Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Prince
Author: Cassandra Clare
Narrator: Ed Westwick & Heather Lind
Series: The Infernal Devices #2
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Release Date: 12/6/2011
Length: 15 hours, 39 minutes
Format: Unabridged Audio CDs
Genres: Fiction, Paranormal, Steampunk, Young Adult
Challenges: 2012 Audiobook Challenge, 2012 Support Your Local Library Challenge
Source: Library
Purchase: Audio CD | Digital Audiobook
Rating: 5/5

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.

Warning: This review contains spoilers for the first book in the series, Clockwork Angel.

Once again, I am blown away by how much better this series is than The Mortal Instruments. I feel like those books get all the praise, but these are the ones I get excited about. I’m actually connected to these characters and what will happen to them. The characters of The Mortal Instruments don’t do much for me, and I keep reading only because I feel like I should finish what I started. I didn’t mean to start this off bashing The Mortal Instruments. I don’t hate that series; I just don’t really like the characters.

GUSH ALERT! Oh, sweet Jem! I’m pretty much in love with him. For most of this series, I could take or leave Will. I guess I’m just not into the broody, screwed-up type. I mean, seriously, Jem has had way more to deal with than Will and he doesn’t sit around and sulk and act like an asshole. And he’s dying! He’s so kind and he thinks before acting. He’s such a gentleman, and he absolutely adores Tessa. Will grew on me a lot. I learned so much about him and why he acts the way he does, and my heart really broke for him. I’m starting to feel a little confused about who I want Tessa to end up with. I’ll always love Jem the most though, no matter what I decide about their romantic relationships.

A lot went down in this one, plot wise. I was so pumped. Every single turn was just perfect. I love where this story is going. I can’t get enough of it. It’s one of those books that stays with me when I’m not listening. I worry about what will happen while I have some down time at work or I’m standing in line at the bank. In fact, it’s been a week since I finished it and it’s still with me.

I was really excited when I heard about Ed Westwick reading this, but I was actually kind of disappointed. I loved him when he read City of Fallen Angels. I think it’s just that his voice was a little more suited to that one, though. I loved the other Heather Lind. Though I really enjoyed Jennifer Ehle when she read Clockwork Angel, this narrator didn’t let me down. She was a perfect voice for Tessa. I absolutely loved her voice for Jesamine. It was perfect. I thought the switching of narrators was weird and unnecessary. It’s not like the point of view ever changed. It’s all in third person. However, the book was so good that I don’t really care that much about that, and I’m still giving it five stars.

If you enjoyed Clockwork Angel, you’ll devour this one. It’s wonderful! Can’t wait for the next one!

-Laura Ashlee