Review: "Clockwork Angel" by Cassandra Clare

From Goodreads:  When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

My Thoughts:  I am way late to the party on this series.  I picked this book up before reading The Mortal Instruments series but decided to wait on it for a while.  Big mistake.  I liked this book so much more than City of Bones.  I am not saying I disliked The Mortal Instruments series, but Clockwork Angel just appealed to me more.  The story was action packed and I really couldn't put it down.  I loved that it was set in Victorian England (I am a sucker for historical fiction) but it was hard to imagine female Shadowhunters in that era.  I kept trying to imagine a woman fighting demons in a Victorian era dress, it was kind of a funny picture.  Also, the idea of these clockwork people/robots was a little strange for me (I've never read any steampunk before) but was a nice change of pace from just vampires, werewolves and fairies.

The characters in this story were great.  I felt like they were all just mysterious enough to make me want to know more about them.  I liked that a lot of the characters in this book were the ancestors of the characters in the other series and also loved that Magnus Bane made an appearance.  I really like him as a character and it was fun to see him in a different context.  I don't love that a love triangle is forming in the story but I guess I will have to deal with it.  I really can't wait to read the next book; so many questions were left unanswered and I am hoping that I will get to find out more about Tessa's parents in the next book.  4 stars.