Tessa Gray was filled with excitement when she got off the boat that brought her to England from America. Finally, she’ll be reunited with her brother.  Instead of her beloved Nate meeting her at the dock, the Dark Sisters showed up. Believing the story that Nate asked them to accompany her to London, Tessa climbed in the carriage not knowing she was headed into a world she never knew existed.

Lucky for Tessa, Will Herondale follows some clues he found near a dead girl’s body that led him right to where the Dark Sisters were holding her captive. Even though she’s not sure she can trust Will and she still doesn’t know where her brother is, Tessa leaves with Will and hopes for the best.

Will and his friends are Shadowhunters, human/angel hybrids called Nephilim, and protect our world from demons.  They also keep the peace between the Downworlders – warlocks, vampires, werewolves, and faeries.  Will takes Tessa to the Institute for safe keeping until he and the other Shadowhunters figure out what her power is and why the Dark Sisters wanted her. While there, she becomes entrenched in a new and mysterious culture filled with danger, intrigue, and excitement.

CLOCKWORK ANGEL is the first in a new trilogy by Cassandra Clare.  Her Mortal Instruments Trilogy is one of my all time favorites.  I loved the characters and hated to say goodbye to them at the end of CITY OF GLASS.  THE INFERNAL DEVICES books are prequels.  They take place in the late 1800s in Victorian-Era London. Unlike the Mortal Instruments, CLOCKWORK ANGEL includes a lot of steampunk elements. The friendship between Will and Jem is so much fun to witness and the tentative feelings Tessa and Will seem to share is exciting (even though it made me crave more Clary and Jace action). This book has it all – magic, science fiction, fantasy, romance.

You absolutely don’t need to read THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS trilogy before you read CLOCKWORK ANGEL, but if you haven’t read them yet, I can promise you’ll want to go get them as soon as you finish this prequel. Once you get sucked into Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter world, you won’t want to leave.

Some Fun Quotes:

“Let me give you a piece of advice. The handsome young fellow who’s trying to rescue you from a hideous fate is never wrong. Not even if he says the sky is purple and made of hedgehogs.” p.40

“Jem shook his head. “You bit de Quincey,” he said. “You fool. He’s a vampire. You know what it means to bite a vampire.”

“I had no choice,” said Will. “He was choking me.”

“I know,” Jem said. “But really, Will. Again?”