Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Walker Books
Publication date: December 6th, 2011
Number of pages: 496
Format: Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street--and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move--and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will--the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart

In what was one of the most anticipated books of 2011, this one did not disappoint.
When this story picks up, it has only been a few weeks since the end of Clockwork Angel, and Will has been avoiding Tessa like the plague.
Tessa, meanwhile has been spending more time with Jem, and while the two of them become closer, Tessa still can't seem to remove Will from her head -- or her heart.

I read this book within 24 hours, and I loved it. This series just keeps getting better and better.
Tessa grows stronger emotionally and physically in this book than where she started off, in the beginning of Clockwork Angel.
The betrayal of her brother, Nate shocker her to pieces but that's nothing compared to what happens in this book.
Not only does Nate appear, but he seems to be in the middle of the whole mess with mortmain once again.

Will/Jem: I love their friendship, and we begin to understand more about the bond that ties them together. I just don't know how this triangle with Tessa is going to work and have their friendship not get wrecked.
Maybe if she chooses herself in the end and disappears? I don't know. I guess we won't know until Clockwork Princess comes out in 2012 to discover those answers.

There are so many questions that need to be answered in the final book in the trilogy. What is Tessa? Will she choose Jem or Will? her head or her heart?
Will they catch Mortmain?

There was a few people in this book who surprised me. One would be Sophie, who has grown into quite a strong young woman.
And the other is Jessamine. Now her, sometimes I wanted to wring her neck for being so niave and stupid, and sometimes I wanted to hug her for her innocence.
Charlotte and Henry. They really are a good team no matter what they seemed to think. There was definite progress and you begin to understand them and their marriage a bit more... and there is something that might just surprise you.

The triangle: Jem, Will and Tessa.
Yes, she has grown closer to Jem during this book.. but her heart is always been on Will, and that certainly does not change in this book.
Will has always kept Tessa at arms length for a reason and that reason just might tear them apart forever.
As much as Tessa may try.. she can't seem to remove her heart away from Will. He brings fire. heat and everything she has never had but always wanted before.
A mere touch sets her body alight. But he has always been this forbidden fruit, where she never thought she could be with him. Whether it was because there was no future there, or from Will's own doing.
Even when she is with Jem.. a part of her lies with Will and always "will" LOL

I enjoyed the friendship between Tessa and Jem, but romance? I don't know.. It kinda was a tad awkward for me to read about. I had an open mind (even though I am Team Will), but there was something about it that just seemed off. Like she was settling for something because she couldn't bare to hurt him.
And now she can't have the real one she wants, because she feels she can't hurt Jem. It's such a tricky situation. I don't envy Tessa, because whomever she chooses the other one will end up hurt.

Will,
Oh Will. What can I say? I have always loved him.. ever since he turned up in the first book. He captured my heart and there was always something about him that was kept hidden inside his heart.
And his secret finally was revealed. It wasn't what I was expecting, but it makes sense and you begin to understand where he is coming from.
There is so much depth to him, so much hurt and love in his heart, that you just want.. need him to be happy.. but the only person that does that is Tessa.


There was some shocks and some surprises in this book. Twists and turns.. And of course, a cliffhanger.
It was a wild journey Cassie takes us on, and one that will conclude in Clockwork Princess. Can it come out now? No? Darn.

If you are a fan of The Mortal Instruments series, and if you loved Clockwork Angel, the first book in this series.. then this second installment is a must read.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick

Finale (Hush Hush #4)
Becca Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: October 23rd, 2012
Number of pages: 454
Format: Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository
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Will love conquer all?

Nora and Patch thought their troubles were behind them. Hank is gone and they should be able to put his ugly vendetta to rest. But in Hank's absence, Nora has become the unwitting head of the Nephilim and must finish what Hank began. Which ultimately means destroying the fallen angels - destroying Patch.

Nora will never let that happen, so she and Patch make a plan: lead everyone to believe they have broken up, and work the system from the inside. Nora will convince the Nephilim that they are making a mistake in fighting the fallen angels, and Patch will find out everything he can from the opposing side. They will end this war before it can even begin.

But the best-laid plans often go awry. Nora is put through the paces in her new role and finds herself drawn to an addictive power she never anticipated.

As the battle lines are drawn, Nora and Patch must confront the differences that have always been between them and either choose to ignore them or let them destroy the love they have always fought for.

The conclusion to this thrilling saga ends with a bang, and with a satisfactory ending to which fans will enjoy.

Nora seems to be reborn in this book. She takes a mature approach and tries to become a leader, someone her new followers can look up to. But this is a task that won't be easy, even if she has help from Dante, who is teaching her to be who she should be.

A war is coming and everyone is preparing for what could be an end, one way or another. The lines are drawn, but Nora refuses to pick a side, even if she is leading the Nephilim. She is on their side because she feels it's what is right, given she is now one of them.. but then, her boyfriend is fallen, so she isn't exactly objective. She has to decide whether to follow her head, or her heart. To do what is right, or what she thinks she should do.

A big battle is upon them, and not everyone will make it out alive. The question is...will this big fight solve anything? What will be the outcome? Who will win? And if you win, will you also lose in some aspect?

There are new enemies, no allys and unexpected surprises that enfold them all as they go one step closer to freedom. Will Nora be able to deliver what she promised Hank she would do? Because if she doesn't... given the oath she tool, her and her mother's lives could be on the line, and that is one thing she cannot risk.

This was a great  finale (no pun intended), with getting everything we wished. Answers, sometimes questions still hanging in the air, but mostly I felt I was happy with the outcome. Even if the battle lost some lives, some missed, and some not. But lost nonetheless.
Sad to see this series end, but I was satisfied especially in terms of Patch and Nora's happy ending. They sure deserved one, that is for sure after all they had been through to be together.

Looking forward to what Becca does next.

Verdict: 5/5

Review: Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Silence (Hush Hush #3)
Becca Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: October 4th 2011
Number of pages: 448
Format: Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository
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WHEN SILENCE IS ALL THAT'S LEFT, CAN THE TRUTH FINALLY BE HEARD?

Nora Grey can't remember the past five months of her life. After the initial shock of waking up in a cemetery and being told that she has been missing for weeks - with no one knowing where she was or who she was with - she tried to get her life back on track. Go to school, hang out with her best friend, Vee, and dodge mom's creepy new boyfriend.

But there is this voice in the back of her head, an idea that she can almost reach out and touch. Visions of angel wings and unearthly creatures that have nothing to do with the life she knows.

And this unshakable feeling that a part of her is missing.

Then Nora crosses paths with a sexy stranger, whom she feels a mesmerizing connection to. He seems to hold all the answers...and her heart. Every minute she spends with him grows more and more intense until she realizes she could be falling in love. Again.

The end of Crescendo, we were left with one major cliffhanger to speculate on what would happen next.
I pondered many things, but what happened, and what we were dealt with didn't come into it. I never expected that Nora would wake up with her memories swiped, for her to have no idea what happened for a few months... who Patch was, or who her father really was, and capable of.
I would think this might be one of my fav books in the series because of everything that happened. That Nora had to remember her love for Patch, and had to find out what happened to her and why.

I can't imagine what she was feeling, or how she even made it through everything she went through. From the time she was kidnapped, to the time she was let go, and  couldn't remember a thing. All I know is that I wouldn't wish for this on anyone. It would be such a horrible thing to go through, and one that could change you forever.

Patch too finds himself in quite the situation, after he makes a deal with the devil to save Nora, and not without a price. He finds himself battling many things at once, not to mention trying to get himself to stay away from Nora, for her own good, but sometimes things don't end up the way you try to make them be. It seems whatever is pulling these two together was for a reason and no matter how much he may try, nothing will be able to stop them from reconnecting if that is what is meant to happen.

There is also a big war coming on the horizon, between the fallen angels and the nephilim, and blood will be shed. It's only a matter of time before it happens.

I loved that Becca was able to up the stakes in this story, change things around not to make things boring or predictible. I had a feeling something big was coming, but it doesn't happen in this book, which I imagine why this series was given an extra book to tie up loose ends.

But the cliffhanger? Yeah, Nora is changed all right. She'll soon have to pick a side, and fast, because if she doesn't.. she, and Patch could soon end up dead if she isn't careful.
One of my favourite things in this book was Nora's friendship with Scott, who turned out to be a good friend, probably better than she had expected.

The end is coming... are you ready?

Verdict: 5/5

Review: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Crescendo (Hush Hush #2)
Becca Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books
Publication date: October 19th 2010
Number of pages: 427
Format: Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository
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Nora Grey's life is still far from perfect. Surviving an attempt on her life wasn't pleasant, but at least she got a guardian angel out of it. A mysterious, magnetic, gorgeous guardian angel. But despite his role in her life, Patch has been acting anything but angelic. He's more elusive than ever (if that's possible) and what's worse, he seems to be spending time with Nora's archenemy, Marcie Millar.

Nora would have hardly noticed Scott Parnell, an old family friend who has moved back to town, if Patch hadn't been acting so distant. Even with Scott's totally infuriating attitude, Nora finds herself drawn to him - despite her lingering feelings that he is hiding something.

If that weren't enough, Nora is haunted by images of her murdered father, and comes to question whether her Nephilim bloodline has anything to do with his death. Desperate to figure out what happened, she puts herself in increasingly dangerous situations to get the answer. But maybe some things are better left buried, because the truth could destroy everything - and everyone - she trusts.

After everything that Nora went through in the previous book and came out on top with the guy she loved, she didn't think things could get any worse.
But you know what they say?...Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
Yes, Nora and Patch are blissfully happy.. that is until Patch sudden is off doing something for Marcie, hanging around her more than Nora would like,  and that causes a rift between the new lovers.

Nora and Patch's relationship is tested with more than just Marcie. Patch's long-time friend, Rixon arrives in town and Vee soon finds herself smitten with the new guy. But this girl, seems to find trouble wherever she goes. Not everyone is as they seem  especially when the truth comes to light as to why he is in town and his purpose. Everything has consequences, even if you don't understand why, or see the whole picture.

There are quite a few surprises in this book. Ones you probably saw coming, and some you don't. The truth about Nora's parentage starts to come to light, and everyone she knows and loves might end up in deep trouble just by association.
Nora starts to dig into how exactly her father was killed, and why.
There are some new characters, and not all of them are evil. Take Scott for example; he is someone from Nora's past, but he is also there to help her as he has more ties to her past than she might realize, and even she soon discovers a secret about him that even he didn't even know about.

Though Nora did annoy me with how crazy she was in regards to Patch and Marcie, I guess she does have her reasons, I did love this book, and it was a great sequel.

Verdict: 4.5/5

Review: Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush Hush (Hush Hush #1)
Becca Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: October 13th, 2009
Number of pages: 391
Format: Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository
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A SACRED OATH
A FALLEN ANGEL
A FORBIDDEN LOVE

Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life

In Becca Fitzpatrick's Debut novel, introduces to a love, supernatural story that will excite you to the very core.

Meet Nora Grey. Good student, haunted by the death of her father,  but unlucky in love, until new guy, Patch walks through the door she never met someone who she felt she could fall in love with.
Nora has been through a lot recently. Her mom is trying to keep the two of them afloat, but that means she has to travel more than normal.

When Nora finds herself in the middle if a battle of supernatural influences, she will start to wonder why she got involved in the first place.
This is a novel is good, evil and falling in love with the person you least expect.

I really loved this book. To have an angel go from hating to falling in love with you is not something you find often. If I was in Nora's shoes, I might have run for the hills in the beginning.
When new students turn up in town, Nora and her best friend Vee find themselves head to head with them, but what they don't see is that they might not have good intentions as they would have liked to believe.

I loved reading about Patch and Nora's relationship, as they spent time together and gradually found themselves falling in love. There was definitely a lot of swoon worthy moments. During my re-read of this book, it made me remember how much I adored them, and loved Patch. Originally I thought Vee was annoying, but I found myself understanding where she was coming from.

Verdict: 5/5