For You Friday

This book is an absolute favourite of mine and highly doubt that you won't like love it. It is packed with adventure, fantasy and a heart-warming romance (or two).

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them...

You can see my review that I already posted to know about my thoughts and recommendations in more depth. Cassandra's style of writing is amazing and the characters she has created are obsession-worthy. I love the historical fiction element, which is one of my favourite genres as well the fantasy world. The shadowhunter world created in Clockwork Angel is surely a winner for all fantasy lovers as it is complete with angels, werewolves, demons, warlocks and so many more.

Enjoy,

Georgia

Worlds of Ink and Shadow Review

Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Title: Worlds of Ink and Shadow
Author: Lena Coakley
Genres: Historical Fiction, YA, Fantasy, Adventure
Publication: Jan 5 2016
Source: Thanks to ABRAMS Kids for sending me a copy of this novel to review.
Format: Arc E-galley, 117 pages

"What hard and wicked children we've become, she thought as she softly closed the door."

- Page 188

Worlds of Ink and Shadow are about the Bronte siblings, Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell, and their struggles with obsession and family. Charlotte and Branwell can travel through the worlds they created with their own minds. The shining Verdopolis and shadowy Gondal; but with a price. Emily and Anne increasingly become jealous as their siblings do not include them in their adventures, until one day they're allowed to go across with them. But then everything unravels. Madness begins to take over their minds and reality becomes mixed with fantasy. All the siblings can feel their lives slipping away, and not only that but the characters, figments of their imagination, won't let them leave. The Bronte's then realise that they have to work together to reclaim what's left of their lives and put an end to all the madness.

When I first read the synopsis of this book I just had to read it, the premise sounded amazing and I was immediately intrigued by the idea of retelling history with a magical twist. Worlds of Ink and Shadow is a story of obsession, adventure and family, and a well written one at that. The characters and settings were wonderfully written and full of great descriptions and details that brought the characters and worlds alive. The novel is written in each of the Bronte's siblings perspectives. For a majority of books, I find myself getting lost between the characters and Lena Coakley has given each character a voice that has avoided the common confusion with books written in multiple views. As well as this, the world building is something to applaud and I loved every moment that Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne spent in their stories.

World of Ink and Shadow takes a real life story and twists it with magic and fantasy. At first, I thought the beginning was a tad slow and I personally took a while to get into, but once I did my eyes never left the pages. I loved that the characters had the ability go into their stories and it made the premise even more intriguing by using the Bronte's. Every aspect of the plot tied together and each played a part in the brilliance of the story. The mystery build up was really good too kept me hanging to the edge of every word.

The characters were so 3D and well written, the relationships and tension believable. I'm not really familiar with the Bronte history but reading Worlds of Ink and Shadow has made me really interested in reading more of their novels. I also loved the aspect of sibling relationships that Lena Coakley explored, it added a familiarity to the novel and more dimension to the characters. As each chapter passed, new facts were revealed about the character that made the plot progress and introduced new twists and turns. The portrayal of the characters personalities through hints and clues was the work of a genius and I really enjoyed reading it.

All in all, Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley has earned it's five stars and I would recommend it for everyone, lovers of the Bronte's or not. The crossing over of reality and fantasy was done remarkably well and I have never read anything like it. This book is sure to be a popular novel when it comes out. Be sure to check it out, especially if you enjoyed Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

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Clockwork Princess Review

Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Title: Clockwork Princess
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, YA, Romance
Format: Paperback, 565
Publication: 2013
Source: Personal Copy

"Most people are lucky enough to have even one great love in their life. You have found two."

- Woolsey Scott, Chapter 5, 121

Lucky for me, I've found three. Clockwork Princess is the last book in beautiful The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare. This novel is about secrets, betrayal, love and sacrifice. Tessa prepares for her wedding but is disrupted by chaos in the Shadow and mundane world. The Lightwood boys encounter trouble of the demonic kind and they turn to the London Institute for help. To make matters worse, Mortmain is still after Tessa; the girl that both Jem and Will have devoted a piece of their heart's too.

Clockwork Princess was an amazing conclusion to The Infernal Devices. I enjoyed every single part of it. Cassandra Clare found a way to weave the stories and pasts of the characters into the page of the novel and make it easy to follow and understand. The wit and humour in this book never failed to impress me; I loved the bickering between Gabriel and Will throughout book. I'm a massive fan of how, when reading this book, I was able to understand things about the Shadowhunter world and The Mortal Instruments better as revelations surfaced. It was like figuring out who killed who in a CSI episode before the detectives do. Clockwork Princess is also a lot more emotionally driven and darker than the previous two books in the trilogy.

The only thing that really disappointed me about this book was the lack of action. The whole book was based on finding Mortmain only for him to be squashed like a bug in just a few pages at the end of the book. So to say, the chapters were patchy with action and needed a bit more to speed up the pace of the book. To make up for that, the plot was driven by character motives and not solely for convenience (a bookish pet peeve of mine). To address the ending, it finished on a bitter sweet note, if you did not know already. I thought it was heart breaking, beautiful and satisfying and served was it was meant to. All ties were severed cleanly, romantic entanglements were solved and all characters got their happy ending one way or another.

One of the main themes of this book is the measure of love (also the name of the last chapter), whether it be fraternal or romantic. Every character was given the lime light in this novel and through that they were all able to be developed remarkably well. Each of their stories and dilemmas melded well with the plot and a different side was able to be seen in each of them.I loved reading about them and the way they are constantly maturing and learning new things, especially the heroine, Tessa. The love triangle between Jem, Tessa and Will was probably one of my favourite elements of this book and if you read it, you will understand why. As a result of Cassandra's amazing character building, loving these characters was completely unavoidable and inevitable, all part of the wonderful reading experience that comes with reading The Infernal Devices trilogy.

I find it harder to write reviews for books I personally love so much. It's hard to turn piles of myriad thoughts and emotions into a few paragraphs of cohesive ideas. Its fair to say Clockwork Princess is unrivalled in its glory and perfectness. The book was overall amazing, even though it had its flaws. I whole heartily recommend this book - and series - for everyone who loves an adventure that explores the world of fantasy, love and humour.

             Ave atque vale. Hail and farewell The Infernal Devices.

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Clockwork Prince Review

Rating: ✭✭✭✭

Title: Clockwork Prince

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, YA, Romance

Format: Paperback, 496 pages

Publication: 2011

Source: Personal Copy

"If no one cares for you at all, do you even really exist?" 

 - Will, Chapter 7, 156

*Note: This review does not contain spoilers unless you have read the previous novel.

Clockwork Prince is the second novel in The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare. The Magister has escaped the Shadowhunter's and is threatening to destroy everyone they love if Tessa is not handed over to him. The London Institute has the task of tracking him down and they struggle to do so as Will's mysterious past come to a forefront, Jem continues to battle his afflictions and Tessa is still trying to figure out her powers and why they're so important to the Magister.

Clockwork Prince is the perfect bridge between Clockwork Angel and the last book of the trilogy. The Shadow and Victorian world blended together makes for a riveting page turning read and Cassandra has yet to disappoint me. World development is important in all fantasy novels and Clockwork Prince is an example of how worlds should be written. The Shadow world development amazing and even better than Clockwork Angel. 

Lies and deception are the cause of corruption in the London Institute - and the success of this novel. Jem and Will's parabatai relationship, Charlotte's disputes with the Clave and Tessa's struggle with identity all help the Shadow world develop in the story and make the novel insanely interesting. Romantic entanglements don't overpower the plot, but they kept it interesting in times of drought. The romantic aspect is so well constructed. I too often become frustrated with love triangles but this one has made me feel every emotion other than frustration. The scenes were perfectly placed and balanced with occasional twists that offered surprising, new and genius revelations.

The book is written in multiple character perspectives so as a reader it was easy to see the motives behind each character. This leads me to the amazing development of each character. Reading about and understanding each character in this novel has helped me relate with them more. I have become absolutely obsessed mesmerised with these characters because of their unique and realistic personalities. Cassandra has written each of them remarkably well and gives each one a real place in this book.

Clockwork Prince is an amazing addition to Clockwork Angel and it has earned a 4-star rating fro me. I highly recommend this book for everyone who loves angel-lit, romantic, demon-slaying and dangerous YA. I'm looking forward to seeing how Cassandra Clare continues her streak with the next book in this trilogy; Clockwork Princess.

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Clockwork Angel Review

Rating: ✭✭✭✭

Title: Clockwork Angel

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: YA, Romance, Adventure, Fantasy

Publication: 2010

Format: Paperback, 482 pages

Source: Personal Copy

"Pulvis et umbra sumus," Said Will, not looking at her as he spoke. "I believe we are dust and shadows."

- Will, Chapter 8, 181

Clockwork Angel is the first novel in The Infernal Devices trilogy, set in the 1800's during the London Victorian Era; a prequel to Cassandra Clare's series The Mortal Instruments series. The plot begins with a 16 year old girl named Tessa who is kidnapped when travelling from New York to London in search of her missing brother. She is continually tortured and forced to use a power she didn't even know she had until she stumbles across a world of supernatural creatures and magic. There, she discovers her allies are the demon-hunting half-angel Shadowhunters and finds herself attracted to two boys whilst trying to stay away from a man who is out to find her and use her powers for evil.

I began reading this book with high expectations because of it's hype and I had previously read The Mortal Instruments which I loved. The book did not disappoint. I found Cassandra's writing style very easy to read and understand so the plot was easy to follow. The Victorian aspect of Clockwork Angel was written really well and I found myself enjoying the story more and being lost in the pages of the cobblestone city called London.

In regards with the plot, I didn't find much of a problem apart from the story moving minutely slow. The plot was engaging and full of twists that kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting more. The story does include a love triangle which may draw conclusions to this book and deem it as a cliche in the literature world of romance but I assure you that it completely deviates from the traditional love triangle that isn't much of a triangle but of a 'V'. Each character is slightly oblivious to each others feelings making it all the more inclusive and intriguing. I can't wait to see how Tessa and both boys cope with their romantic entanglements in the next books. Also, this booking is amazing in the fact that the characters drive the plot direction in a realistic path and with relative-to-the-issue motives.

I found that the characters in this novel were written brilliantly because they all had their unique and distinctive qualities or 'voices'. I love how this book was written as a dual-perspective and doesn't revolve around one character but many. This made it easier for me connect with each and understand their motives clearly. I was becoming more engaged with Clockwork Angel as the book went on and more invested in the character's stories. The protagonist, Tessa, was very likeable and realistic, likewise with her love interests Jem and Will. Them and the other characters all made for some  humorous and emotional scenes that I really enjoyed.

Clockwork Angel is literally overflowing with edgy plot twists that propel the progress of the story only forward. It is a great combination of thrill, romance and fantasy packed into adventure. I have very little to complain about this book and would definitely recommend this book for everyone who loves romance and action with a historical twist. I am definitely looking forward to the sequels and development of this story and it's characters.

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