Clockwork Princess Discussion [Summer Reading Challenge]

Hey, y'all! I'm here with another summer reading challenge post! As with the Clockwork Prince post, I decided not to update as I was reading. Instead, I have favorite quotes at the end of the post, like I did with the Clockwork Prince post. Let's get into the exciting conclusion of this series!

Book Summary

If you haven't read Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince, don't read this! I have to spoil the events of Clockwork Angel to talk about what happens in Clockwork Princess! 

The book picks up a couple months after the end of Clockwork Prince. Since showing up at the Institute, Cecily Herondale has begun her training to be a Shadowhunter. Jem and Tessa are preparing to get married, while Will continues to avoid Tessa. In the meantime, Mortmain and his automatons haven't been heard from, but soon, that's going to change. Among all the turmoil and Jem's looming illness, Will is still in love with Tessa. How will it all end?  

Overall Thoughts

WOW. This was a better and more thrilling conclusion to this trilogy than I had expected or even hoped for. Gone were the scattered slow moments of Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince. This book was so completely action-packed and exciting. Like with Clockwork Prince, once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. The only difference was that it only took 50 pages before I couldn't put it down.

I was very satisfied with the way that the love triangle was handled. This is probably my favorite love triangle I've read. All three of the characters involved in it are so great and you know that no matter what happens, characters that you love are going to hurt. I thought it was so well-written and heartbreaking, but yet so incredibly satisfying at the same time.

I'm not even sure I can really criticize much about the book! Cassandra Clare crafted a trilogy finale with the perfect mixture of heartbreak and happiness, and I can't say too much except that I completely loved it. Honestly, the best part of the book was the epilogue. I'm just glad that my roommates aren't here, because I cried several times during this book. The epilogue was practically a complete sob-fest. 

So, before I get into the spoilery discussion, I'll give my rating of the book. I typically try to avoid giving books a straight-up 5, but Clockwork Princess deserves it. The 5 star rating was a complete no-brainer. 

Spoilery Discussion!

This book was so beautiful. Dare I say perfect? Maybe. There are so many things that I want to talk about that I just can't because SO MUCH happened! Jessie's death was so sudden and unexpected. And then, Jem's impending death and Tessa's capture immediately after. Will's journey to save Tessa, and his pain when he feels that his parabatai is dead. The shock when we realize that Jem isn't dead, but has become a Silent Brother. The realization of what Tessa really is, and what she can do... It's just so many story lines weaving together, creating a completely action-packed book.

Ok, so William Herondale. I love Will Herondale. I understand all the love now. I get it. I still completely love Jem, and I'm sure I will continue to. At this point, I think I love them equally as characters. I definitely believe that the love triangle reached a beautiful conclusion. And that epilogue though. Tessa and Will got married, just as everyone knew they would, and they had a long and happy marriage. And then we see Jem and Tessa in 2008 when he's found a cure and they can be together. Cassandra crafted the perfect way for Tessa to be able to love both of them and to be with both of them, and it had me in tears.

Also, side note- Magnus Bane. He and Will's relationship is too great, and I absolutely love the part that Magnus plays throughout this series. I'm so glad that I get to see him again soon when I read The Mortal Instruments!

I honestly don't think that Cassandra Clare could've crafted a better conclusion. If I were to complain about one thing, it was that the couples ended up a bit too perfectly. Everyone ended up with someone. And yet, it didn't really bother me, because who doesn't like a happy ending?! This book was all that I could've asked for and more.

Favorite Quotes

Not all of the places marked in the book are below- I picked only my absolute favorites for this post- because as you can see, I have several marks in here. Like with Clockwork Angel & Prince, the blue tabs are Will moments, the purple tabs are Jem moments, and the green tabs are everything else. Per usual, I think most of the green moments are Magnus Bane. Because he's Magnus Bane.

Page 20: [Jem]"Unfortunately, you may have to delay your plans for sororicide a bit longer. Gabriel Lightwood is downstairs, and I have two words for you. Two of your favorite words, at least when you put them together."
"Utter simpleton?" inquired Will. "Worthless upstart?"
Jem grinned. "Demon pox," he said.

Page 135: [Charlotte] "Will, I have already been up all night copying down the relevant parts. Much of it was-"
"Jibberish?" Jem suggested.
"Pornographic?" said Will at the same time.
"Could be both," said Will. "Haven't you ever heard of pornographic gibberish before?"

Page 227: "One girl, who is not Nephilim, is not, cannot, be our priority!"
"She is my priority!" Will shouted. 

Page 422: "Well, I think Henry and Magnus should go first," Gabriel said. "They invented the blasted thing."
Everyone turned on him. "It's like he's replaced Will," said Gideon, eyebrows up.

Page 522: "Mr. Rochester never courted Jane Eyre," Tessa pointed out.
"No, he dressed up as a woman and terrified the poor girl out of her wits. Is that what you want?"
"You would make a very ugly woman."
"I would not. I would be stunning."

Page 539: "Marry me," he said. "Marry me, Tess. Marry me and be Tessa Herondale. Or be Tessa Gray, or be whatever you wish to call yourself, but marry me and stay with me and never leave me, for I cannot bear another day of my life to go by that does not have you in it."

Page 557: But this was not Brother Zachariah. This was Jem. 

Also, the rest of the entire epilogue. It's perfect.



So, there you go, that's all for this summer reading post! I plan to have the series overview post up tomorrow, and then a chapter of The Secret Lightning Scar should be up on Saturday. Sometime between now and then, I plan on getting my City of Bones discussion post up, and maybe even a City of Ashes discussion!

Thanks for reading this! If you like my posts, don't forget to subscribe/follow, since it lets me know that you're enjoying what I'm doing. See y'all tomorrow!