Jem is constant, he is the rock….he is the lighthouse in Will’s storm and he is also dying. Jem is caring, compassionate, strong, and stable. Jem, Will’s best friend with the silvery white hair and calming disposition is a stark contrast to Will. Deep down she knows there is more to him than meets the eye, more than just a sarcastic, morose boy….passionate and wild, Will speaks straight to Tessa’s heart but he pushes her away….fighting every impulse in his body. Will who is moody and hurtful….but Tessa senses the good in him. Tessa is strongly attracted to Will immediately. In the previous book, Clockwork Angel, Tessa has met two very different men….Will and James (Jem). There is only on thing that stands in the way of Will succeeding at living a life of loneliness….Tessa Gray. Will has accepted his solidarity as part of his existence as a shadowhunter….much in the same way that his parabatai (blood brother) James Carstairs has learned to accepted the fact that he himself is dying. Thus this becomes the motto which Will Herondale has become accustom to…Will has locked away all his hopes, dreams, and desires to live a cursed life without love or companionship.

One of my favorite quotes (which was also featured in this book) is by Charlotte Bronte: “The human heart has hidden treasures, In secret kept, in silence sealed The thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures, Whose charms were broken if revealed.”

Add in the clockwork angels, automatons, and steam powered inventions and you have one perfectly constructed Steampunk novel! As most of you know, I am a sucker for a Byronic hero…I love the romanticism that goes a long with the agonizing gothic hero….there is just something desperately attractive about gothic heros and their tales of unrequited love and their secrets. Tales or betrayal, lies, deception, and unrequited love all cloak this book in a silky velvet darkness that fully encompasses all the characters and plot not just a singular aspect of the story. In the midst of all the YA romance there is a richly satisfying mystery and adventure.

For me, other YA sagas such as Twilight, the love story overpowered the action and adventure, especially in the second book making it less enjoyable but in this series….there was a delicate balance which made it exceptionally hard to put down!

While romance is a huge part of this latest book, it does not over power the adventure. Clare flawlessly blends action, sci-fi/fantasy, YA, pararomance, and steampunk together magically. All of which await eager readers in Cassandra Clare’s latest installment of The Infernal Devices, Clockwork Prince.

Infernal devices book 2