Review: Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices # 2) by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices #2)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Published: Dec 6th 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Book Description:

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

My Thoughts:

Probably hardcore fans of Cassandra Clare, the series, or Ms. Clare herself will eternally hate me after this review. 

Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices are only two of the limited books I have read or reading that can fall in the Romance genre. The reason I am continually reading this series is that aside from the love story between the main protagonists (Tessa Will and Jem) is that the concept of Shadowhunters are cool. And besides that the main plot of finding the mysterious Magister is good story to read.

With that being said this book failed to advance the main story of finding the Magister. For me only about 20 percent of this book can actually contribute to the actual story. 20 percent is about character development for Will (which for me is also a bit important) and the 60 percent? That large percentage is Cassandra Clare's fanservice to her fans. By fanservice, it means some half-assed love scenes which the sex part did not happen (okay I'm a boy and those love scenes were lame but if you are a teenage girl or a girl you might actually enjoy it). 

Also what makes this part 2 a lesser comparison to its predecessor Clockwork Angel is that their situation from the start of the book is almost the same with the end of the book. Some exception because of additional information and new allies but other than that, there's no improvement at all. In the end they are no closer to finding the Magister. Even his shadow's glimpse was nowhere to be found. 

Clare also just recycled a lot of characters in this book. Which makes room for you to guess easily what will be the outcome of their next move or what will be the ending. Not a lot of action either. Even the final fight or maybe the Climax part (im not even sure if that is a proper climax because I did not achieve the climax feeling) was also not exciting.

Reading this book can be compared to the ECG reading of a person who is near death (the one you see on patients in hospital when you are monitoring the heart activity. it makes sounds similar to *toooot tooot*) I compared it to that because theirs a pattern to the book... normal event-exciting event-normal event-exciting event. and at the end you'll realize what? The book is near its end. So yeah that is my analogy.

I know it is a lot of negatives but maybe that is me being a guy reading this genre of books so please dont take this review seriously if you are female. There's a 50-60% chance that you might actually REALLY LIKE this book. :D

Ending was quite unexpected if that is a saving factor to this review :D

With my opinions out in the open, I think if you have already started Infernal Devices might as well continue it. There is no good feeling  in leaving a series unfinished (unless the book realllly sucks)

Till the next review! I give this book 3.5 whales