Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Release Date – March 19, 2013
Publisher Website - Simon and Schuster
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages -  568 pages
My Rating- 5/5
**Purchased**

**Slight Spoilers! Read Only If You've Read Clockwork Princess (just in case)**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?

Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.

A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

Saying goodbye to a beloved series is hard. It’s even harder when the last book in the series doesn’t end in a fitting manner. I am happy to say that Clockwork Princess not only provided an immensely enjoyable read but ended the series in the most perfect, achingly beautiful, and heart crushing way.

Finding out what exactly Tessa’s background is provided a satisfying answer that illuminates other things. Smaller questions like the origins of Isabelle’s ruby necklace, and Church’s migration to New York are also answered. It’s these little overlaps that make both the Mortal Instruments, and Infernal Devices that much richer.

The romance is what a lot of people will talk about, and yes, it is swoon worthy and sigh inducing. I, however, find the bond between Will and Jem just as touching. These parabati care about each other in a way that is true, and tangible. From the moment Will agrees to train with Jem theirs is a friendship that saves each other. It’s never been more evident than in this chapter of their story exactly what being a parabati means, and the scars it can leave.

The triangle of Will, Jem and Tessa is unique. I’ve never read a triangle where all three members cared so much about each other. Each of them puts the happiness of the other two above everything. If this were a different kind of novel I would have no problem with all three of them heading off into the sunset together. Regardless of what “team” you may support I think you’ll come away with the novel contented with the ending. I feel it could not have ended any other way. The feelings of all involved are so unselfish, and so understand that it is almost crushing. They are each willing to sacrifice their own happiness if it means the other two would find it for themselves.

Tessa’s decisions are not easy ones, but ultimately the decisions she makes are hers. She chooses what will make her happy. She chooses love, embracing all that comes with it. The entire notion of love is such a large part of this series. The ups, downs, heartbreak, giddiness, and rush that comes with it. Choosing to try again after crushing loss, and believing that love can bring you happiness is an admirable quality and one of the many reasons I adore Tessa as a character.

In my opinion there can never be enough Magnus Bane in these novels. I felt this one did not have as much of him as I would have liked. However, his time with Tessa is especially poignant and shows the toll being immortal can take on someone. Tessa and Magnus will both see many loved ones age and die, and this is something Magnus is already coming to terms with. It made me look at his relationship with Alec in a new light. It made it seem like opening their hearts to someone mortal, even if just as friendship, was a act of bravery. To know that you would eventually lose them, but still choose to love, instead of protecting yourself is not only brave, but admirable.

Much will be said about the epilogue and I have a feeling it'll be polarizing. I foresee it being a love or hate scenario. I also think it'll come down to which 'team' you are on. I, personally, feel at peace with it, simply because of how it ties the series together. Loving different people at various times in your life is possible. You love them in different ways, but the act of moving on doesn't diminish the previous love.

A fitting, bittersweet ending to a series that I have fallen in love with. The characters touched me, and while it tore my heart to shreds, it had the only possible outcome for everyone involved. It answered the questions I had, and left the characters in a place that even if it wasn’t what I wanted for them, it was one I could understand and be content with.

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews). 

I won some ARCs by taking part in Epic Reads Tea Time. It was a surprise which ones I was getting and was thrilled to find Taken in there! Can't wait to start reading them.

Taken by Erin Bowman (Goodreads)
Wasteland by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan (Goodreads)

I also was given access to an eARC of Of Triton. I am very much looking forward to this one!

Of Triton by Anna Banks (Goodreads)

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!

Female Characters Week....Ciara Guest Post

The last guest post for this week is from the awesome Ciara. I love that so many awesome female characters were given some praise. I have found some great TV shows, and books to check out, and hope you have to.

Be sure to check out Ciara's blog and follow her on Twitter.

A big thank you to all the participants in this week!
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When Kathy asked me to do a post all about female heroines I was ecstatic. I love fierce heroines, and there are so many of them out there. I knew very quickly who I wanted to talk about, because she is one of my favourite protagonists of all time. And who is that girl? Well, it’s none other than Rose Hathaway from the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. Rose is the definition of a badass. She is a tough girl with an attitude and has some hilarious one-liners. She fights evil vampires for a living, and fiercely protects the ones she loves. But, besides being a fighter, she’s also an amazing friend and a passionate person. We get to see her go through an emotional rollercoaster throughout the series but she braves it all with her head held high. I love her sarcasm, her wit, and just her personality in general. I would love to have as a friend because she simply rocks my socks. For me, she is one of the best female heroines in YA because she ecompasses everything I admire: strength, determination, and heart. No one has more heart than Rose Hathaway, and I love her for it.

And while I think Rose is fantastic, I also think you can’t count out the less kick-butt heroines. So, I want to also talk about the heroine that gets a lot of, in my opinion, undeserved hate. That heroine is Juliette from the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi.

We all expected Juliette to be a bad-ass. We expected her to jump off the page, guns a-blazing, fighting the good fight, and destroying the bad guy. We expected her to be an undeniable hero because that's what we've come to expect from YA female protagonists. And that's okay. I think it's pretty cool that we've progressed so far as a society that girls who are strong and fierce are just accepted. I really think it's fantastic. And I love to read about it, I truely do. But, in saying that, we can't dismiss those heroes that aren't as proactive. Juliette is petrified. Juliette is overwhelmed. Juliette is exactly what most people in her situation would be like. She has the ability to kill people with her touch, making it literally impossible for her to be close to anyone. All she's ever been told is that she's a monster. That kind of mental abuse, which is truly what she faced is, has left permanent and damaging scars. It has led to such fear and self-hatred she’s terrified of herself. She's not just going to be able to jump up and say "Yeah! I'm a bad-ass killing machine! Let's go!". That's not who she is. Hell yeah, she's angsty. She has every right to be. She's been through complete and utter hell and it's going to take her awhile to overcome it. That's just natural. But she tries. She wants to live up to her potential, but she is so scared of it. Wouldn’t you be, if you could kill someone with your touch? It’s a power that comes with extreme emotional consequences. Who are we to fault her for them? Personally, I think Juliette is a superb heroine. She is realistic, fierce, and determined. She is a beautiful young girl who doesn’t have to be a bad-ass to be strong.

As a final thought, you should not dismiss any heroine because they don’t fit the “kick-butt” role. There are so many ways to be a strong female heroine, not just by being a badass. You can kick-butt with your intelligence, with your fierce will, with your caring heart, and with your quiet resistance. You can kick-butt with confidence, with strength, with love. Being a fierce heroine isn’t defined by being a bad-ass (although, that’s cool too). It’s defined by trying your best, by being yourself, and by doing what is right. And I am so so happy that there are so many books out there showing us what it truly means to be a heroine.

Female Characters Week.....Zareen Guest Post

Today I have Zareen stopping by with a list of her favourite female characters. Be sure to comment with some of your favourites.

You can follow Zareen on Twitter and of course her blog.

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Hi there! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Zareen, and as part of Kathy's effort to bring attention to female characters, I'm going to take some time to share five of my favorite fictional girls.

1. Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza ~ Fire And Thorns series by Rae Carson

In the simplest of terms, Elisa is a fighter. Described as overweight in the first book, she finds herself in the shadow of her attractive older sister, also the future queen of Elisa's home. She may be a princess, but Elisa's life is no fairytale. She doesn't stay out of the spotlight forever, though; Elisa is destined for greatness, and she accepts the challenge head on. Her character grows so much throughout the series, battling both internal and external conflicts that serve to strengthen her already tenacious personality.

2. Juliette Ferrars ~ Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi

Juliette is the epitome of characters with potential. Though initially extremely reserved after being alone for so long, once she comes to terms with who she is, there is no stopping her. In terms of character growth, Juliette moves slowly but steadily, and even though she can get on your last nerve, it's impossible to not feel sympathy after all she has been through.

3. Alexandria "Alex" Andros ~ Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Miss Andros here is, to put it bluntly, a badass. I love that she doesn't necessarily need a man to fight her battles because she's a skilled fighter herself. She's rash and reckless, makes stupid decisions, and can't keep her mouth shut, but who doesn't love a good troublemaker?

4. Mia Price ~ Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

Mia Price faces all sorts of difficulties. She's got a crumbling family situation, is supposed to save the world someday, and to top it off, happens to be a lightning addict. Despite the fact that she doesn't always make the right choices, Mia never backs down, and I continue to admire the strength of her resolve to do what's best for the people she cares about.

5. Gabriella "Gabi" Betarrini ~ River of Time series by Lisa T. Bergren 

Gabriella is the only girl out of my five who isn't endowed with some sort of "gift", supernatural or otherwise, but she has the exact same spirit as the rest. She's bold, courageous, and selfless in the face of danger. She also has a big heart, and I adore that she is so invested in the happiness of her family aside from her own.

And there you have it! If you're not familiar with some or any of these books, I highly recommend all of them!

Last but certainly not least, a huge thank you to Kathy for letting me participate in this fabulous event. 

Female Characters in Entertainment Week....Kelly Guest Post

Today I have the awesome Kelly from KellyVision stopping by to talk about some of her favourite female characters.

This week has already opened me up to some amazing characters I didn't even know about, and I can't wait to dive into some of the books, TV shows, etc that I am learning about.

You can follow Kelly on Twitter, and of course visit her website.
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I've been a reader for pretty much my entire life.  According to family lore, I started reading when I was three, which means that (as of April), it's been my favorite hobby for 30 years.

My reading material of choice goes through cycles (including, but not limited to, a love of chick lit, a fondness for mystery/suspense and a near-obsession with YA novels) but the one thing that stays constant is that my favorite books have strong heroines.

Obviously I love Scout, Hermione, Katniss and Tris.  Everyone does, right?  So I'm not going to talk about them; they're the understood heroines.

Instead, I'm going to talk about the less celebrated ladies, the ones who can be overshadowed by those four I just mentioned.

Growing up, I read a lot of Roald Dahl and Judy Blume.  Matilda was probably the first character who gave me a shock of recognition, that moment of "Oh, wow, that's ME."  She's smart and a reader in a family of non-readers.  And honestly, I don't think "reader" even covers it.  Like me, she's happiest when she's in another world.  And then there's Margaret, who's probably my favorite Judy Blume character ever.  I think most women my age (or around my age) read this book multiple times.  While I think we all remember Margaret's dissatisfaction with her body, I also loved her relationships with her family and her desire to figure out where she fit in---both in the world in general and with religion in particular.

I think it's completely impossible to overestimate the effect that Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski had on me.  I credit her (both of them, actually, author and character) for helping inform my politics and for giving me incentive to keep fighting for what's right.  V.I. is always brave and willing to do what's right, even at the expense of her own safety.  And even when she's beaten down (sometimes...many times...literally), she never quits.  My love for V.I. led to the Kinsey Millhone and Tess Monaghan series (and I adore both of them, too!) but V.I. is my favorite.

I'm currently reading a lot of YA novels, and even though it's easy to dismiss the narrators as whiny or dumb, there are so many amazing girls if you look for them.
I mostly find them in contemporary fiction.  I can't imagine how much it helps teens who have lost a parent to read about Amy in Amy and Roger's Epic Detour (by Morgan Matson).  She's devastated but by the end of the book, she finds the strength to keep going.  Or Alex in The Mockingbirds (by Daisy Whitney), who, after being raped becomes a voice for girls who don't have one.  Or Jaycee from The Pull of Gravity (by Gae Polisner) who is a fierce and loyal friend (and also smart and awesome).

I don't have daughters, but if I did, I would want them to be like any of those girls.  Or, better, like all of them.

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. It's a great way to meet new blogger friends. This weeks question is:

Q: Tell us about the most emotional scene you've ever read in a book - and how did you react?

I cry all the time during books. I tend to cry over everything. I don't know that I could pick on certain scene. I mean, the final part of The Fault In Our Stars had me ugly crying. The entire book of Sisterhood Everlasting  had me curled up sobbing in my bed. The epilogue of Clockwork Princess made me cry recently.

I guess it's obvious that I tend to become an emotional mess over books.

Happy Weekend!

Female Characters In Entertainment..... Katie Guest Post

Stopping by the blog for Female Characters week is the AWESOME Katie from Bookishly Yours. Her post talks about some female characters who receive criticism for their actions, and her take on it.

You can follow Katie on Twitter, and be sure to stop by her blog as well.

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Today I want to give some love to some awesome female characters. These women get more unwarranted hate and not enough love they deserve either because they’re misunderstood or maybe because they’re simply overshadowed by the boys.

I don’t quite understand the level of hate for Elena Gilbert (TV version) because, to me, she’s always been this strong force to be reckoned with, especially when it comes to the people she cares about. She’s accepting and loving and goes to such lengths to protect people. She takes on much more than any seventeen-year-old ought to and I just can’t believe she holds up, I would have crumbled under that weight by now. Yet. YET! All fans seem to say about her is that she’s querulous and underserving of the Salvatore brothers (don’t even get me started on that) with no regard of all that she’s done for them and because of them. And what they've done to her in return. I mean, let’s not forget who killed Elena’s most precious family member: her brother.

Another character I've been seeing a lot of hate for is Juliet of the Shatter Me series. The week Unravel Me came out my Twitter timeline was chock full of unfair and unjust criticisms on Juliet. “Oh she’s so whiny!” “She puts herself down so much!” Her touch kills people. She cannot touch anyone. Or she will kill them. Her parents sent her away because they believed she was an abomination. I think I would be down on myself a tad, also. But I see a girl who tries, she’s trying to get over her insecurities – aren’t we all? – and all the things she’s been told she was since birth. She’s a fighter and she’s kind and I think she’s a really great, and yes: flawed, character.  But since when does a flawed female character equal a bad one?

Finally, Allison Argent from Teen Wolf. The girl is badass. She uses a bow and arrow! How awesome is that? She has one of the best lines of the series so far and that is when she tells her mother, “Can’t I be strong and go to prom?” because women can totally do, and be, both! Again, though, she’s constantly complained about for reasons I don’t understand.

Apparently every female character who talks about insecurities and is even the tiniest bit vulnerable is whiny and bratty and it’s a really sad thing to see fellow women giving endless understanding and excuses (many undeserving) to the male counterparts yet are so damn hard on our own sex – for qualities we ourselves most likely possess and situations we've probably all been in, at least in some way. I wish fans, especially of the female variety, could start to see female characters as portraits of ourselves and not tear them down for attributes that make them human. I know that won’t happen, at least anytime soon, so for now I will go on singing their praises.

Thanks so much for having me, Kathy!