Book Review | The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

August 8, 2021

Author: Cassandra Clare

Published on: August 8, 2021

Publisher: Luna Van den Borre

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

Book Blurb

Danger and betrayal, love and loss, secrets and enchantment are woven together in the breathtaking finale to the #1 New York Times bestselling Infernal Devices Trilogy, prequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

THE INFERNAL DEVICES WILL NEVER STOP COMING

A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain plans to use his Infernal Devices, an army of pitiless automatons, to destroy the Shadowhunters. He needs only one last item to complete his plan: he needs Tessa Gray.

Charlotte Branwell, head of the London Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. But when Mortmain abducts Tessa, the boys who lay equal claim to her heart, Jem and Will, will do anything to save her. For though Tessa and Jem are now engaged, Will is as much in love with her as ever. As those who love Tessa rally to rescue her from Mortmain’s clutches, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself. But can a single girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army?

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment, and the tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy. - Goodreads

My Thoughts

Clockwork Princess is the final book in the Infernal Devices Trilogy and by far the best final book I've read my entire life. There are really no words to describe the intensity of this story. In the previous books there were so many bonds that I wanted to happen between the characters and they all came true in Clockwork Princess. There were so many romantic and sweet moments, but also sentimental and heart-breaking scenes; it was truly one hell of an emotional rollercoaster.

There were almost no loose ends or unfinished business at the end whatsoever, which was such a relief. There are so many books that end with a cliffhanger and this series definitely didn't need that. The only thought I can think of that stayed unanswered in the end is the scar of Will in the shape of a star. Although it is mentioned a few times in the book, we don't know much about that.

At the end of Clockwork Prince, we were left with a major cliffhanger, which gave us so much space for imagination. With Will's curse, Jem's condition and Tessa's gift, there was so much that could happen in the third and final book. With the bonds that are being formed during the story and the approaching danger of Mortmains army, Clockwork Princess' plot has it all; romance, action, fire, you name it. Many moments in this book were so surprising and unexpected. I didn't expect the book to be this emotional; there were a few times that even I needed to shed a tear.

We also got to see more of the Lightwood Family and Cecily. The brothers Lightwood really developed throughout the books and when I first didn't like them, I grew quite fond of them in the end. Gideon and Sophie are such goals! There romance is pure and fragile, it's really beautiful to see such a love develop. We also have the tension between Gabriel and Cecily. I absolutely love how these two get along so well, but still have their irritating moments. We all know that Cecily loves to make people uncomfortable and Gabriels reaction is so funny sometimes.

I liked the fact that Will and Cecily re-connected seen their past. When Will left the Herondale family to join the shadowhunters in fighting off demons, Cecily got really hurt. She felt like Will left his family for strangers and couldn't quite understand that. Once she joined the shadowhunters herself to bring back Will, she saw the new family Will had made over the years. He wasn't the same Will that left their house in Yorkshire. At the start, they got off pretty rough, but slowly they bonded once again and grew quite fond of each other once again.

As always, romance is a big part of Cassandra Clare's books, with a very unique perspective. Despite the action and adventure in the story, Clare also focuses on a heavy and steamy romance between Will, Jem and Tessa. I've always been a Will-person, but I also liked the chemistry between Tessa and Jem. Normally I would be annoyed by the fact that she fell in love with two persons, but this time however it didn't bother me at all. Of course I was a bit upset that the end was a bit different then I expected, but we don't get all that we want, now do we? ;)

As my final opinion, I absolutely loved every second of this book. The ending really made me cry a little, but also smile of happiness. Like I said, it really is an emotional rollercoaster and I totally adore Clare for it. If you haven't read the Infernal Devices trilogy, I recommend you read it right away, because I promise you won't regret it! This is certainly not the last book I will read from Cassandra Clare, and definitely not the last time I write about it!

My rating: ★★★★☆

Waterstones / Amazon

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