I have very limited space in my bookshelf. This results in my being incredibly picky about paying money for books that I'm not positively certain I'llI have very limited space in my bookshelf. This results in my being incredibly picky about paying money for books that I'm not positively certain I'll like, so I just add on to existing collections of series. I was at the airport and needed reading material..and kept coming around to this book. So shiny. Best seller. Will it even be worth it? Aaaaaaah my flight was about to board so I picked it up, paid for it aaaaaaand never regretted it. Loved the first book. Cannot freaking wait for the second and third. I'm happy to have this book take a spot on my bookshelf....more
Tessa Gray is an intelligent, book-loving heroine with a coveted (and creepy) supernatural ability. AlthoughDark, Victorian, Shadowhunter-y goodness!
Tessa Gray is an intelligent, book-loving heroine with a coveted (and creepy) supernatural ability. Although she is new to the world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders, she has an observant nature and does not shy away from asking questions, so she manages to learn quite a lot about their world very quickly. Aside from her newly-discovered talent, Tessa is a fairly typical 19th century young woman. She is much more comfortable quoting Dickens than she is wielding a weapon, but she doesn't cower helplessly in the face of danger either. Her courage, compassion, and insatiable curiosity make her a girl to be reckoned with, and I am excited to see how her character will continue to develop over the course of the next two Infernal Devices books.
Then there are the boys... one dark, one light. Will Herondale is often hilarious, frequently rude, and consistently determined to keep his image as tarnished as possible. He seems to suffer from troubling Hyde-like mood swings that repeatedly propel him toward darkly-amused cruelty, and a secret from his mysterious past has given him a harsh, fatalistic attitude. Only Jem, who never questions Will about his past and who tolerates his mercurial temperament with a calm patience, sees Will's well-concealed vulnerability and heart. Jem Carstairs is thoughtful, even-tempered, and soothingly philosophical. But he has a tragic secret of his own, and it is one that some Shadowhunters do not view with compassion or understanding. I've always had a major weakness for broken boys. In this case, one is emotionally broken, one is physically broken, and both are deliciously swoon-worthy. Will and Jem share a brotherly devotion to one another and both find themselves becoming increasingly attached to Tessa. Have I mentioned that I truly cannot wait to read the second Infernal Devices book?!
Need more reasons to pick up this book? How about the nightmarishly horrifying steampunk elements and the complex villains? Have I mentioned that two of the main characters are avid readers, so there are lots of excellent (and occasionally worrisome) literary references to books like A Tale of Two Cities, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Pride and Prejudice? Perhaps I also failed to mention the sexy Shadowhunter whose wet white shirt clings tantalizingly to the runic tattoos inked across his chest? Or the Shadowhunter whose hair brushes silkily across Tessa's wrist as he leans down to kiss the back of her hand? Surely I mentioned the glove removal that will have your heart racing? *sighs*
**spoiler alert** First off, I think I need to make it clear that this book is full of tons of witty humor, and if you had a highlighter for great quo**spoiler alert** First off, I think I need to make it clear that this book is full of tons of witty humor, and if you had a highlighter for great quotes, most of the book would be covered in bright yellow!
The story is fast paced and almost impossible not to fall in love with. In the beginning I was as confused as Clary about the new world she'd found herself in. I'd found myself telling Jace to make his move.
That being said...Spoiler Alert ahead.
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Still with me, alright. Somehow I imagine Valentine (who reminds me a lot of Voldermort-a cookie cutter bad guy who wants to purify the race and make a super army) smirking as he tells Jace, "I am your father." Not to mention the discovery of Jace and Clary being brother and sister. I found myself extremely disappointed in that regard. I really, really wanted them together. I was drowning in the pages during the whole day, trying to see how the book was going to end and I wanted someone to truly pop up and say: "What a bunch of bull! You guys are not siblings. Now go on and have some hot smoochies and since Simon is not sleeping in Clary's room, it's safe to say y'all can fit on the bed nao." I've never wanted two people to be together so badly in a book. She doesn't take Jace's crap. She gives it right back to him. I wanted to just jump into the book and high five her.
All in all it reminds me a lot of Harry Potter and yet has a risky voice all of its own. We have Jace who is handsome and stubborn, his best friend Alec who pines away for him while staying in the closet, Isabelle the young warrior goddess, Simon the human who can't stay away, and Clary who holds unknown powers. I can't wait to see where it goes from here.
I realize that my review sounds sort of negative, but the book was absolutely fabulous. I loved Clare's writing style and the world she has created. I even fell in love with the minor characters, as they are so well developed!
By the way: Clarissa is such a beautiful name. Why call the girl Clary? *pokes tongue out in disgust*
I'll add some of my favourite quotes:
"Have you fallen in love with the wrong person yet?' Jace said, "Unfortunately, Lady of the Haven, my one true love remains myself." ..."At least," she said, "you don't have to worry about rejection, Jace Wayland." "Not necessarily. I turn myself down occasionally, just to keep it interesting."
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"Is this the part where you start tearing off strips of your shirt to bind my wounds?" "If you wanted me to rip my clothes off, you should have just asked."
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"Do you remember back at the hotel when you promised that if we lived, you’d get dressed up in a nurse’s outfit and give me a sponge bath?" asked Jace. "It was Simon who promised you the sponge bath." "As soon as I’m back on my feet, handsome," said Simon. "I knew we should have left you a rat."
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"It means 'Shadowhunters: Looking Better in Black Than the Widows of our Enemies Since 1234'."
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She winced and covered her ears as Eric,onstage, wrestled with his microphone.
"Sorry about that, guys!" he yelled. "All right. I'm Eric, and this is my homeboy Matt on the drums. My first poem is called 'Untitled.'" He screwed up his face as if in pain, and wailed into the mike. "Come my faux juggernaut, my nefarious loins! Slather every protuberance with arid zeal!"
Simon slid down in his seat. "Please don't tell anyone I know him."
Clary giggled. "Who uses the word 'loins'?"
"Eric," Simon said grimly. "All his poems have loins in them."
'Turgid is my torment!" Eric wailed. "Agony swells within!"
"You bet it does," Clary said."
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"Your friend's poetry is terrible," he said.
Clary blinked, caught momentarily off guard. "What?" "I said his poetry was terrible. It sounds like he ate a dictionary and started vomiting up words at random."
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"Don't." Clary raised a warning hand. "I'm not really in the mood right now." "That's got to be the first time a girl's ever said that to me," Jace mused."
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"And next time you're planning to injure yourself to get my attention, just remember that a little sweet talk works wonders."...more
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