Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

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.

Literally as soon as I got into lessons this morning, I was ranting at my friends about this book. Why does Clare do this to me? Why are her books so addictive and cliff-hanger-y? I finished it last night before I went to sleep, and let me tell you, I was an overflowing bucket of emotion! If you have not read this series, go and get Clockwork Angel now! I am using far too many exclamation marks, so let's get on with the review, shall we?

First off, let's discuss the Team's: Will versus Jem. Now most people seem to be Team Will, and I have always been Team Jem, right from the beginning. But despite backing Jem, I always thought, you know what? She's going to get with Will. Of course Tessa will choose him: he's the brooding bad boy, that's who novel heroine's always go for. But after finishing this novel I am so torn! One of the things that makes me love this series more than The Mortal Instruments is the fact that you don't know who Tessa will choose - with Clary, you just knew, deep down, but with Tessa it is a complete mystery. And I know that if I reread this book, I still wouldn't find any clues as to who it will eventually be. And that is both infuriating and great - because usually an author has an idea about how the books will turn out, but from this I am thinking that maybe Clare doesn't? Or maybe she does, but she is just incredibly good at hiding it. So I honestly have no clue who Tessa will choose, or who I want her to be with. I have always lent towards Jem, but after that ending...I'm now thinking Will, too.
But you know what makes the whole situation worse? The fact that I love Will and Jem's friendship. I think Clare's characterization of these three characters is impeccable. Each character has their own unique personality and way of thinking, and as I often find with Clare's creations, I feel like I can relate to each of them individually. For each final love triangle scenarios, I know I will end up hating one of them. And usually with books, I am fine with that, because I lean towards two of the characters more strongly than the other. But not with this. If Tessa chooses Will, I will hate Tessa. If Tessa chooses Jem I will hate Tessa. If Will and Jem ditch Tessa, I will hate both of them. No outcome can be good (well, for me anyway), and I am so intruiged about how this will play out. But guess what? Clockwork Princess, the third book in this amazing series, is set to be released on March 19th 2013. I know, I am crying inside too.

I also loved the characters Charlotte and Henry. After that ending to the book, I was crying because of them, too, not just the awkward triangle (okay, I honestly am going to steer away from that topic, before I write another paragraph on it). In The Mortal Instruments, I never totally bonded with the Heads of the Institute, whereas it was instant with the Branwell's. They are both complete opposites, yet together they are so perfect, and I hope nothing goes wrong and breaks them apart. But I'm really afraid something will, which will be an amazing storyline, but heartbreaking nonetheless.

Overrall, I loved this book, and it only took me a four days to read because it is so addictive. I think I read 200-300 pages yesterday, just because I couldn't put it down. The way Clare writes...it just keeps you hooked - something is constantly going on, and there is no boring moments; it is full of anticipation. If you like books like Beautiful Creatures and House of Night, you will absolutely fall head over heels in love with this.
Rating: 5/5
(Note: Clare is also writing a new series, The Dark Artifices, set in 2012. And the main character is a descendant from Jem! Does he survive? Is that a hint? I am majorly fangirling right now.)