Review: "Clockwork Princess" by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princesss is the third book to the Infernal Devices

~o~Rating~o~
 

I finished the conclusion to the Infernal Devices and I'm still not sure how I feel about this book. Reading this book was definitely an emotional roller coaster. All in all, I think Clare did a wonderful job concluding this series. The ending, for me, was unexpected but I liked it.

The book starts with Tessa preparing for her wedding with Jem. The threat of Mortmain is still hanging over the Shadowhunters but they haven't heard of him in a while. I love books where you get to explore the minds of the side characters as well as the main characters because it gives them a certain depth. This is something I really liked in this book and this book series in general.

I am completely in love with this book! And if you haven't read it yet, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

~o~SPOILER ALERT~o~

I don't even know where to start. I think all the characters tied in to the story very nicely. I liked how Clare wrapped up the stories of the side characters. I felt the ending for the side characters were a little "too" perfect with Gideon ending up with Sophie and Gabriel with Cecily, but I didn't mind it. I like happy endings, however cliche like. I thought Gideon and Sophie were really cute. I am also glad Charlotte was appointed Consul; she would be absolutely perfect!

Alright, *deep breath* to the trio. Like Tessa, I absolutely LOVE both Jem and Will so much! In most love triangles, the guys will do anything for the girl (which is still the case here) but I love how Will and Jem will also do anything for each other. They're not just best friends, they're brothers; they're more than brothers, they're blood brothers. Their souls are tied together.

I really liked the scene from Charlotte's point of view when we see how Will and Jem first met when they were twelve. Jem is all Will had for five years, the one person he had allowed himself to show affection for because he was already dying. (Off topic but when I found out Will actually wasn't cursed in Clockwork Prince, I felt so bad for him! For all these years he thought no one loved him and he pushed everyone away. Seriously, if I was a Shadowhunter the first I'd do is go after that stupid blue demon). Anyway, we get to see just how much Will and Jem mean to each other which was just so... touching (why can't I think of a better word?).

After the fighting scene with the automatons, Tessa is kidnapped and Jem is very badly injured. Will, instead of going after Tessa immediately (which is no doubt what most other YA "heroes" would do if the love of their life was kidnapped by a psychotic witch), he sits besides Jem for hours because he knows Jem will need his strength from the parabatai rune. Yes he wants to go after Tessa but he couldn't stand the chance of his best friend dying even though he had years to grasp that idea. Does that not want to make you bawl?!

Jem on his "deathbed" finally finds out Will was also in love with Tessa and tells him to go after her. Will hesitates because he knows Jem will most likely die without him but he goes anyway.

The scene in the stable when Will's parabatai rune starts hurting and bleeding was so intense! Jem was dead, I couldn't believe it! Honestly, I actually started admiring Clare at that point for killing off a well-loved main character. I had started grieving for Jem already. But then we find out, no, he's not dead. He turned into a Silent Brother. Okay, I'm not going to lie, that did sort of make me roll my eyes. But I did get used to the idea pretty quickly.

I think the final battle between the Shadowhunters and Mortmain was short but enough to satisfy me. I liked that in the end, Tessa is the one who kills Mortmain. I think that was ideal. Her turning into her clockwork angel surprised me, I guess I was underestimating her power. Either way, I loved how she crushed Mortmain with "her" hand. Imagining that scene made me unusually cheerful.

Now, to the Epilogue. That Epilogue killed me, resurrected me with the resurrection stone, then killed me again.

As I understand, the epilogue was very controversial. Something I hadn't spent a lot of time thinking about was how Tessa was immortal and Will was not. I knew that Will was going to grow old and die while Tessa will remain in her youth but I guess I didn't really grasp the idea until I read the epilogue. One part of me really disliked Cassandra Clare for writing about Will's death. I didn't want to witness Will growing old and dying. But I do understand and I praise her for writing it. I don't think I've ever thought reading about a death was beautiful, but Will's death scene was BEAUTIFUL.

Jem sat down his bow, and came toward the bed, drawing back his hood, so she  could see his closed eyes and his scarred face. And he had sat down beside them on the bed and taken Will's hand, the one that Tessa was not holding, and both Will and Tessa had heard Jem's voice in their mind.

I take your hand, brother, so that you may go in peace.
Will had opened the blue eyes that had never lost their color, over all the passing years, and looked at Jem and Tessa, and smiled, and died, with Tessa's head on his shoulder and his hand in Jem's.

Wasn't that just the sweetest thing?? I also love how Magnus comforts Tessa after Will's death. He tells her that the first you love who dies is always the hardest. Poor Magnus, did I mention how much I love Magnus?

Jem finally finding a cure and ending his bonds to the Silent Brothers was understandable. He went to the Silent Brothers for Will and Tessa and because he wanted to live for them. If a cure was found, of-course he would use it. Jem and Tessa ending up together was nice. I believe Will would be happier than anyone else to see the two people he loved the most being happy together. I also feel very sorry for Tessa right now; Jem is now a mortal and he is also going to grow old and die. At-least she has Magnus; he's someone who can understand her. 

Review: "Cress" by Marissa Meyer

~o~Rating~o~

  

Warning: Cress is the third book in the Lunar Chronicles series. This review contains spoilers for the first two books.

 

With each installment in the Lunar Chronicles, I feel like the books get better and better. Cress was absolutely marvelous! I love Marissa Meyer's world building and how she wove these unrelated fairy-tales together. All the characters have their own identity, and I love how I can understand them perfectly. Often times when authors introduce too many main characters, some of them lack personality which was never the case with these books. I think the pacing was perfect too. The characters are still getting to know each other and trying to find their own little place in the team.

 

Cress is the new member of the team of misfits. She has been stuck in an satellite for years working as the programmer/hacker of Luna. The only visitor she gets is Queen Levana's thaumaturge Sybil Mira. We find out that she has been the one hiding Cinder's ship all this time from radars so neither Earthens nor Lunars could find her. I thought Cress was a wonderful addition to the group! And of-course I loved the scenes with her and Thorne! 

 

 ~o~SPOILER ALERT~o~

 

I LOVED how in the beginning you see everyone inside the Rampion coming together and working together in spite of all their differences. They all have a major part to play and I love that they are cooperating with each other. Scarlet and Wolf are so cute!

 

I felt so bad for Cress at times! Especially with her and Thorne being stuck in the desert. I was scared out of my life when I read Thorne was blind after the satellite crash. Here's to hoping his eyes go back to normal.

 

Cinder and Kai. THEY'RE FINALLY TOGETHER. Both of them have been through SO much! Cinder thinks she's turning into Levana because she used her powers to first torture Mira and then make her step-mom feel guilty; that made me so sad for some reason. And Kai is trying to be a good leader, but so much was resting on his shoulder. I liked how in the end of the book after Cinder told Kai she was Princess Selene, Kai asked Cinder to tell him anything else she was hiding. She tells him she isn't able to cry and you could tell how that fact bothered her so much. Oh, poor Cinder. That was one of those times where you just want to jump into the books and give the character a big hug.

 

Wolf was completely lost. Other than Scarlet, I think he suffered the most throughout the book. First the love of his life gets kidnapped by Lunatic Lunars and then he's basically used as a pawn first by Mira and then Cinder. I hope he's reunited with Scarlet soon.

 

There wasn't nearly enough Scarlet but we did get a pretty good description of Luna. I am super excited to get to know Winter. She seems so intriguing.  Why do I have to wait so long for Winter?!?!

  

Introduction

Hello to anyone who's reading this. My name is Shouni. Welcome to Through the Book Portal!
I am currently a high school sophomore. Reading is my life! I mostly read YA fiction, though I like classics as well. I'm not a big fan of non-fiction.

This is my first attempt at a blog. I've been wanting to write YA book review blog for a while now. I will try to update this blog as often as I can. This is a good way for me to keep track of all the books I've read and to look back on them in the future. I do tend to rant about books quite a lot, especially if I really liked or disliked the book. I also love reading other blogs so I'm very excited to start my own.    Any tips?