Clockwork Prince, by: Cassandra Clare

       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, but 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.

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My Rating: ★★★☆☆

       As second books in trilogies go, this book ranks fairly high. As a book in general, it is just average. It had some interesting events here and there, but overall, this book didn't have anything that wowed me. I also think that part of the blame may go to the fact that I have been reading some of the Shadowhunter books in a row, with this one being number three on the list.
       First of all, I felt like there were a few subplots throughout the story that felt really unnecessary. There were some that really added to the story (shoutout to my boy Will for his amazing subplot), and then there were some that I felt could've been left out and I wouldn't have missed out on anything. I am not one for plots being over-dramatic, and I caught myself reading and thinking, "It's not that big of a deal. Get over it."
       One of my big issues with this book was the fact that I kept waiting for something big and climactic to happen, and I didn't really feel like that ever happened. I know this is because it is setting up readers for the last book in the trilogy, but I was really hoping for a grander ending.
       With that being said, there were a lot of things added to the story that I didn't see coming. I won't mention them for spoiler reasons, but there were things revealed about the characters and their situations that I couldn't believe. These twists and turns were what kept me on the edge of my seat and what made me not want to put the book down.
       I also appreciated how Tessa grew up throughout these books. At the beginning, she was terrified of every new person she met and wasn't really very trusting. Throughout the books, she has gotten chances to prove herself and really make herself known as a strong and independent woman. She is very respected in the Institute, and those little moments of courage really add to the story.

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       Overall, I liked this book but didn't see anything super special in it. Let me know if you have read it already, or are planning to read it sometime soon in the comments!

From her Shadowhunter break,
Ashton

It was books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone. They could be honest with me, and I with them.

― Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Prince