Lord of shadows: Cassandra Clare

The year was 2010, Clockwork Angel had just come out and my friend Karla introduced me to one of the greatest series I had read at the time. I was a young 14 year old and this one off my first kind of "mature books" in the since that it had a better story line, better character development, and better romance. City of bones became one of my favorite series, until I read Clockwork Angel. To this day I still think this is the best series in the shadowhunter world.
Anyway the year is 2017, Cassie Clare has just released the second book to her third series. The Dark Artifices. And I am disappointed. And here  are the reasons why, which I'll list as I go.

1. The romance

•     Specifically Emma and Julian's romance. From the moment Cassie told her readers, how much we were going to LOVE them.... I knew something was up, and I probably wouldn't like them. Flash forward to me reading Lady Midnight... guess what, I really didn't like Emma or Julian. Their relationship just felt weird to me. Like Cassie was trying to hard for this to happen. The romance was just unnatural with how fast it moved. And in Lord of Shadows it just gets worse. I'm kind of bored of Cassie's over use of "we can't love each other because blank." Cassie has pulled it off before and I loved it! But I just feels forced in this book, it was too fast. I feel like if she had done it like the other books where she took it slowly, maybe it wouldn't have been so forced.
• Mark and Cristina, be still my beating heart! My god these two characters are so interesting, they are so engaging. And the two times they kiss, I literally swooned. This is what I excepted Emma and Julian to be. Mark and Cristina were attracted to each other but it wasn't an instant love thing. It took them forever to finally kiss, and anytime they were together I couldn't help but want them to kiss! Or hug or hold hands, or something! This is want I wanted, they learned and grew from their past relationships. I just love these two so much 😻
• Cristina and Kieran, my god I am swooning for these two. Cristina just understands Kieran so well and I just love their dynamic. 

     2. The conflict

• Honestly it's too much drama. Like everything was set up to happen perfectly, Emma and Jules were going to get exiled (or whatever it's called), but then it doesn't happen. I know this was supposed to be super dramatic and, like, end of the world type of drama. But to me, it just felt like a cop out. It felt like Ms. Clare needed the drama to make the story work... and it didn't
• Livy's death.
• I'll have you know that I honestly didn't care the Livy died (heartless I know). But here's why, Livy's death did not feel genuine. It didn't feel organic to the plot, it didn't feel needed, it felt forced, it felt unnecessary. Yes I know in REAL life, death is unexpected. It is not planned. It just happens, but this is a book. And deaths in books usually help further the plot or have a great meaning. And this, to me, was neither of that.

Honestly I am disappointed. I have loved these books since I was young, but I truly felt cheated out of a better book. I have loved these books, and this author. To have this book be such a disappoint for me was tragic. Who knows, maybe the next book will be better. Maybe it won't. I'll read it.... But not as excitedly as I would read other books.

Until next time readers <3

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices: book two) By: Cassandra Clare

In magical Victorian London, orphan Tessa found safety with the Shadowhunters, until traitors betray her to the Magister. He wants to marry her, but so do self-destructive Will and fiercely devoted Jem. Mage Magnus Bane returns to help them. Secrets to her parentage lie with the mist-shrouded Yorkshire Institute's aged manager Alyosius Starkweather.

(Goodreads)
 I love this series. That’s all I have to say about it. This is one of the best books I have read, and have reread it many times, and every time I think “WHY?!?! LORD Cassandra Clare why must you try to kill me with your cliff hangers!! OH the ending it breaks my heart so” :’(

Anyways… I believe Tessa is more of a Marry Sue in this one, trying to take everything on especially when it involves her beloved brother. And very giving, I mean she gave up her love for Will just because Jem had proposed to her…. Well that is a good reason, BUT right afterwards Tessa had burnt her hand badly because of the pain in her heart. I always thought she should have told him no, that she loves Will and save the rest of us all the pain and tears TT^TT. Now Clockwork Prince deals more with the threat of Mortmain and that threat becomes a reality when they face betrayal. There is plotting, lies, and the love of Will and Tessa J but there is also Jem, sweet, sweet Jem that is going to die and loves Tessa. And Tessa belongs to Will. Oh love triangles how much I love/hate you. So we have our dilemma, we have our evil, we have our heartbreak. And this is one of the happiest. Everything is still very happy nothing too serious has happened yet, so everyone is still happy (EXCEPT Tessa and Will. Except those Will and Tessa), they have won the bet against the Lightwoods, Charlotte is pregnant (with sweet little Buford), Tessa and Jem and engaged. All is well… For now. 

Now what I noticed from annotating the book what how hard Cassandra Clare tries to use old English, I mean at times it was ridiculous, it was just so funny! I didn’t notice this before, but now I just can’t help but giggle at times when it was over used. Also I noticed that this was all about Jem and Tessa’s relationship, with the occasional Will interference (except the ending! D’:). But I found it sort of sad that Tessa almost had sex with Jem at this spur of the moment kiss that went too far. I mean, at that time there virginity was sacred

and she almost lost it… I always thought that it went too far, but… meh -__-”

 

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices: book one) By: Cassandra Clare

So this is my third time reading it, and I also annotated my book (I felt so guilty at first), and I realized something, this book focuses on the Tess/Will relationship and Jem is not that important a character. I personally love this book, and enjoy it more that the Immortal Instruments (also by Cassandra Clare). This trilogy follows Theresa (Tessa) Gray, William (Will) Herondale, and James (Jem) Carstairs. Specifically Tessa.
Anyways... The book starts off with the death of a mundane (human) in London in the year 1878 that Will and Jem find, from there the point of view changes to Tessa, who lives in American. There, Tessa's Aunt dies leaving her alone because her brother Nate is in London working. she then receives a letter from Nate with a ticket to London. Now once Tessa gets to London she might as well have been kidnapped by these sisters called the Dark Sisters. Tessa is then stuck with the Dark sisters for three weeks, being tortured (ish) because Tessa has a peculiar power to change shape to anyone, as long as she has something of theirs. Then at the end of the three weeks the Dark sisters are getting her prepared to marry the Majister when she is saved by a sexy shirtless leather bound shadowhunter. Love at first hit... So anyways Tessa is now living at the institute with the shadowhunters there. From here there are trials, betrayals, and trying to figure out who the Majister is.
Characters:

• Tessa Gray: She is such a strong and independent girl. She had gone through so much and was still able to be as "normal" as possible. With her being able to change shape, she has the advantage but, as in the book, she fears loosing who she truly is. Also I absolutely love her little arguments with Will, and her love for books.
• Will Herondale: What can I say about Will, he is just so awesome!! He's the tall, dark, handsome boy of the trilogy with a mysterious past causing him to push others away from himself. Perfect :3
• Jem Carstairs: In the first book he really isn't that important until later on in the book. But he is the kinder side of Will, he is Will's parabatai, but is bound to die... For now he is kind and gentle.

I absolutely love this book (as I said before) and I would definitely recommend this to those who enjoyed The City of Bones, Hush Hush, and other angel books.

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices: book one) By: Cassandra Clare

So this is my third time reading it, and I also annotated my book (I felt so guilty at first), and I realized something, this book focuses on the Tess/Will relationship and Jem is not that important a character. I personally love this book, and enjoy it more that the Immortal Instruments (also by Cassandra Clare). This trilogy follows Theresa (Tessa) Gray, William (Will) Herondale, and James (Jem) Carstairs. Specifically Tessa.
Anyways... The book starts off with the death of a mundane (human) in London in the year 1878 that Will and Jem find, from there the point of view changes to Tessa, who lives in American. There, Tessa's Aunt dies leaving her alone because her brother Nate is in London working. she then receives a letter from Nate with a ticket to London. Now once Tessa gets to London she might as well have been kidnapped by these sisters called the Dark Sisters. Tessa is then stuck with the Dark sisters for three weeks, being tortured (ish) because Tessa has a peculiar power to change shape to anyone, as long as she has something of theirs. Then at the end of the three weeks the Dark sisters are getting her prepared to marry the Majister when she is saved by a sexy shirtless leather bound shadowhunter. Love at first hit... So anyways Tessa is now living at the institute with the shadowhunters there. From here there are trials, betrayals, and trying to figure out who the Majister is.
Characters:

• Tessa Gray: She is such a strong and independent girl. She had gone through so much and was still able to be as "normal" as possible. With her being able to change shape, she has the advantage but, as in the book, she fears loosing who she truly is. Also I absolutely love her little arguments with Will, and her love for books.
• Will Herondale: What can I say about Will, he is just so awesome!! He's the tall, dark, handsome boy of the trilogy with a mysterious past causing him to push others away from himself. Perfect :3
• Jem Carstairs: In the first book he really isn't that important until later on in the book. But he is the kinder side of Will, he is Will's parabatai, but is bound to die... For now he is kind and gentle.

I absolutely love this book (as I said before) and I would definitely recommend this to those who enjoyed The City of Bones, Hush Hush, and other angel books.