The Infernal Devices - Cassandra Clare

  Magic and secrets, hidden pasts and complicated futures, love and treachery, family and foes. The ultimate combination to spin an excellent and enthralling tale.

  The Infernal Devices Trilogy consists of three books - The Clockwork Angel, The Clockwork Prince, and The Clockwork Princess. It is the second series by Cassandra Clare, set in the Shadowhunters universe. The first one - The Mortal Instruments - which introduced us to the world of Nephilim (Shadowhunters to you mundanes out there), was set in the modern world, thaumaturgy amongst texting and technology. It was about a girl who discovered herself to be a Shadowhunter through a series of unfortunate events, and unraveled the mysteries of her past and her abilities, using them to fight a psychopathic and murderous villain.  

In the Clockwork Angel, Tessa (Theresa Gray) discovers her ability to shape shift, after a period of imprisonment, harassment, pain and anguish caused by the Dark Sisters, all for the sake of her brother who is supposedly held hostage by “The Magister”. She is rescued by Will Herondale - the blue-eyed sarcastic hero, and introduced to the world of Shadowhunters, where she meets Jem (James) Carstairs - the fragile and gentle lover. The rest of the book follows up with the rescue of Tessa’s brother, deceit and death, and unveiling the identity of “The Magister”. The Clockwork Prince is focused on Will and his curse, Tessa’s brother and his loyalties, the Clave (which is something like a Shadowhunter Law Council), and the automatons made by the Magister. Jem and Tessa fall in love, with Will at the apex of the triangle, in love with Tessa who suppresses her emotions for him, in lieu of her promise to Jem. The intense brotherly love between Jem and Will also plays a further role in this complicated love triangle, where each one loves the other two. The third book, i.e. The Clockwork Princess concludes the series, with the defeat of the Magister in an action filled, stupendous climax scene, and resolution of the love triangle in the most unexpected, intensely emotional way.

  

The series is set in Victorian London, giving way to some amusing incidences, such as when Tessa is astonished by the fact that ladies can wear trousers, in a time when corsets and hoop skirts were all the rage in women fashion. Being a good girl in the Victorian Age, she has been taught to be docile and gentle, and is thus alarmed at the mere thought of women fighting, let alone the idea of her learning to use weapons, as is the Nephilim norm. Blending in fancy vocabulary and formal acknowledgments - a characteristic of older English - along with informal tones and the affectionate language of Nephilim, as well as Will’s quotations of various poems, the dialogues in the Infernal Devices seem enriching and sophisticated to read.

  The contrast between the Mortal Instruments Series and the Infernal Devices Trilogy is not just the plot, which is marvelously designed in both cases, but also the characters. While the former focused on the futures of the characters and prophesies associated, the latter is more about the unravelling of pasts and how each character’s history ties in with the present storyline. With Jem and Will’s secrets being revealed, their love triangle with Tessa, amongst deceit by multiple characters due to misplaced amour, and with angels and demons tied in together, the story has an incredible pace, fast yet not speedy, unveiling the true nature of Tessa at the very end.

  Creating an entire alternate fantasy - with fictional languages, concepts, traditions and rituals – could not possibly be an easy task. Heaven knows how possibly impossible it was to write a mere 500 words story back in school. Yet, Cassandra Clare has managed to invent this phenomenal concept of Shadowhunters and built upon it wonderfully. With her first series being adapted into a movie, followed by a Netflix Show, she has amassed a massive fan following akin to that of Rick Riordan and Veronica Roth. So, for lovers of warlocks, vampires and werewolves (especially if you’ve been disappointed by Twilight); magic, love and deceit, Cassandra Clare is here to enchant you.

P.S.: Be sure to read the filler series, starring Magnus Bane, an eccentric kind warlock who played a major role in both the series, and his absolutely hilarious adventures being an immortal with magic.