Book Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Angel
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd.
Publication Date: September 2010 ( Paperback)
Length: 496 pages
Genre: Fantasy (YA)

5/5 ***** Put on your gloves, grab your parasol and head straight to your next bookstore!19th century London has never been so dark and sexy before.This is a must read!

~ The Author ~

Cassandra Clare was born to American parents in Teheran and spent much of her childhood travelling the world with her family. She had lived in France, England and Switzerland before she was ten years old. Her first book City of Bones ,centred on the adventures of the evil-fighting Shadowhunters, was published by Simon&Schuster in 2007. City of Bones was followed by City of Ashes in 2008 and City of Glass in 2009. In 2009 Cassandra Clare decided, to the great pleasure of her readers, to continue the so called Mortal Instruments series with City of Fallen Angels ( April 2011), City of Lost Souls ( May 2012) and City of Heavenly Fire ( September 2013). Her second series, and a prequel to The Mortal Instruments, are The Infernal Devices with Clockwork Angel, released in August 2010 as the first book, followed by Clockwork Prince ( September 2011) and Clockwork Princess ( December 2012).

For further information check out the offial Cassandra Clare homepage: http://www.cassandraclare.com 

~ The Novel ~

Clockwork Angel is just the first part of, a promised to be even more thrilling, The Infernal Devices series. The next instalments are Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess, which continue the story around Tessa, Will & Jem and the 19th century Shadowhunter's adventures. 

~ The Story ~

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

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.

Summary by Simon & Schuster

~ The Review ~

Clockwork Angel being anticipated to turn out as great as The Mortal Instruments series, does not disappoint. Cassandra Clare achieves to capture the Victorian setting in all its details perfectly.

Needing some time to adjust to the unusual combination of a 19th century setting with the, only known as modern, Shadowhunter's adventures, Clockwork Angel turned out being a bomb: silent ticking at the beginning, exploding with an even louder boom!

When you don't want to put your novel down for even a few seconds, when  dusty attics become magical places and you fall in love with the personality and complexity of each of a novel's characters, it was definitely written by Cassandra Clare!

~ We love this book because... ~

1) of its strong female heroine and her love for books

2) it makes one of your three obligatory wishes be: Turning all 21st century men into 19th century gentlemen

3) even people not technically gifted will enjoy the magic clockwork can produce

4) Cassandra Clare shows, once again, her talent to employ outrageously exciting plot turns and twists

5) after reading it, you will be careful about boring-dusty-attic-comments

~Verdict ~

Clockwork Angel is one of the greatest books of 2010 and just the beginning to a new series with amazing potential. This novel convinces with its originality, complex storyline and unique characters. It's not just about romance, friendship and thrilling secrets, but about a whole new universe of possibilities. Anything hotter than steampunk?- Clockwork Angel! 

Click here to watch the Clockwork Angel book trailer at Simon & Schuster

Sam and Grace in love... FOREVER?

WHOOO FOREVER COVER, THE LAST BOOK IN THE SHIVER TRILOGY, REVEALED! PRE-ORDER A SIGNED COPY HERE!: http://www.fountainbookstore.com/autograph-maggie

Both reviews for great SHIVER and LINGER will follow soon! 

Book Review: Stolen by Lucy Christopher

Title: Stolen
Author: Lucy Christopher
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: May 2010
Length: 304 pages
Genre: Romantic thriller (YA)

3/5 *** Good choice, very important and serious YA literature! Watch out, Australia’s creatures are more poisonous than expected!

~The Author~

Lucy Christopher was born in Wales, spent her childhood in Australia until she moved back to the UK. She was lecturer at Bath Spa University teaching creative writing. At the moment she is undertaking a PhD with Bath Spa University which her debut novel Stolen was written as part of. With Stolen she does not only show her knowledge and admiration of the Australian landscape, but brings up the very important topic of the Stockholm syndrome.

~The Review~

Minutes before 16-year-old Gemma Thooms is supposed to leave with her parents for holidays, she meets beautiful Ty at the airport and spontaneously takes a flight to Australia with him to live on an outback farm with nothing but horizon and sand around it… happy end? Oh sorry, I forgot to mention the problem: Ty drugs Gemma when he meets her at the airport and takes her to a place she never wanted to go to. He is convinced to love Gemma and expects her to love him back, although Gemma swears she has never seen him before.

Gemma never had the chance to sense her true identity in crowded London, so when she is taken away to Australia by Ty, she has to decide whether to break free of her old life in London or of her kidnapper.
In the boiling heat of Australia only surrounded by loneliness and Ty, will Gemma be able to fall in love with him? Fall in love with the man who kidnapped her, stole her body and now wants her heart?

I enjoyed Gemma retelling her story always addressing her kidnapper Ty in form of a letter. Her story is very detailed which not necessarily means boring, but realistic and authentic.
On the one hand I became curious when I read that this novel by Lucy Christopher was part of her doctoral program. On the other hand I was almost afraid that it would contain a whole bunch of scientific terms or explanations I could never understand (don’t fear it doesn’t). Stolen is a novel which connects YA literature with serious research and relevant social topics! Very different and deep!

~ We love this book because…~

1) a small snake has never been such a great hero before
2) of its strong female protagonist Gemma who is willing to share her very true personal thoughts and feelings with us
3) of its rich colours that transform Australia into our home for some hours
4) it has meaning
5) Lucy Christopher makes us feel for both, captor and captive

~Verdict~

In Stolen, the reader is invited to explore the beauty and vastness of Australia’s desert, and behind it the infinite abyss a human soul can contain. I expected this YA novel to be a romantic kidnapping story with a foreseeable happy end, but it turned out as a serious appeal to pay attention to victims affected by the Stockholm syndrome, a not very popular, but still important topic. If you are interested in a new type of YA fiction and something serious, then Stolen is just perfect for you!

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September Update

Wow, September is almost gone and it looks like it will take summer with it. There are so many reviews I'm still owing, because although September was a busy month, with all its assignments for uni and my awesome trip to Vienna, I actually read a lot of books. As I am just a beginner in blogging, the reviews do take me so much time to write thinking of how to phrase this and that thought about a book. Reviews I need to write and post in the next weeks:

*Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
*Stolen by Lucy Christopher
*Zwei halbe Leben by Rebecca Stephan (released in Germany only)
*Sunshine by Robin McKinley
*Emilia Galotti by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
*Fallen by Lauren Kate
*The girl who played with fire by Stieg Larsson
*The girl who kicked the hornet's nest by Sstieg Larsson
*Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
*Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
*The murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe
*Chosen by P. C. Cast und Kristin Cast
*Untamed by P. C. Cast und Kristin Cast
*Tempted by P. C. Cast und Kristin Cast
*Hunted by P. C. Cast und Kristin Cast
*Burned by P. C. Cast und Kristin Cast

followed by books I read earlier this year:

*Marked by P. C. Cast und Kristin Cast
*Betrayed by P. C. Cast und Kristin Cast
*White cat by Holly Black

Then when time and uni do allow it, I need to introduce a new review category: "All time favorites", in which I reread fav books to review them.Examples:

*City of Bones,City of Ashes, City of Glassby Cassandra Clare
*Pride and Prejudice,Persuation by Jane Austen
*Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
*Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, The host by Stephenie Meyer
*Im Land der weißen Wolke, Das Lied der Maori,Der Ruf des Kiwis by Sarah Larke (released in Germany only)
*The Hunger Games, Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
*Rubinrot, Saphirblau by Kerstin Gier(released in Germany only)
*Inkheart,Inkspell, Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke
*The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S.Lewis

Currently reading and really enjoying: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare 

Enjoy one of the last summer days this year with a good book:)

Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

4/5**** Go grab it, start reading! The name Lisbeth  is in again! 

~The Author~

Stieg Larsson Swedish journalist, publisher and author of the bestselling Mellennium Triology, died in 2004 in Stockholm at the age of 50 in cause of a heart attack.
 

~The Novel~ 

The Millennium Triology, including “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, “The Girl Who Played With Fire” and “The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets’ Nest”, was first published in Sweden in 2005. The posthumous publication of the Millennium Triology, not only resulted in high sales figures, turning all three novels into worldwide bestsellers, but it also showed which loss of a great writing talent the literary world has to mourn.
 

~The Story~

When Mikael Blomkvist, journalist and publisher of Millennium magazine, leaves Stockholm’s courtyard, a mass of journalists is already awaiting him, his reputation ruined. Will Mikael restore his credibility by accepting the Vanger case? Fifty years ago Harriet Vanger, member of industrial mogul Vanger, disappeared from a completely isolated island. Now Mikael starts research on the family’s history and investigates in case Harriet. With the help of Lisbeth Salander, he trys to search for a murderer, not aware of what abyss is facing light after half a century of darkness.
 

~We love this book because…~

1) We love mysteries!
2) We love the Nordic and raw landscape of Sweden becoming our home for a few hours.
3) We love the chemistry between our favourite investigation team Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist!
4) We love Lisbeth Salander for being the most reserved and extraordinary protagonist of a Swedish thriller so far!
5) We love the seriousness and moral behind it!
 

~Verdict~

Just the introduction to a thrilling triology that won’t let you dare putting it down for long!