The title speaks for itself, but it wouldn’t be a good book review if I didn’t note a few things. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare is the second in the Infernal Devices trilogy, following Clockwork Angel and leading up the the riveting finale Clockwork Princess. It has the action of a good ya fantasy novel with the setting of a beautiful historical fiction book and a romance plot for the ages – and the only love triangle I will ever approve. It is a culmination of great storytelling, incredible characters, and stunning detail, making it one of my favourite YA books ever.

Clockwork Prince kicks off with an investigation into the devastating events of Clockwork Angel, but more importantly we have a crisis on our hands. Charlotte, the head of London Institute and older sister figure to our motley crew, is under scrutiny for how things were handled and her status as Institute head is on the chopping block. With two weeks to find and apprehend Mortmain, our Shadowhunters and Tessa need to act quick. but the task is impossible, even for the best of Shadowhunters. Mortmain and Nate are crafty, and there’s no healing from Nate’s betrayal. Along the way, Will struggles to come to terms with a dreaded curse hanging over his head and Jem’s health takes a dive, but not without some hope and exchanges of love between him and Tessa. But Mortmain is never far away and the stakes become too real, with loved ones threatened and bonds broken.

The action plot is fantastic, not only contribution to the time pressure and suspense of the novel, but also giving us that Shadowhunter flare. Not to mention Tessa’s ability adds an alluring and driving force for the high-action high-stakes scenes. There are moments of calm between these points to give us a break, a little more character interaction and development on a more casual basis, and to provide space for that sweet romance line to thrive.

There are so many characters in this book that I feel so strongly about. Of course, we have Tessa, Will and Jem who could break my heart and I’d apologise. We also have Charlotte, Henry, Jessamine, and Sophie, an underrated character in my opinion. The new additions of Gideon and Gabriel Lightwood, and a quick introduction to Cecily, make this a truly star-studded group of characters. The way they interact with each other, holding onto old grudges and secrets even in the presence of their dearest loved ones, and the dialogue between them is incredible. Backgrounds come through so organically and the characters feel authentic in their actions and reactions. It makes for a lovely read when the characters move so well together, regardless of the plot and trajectory of the story.

There is so little to critique with Clockwork Prince, but I know there will be some aspects of the novel readers may not entirely enjoy or agree with me in liking. I do feel that with the restart to the investigation in this novel, the events of Clockwork Angel almost feel redundant. That can be a little annoying for readers, and the lower-energy parts of this book may lend themselves to being seen as unnecessary. I like the whole book, and there are bits I love with my whole heart, but I am open to discussions about characters and elements of the story.

I highly recommend this trilogy if you have not read it yet, or if you haven’t read any of the Shadowhunter books before. You don’t need to have read the Mortal Instruments series to understand this trilogy, and that is in part because Tessa is learning about the world at the same time as the reader. Clockwork Prince is an exceptional book and I encourage you to read it. If it leads you to reading more of the Shadowhunter chronicles then that’s great.