(This entire trilogy has beautiful covers!)
Throwback Thursday Review!
I will soon be posting a review of Clockwork Princess, the last book in this trilogy, but I wanted to post quick throwback reviews for Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince first. I originally read Clockwork Angel in Feb. 2013. I gave it 3 of 5 stars on Goodreads and didn't write a review. To be honest, I think it lost stars only because I was distracted, listening to it in the car during a not-fun commute. This really is a good trilogy. I agree with the majority of reviewers... it really is better than the Mortal Instruments series.
This trilogy is set in late 1800s England. (Don't you love it already? The dresses, the social mores, the speech....!) Tessa Gray is on a mission to find her missing brother, who she believes has been swept into England's seedy underground. She doesn't expect to discover the secret society of Shadowhunters, or to discover that her brother is not at all the person she thought she knew. Along the way she befriends Jem and Will, which sets up a nice YA love triangle, of course. Next thing she knows, Tessa is swept up into the fight against the Pandemonium Club and their army of automatons (robots)!
So, so, so much to love about this book! I love that Tessa stays true to herself and the "fight for right" even if it means letting go of someone she loves. I love that she doesn't let anything stop her just because she's a girl. Screw the Victorians and their "weak female" ideas! She's going to suit up and fight the robots right alongside the gents! Speaking of, I love the gents. I love Jem and his quiet reserve; his love of music and poetry, and the way that he cares so deeply for all his friends. I also love Will, and for the exact opposite reasons! (They compliment each other nicely.) I love his wit and his dry humor and his impetuousness. The girls definitely hold their own, also. Jessamine is an absolute spitfire and I love her for it. She is overflowing with confidence. And Charlotte: she is a winner! She is totally a proper lady... who can also hold her own in a sword fight. You don't always get that in a book.
Ms. Clare also does a fantastic job with world-building. I had no trouble at all imagining the Shadowhunter world, and it was gorgeous & rich!
I listened to this on CD and thought the narration was pretty good. The tone was right and all, but the narrator was a male with a bit of a softness to his pronunciation, so sometimes my mind would wander a little. And the accent! The book is set in England, so maybe this shouldn't be a surprise, but the narrator had a lovely English accent. It sort of surprised me because the author is American, as is the publisher. But what a lovely pleasant surprise!
Overall, although I initially gave this only 3 stars, I would definitely highly recommend this book.
*I received my copy via my public library.
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