprised that Clare didn’t partner Bridget to Cyril.). It would have been good too if everyone got a shot at a triple wedding.*sarcasm* But then, wait. That’s not all. Cassie went out of her way to kill off Will after 100-120 years so that Tessa could be reunited with an already cured Jem. How convenient is that? Is this even for real? Punch me, please. Fine, I know that a lot of fans were happy with the win-win ending. But it just doesn’t work for me. It was over-the-top. Too good to be true. I was already happy with Jem being a Silent brother but why, why?

Fans, I am so sorry if I am ruining your glorious moments but for me, a story with a wonderful ending but tinged with pain & sorrow is a more worthwhile read.

[sstaley]

This was a satisfying ending to the trilogy. I did cry in the end because of some very tender scenes. I was happy with the way that the love triangle was resolved. The 2nd book in this series, The Clockwork Prince, still remains my favorite in the trilogy. There was a different feel to the third book. Maybe it was that the antagonist was taken care of quickly/neatly, and a lot earlier in this third book. I would have liked to have seen that scene stretched out a bit more. Overall, I still loved the characters,and this was another book of Cassandra Clares that I couldn't put down.

5++ Words cannot describe the emotions that I'm feeling. My heart is all over this place. I absolutely fell head over heels for this book, absolutely loathed it at one point, then fell in love again. My emotions are haywire and frazzled and I never truly realized how much I came to love all the characters. Brilliant.
Full gushing review coming soon.

[Linda]

This and other reviews can also be found on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews.

At the beginning of Clockwork Princess, Tessa is trying on her wedding gown, and at that moment, Gabriel Lightwood shows up to get help with his father, and Will’s predictions come true. Tessa insists on coming with her Shadowhunter friends, and what they find at the Lightwood manor is utter destruction! Gideon and Gabriel’s father has transformed into a kind of demon-snake, and he has just killed their sister’s husband and is wreaking havoc in the whole garden. They all need to fight together, and Henry is with them to see if he can find any clues in Lightwood’s office. What he finds there are chilling words about a clockwork army, and some demons that have to be killed. As Tessa shows up to help, her wedding gown ends up completely ruined.

[Hixxup]

Holy carp, what a spectacular book to finish off a trilogy. it was pretty intense basically from start to finish. I had smiled some in this book, intrigued and worried in other parts, bust mostly I cried there were lots of sadness in this book. And just wait until you read the epilogue, it was just not WOW!!!

[notajammiedodger]

IT HAS A COVER!!! I just. . . I just can't even process this right now. So NOT what I expected to see when I came home and turned on my computer.

It's beautiful! I love it! :DD They all look so pretty together!!! I am so excited right now!

[journalingirl]

I am happy with the end. I think I am right in saying a full life and love for all, even though it is not perfect, how could it be, with Tessa being how she is.

[Stephanie]

Review coming.

I don't even know.