justanothernerdling's review against another edition
5.0
I'm writing this as one review so there will be major spoilers. Don't say I didn't warn you! As this is one review, and I'm guessing you are reading this having read the books, I'm not going to be introducing each of the books this time.
This is a series that definetly goes cresendo. Clockwork Angel definitely gives us a good start to a series - it has a good idea and an amazing setting, and we start seeing some character dynamics. You get some deciet, tensions and shadowhunter politics. But it's nothing mind-blowing.
Next you start Clockwork Prince, and you start feeling attachments to some characters. You start to really understand Will and Jem, there is more intrigue with Jessamine, Mortmain and a deeper interaction with the main characters and side characters. You start to really see the love between Jem, Tessa and Will. Overall this book is more impressive than the first one.
But then you get to Clockwork Princess, and that blows the other books out of the water. It is absolutely incredibly written: you feel what the characters feel, there is a great plotline, and an incredible finale. Now, I'm not usually someone who will cry when I read, but in Clockwork Princess, the emotions and character relations are written so amazingly that I cannot help but cry until the pages are blurry.
As we could see with the first three books of The Mortal Instruments, Cassandra Clare's writing style improves with each book, giving incredible finales. Reading these back to back really makes you realize the time and thought put behind each and every one of the characters, weather they are in the main group or a minor side character.
I absolutely love the setting of this trilogy - I generally enjoy books taking place in Victorian England, but here, the combination of the 1800's, steampunk and shadowhunters was done perfectly!
Now, I want to talk about emotions. This trilogy made me giggle and smile with its adorable times (such as in Clockwork Prince, when Jem is super shy around Tessa), but it also made me ugly-cry over and over again in the second half of Clockwork Princess! This was especially when Jem 'dies', and Will feels their Parabatai connection snap, and he leaves Jem's knife by a tree with his own blood on it. Oh goodness just writing this is getting me emotional agian! Of course, the feels are also strong when Jem is back in the institute as a Silent Brother, to talk to both Tessa and Will, and when Tessa is thinking of her life with Will, until his death, when she is waiting for Jem on Blackfriars Bridge (Which I went to visit a few weeks ago and was amazing!)
Cassie Clare, you kill me with this book.
Tessa, Will and Jem are an amazing trio. I love how the love triangle isn't annoying - Tessa doesn't try to choose between the two, Will and Jem love each other enough to never have their love for Tessa come between them, and they each trust, respect and love each other to bits. It is amazing to read about!
I also adore the side characters - Magnus goes through quite a bit of character development in this series, and you get to see the histories of some of the shadowhunter families we know and love from The Mortal Instruments. I actually love the ships with the Lightwood brothers and Cecily and Sophie! I feel like they really fit well and bring some sweet relief to the story during some hard times.
Henry is awesome - he is such a dorky inventor, and I honestly think he at least deserves his own chapter, or short story!
What I did realize is that Cassandra Clare seems to really like the whole brother-sister issues. In this book, Will has a strange relation with his sister - he wants to keep Cecily away from him just as much as he wants to protect her. Tessa believes that Nate is her brother, even though he is not. I haven't read The Artificial Devices yet, but I'm sort of expecting more sibbling issues now, haha!
So, here is where I stand on the whole "team" thing:
- Jem is my book bae
- I love Jessa and Wessa equally
- TID is way better than TMI
- Parabatai relations struck me more than love relations
Overall, this trilogy gets better and better, is written gorgeously and can easily surprise you with how attached you get to each of the characters, and each of their stories.
I'm giving the whole trilogy a 5/5 feathers! The first two books would get 4-4.5 feathers, but the third book brings the entire series back up to a 5!
This is a series that definetly goes cresendo. Clockwork Angel definitely gives us a good start to a series - it has a good idea and an amazing setting, and we start seeing some character dynamics. You get some deciet, tensions and shadowhunter politics. But it's nothing mind-blowing.
Next you start Clockwork Prince, and you start feeling attachments to some characters. You start to really understand Will and Jem, there is more intrigue with Jessamine, Mortmain and a deeper interaction with the main characters and side characters. You start to really see the love between Jem, Tessa and Will. Overall this book is more impressive than the first one.
But then you get to Clockwork Princess, and that blows the other books out of the water. It is absolutely incredibly written: you feel what the characters feel, there is a great plotline, and an incredible finale. Now, I'm not usually someone who will cry when I read, but in Clockwork Princess, the emotions and character relations are written so amazingly that I cannot help but cry until the pages are blurry.
As we could see with the first three books of The Mortal Instruments, Cassandra Clare's writing style improves with each book, giving incredible finales. Reading these back to back really makes you realize the time and thought put behind each and every one of the characters, weather they are in the main group or a minor side character.
I absolutely love the setting of this trilogy - I generally enjoy books taking place in Victorian England, but here, the combination of the 1800's, steampunk and shadowhunters was done perfectly!
Now, I want to talk about emotions. This trilogy made me giggle and smile with its adorable times (such as in Clockwork Prince, when Jem is super shy around Tessa), but it also made me ugly-cry over and over again in the second half of Clockwork Princess! This was especially when Jem 'dies', and Will feels their Parabatai connection snap, and he leaves Jem's knife by a tree with his own blood on it. Oh goodness just writing this is getting me emotional agian! Of course, the feels are also strong when Jem is back in the institute as a Silent Brother, to talk to both Tessa and Will, and when Tessa is thinking of her life with Will, until his death, when she is waiting for Jem on Blackfriars Bridge (Which I went to visit a few weeks ago and was amazing!)
Cassie Clare, you kill me with this book.
Tessa, Will and Jem are an amazing trio. I love how the love triangle isn't annoying - Tessa doesn't try to choose between the two, Will and Jem love each other enough to never have their love for Tessa come between them, and they each trust, respect and love each other to bits. It is amazing to read about!
I also adore the side characters - Magnus goes through quite a bit of character development in this series, and you get to see the histories of some of the shadowhunter families we know and love from The Mortal Instruments. I actually love the ships with the Lightwood brothers and Cecily and Sophie! I feel like they really fit well and bring some sweet relief to the story during some hard times.
Henry is awesome - he is such a dorky inventor, and I honestly think he at least deserves his own chapter, or short story!
What I did realize is that Cassandra Clare seems to really like the whole brother-sister issues. In this book, Will has a strange relation with his sister - he wants to keep Cecily away from him just as much as he wants to protect her. Tessa believes that Nate is her brother, even though he is not. I haven't read The Artificial Devices yet, but I'm sort of expecting more sibbling issues now, haha!
So, here is where I stand on the whole "team" thing:
- Jem is my book bae
- I love Jessa and Wessa equally
- TID is way better than TMI
- Parabatai relations struck me more than love relations
Overall, this trilogy gets better and better, is written gorgeously and can easily surprise you with how attached you get to each of the characters, and each of their stories.
I'm giving the whole trilogy a 5/5 feathers! The first two books would get 4-4.5 feathers, but the third book brings the entire series back up to a 5!
intheblackout's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a good adaption of The Infernal Devices. It has been a while since I read the series, so I might not remember everything but this manga was very fateful to the source material.
I just love this story and characters. Whether it's the novels or manga; it's just so good! It's Cassandra Clare's best work to date.
The artwork was great. Detailed and does a great job of portraying the setting and time period. My only gripe was that some of the hair was ridiculous. Specifically Tessa and Jessamine's, their hair was down to the floor. It made me giggle a little.
Now I want to reread the novels...
Pre-Read:
I'm curious to see how this holds up to the novels.
I just love this story and characters. Whether it's the novels or manga; it's just so good! It's Cassandra Clare's best work to date.
The artwork was great. Detailed and does a great job of portraying the setting and time period. My only gripe was that some of the hair was ridiculous. Specifically Tessa and Jessamine's, their hair was down to the floor. It made me giggle a little.
Now I want to reread the novels...
Pre-Read:
I'm curious to see how this holds up to the novels.
ondadicarta's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
belugawale's review against another edition
3.25
i read the whole series and got bored towards the last book. not that the plot was boring, but too many character povs that i didn’t really care about and felt was just filler. the end was honestly stupid how did she get to end up with both dudes? it’a unfair lol idc if she’s immortal and lonely. i did really enjoy the authors writing style tho, so 3 stars! i’ll probably check out her other works. and jem was better!!
ultigguk's review against another edition
5.0
I think i’ve re read this series 3 times since my initial read at around 14 years old (and it had me in a chokehold at 14 let’s be real), and I enjoy it every single time. I think what seperate this series from others or even just other cassandra clare books is the somewhat complex love triangle that is not possible without the shadow hunter world. As in, the parabatai bond between James and Will that makes the love triangle all that more heartbreaking and emotional, that James and Will have this profound love for each other while loving the same girl UGHHHH my heart
jessiek04's review against another edition
5.0
Welp. This story was just as beautiful and as gut-wrenching in graphic-novel/manga form as it was in its original form. Just so everyone’s aware. Now, please excuse me while I go sob over these characters for the bazillionth time.
my_circe4's review
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Jem was the only character I liked in this whole trilogy.
undrcvrbookahlc's review against another edition
(place holder bc I read from a bundle but reviewed the books individually- but my highlights are in this one)
lulu97's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0