Audiobook and Book Review: The Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Author: Cassandra Clare
Release Date: December 6th, 2011
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
5+ STARS - SIMPLY AMAZING READ!

Synopsis:

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.

This is the second book in the new Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare.  Being a HUGE TMI fan, I was having trouble accepting these new characters in this new series.  The first book left you with so many questions, and eagerly wanting more.  I would first like to say, "wow".  This book blew me out of the water.  I found myself listening to the audiobook, and then going back and reading the same passage from the physical book.  It was totally unpredictable and wild.  A complete page turner till the very end.
I have fallen in love with Tessa Grey, from a readers standpoint.  She is brave, smart, and slowly emerging from her shell.  She loves books, and poetry just as I do.  Her heart has been broken by her brother, but she still loves him. The book finally jumps deep into Will's past and sheds light on why he acts like such a jerk and pushes people away.  With the truth, I feel sympathetic to his character in new ways.  Jem on the other hand is still sweet as can be, and melts my heart.  Jem and Will are so different, yet held together by a special bond.  Their friendship is bitterly tested in this book.
Every turn of this book secrets are revealed and plots constructed.  I loved matching last names to these characters and imagining how they are related to the TMI characters.  Then there is Magnus of coarse! Learning more of his past is enlightening and consuming.  From his relationship with Camille, to his obvious feelings for Will.  Although I believe something will be revealed regarding Magnus and possibly one of Will's family, maybe in the next book!  I love that now things coincide with the new TMI books, such as Camille coming back into Magnus's life in COFA.       
Of coarse I have to mention the balcony scene...I mean who wouldn't? I think I was blushing! (Ok, maybe also the bedroom scene too)
I only wish I did not have to wait to long in between these books.  I read them, or listen way too fast.
Hats off the Cassandra Clare for creating another enigmatic and extraordinary creative series. 

Synopsis and photo cover courtesy of Goodreads