Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices #1), prequel to Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, does not disappointment. And if you're like me and the whole implied "incest" side plot in the first series made you cringe, you can breath a little easier.

Set in the late 1880s London, it is story of Theresa "Tessa" Gray who leaves America after the death of her aunt and follows the promise of a new home with her brother Nate in London. Once in London, Tessa finds not all it what it seems, especially herself, when Nate goes M.I.A and she is abducted by the Dark Sisters. Captured by Warlocks with no hope of rescue and with only her mother's keepsake, a little clockwork angel, to keep her company, Tessa is taught to harness a unique power within her that she never knew existed but to what end?

Meanwhile William "Will" Herondale and James "Jem" Carstairs, Shadowhunters and best friends, are following a trail started by the discovery of a blade with a Ouroboros symbol near a dead girl killed under mysterious circumstances. What they did not expect to find is the threat of a new type of enemy, an army of magical mechanical automatons headed by the mysterious Magister & Tessa at the center of it all.

Ok, the beginning it did drag a little and I was not a big fan of Tessa. I found her naive & overly trusting, so the climax of the book didn't really surprise me. Though towards the end Tessa did seem to grow the beginnings of a back bone, intriguing enough to keep me interested. Will reminds me of Jace from Mortal Instruments, as they both have a similar sense of smart-mouth humour(surprise, surprise)which is pretty entertaining. The budding love triangle between Will-Tessa-Jem is also something that will leave me hanging out to see who will get the girl. Bad-Boy Will with a heart of stone who may not be all that he seems or Jem, a sweet and caring outcast with a heart of gold whose hiding a deadly secret?

Considering I'm not usually a fan of prequels, I was pleasantly surprised with this latest installment in the Shadowhunter world and looking forward to the next book, City of Fallen Angels, when it comes out.



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Enchanting the Lady by Kathryne Kennedy

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I'm not usually the biggest fan of romance novels. Normally the over the top cheesiness of the dialogue and the pathetic, damsel-in-distress type heroines usually have me running to the nearest bucket to barf.

Shockingly though, I was pleasantly surprised by Enchanting the Lady. Set in the late 1880's London in an alternate universe, ranks and titles are not wholly based on legacy but rather on the amount of magic you have which is tested before you are introduced into society. Which is unfortunate for the current Duchess-of-Honour Stonehaven, a Miss Felicity Seymour, as the possibility of being tested and found wanting could become a reality. If Felicity loses her title, not only will her lands and home be taken away but her dowry will go up in smoke and with that any chance of making a suitable marriage. With nothing but her name, who would marry let alone look twice at Felicity?

True, the damsel-in-distress is somewhat DENSE in this story but when you realise Felicity has been sheltered, shunned & ignored for most of her adult life, her ignorance & naivety can be forgiven... to a point. There might be parts in this story where you literally might want to slap her and yell "Wake up!!!" or possibly give her a comforting hug.

To make up for this, there is the steamy hot baronet Sir Terrence Blackwell. A were-lion, relic hunter & bodyguard to Prince Albert, Terrence is tolerated by a society that blatantly discriminates against his kind. His heart hardened by the recent death of his brother Thomas at the hands of a woman who misused one of Merlin's Relics, Terrence is surprised when he's more intrigued by Felicity herself than the hint of relic magic that he scents on her. Who is this mysterious, beautiful woman who is shunned and ignored by all her peers? Is she an evil villain or a innocent victim?

As his primal animal instincts go into mating overdrive, Terrence finds himself making "Relic Mission" related excuses in order to spend more time in Felicity's company. So while Terrence is trying to hold his desires in check whenever he's around her, Felicity is mostly completely ignorant of the torturous situation she has put Terrence in. Hilarious!!!

Though the story does seem to drag in places, overall it is an entertaining read, especially as a relationship blossoms between Felicity and Terrence. Perfect for a day where you want to read a little romance with minimal cheesiness.



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