I know my review on Cassandra Clare’s fourth book in her young adult fantasy series The Moral Instruments, is very late, especially since City of Lost Souls is already out. Don’t worry, I will post that review right after this one. I am very sad that now I have to wait another 2 full years for the last book. At least we have the last in the Infernal Devices series to keep us satisfied, in-between now and then. Enough about that, now to this book.

I was so excited to hear that Cassandra was going to continue this story, and have it be more from Simon’s centric. I really enjoy his story, how I think he is the most normal of all of the characters. To be honest, I feel like other books glorify the opportunity of becoming a vampire. This story focuses one what it would really feel like, staring down eternity, by yourself. 

So, I know that I haven’t posted in a few weeks, mostly b/c I haven’t read any new books. This last weekend my hubby took me to the bookstore to buy a new book. The moment I saw that Cassandra Clare’s new book was out my search was over.

Clockwork Angel is based in the same fantasy world that the Mortal Instrument series is, and this series will also be a trilogy. Another thing that is similar between the series are that the main character in each set of books is a teenage girl who lives as a mundane, not knowing of any special powers they might have.

I WANT TO BUY CLOCKWORK ANGEL

Like I said earlier, this novel has a strong female character that is by no means average. She is also 16, headstrong, and stubborn. This combination is a recipe for disaster. She runs headfirst into situations she doesn’t fully grasp, and uses powers she doesn’t have control over. This usually annoys me, I cant stand when authors perpetuate that young girls need saving all the time.

I think why I am not annoyed is that through Clary’s small mistakes, she learns big lessons. This gives her the knowledge to affect the battle that our characters are heading into. Looking back on the first novel, I am surprised at how far she has come in her maturity, and feel like nothing was rushed.

In the world of trilogies the middle book is usually a bridge. The first book has come to some type of conclusion, not completely, or there wouldn’t be a second or third. Then it sets the scene for the last book. There does have to be a story involved, or as readers we would be bored and not care enough to read the third. This book is a bridge in the young adult Moral Instruments Trilogy, but I feel like it does have a strong and compelling story line. The rest of the series would not be nearly as good if this was less.

In a world with angels and demons there will inevitably be fighting. You begin to experience this in the second novel with a battle that precursors the war expected to happen in the next novel. This is a battle between the demons and Nephilim (children of Angels). Downworlders play a part in this battle as well, they are not demons, but not human either. Vampires and werewolves are types of downworlders. I was glad that everyone who was fighting was stronger than humans, and some aren’t even human. If it was humans fighting, I think it would have been too graphic. It was real and raw, there is suffering, and people die.

In a world of young adult fantasy we seem to have 2 types of characters. The story typically follows a strong female character; she is always human, but never average. Typically, she is the love interest in the story. She is always surrounded by creatures of myth and legend. The Mortal Instruments is a trilogy that definitely follows this lead.

Clarissa Fray seems to be a normal average teenager living in New York City. That is until her mother goes missing, and her world turns upside down. She is pulled into a world of angels and demons, vampires, werewolves, fairies, and warlocks. I know this seems overwhelming, but each make their appearances so well spaced in the story, that you don’t loss track.

I find it refreshing that while vampires play a role in this series, but the books don’t revolve around them. Cassandra Clare takes the world we live in, and adds this whole new element to it, and I was entranced.