Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Magic is dangerous - but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks, and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, who are members of a secret organization called the Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by - and torn between - two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

As a big fan of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, I was delighted to find out that not only is she continuing that series past the original trilogy but she's also writing a prequel trilogy too. Whoo-hoo! I loved Clary and Jace and Simon and Izzy; I gushed about them at the circulation desk at my library when I would check them out and I was always be the first on the request list, just as I was for Clockwork Angel. It was almost painful for me to leave it at home when we went to New York for the comic-con. (I was already toting enough books to give me flashbacks to college.) I was somehow able to make myself be patient and wait but have I ever mentioned here how much I hate to wait? We have been home for a week now and things were still be crazy enough to keep me away from Clockwork Angel a while longer but...it was worth the wait. Oh yes it was.

I think I liked Clockwork Angel more than City of Bones and I think it was because of the setting. City of Bones is set in the present in New York and Clary seems like a fairly normal contemporary teenage girl but Tessa's story takes place during that Victorian time period that I love reading about; the car-wreck fascination of that unfamiliar lifestyle of living before electricity, the internet, and tampons that makes it so absorbing to me but I am completely sure that I would never want to live then. Clockwork Angel also has an steampunk element in the presence of the actual clockworks, used to create zombie-like automatons to be used as minions. They were actually a bit scary, these automatons, and seeing them be so relentless in their pursuit of Tessa that they would be injured and unconcerned was unnerving.

The parts that most caught my attention were, of course, the boys. Will and Jem, two young Shadowhunters who are as tight as brothers and are about to fight over a girl. Jem has a serious secret but Will is so much the jackass that no one tries to get close enough to find out what makes him...tick. Will's the one who rescues Tessa from the Dark Sisters and he's the one who she starts to fall for but will he let her? Predictably, it won't be easy for them. I don't think Clare will be attempting anything like the brush of incest that tortured Clary and Jace in TMI but Will's definitely got something standing in his way to Tessa and he's not about to share it with anyone anytime soon.

Cassandra Clare's pretty open about her publication schedule - which I love - but unfortunately the second Infernal Devices book, Clockwork Prince, won't be out until September 2011. Nooooo! However, we do get a taste of Clary and Jace again in April 2011 in City of Fallen Angels, book four in the Mortal Instruments series. I shall endeavor to distract myself so the hand wringing and garment rending symptoms of book withdrawal don't begin too soon.

Review: The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

Seductive danger and steampunk adventure abound in the gritty world of the Iron Seas, where nanotech is fused with Victorian sensibilities - and steam.

After the Iron Duke freed England from Horde control, he instantly became a national hero. Now Rhys Trahaearn has built a merchant empire of the power - and fear - of his name. And when a dead body is dropped from an airship onto his doorstep, bringing Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth into his dangerous world, he intends to make her his next possession.

Mina can't afford his interest, however. Horde blood runs through her veins, and despite the nanotech enhancing her body, she barely scratches out a living in London society. Becoming Rhys's lover would destroy both her career and her family, yet the investigation prevents her from avoiding him...and the Iron Duke's ruthless pursuit makes him difficult to resist.

But when Mina uncovers the victim's identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans - and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.

The Iron Duke is the first in a new steampunk series by the wonderful Meljean Brook and I was super excited to read it because not only am I obviously a big fan of hers but I haven't read many steampunk stories and I wanted to see what the buzz is all about. I got a taste of it from her short story "Here There Be Monsters" in Burning Up (see our review HERE) and instantly wanted more. I was definitely not disappointed.

Mina is amazing. She is strong, forthright, brave, vulnerable, and kind. My favorite thing about her is that she doesn't turn to a pile of quivering female flesh when Rhys touches her. That is a complete turnoff in so many romances that I've read and I was thrilled that Mina keeps her wits about her. It's not easy for her either; Mina desperately wants Rhys even though she believes a relationship with him is futile and finite because of their social stations. I didn't like Rhys at first. His imperial attitude was irritating:

“You’ll come to my bed. And you won’t think it a waste of time.” (pp. 67)

"You will accept me. And now I will know you, even if you come to me in the dark.” (pp.68)

“I warn you, inspector. The next time I have you alone, I’ll have you. Your mouth, at the least – and more, if you offer it.” (pp.69)

You'll notice that all those lines were in a small span of pages but it seemed to me to be awfully early in their acquaintance for him to be saying ridiculous things like these to Mina. The more I read, however, the more I respected Rhys. He is a good man who just doesn’t understand women, all that well. He consistently manages to stuff his huge foot into his mouth without realizing it and I liked that about him. It humanized him, this big hulk of a man with an even bigger reputation for being ruthless. He and Mina are a well matched pair.

What a fascinating world in which these characters exist. Dirty beyond belief from all the coal required to power steam engines, I thought Brook had a firm grasp of steampunk and the Victorian era. There's lots of world-building here and this series isn't going to be set in just England - airship travel is popular and kraken show up on the way to Africa. Zombies too! The Blacksmith from the Burning Up short story makes a reappearance and gets fleshed out a bit more, which I liked. I appreciated that Mad Machen and Ivy are absent from The Iron Duke. Another blogger recently expressed her ire at paranormal romance series that begin with a short story in an anthology and while that is annoying, it doesn't really apply here.

Right after I finished The Iron Duke, I asked Meljean on twitter who the next book is about and was delighted to get an answer. (I won't spoil it here.) I will share that book two in this series, Heart of Steel, is scheduled for release in November of 2011. I'll be another year older when it comes out. Do I care? Nope. I just want it to get here.

Our Most Anticipated Books of October

Jane’s pick:

The book that caught my attention this month is Jane by April Lindner. The early reviews of this YA story have been nothing short of fantastic. Don’t forget to check it out!

Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, a world-famous rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance.

But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to herself mean giving up on true love?

An irresistible romance interwoven with a darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers.

Jen's pick:

A new book from Meljean Brook is always an autobuy for me but after reading the prequel short story in Burning Up, it became a sure thing. The Iron Duke is the first in new steampunk series and looks to be way cool.

First in an all-new series where seductive danger and steampunk adventure abound in the gritty world of the Iron Seas.

After the Iron Duke freed England from Horde control, he instantly became a national hero. Now Rhys Trahaearn has built a merchant empire on the power-and fear-of his name. And when a dead body is dropped from an airship onto his doorstep, bringing Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth into his dangerous world, he intends to make her his next possession.

But when Mina uncovers the victim's identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans-and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen, as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.