Book Review: The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
When I read The Mortal Instruments around six or seven years ago (I feel old already), I liked the books, but I wasn’t totally obsessed. I haven’t touched anything by Cassandra Clare since, until two weeks ago, when I decided to finally pick up The Infernal Devices. Best. Decision. Ever.
If you’re not already aware, The Infernal Devices follow the
story of sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray as she is drawn into the Downworld of
Victorian London, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural creatures are
waiting for her. Rescued by Shadowhunters, bound to rid the world of demons, Tessa
struggles to come to terms with her own powers at the same time as she becomes
fascinated by – and torn between – two best friends, Will and Jem. I’ve listed
below what I found to be the standout aspects of this trilogy.
The Victorian London setting
Cassandra Clare does a masterful job of taking the fantasy
aspects of her story and interweaving them with the enigmatic setting she
creates. I loved the way she takes the reader on a proper tour of Victorian London
– from St. Paul’s to Blackfriars Bridge to the underworld of the opium dens.
You could tell how well-researched these books were, which I love, and it served to make this highly
fantastical story all the more realistic.
Literary references
These books also contain
many quotes referring to famous pieces of Victorian literature, for example, Alfred Tennyson's The Palace of Art, Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, and the works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Normally, I’d think this was a bit pretentious – and
I did think this of Will initially, I’ll admit – but the way that Tessa and Will
draw upon literature for strength as the story progresses was inspiring. These
references aren’t throwaway – Cassandra Clare makes it clear how she’s drawn on
contemporary literature in the creation of her own work, and it was beautifully
done.
Love triangle extraordinaire
Unpopular opinion time – I’m actually a huge fan of the love
triangles trope. I think, when done right, it is a way for writers to really
wrench the heats of their readers, which takes a lot of skill! And Cassandra Clare
has all the skill. The love triangle
throughout this series makes up for all the badly written love triangles out
there in YA literature. For the first time in my reading life, I was genuinely
torn between Will and Jem, especially in Clockwork Prince, when the romance
really starts to heat up. I began Clockwork Princess with a feeling of dread – I
couldn’t see how Cassandra Clare was going to wrap the love story up in a way
that left me feeling satisfied. But that Epilogue – if you’ve read these books,
you’ll know what I mean – I never saw that coming. It’s tragic and beautiful
and heart-breaking and heart-warming all in one go. I’ve never read anything
like it.
Character complexity/development
Somehow, these stories are action packed and plot-driven whilst
also having deeply complex character arcs at their centre, which is quite rare,
especially in YA. I loved the fact that there are no black and white characters
in these books. I hated Will in
Clockwork Angel and was pretty much in love with him by the end of Clockwork
Prince. The host of supporting characters – Charlotte, Henry, Jessamine,
Magnus, etc. – were all intricately developed across the three books. I
honestly felt like I was living in the Institute with them, and I’m so sad to leave.
Posts
No comments: