How Does 'Clockwork Angel' Connect To 'The Infernal Devices' Series?

Set in the Victorian era before The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices is a prequel to the series and follows the story of Clockwork Angel, Tessa Young, who travels to London and finds herself in the middle of a battle between Shadowhunters and demons. A chain reaction of events unfold including Tessa’s discovery of her powers, the evil Magister’s plans and the politics at the Shadowhunter Institute. There’s plenty of romance between the two main male characters, Will, the sarcastic but lovable boy and Jem, the gentle and kinder Soulurnger. The two boys fight for Tessa’s affections in what feels like an inevitable but fresh love triangle. The clockwork angel pendant, found by Tessa in her old world, plays a big part in the novel and even turns up in later books as a harbinger of fate for the main characters. There are plenty of Easter eggs hidden throughout the book by author Cassandra Clare, including a much anticipated cameo from everyone’s favorite warlock, Magnus Bane. With plenty of gothic romance and steampunk action, the book is a great introduction to the larger Shadowhunter universe.

'Clockwork Angel' is the first book in ‘The Infernal Devices’ trilogy by Cassandra Clare. The book is set in Victorian London and follows Tessa Gray and her new friends Will and Jem in a world of Shadowhunters, Downworlders, and Automatons. In ‘Clockwork Angel’ Tessa discovers that she has been hide the fact that she is a Shape-Shifter and finds herself in the middle of a battle to stop the Magister and his clockwork army. Throughout the book Clare successfully conveys a Steampunk atmosphere and depicts the gritty world of Victorian London’s alleyways. Three main characters Tessa, Will and Jem form the basis of the novels emotional plot and their relationships develop throughout the trilogy. The Clockwork creatures in ‘Clockwork Angel’ are introduced to the reader and are seen again in later books but in a much more gruesome form, as part of the greater battle between Downworlders and Nephilim.

It’s not just a great ending to the first book though. The plot for the rest of The Infernal Devices was set up here, particularly for ‘Clockwork Prince’ and ‘Clockwork Princess’ where lots of secrets will be revealed and alliances will be broken. The legacy of The Infernal Devices started here, in this first book. A brilliant combination of funny witty banter and darker, industrial-era romance that will, no doubt, be devoured by fans of ‘The Mortal Instruments’ and other Cassandra Clare followers. However, the new trilogy is different from ‘The Mortal Instruments’ and spans centuries of world-building by Clare.

Clockwork Angel is the first installment in The Infernal Devices, the first series set in the Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare. We are introduced to the main character Tessa, a complete mystery to herself as well as to everyone around her. There are also a lot of great and intimidating villains in this book with a steampunk twist to the typical monstrous creatures. We also get to see the dynamics of the people in the London Institute, particularly Will and Jem and how they will change as the books progress. There are also many items that reappear in future books including the clockwork angel and Tessa’s connection to Shadowhunter lore is also introduced in this book. Overall, it’s a very sleek and moody first book that sets up many more twists and turns in the rest of the series.

'Clockwork Angel' is the first in 'The Infernal Devices' series by Cassandra Clare and it is a fantastic start to the series. Abducted by the Dark Sisters, Tessa discovers a world of magic and clockwork machines in Victorian London. The darkMagister’s army of clockwork and other strange creatures is introduced and it certainly makes for a creepy and initial threat to the series’ greater foes. But the main source of interest in ‘Clockwork Angel’ is the growing friendship between Will and Jem, and more importantly the transformation of Tessa from a powerless pawn to a powerful player in the war between good and evil. The novel is beautifully described and set in a wonderful time period of corsets, cobblestones and secret tattoos, all very beautifully described. But later novels go into much greater detail about Tessa’s true parentage and the violent battles between the different Institutes of Shadowhunters. All in all, ‘Clockwork Angel’ is a tight and fast-paced book.