Clockwork Prince

January 1, 2012

Gr 7 Up-This volume picks up where Clockwork Angel (S & S, 2010) ended. Set in Victorian London and featuring powerful demon-fighting Shadowhunters defending human "mundanes" from a vampire, demons, and a new madman building a clockwork army, this novel offers mystery, adventure, and, most importantly, a delicious love triangle. Tessa Gray remains at the London Institute with the Shadowhunters who previously rescued her from the sinister Mortmain as she tries to discover the source of her unique power to transform into another person. Try as she might to guard herself against gorgeous but deliberately cruel Will, she finds that he makes her heart race. She is also drawn to his blood brother, slowly dying but beautiful and kind Jem, although it takes time for her to realize that their friendship has become something more. As events race to a cliff-hanger ending, secrets are revealed that explain Will's cruelty and leave Tessa with an agonizing choice between the two friends. Despite the merest veneer of Victorian setting and disregard of period conventions, this is a necessary purchase for any library where the first book is popular; it will not disappoint fans and it will definitely leave them eager for the conclusion of the trilogy.-Caroline Tesauro, Radford Public Library, VA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.