Clockwork Angel was Heavenly

In 2018, I read the main books (so far) in the Shadowhunter’s Chronicles. All of them. After finishing City of Heavenly Fire, I didn’t think that I would be interested in another ship as much as I was in Clary and Jace’s. I was so disappointed to finish that series, but I wanted to find out what happened next. I was wonderfully surprised when I read Clockwork Angel and discovered how lovely that was.

When Tessa Gray arrives in England from America, she is in for a surprise. Instead of her brother waiting for her, there is a coachman. The dreams she may have had of the city are replaced with nightmares. She is kidnapped, forced to learn how to shapeshift (she didn’t know she could do that before) and then is told that she is supposed to marry someone called The Magister. Huh? But then, lucky for her, the Shadowhunters show up and save her. But that’s not the end of her adventures.

I think it’s at this point in the story where I begin to fall in love with the whole Shadowhunter’s series, because I start to fall in love with these new characters and with the Shadowhunters of London. There are characters here that we already know, like Magnus Bane, and I begin to be amazed at how the London Institute and what happens here has a history that is seamless with The Mortal Instruments, which I just read.

I love the characters here, and the relationships. Will Herondale has a love for books and reminds me a lot of his descendant Jace. Tessa seems to see through his self-disparaging attitude. Jem is kind and has a love for violin playing. Then there’s Charlotte and her absentminded genius of a husband, Henry, who invents things that don’t always seem to work as planned.

Even though Tessa has been rescued by Will and Jem, the Magister is a threat. Plus, he has her brother. Will they be able to take down the Magister and rescue her brother? You’ll have to read this book to find out what happens. As you do, you’ll see Tessa become the brave person she was meant to be, discover that some villains you didn’t expect, and become immersed in London of the late 1870s.

Clockwork Angel convinced me that I needed to read all the core Shadowhunters books. While reading this series, I went ahead and bought Lady Midnight (which was on sale at the time) and pre-ordered Queen of Air and Darkness. Because I wanted to read all of them at that point. When I finished this book, I was impatient to read the next book in the series, Clockwork Prince.