12.7k reviews for:

Clockwork Princess

Cassandra Clare

4.52 AVERAGE


This veered down to a 2 for a bit, as I think it is too long and too repetitive with love triangle stuff. However the end redeemed it.


The Clockwork Princess is a great book. It kept my interested from the first to page to the last had a lot of great turns that kept me guessing.

If this book wasn't the most amazing book you've ever read then you're wrong. I feel so depressed and emotionally drained now though, I cried for at least an hour and almost couldn't get through the ending for the tears. I've never been so touched by a character as that of Will Herondale. Now that the trilogy is over I don't know what to do with myself.
adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Can't believe TID is over :'(

Alright, I'll admit it: these books sucked me in. I loved the characters. The story perhaps could have been better, but I let myself be surprised by each forthcoming page. An enjoyable read, even for someone who ages out of the teen fiction bookshelf.

I had forgotten how much this book destoyed me the first time I read it, and even more now.
adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

So, I know my past two reviews for this series have been kinda fangirl-centric so I've decided to give y'all a real review for this one as a way to wrap up the series.



4.5 Clockwork Stars

There are so many reasons I have come to love this series and these characters, even though I started off as a major critic. I was a terrible skeptic and was very critical of Clare and her decision to drag out this Shadowhunter business for all it's worth. But as I began reading this series, I found myself sucked in and absolutely enthralled by the Victorian world, the three-dimensional characters, and the uniquely engaging plot-line.

One main reason I think why this series appealed to me so much was because the genre encompassed three of my all-time favorite genres: paranormal romance, historical romance, and snuggable chick-lit (which is my own invention of a genre). I love historical romances--the world, the clothes, the language, and the different air and mannerisms which are just so different from what we're used to in today's society. I love the paranormal genre--they allow me to transport myself into a world that doesn't exist in today's society (that we know of) and it's always fun to see how we could live. And who doesn't love books you're able to snuggle up with and binge-read for an entire weekend?! This is why I enjoyed these books so much, and I don't care who knows it.



Okay, now that I got all of the lovey-dovey, gushy emotions out of the way, I've got to get down to the nitty-gritty--what I didn't like about this series (particularly the last novel Clockwork Princess). This is gonna turn into a spoilerish semi-rant, so prepare yourselves people.



Okay, so I lied. I'm going to start out with another thing I loved about this series and book first--the amazing parabatai relationship between Will and Jem. I felt that we really got to see how deep and full of understanding, acceptance, and loyalty their bond was, and it absolutely broke my heart. From the blurb, we know that Jem's reliance on the yin fen is being used as a weapon by Mortmain to get to Tessa. And because Jem's life is thereby threatened, we see how far Will is willing to go and how he is willing to risk his own life in order to save his brother's.

It was because of this great love that we are able to witness that I was so upset over how the love triangle between Will, Tessa, and Jem unfolds. (*spoilers ahead--read on with caution*!!)
SpoilerAt first, the Team Will member in me was feeling a little low because of Tessa and her stubborn engagement to a man she didn't really love (no matter what she kept on insisting). I really don't see how you can love two men equally--it's the reason she kept thinking about Will while she was supposedly happily engaged to Jem. But then Jem's condition worsens and Will is forced to go after Tessa and finally tell Jem of his feelings for her. So then we finally get our HEA between Will and Tessa (YAY!). And then the epilogue happens...



And I can't help but feel like Will got royally screwed out of this whole ordeal and Tessa gets all the fun stuff with both parabatai. So after Will dies (*sobs*), Tessa reconnects with Jem over thirty years later, and it's insinuated that she and Jem begin a "new and wonderful" life together. First off, I don't wanna know about my Will dying! Let's just keep it at them happily riding off into the sunset on a white unicorn with plenty of children and grandchildren to keep their legacy going. Secondly, since Jem had arranged with Tessa to meet once a year (for the rest of everdom since they both live forever) at the place where he first knew he loved her, it kinda seemed like he was hoping for this exact situation to happen (no matter his love and loyalty for his parabatai). He finds the cure to his addiction, becomes mortal again, and all of a sudden is ready and willing to replace his blood brother in Tessa's life.

Although, if I were him, I wouldn't exactly want that position anymore because it seems to me that he will always be second-best (and sort of like a consolation prize) to Tessa. I mean think about it: she had him first but chose Will, and now that Will is gone she is willing to take him back again (and all-of-a-sudden remembers how it felt to "love" him).



I just think the entire book and series would have been so much better if this little factoid had been left out. I mean why is it SO hard for heroines to MAKE A DAMN CHOICE when it comes to our swoony heroes?! Us readers usually are able to make a choice within the first meeting, so why can't they?! Tessa, honey, just ask Elena if flip-flopping between brothers worked out for her.



Newsflash: it doesn't.


I just think that in this instance, the way the whole love triangle thing ended up happening cheapened the love, loyalty, and unbreakable bond between Will and Jem. I thought their relationship was so beautiful and unique, but I was left so disappointed at the end of this book. That's why I've decided to end this novel at the last chapter and NOT the epilogue. I'm just happier that way.

Nevertheless, I loved this series! It's full of romance, forbidden love, unrequited love, everlasting love, adventure, suspense, magic, creepy automatons, fun, witty Will one-liners, and so much more. I can say that I will definitely be continuing to follow the Shadowhunter series, but William Herondale will always be special to me.


Yes, I am ashamed to know myself.