Review: Clockwork Princess

Author: Cassandra Clare
Edition: Walker Paperback
Released: March 19th 2013
Series: The Infernal Devices #3
Pages: 568 approx.
Links: Goodreads | Author's Website | Buy the book!

**SPOILERS! DO NOT READ ON IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO READ THIS BOOK! SERIOUSLY. PLEASE DON'T. READ THE SERIES THEN COME BACK AND READ THIS AND SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS! :P**

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?

Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.

A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

MY REVIEW:

I'm pretty sure everyone in the book blogging community knows how much I love this series (and of my obsession with Will Herondale ;D), so it's safe to say I had the highest of high expectations going into the third and final book in this trilogy. However, I'm having trouble. Ever since I've finished this book I've felt... muddled. I can't organise my feelings in the slightest. My heart has been twisted in every which way and has finally broken in two - the emotion in this book too much!

It's always sad when a series ends. There's no more of your favourite characters, of that exciting storyline... You just grieve. Well, I do anyway. Ever since finishing it yesterday all I have done is think about this book all day and still I grieve. This trilogy has been a rollercoaster of gut-wrenching emotions and now that it's finally over, I feel lost. What will I do without my most favourite character in this entire world: Will! :'(

I'm pretty sure this review will be more of a ramble than anything else but still, I need to do this. Get it all out of my system. Why on earth did it have to end like that?! The one thing I needed was a satisfying and well tied up ending, and I didn't get that! I just didn't get that! *recollects self* It was both breath-takingly beautiful and horrifyingly frustrating! I LOVE Will - and always will - and even though Jem hasn't been my favourite and has, admittedly, more got on my nerves than anything else, I still wished him a happy ending because he really is an adorably sweet character. But the way this book turned out? AHHHHHHHHHHH!

First off, please don't be offended if what I say you don't agree with. I really don't want any of you to hate me for eternity. :P It's just, this is what I've taken from the story and what will always niggle at me. Just my opinion. So here we go, The Ending. I could have felt satisfied if I didn't feel like Tessa had settled. I've always had the impression that while she has loved Jem, she has always been in love with Will - if that makes sense. It's just the fact that I got the feeling she was playing a little with Will and I felt it was really unfair to him - and Jem in a way. She really couldn't make up her mind who she loved more and came to the conclusion she loved them the exact same. I just felt like that was... false. Or just plain unfair. I wouldn't want the person I loved to also be in love equally with someone else. Would anyone really? Truthfully? It just hurts me on Will's behalf to know that.

There was also the whole thing about how if Jem had died then Will would not have pursued Tessa because he felt like he would be gaining something from Jem's death. And he didn't want that. But then Jem done that in the Epilogue. The one thing Will never would have. He pursued Tessa and got her after Will's death. Even though I know Will would have wanted Tessa to get together with Jem if that's what made her truly happy, I still can't wrap my head around it because I'm just so angry. I just feel like it was betraying Will in some way. But I suspect this has affected me way more than anyone else since I am the biggest die-hard Will fan ever. :P

So here I am, as muddled as ever. I'm irritated and angry but also can't deny that I still loved this book with all my heart and have enjoyed the emotional rollercoaster from book one. Tessa, Will and Jem will always be in my heart. But so will the ending and epilogue. They will niggle at me constantly. Anywho, let's talk about the characters and their developments. Once again I loved the relationship between Will and Jem, it was so deep and so meaningful it took my breath away. Jem as sweet as sugar and well, Will? Just as smart-mouthed and swoon-worthy as ever. But nobody would want him any differently. ;) Tessa? She finally became the strong, kick-ass heroine I've always wanted her to be. Though these three were definitely a highlight, so were the other side characters and their sub-plots. I loved Cecily - just as stubborn, brave and reckless as her brother so how could I not? Plus her relationship with Gabriel? Awwwwwww. There was also Magnus Bane, Sophie, Gideon, Charlotte, Henry... Every single one of them holding a piece of my heart. I love them all. Oh, almost forgot! How much did you cry in the epilogue when Will's death was being described? My heart just shattered. :'(

So I think I should stop talking now. I apologize for this extremely long ramble and don't blame you if you just skipped to the end. :P Anyway, I can't recommend this series enough and it is now my most favourite trilogy EVER. It has a thrilling storyline, with constant intriguing and eventful side plots as well as a vast range of characters that you can easily love. The relationships between them are all beautifully written and I can't thank Cassandra Clare enough for bringing them into my life. Will will always have the greatest hold over my heart and I'm pretty sure that will never change - he will always be at the top of my book boyfriends ;) - but Tessa was also the perfect heroine to lead these three books. I can't think of anyone more perfect. Brilliant series by a brilliant author. Loved every minute of it.

FIVE BEAUTIFUL STARS FOR A BEAUTIFUL SERIES! <3

 

Happy Reading,

Rachel xoxo

 

PS: I sound like an emotional wreck in this post but I'm sure we can all relate, aha. ;)

PPS: My exams have officially started! Eeeeek! :3