Possessing great skills unknown to any warlock, Tessa is pursued by the power-hungry Magister and has only the protection of Shadowhunters – half angel, half human warriors sworn to slay demons – to keep her safe. It all began with her traveling to London to search for her lost brother and unknowingly stumbles into a parallel world that she later finds out she has ties to. Tessa Gray is one of my favorite literary heroines to date.

What makes this trilogy stand out in the most glorious way is its focus on relationships and the depth of the feelings you’ll have for ALL of these characters, particularly Tessa, Will, and Jem. Don’t get me wrong, the rich historical setting and the pulse-pounding action and suspense is top notch but the elaborate plot from The Mortal Instruments definitely trumps it. But the main reason is that the plot alone won’t be what compels you to continue with the series. First one being these are not standalone books and they tell a full, continuous story so talking about some details would spoil the books. Though this is a series review, I don’t plan on talking much about the plot for a few reasons. After such an emotional reading journey, how can I possibly pick up another book and expect to move on? I can’t, and there is no book that can save me from this book hangover. It’s true these books broke my heart, but in the best way possible: not by wearing it down but by filling it with so much love for these characters it bursts.

Yet it’s not a reading experience I would ever change. It is both a blessing and a curse to have read these books for I will always have this eternal ache in my heart that can never be soothed, names such as Tessa, Will, and Jem will immediately remind me of these characters and the tears will well fast.

My puny heart just wasn’t made to process a story so epic and grand such as this one. No matter how much I thought I was emotionally prepared to take on this series, I wasn’t.

Clockwork princess book