 Cassandra Clare

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them...

The Infernal Devices #1

Clockwork Angel

Clockwork angel

The Infernal Devices

"Sometimes," Jem said, "our lives can change so fast that the change outpaces our minds and hearts. It's those times, I think, when our lives have altered but we still long for the time before everything was altered-that is when we feel the greatest pain. I can tell you, though, from experience, you grow accustomed to it. You learn to live your new life, and you can't imagine, or even really remember, how things were before."

There was something peculiarly gratifying about shouting in a blind rage until your words ran out.

Of course, the aftermath was less pleasant. Once you'd told everyone you hated them and not to come after you, where exactly did you go?

"There are worse things than that. It's all right to love someone who doesn't love you back, as long as they're worth you loving them. As long as they deserve it."

"Whatever you are physically," he said, "male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy-all those things matter less than what your heart contains. If you have the soul of a warrior, you are a warrior. Whatever the color, the shape, the design of the shade that conceals it, the flame inside the lamp remains the same. You are that flame." He smiled then, seeming to have come back to himself, slightly embarrassed. "That's what I believe."

"Do reasons matter when there's nothing that can be done to change things?"

Amala

“Tessa looked at him in disbelief. “What’s my name?”

  “You—you’ve come bursting into my room, scared me nearly to death, and now you demand to know my name? What on earth’s your name? And who are you, anyway?”

  “My name is Herondale,” the boy said cheerfully. “William Herondale, but everyone calls me Will. Is this really your room? Not very nice, is it?” He wandered toward the window, pausing to examine the stacks of books on her bedside table, and then the bed itself. He waved a hand at the ropes. “Do you often sleep tied to the bed?”

Samantha Milfort

"Will," she whispered. "Say something, Will." But there was nothing to say. There was only the emptiness, as there had been before her. As there always would be. I have lost everything, Will thought. Everything.

It's all right to love someone who doesn't love you back, as long as they're worth you loving them. As long as they deserve it." 

One must always be careful of books," said Tessa, "and what  is inside them, for words have the power to change us." 

"Inanimate objects are harmless indeed, Mr. Mortmain.

But one cannot always say the same of the men who use them."

"There's plenty of sense in non- sense sometimes, if you wish to look for it."

Lizzy Jensen

You’ve always been what you are. That’s not new. What you’ll get used to is knowing it.

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still. Discover the riveting first book in the #1 "New York Times" bestselling Infernal Devices Trilogy, prequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series. In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the "New York Times" bestselling Mortal Instruments series. The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London's dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters--including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them....

rhea ⸆⸉

But there was nothing to say. There was only the emptiness, as there had been before her. As there always would be. 

The color had come back into the world; he could breathe again, and for that moment he breathed her in — she smelled of salt, blood, tears, and Tessa.

He had let the walls down when he'd thought she was gone, and there was no time to build them back up.

"Sleep, then," he said, not quite knowing where the words came from, "good and faithful servant of the Nephilim. And thank you."

“You are mortal. You are alone for a moment of time, a single breath of the universe. I am alone forever."

He remembered Tessa telling him that Hell was cold, and he fought back the odd urge to smile at the memory. They'd been running for their lives, she ought to have been terrified, and there she had been, telling him about the 

He kissed the back of it, just a light touch of his mouth, and his hair—as soft and light as silk brushed her wrist as he lowered his head. She felt a shock go through her, strong enough to startle her, and she stood speechless as he straightened, his mouth curving into a smile.

Jem looked at Tessa and gave her  a little shrug.

"No, I mean enterprising," said Will. "When I mean morally deficient , I say, 'Now, that's something I would have done."

"And I think that you do not understand that sometimes the only choice is between acceptance and madness." 

"Yes, yes," said Tessa impatiently, "and thousands of women all over England would pay handsomely for the privilege of such an opportunity. Can we put aside the display of your wit for a moment? This is important."

How strange to have the power to literally transform yourself into other people, and yet be so unable to put yourself in their place.

she kind of ate with tessa i wasn’t expecting a fmc written in 2010 to be that bitch but cassandra clare proved me wrong. She lost one and a half stars because i’m a will hater through and through idc i know she wants him to be a misunderstood sad sweetheart but he needs to redeem himself actually bc why was his last interaction with tessa the worst thing i’ve read all year. praying on his downfall 🙏🏾

sani

i WAS not expecting to like Clockwork Angel since I had always thought it's overhyped BUT my god?? i loved every second of it right from the start to the end, although the cliffhanger ending was so!

my most most favourite character has to be Jem. there's nothing that i don't like about him. he's intelligent, smart, empathetic, kind and polite. a literal combo? although, i really have a soft spot for Will too. he's funny and i really want to get behind his backstory because it feels like he's hiding a lot of things. Tessa was a relatable and complex protagonist most of the time and she was very likable. i can't wait for her character development and see her embracing her gifts!

normally, i don't even like action packed books but somehow, i liked this one? it was just the right amount of fast paced with the not so subtle hint at the romance. team herongraystairs for life, idc idc.

Includes excerpts from Clock prince, City of bones, Lady Midnight, and a sneak peek at Vampires, scones, and Edmund Herondale.

Ellie M.

For most of the book, I had no idea what I was reading because I couldn't understand the world-building. Mostly because I didn't read the shadowhunter books in the correct order, but nevertheless I loved the book, this was a good introduction to the series.

Tessa Fell's search for her missing brother leads her into Victorian London's supernatural underworld, where she must learn to trust the demon-killing Shadowhunters if she wants to learn to control her powers and find her brother.

Monicap

PAST READ: april 23, 2013

If you haven't already read this book, you shouldn't need me to tell you to. YOU JUST SHOULD.

Amira 

I don’t think I’ll ever get over this series.

Maria

Although the overall plot of this book was pretty predictable, I found I didn't mind it that much. In fact I enjoyed it a lot more than I initially thought I would.

I am about to commit blasphemy. Ready for this??

I... did not like this as much as the mortal instruments. 

Let me try to explain. While I do think that this book is a better starter book than City of Bones, I nonetheless liked it less than the other books by CC that I've read. It had great twists, and I did enjoy the characters a great deal. It was a great book! There were just a few things that I found a bit less engaging than TMI.

For one, the villain was not as compelling, and they didn't have as much of a great dynamic with the main characters as the villain from TMI. This could change once I find out more about them in the next two books, but at the moment, they didn't wow me.

Second, I don't really see what the big deal is about Will Herondale?? He just seemed to me almost like a dark-haired clone of Jace. Which, yes, my opinion will probably change in the next few books. But as of right now, while I enjoy him, I don't find him "drop-dead swoon-worthy #1 book boyfriend" material.

Still, looking at this book apart from TMI series, I would say it definitely holds up on its own! I found the humor funny, I got attached to the main character Tessa, and the other characters had depth to them as well. I also thought that the twists were very well done, and I am looking forward to seeing what else can be accomplished with this plot line to knock my socks off.

Overall, I do really recommend this book, I just had some issues. Still, I am looking forward to continuing on with this series, and am excited to see what else is in store!

Emily B

4.00 STARS:

I am about to commit blasphemy. Ready for this??

I... did not like this as much as the mortal instruments. 

GASP! I know! How dare I?!?

Let me try to explain. While I do think that this book is a better starter book than City of Bones, I nonetheless liked it less than the other books by CC that I've read. It had great twists, and I did enjoy the characters a great deal. It was a great book! There were just a few things that I found a bit less engaging than TMI.

For one, the villain was not as compelling, and they didn't have as much of a great dynamic with the main characters as the villain from TMI. This could change once I find out more about them in the next two books, but at the moment, they didn't wow me.

Second, I don't really see what the big deal is about Will Herondale?? He just seemed to me almost like a dark-haired clone of Jace. Which, yes, my opinion will probably change in the next few books. But as of right now, while I enjoy him, I don't find him "drop-dead swoon-worthy #1 book boyfriend" material.

Still, looking at this book apart from TMI series, I would say it definitely holds up on its own! I found the humor funny, I got attached to the main character Tessa, and the other characters had depth to them as well. I also thought that the twists were very well done, and I am looking forward to seeing what else can be accomplished with this plot line to knock my socks off.

Overall, I do really recommend this book, I just had some issues. Still, I am looking forward to continuing on with this series, and am excited to see what else is in store!

Nabila Azahra

3,5 stars.

A little dissapointed, but kinda not really LOL. The concept is repetitive, pretty similar with The Mortal Instruments series. Basically Tessa didn't know who she really was, blah blah blah. As usual, pretty boring at first. I already predicted the plot twist -except the Nate part, God it was amazing-. As for my favorite main character, I love Jem Carstairs with all my heart ❤️❤️

akynn 

2.5 stars

im so mad at myself right now, how did i not know that this was about tessa from the red scrolls of magic??? like it didnt click until the last 10 pages. i dont know if i wouldve enjoyed this more if i knew but maybe i wouldnt have been so mindlessly bored and uninterested in the characters.

why did I hate jem with a passion when I first read these he is literally babygirl sweet angel cookie like my cinnamon apple

fris🐝

Annalissa Powner 

out of all of Cassandra Clares books this one was one of my favorites, im not sure if it was because of the time its set in or because it took me a lot longer to actually like the characters and see what the story was then her usual books but by the end i couldn't put it down. i also loved that you got to see a lot of the back stories that made the other books and why things where the way they are. you could easily read this series first then go to the others but its a lot more fun to read the others and have the "oh now i see" moments if you ask me(:

first time reading again on physical.. it caused me a reading slump and made me get addicted back on twitter and reddit.. too much descriptive words and world building i guess.. but i love the fact that we all collectively hate will and rooting for james carstairs

hanni

Zahra

rhegan🧋

Catarina Lopes 

Tatiana

Clockwork Angel: 3.5/5

The hype for this series is unreal. I am reading the Shadowhunter Chronicles in Cassandra Clare's recommended order, which is TMI part 1, then TID. After dragging myself through TMI part 1 I was so excited to get to Clockwork Angel. 

Unlike The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices takes place in 1878 London and follows Tessa, who is a Downworlder one of a kind shifter, along with Shadowhunters Jem Carstairs and Will Herondale. Knowing that Tessa's power is extremely rare, she is kidnapped after crossing the ocean to London while trying to find her brother Nate. Here we find the villain, the Magister who is trying to claim Tessa's power. Tessa finds her way to the Shadowhunters Institute where she meets, Will and Jem and is thrown into a plot to save the Shadowhunters from destruction.

I thought the writing in Clockwork Angel was leagues better than The Mortal Instruments. Overall, it was more engaging and easier to follow. Within this category, I found myself falling in love with Tessa's character and I see myself a lot within her. Furthermore, Jem and Will just have so much depth and complexity to them, this is where Clockwork Angel really shines. Whereas it took three books for me to come around to Clary, Jace and Simon, I was hooked onto these characters from the very beginning.

Where this book falls short for me is the plot. I really was into the first few chapters and the plot kind of just dropped off for the majority of the middle. It really dragged on for me and the face was pretty slow. I feel like this could largely be due to world and character building, this being the first book in the new trilogy, and while I appreciate that I just wish it was a bit more engaging. 

That being said, it picked up again in the final few chapters and I still have high hopes for the trilogy.

shru

the nostalgia attached with this book makes me love it, and it's not only that, i just love these characters so much, regardless of will's extremely rude attitude. when i first read the books i absolutely despised will but after reading the entire series all these things that he has done have so much more meaning. jem. i have no words, but there's barely enough of jem in this book, which annoys me. tessa. i don't like her. she's- no i just don't like her. i love henry and sophie and basically everyone in the institute, even jessie, who has a personality that isn't really seen in ya books. i completely forgot about the nate thing in this book so that was a small surprise. also, i forgot a lot of stuff that happens.

Julia Moran 

This is so entertaining wtf... I wish I could read it again for the first time, I imagine the revelations and plot twists are quite something...

** spoiler alert **
           i was so desperate to see will and tessa together, and i felt heartbreaking for tessa when will said "there's no future for shadowhunters who dallies with warlock"... man... the pain ™

nina 

REREAD 

Magnus is fab! Charlotte is fab! Henry is fab! Everyone is fab!

Ivan

“ There was something peculiarly gratifying about shouting in a blind rage until your words ran out.” 




 WOW!  To be honest, I didn't have any expectations from this book, since I didn't finish reading City of Bones for some technical reasons. These can be also seen on the former--awkward sentences, pronoun inconsistency, ragged point of view-- but I could say Clare improved on such field and managed to minimize those. This book could be better if edited properly. The beginning (1-150 pages) was a bit boring and it felt like an excuse for fantasy-steampunk story, but as the story progressed, I was wrong.


The story itself was compelling, mixed with right amount of romance (the love triangle was amazingly portrayed); characters were likable; descriptions were vivid; no  insta-love ; and those swoony scenes! Anyhow, I'm really looking forward to reading Clockwork Prince. 

As of now, I'm on team Will!

Nemesis

read this when i was 10, it will forever stay in my heart

Geoffrey Froggatt

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos. Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own. Content warning for addiction, death of a parent and mild sexism. I tried reading Clockwork Angel when it was first released but didn’t really get into it at the time, and finally decided to try the audiobook. I think that was the right choice. Clockwork Angel made me feel at home with Clare’s writing style, the superb world building, familiar terminology and the paranormal world that makes up the Shadowhunters books. Like City of Bones, I felt the story was slow at first, though by the end I felt more invested in the characters and eager to continue on with the series. The audiobook did make the experience more enjoyable with Jennifer Ehle’s outstanding narration, though due to the length of the audiobook and slow pace it still took me over two weeks to get through it. The Victorian London setting makes a charming backdrop for the story, and Clare has done her research and provided a detailed look at the time frame. The manners, locations, horse drawn carriages, and wardrobes set the scene perfectly. The characters here were interesting and I think it was a good choice to include some immortal characters that appeared in The Mortal Instruments. I recommend this book for fans of the Shadowhunters world.

Melissa Palmer

Book #136 Read in 2015
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

This is the first book in The Infernal Devices series, a prequel to The Mortal Instruments series. In this book, Tessa arrives in London to reunite with her brother. She is instead kidnapped by two sisters, the Dark Sisters, who torture her to "train" her to control her supernatural power--Tessa can shapeshift. Tessa did not know any of this growing up and has no idea what is happening to her. She is rescued from the sisters by Will, a Shadowhunter in training. Shadowhunters are people who have angelic power and keep the peace against the bad supernatural beings. Will brings Tessa to the Institute, where she meets more shadowhunters and she enlists their help to find her brother. Will she find him in time to save him from evil vampires? This book is a great read and this series is just as good as the Mortal Instruments series. I cannot wait to check out the TV show starting in January based on these series.


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Clockwork Angel The Infernal Devices #1

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