Today I finished reading The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Princess… man, what an emotional ride this last book has been, I spent most of its final third trying not to openly cry on the subway, and still having to have a tissue at hand because sometimes I was not successful… DAMN!!! Warning, there will be spoilers ahead, just so you know…
I love The Mortal Instruments, but I love everyone on The Infernal Devices… it’s weird, I know. Having started with TMI, it’s funny and exhilarating to find all the clues to stuff that will come to light in the latter books. As I said, I pretty much love everyone on TID – and though I like most of everyone in TMI, the feeling just isn’t as strong.
Let’s start with the main trio, Tessa and Will and Jem are a breath of fresh air when it comes to love triangles, because they truly are a love triangle – everyone loves each other. Cassandra Clare handled it beautifully, allowing for both boys to get the girl, just at different times in their lives… it’s just a pity that Will and James didn’t have the same opportunity.
I have to admit that I love Jem more, therefore I will always root for Jessa, but I also love Will and Tessa, so the ending was terribly satisfying, especially the bit Cassandra wrote on her blog.
The supporting characters are great. I have written before on how much I love Henry and Charlotte and by the end of the third book I felt even more admiration for them – even more knowing and understanding some bits and pieces of Jocelyn and Clary’s personalities… Fairchild’s all the way – with Branwell’s hair.
Sophie was just brilliant, here it is, a girl scarred for life but that can still see and find the light, and Gideon Lightwood, who by all standards should be an uptight boy, but instead falls in love with a servant, a scarred servant by the way… and then there’s the whole scones business and the “proposing” without talking to her first… poor guy…
Cecily Herondale was a surprise for me. When she first got there I wasn’t so sure about her (given how much I disliked Jessamine), but she stayed and loved it, and was always able to get under Will’s skin and that was always fun to read. She even managed to turn Gabriel Lightw(orm)ood around – what a little prick he was before the whole business of killing his worm father… The longest I read about Cecy, the more I could see some of her in Isabelle – and though at first I was a little put down that the modern Lightwood’s are not Sophie and Gideon’s descendants, this lightened that up a bit – Isabelle is so much like Cecily and poor Alec inherited the inability to make romantic advances from both Gabriel and Gideon, so…
Then there’s Magnus… oh Magnus Bane… he will always be my favorite, no matter in which century he is, or with whom he’s sleeping at the time, or if he still doesn’t wear glitter! You have to admit that the way he was at awe with Henry’s inventions was pretty darn cute. And the fact that he caught Will and Tessa after the fact was so Magnus!
And why is it then when I think of Bridget I envision this (but with a long sword instead of a bow and arrow)?!
The villain turned out to be a pretty good one, with “sound” reasoning’s and a well thought out plan – too bad for Tessa, right?!
I will miss Victorian London and the Shadowhunters of the Institute, now I am looking forward to finish reading TMI: City of Heavenly Fire, and then to the sequels of each… The Dark Artifices and The Last Hours. Hoping we get to see more of Tessa’s life with Jem =).
(all illustrations by Cassandra Jean)
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