By: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: December 6, 2011
Description: 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.
My Thoughts: I wanted to absolutely love this book. I really did, but something just didnt overcome the typical second book nature. I read everyone else's reviews and expected to be blown away, but I wasnt. I preferred to sleep instead of read a few more pages at night. I wasnt lost in the pages like I wanted. I didnt find myself thinking about reading it at random parts of the day. I often found that I preferred watching tv for some reason, even though I had ample time to read. There were so many things that frustrated me in this book.I wasnt understanding how Tessa's mind worked, or Will's and started feeling like things just happened without me understanding the progression of events. Tessabegan to annoy me at times and I'm still not quite sure why. Maybe because I'm so Team Will (Dont get me wrong, I like Jem, but he's just not the one for me) and I want her to be with him and follow her heart and all those good things but the events just prevent it. I do want to mention that there were parts of this book I loved. The action and the suspense, the twists and turns were great. Oh and the makeout scenes had me hoping I hadn't chosen to read a young adult book. Nonetheless, this book just didnt have what it took to make me feel like I was reading the best book ever. For that reason, I give it 3 stars.
