Clockwork Princess: Infernal Devices, Book 3
Enthralling trilogy conclusion tugs at the heartstrings.
Parents say
Based on 6 reviews
Kids say
Based on 30 reviews
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Clockwork Princess is more violent than the previous two installments in the Infernal Devices fantasy trilogy. The Shadowhunters slay a giant worm, and an army of automatons destroys an entire village and all the people in it. People are stabbed, dismembered, and engage in fistfights. But, the most painful piece of this jigsaw puzzle is the three main characters' love triangle. There's passionate kissing, undressing, and a teen couple has sex.
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What's the Story?
CLOCKWORK PRINCESS is the final installment in the Infernal Devices trilogy. Tessa Gray, now 17 years old, is living in London with her adopted family of Shadowhunters. Not only is she continuing her path of self-discovery, but she is also engaged to the selfless and compassionate Jem. Regrettably, Jem is living with a fatal disease and his days are numbered. The couple decides to rush their wedding date so they can enjoy whatever time they have left together in wedlock. Plans go terribly awry when a carriage full of automatons pulls into the institute and kidnaps Tessa. The evil Magister will stop at nothing to use Tessa's shape-shifting powers for his own benefit. His objective: to eliminate all of the Shadowhunters in the world. Questions are finally answered in this concluding installment, along with the truth about why it's better to be mere mortal than to experience life everlasting.
Is It Any Good?
CLOCKWORK PRINCESS is a fantastic book that will pull at your heartstrings from beginning to end. The love triangle between Tessa, Jem, and Will becomes so painful at times that readers may want to send the book flying across the room. This just shows that Cassandra Clare is an enthralling storyteller whose readers will become emotionally invested in her plot and characters.
Clockwork Princess is wildly imaginative as it examines themes of marriage, family, dictatorship, and democracy. Characters grow to learn that true love is blind, sometimes your strongest family is the one you choose for yourself, and what happens to a society when citizens do not question their leader.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the Infernal Devices trilogy. Are you satisfied by the conclusion? Why do you think fantasy series are so popular?
Discuss the type of government that the Nephilim are. Which countries do you think they're modeled after? Does the Magister remind you of any existing or previous world leaders? If so, who?
What makes the main characters' love triangle so compelling yet so difficult to read about?
Book Details
- Author: Cassandra Clare
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More, Adventures, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
- Publication date: March 19, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 14 - 17
- Number of pages: 592
- Available on: Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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