Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Clockwork Angel breaks little new ground beyond Clare’s equally unimpressive first series, The Mortal Instruments. Flung into the realm of Shadowhunters and Downworlders after failing to reunite with her brother, Tessa Gray discovers she harbors unusually powerful magical abilities. From there, Clare has her heroine set off on a path long beaten into the ground by more proficient fantasy fiction authors, where Tessa must use her talents to outwit a mysterious villain known as the Magister. Convoluted love triangles, overused plot devices, and character inconsistencies bog down what otherwise might be considered crisp and fast-paced writing. Although the characters are witty, dangerous, and endearing at all the right moments, they only revolve in tedious circles around their respective personality stereotypes. Half-hearted background details injected into the storyline fail to convince or immerse the reader in the book’s Victorian steampunk setting. While the dialogue and plot twists make for a fun read and obvious movie fodder, Clockwork Angel ultimately never experiments enough beyond the tropes of commercial teen fantasy to leave a worthwhile impression. – Kacey F. ‘15
Harker US Book Blog 