Mundie Moms

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Clockwork Angel Read Along Day 1: The Prologue


Welcome! It's day 1 of our Clockwork Angel Read Along! Please be sure to visit our link here for our schedule, guidelines and to fill out the form to be entered to win some fabulous prizes.

Today's discussion is about the prologue. I love the way Cassie not only introduces us to her main characters Will, Jem and Tessa, but she's created this vivid image of London in the 1870's

* What are your first impressions of Will and Jem?

* We know that the Clockwork Angel plays a significant role in the book. Do you think there's any relevance to it being the first thing Cassie describes when we met Tessa for the first time?

* What are your thoughts on the Victorian London setting? Are you a fan of historical settings? What role do you think the setting has in bridging together the Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instrument series?

Please feel free to discuss any one or all of the questions below in the comments. There's no right or wrong answer.

65 comments:

  1. I want to answer the second question- yes, I really think so. I mean, it did save her life in the end. I'm thinking it's hiding something way more important, and maybe in the end of the series, Clare reveals it.

    But that's just my speculation. :D

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  2. My first impression of Will was . . . another Jace. Which we will love just as much. But Jem . . . ah the sensible friend and for me I knew I was going to like him. We need more good guys.

    As for the Clockwork Angel . . . judging by the title and the way Clare describes Tessa's clockwork angel necklace, I knew straight off it was something special.

    And with the Victorian setting, I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! My favourite era in a book.

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  3. The Midnight Thief- I totally agree! I think there's more to the Clockwork Angel than what we see in CA.

    Little_Dhamir91- I thought Will was another Jace as well, and I like that as the series goes on we see how different they are. I totally agree with Jem, he's such a fabulously written good guy.

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  4. I chose the first question. I agree that will seems to be another Jace. He's a big show off, but it seems like he cares for people more so than Jace, i say this because Jace tends not to worry muxh about mundanes, but when Will sees the lifeless body off the girl in the alley it seems he gets really upset, so much so he starts to swear. And you can tell he really cares for Jem as when he sees blood on Jem everything else just seems to fall away.
    You can tell Jem is very careing he went to find the girl himself, but she was gone when he found her or shortly after. You can also tell that he trusts will, as he would have never left him to foght the demon by himself if he didn't trust Will's (in my words"mad skills"). So we get that he is very trusting, and very caring.

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  5. The first impression I got from Will was "Oh my God, Did he said Herondale?" I mean, in this moment I knew that he was one big part of the story, and knowing about the ShadowHunters world previously made me release that something was going on with Jem (I mean, silver hair and silver eyes?).

    I think that the fact that Clare introduces the Clockwork Angel the first thing on the Epilogue is very significant, she was describing it very accurately and I find it facinating (It was when inmediately I wanted to buy one for myself :D) I have the feeling that the Clockwork Angel is going to be the 'key' for something very important.

    I love the Victorian Era and I think it's the perfect setting for The Infernal Devices. It makes everything more 'magical' (if it is even possible).

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  6. I am really excited to do this read-along. I have never done one before and it seems really fun. I look forward to seeing everyone's answers.

    *I instantly liked Will. His cockiness, and playful personality were obvious right away, but you also see that he cares for Jem too. I don't think the first time I read this I liked Jem much at first. I didn't dislike him, I thought he was kind of too serious. (although very smart, and observant) Since I have read it before I know that I love Jem, and I don't remember what my initial reaction was to him. I do remember that I really did like Will though.

    *I think that it was very relevant that Cassie described the Clockwork Angel first, but more importantly that it belonged to Tessa's mother.

    *I absolutely love the Victorian London setting. I would love to go back in time and be there. (I would actually just love to go to London in general) Cassie is so good with describing it.

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  7. First of all I have to say... the first line? Loved it. She already had me hooked!

    My first impression of Will was that he seemed to be like a bit like a puppy, excitable and needing approval. As Clare says in the book he needs someone to see his exploits and praise them. Jem seems to be more intellectual and resigned to Will's behavior. He almost seems indulgent of Will.

    Combined with the title the introduction to the angel along with Tessa gives it great importance. Clearly it has sentimental value as it belonged to her mother and ticks as though it is her second heart.

    And the setting... ON MY STARS the setting! I love historical novels and historical England is the best! I think Victorian London was the bustling city of it's time just as New York is for Mortal Instruments. They mirror each other well but also give the reader a new experience. It would be tedious if they were both in the same place even years apart.

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  8. I have always thought of Victorian London as dark, misty and damp. I always get an eeire feeling. The people seemed to have had an elaborate style to their clothing. Many layers with a flare to details... buttons, boots, top hats, parasols. Very proper...yet the setting dreary. Like they dressed for a very fancy Halloween Ball.

    It has the feel of being a mysterious place. Like it held many secrets. I think this is a perfect place for the mystical person to live

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  9. I live in England, grey and rainy England and Clare's description of London is impeccable and mysterious just like London is.
    I loved Will from the moment I started reading CA, at that point I didn't know who Jace was and that was great because I didnt have another herondale for comparisson. Having said that, throught out the chapter I felt in love with Jem and since them i have an inner fight because I can't decide who I love the most.
    About the clockwork angel necklace, I have a gut feeling it belonged to Tessa's father and I have my fingers crossed we will find out about his identity on CP. I don't think her father was a demon by the way.... Tessa is more than special.

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  10. Kitty- I love your impressions of Jem and Will. I think you're spot one.

    Tita- I agree with your statement "I love the Victorian Era and I think it's the perfect setting for The Infernal Devices. It makes everything more 'magical' (if it is even possible)."

    Amy- I'm so excited you're taking part in it! They're a lot of fun and really laid back. I like reading everyone's take on the story.


    YA Bibliophile- Cassie has a talent for hooking me on her first lines. She grabs your attention and takes you right into the middle of what ever is going on. I love it.

    Kathy- The setting for CA really sets the tone of the book for me. I love the way Cassie describes everything, from the weather, the clothes they where to the city itself.

    ThamyDuff- "I live in England, grey and rainy England and Clare's description of London is impeccable and mysterious just like London is." I LOVE hearing that!! It makes me want to visit it London even more so now.

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  11. My first impression of Will was "wow, this guy is going to be a lot of fun! He doesn't take himself to seriously". I thought Jem would be the serious, no nonsense friend. I also didn't think that Will and Jem were best friends.

    *Mundie Moms-I made a mistake when filling out the form. My screename is Kristina, but I listed it as Kristina @ Ladybug Storytime. Sorry about that.

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  12. Kristina- No worries at all!! :) Thank you for letting me know.

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  13. I'm a huge fan of historical settings, and I do love the Victorian age...though I'm a wee bit more fond of the Regency era.

    I definitely thought that Will was going to be a fun character, and that Jem was the perfect foil for him. I thought that Will would be an wonderful romantic interest for Tessa, and that I would really like to go out on a pub crawl with him. My first impression of Jem was that I needed to learn more about him...I was curious, but wasn't fully committed yet.

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  14. Clockwork Angel (when I read it the first time around) was my first steampunk novel and my first Cassie Clare novel! So, I didn't get any of the associations between TMI and Clockwork Angel. I had thought that I would be sort of skeptical about historical London, but I loved it! Cassie is so descriptive in her writing that I can picture the world no problem.

    I also can't wait to see more of the Clockwork Angel. I definitely think there is more than we know. Steampunk is such a fascinating genre!

    For my first introduction to Cassie's boys--I love them! It's such a brief introduction, but I got a sense of their personalities right away. :)

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  15. I have never read any of her work but so far I am pleasantly pleased. I do think that I appreciate her introductions to what I can only assume are her main characters now. I think that they will definitely be quite interesting.

    She also described the setting quite nicely and vividly enough that I could picture it in my head. I've been timid to read her books as I've heard the rumors but for now I have to say I'm very pleasantly surprised! I can't wait to continue on...

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  16. My first impression of Will and Jem is that they were perfect opposites..Jem the sort of serious boy every Mom hopes her daughter brings home. Will the sort of wise ass every dad is afraid her daughter will bring home.

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  17. Well, I had absolutely no preconceptions about Will -- Clockwork Angel was the first of Cassie's books I'd read. But honestly, my first impressions weren't favorable. I thought that Will was just going to be another predictable, shallow, arrogant guy who reminded me unpleasantly of the boys at my school. Jem, on the other hand, I couldn't as much form a complete picture of -- his role in the Prologue is fairly small, and Jem's character is not as ostentatious as Will's. Nonetheless, I knew that Jem was going to be the voice of reason, sensibility, perhaps even morality -- I knew that Jem was the type I would get along with a lot better than Will. Of course, now my opinion has completely flipped on its side.
    I think the significance of the Clockwork Angel is obvious -- it is closely associated with our protagonist, Tessa. She informs us that it is a source of comfort to her, and the fact that the book is named after this treasured necklace of hers, told me that this particular piece will build in importance, because there will be times when comfort is needed for Tessa and also because it directly relates to her past, and her heritage, which of course, turn out to be incredibly important to the storyline.
    I loved the fact that it is set in England -- it was nice to read a book set in my native country. Most of the books I read these days are set in America, so Clockwork Angel was particularly easy for me to relate to; even the Victorian setting enthralled me. I love history and it was easy for me to imagine, having been taught and surrounded by facets of Victorian culture or architecture that still live in England today. I think it bridges TMI and TID together quite nicely because they are both set in an over-crowded, bustling city. It's a good place for the Shadowhunters to hide, not to mention a beautiful place to live.

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  18. My first impression of Will was that I could definitely tell that he was related to Jace. I loved how playful he seemed. I also really loved the dynamic between Will and Jem.

    With the title of the book and the fact that the Clockwork Angel was the first thing described about Tessa, I thought it would play a significant role in the trilogy. From the prologue it seemed like a link to Tessa's family, and the relationship between Tessa and her family seems to be important for the story.

    I love the Victorian London setting. The descriptions in the book make me want to visit England. Also, I really loved that TID is set in a different location to TMI because we get to experience the Shadowhunter world in a different way.

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  19. My first impression of Will was that he was just a dark haired Jace. And I didn't really mind but I don't like that we don't know who Cecily is.

    Jem is great and really nice but he seems like the best friend, not the boyfriend. He and Tessa just don't have the same chemistry as Will and Tessa.

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  20. First impressions of Will & Jem: I loved Will's sassiness toward Jem. I remember reading this the first time and being very confused as to what was going on, but once I realized they were Shadowhunters, it all made sense as to what they were doing. I found it strange that Will was so upsetted by the dead girl they found, except for the pointless loss of life that she presented. I have a theory that his outburst was resulted from him correlating the dead girl with the sister that's been rumored that he had in the family he ran away from, but that's just my thought. I thought Jem seemed docile and like Will's sidekick rather than partner.

    Clockwork Angel Reference: You can tell exactly how much this means to her by it being brought up first, and by the intimate and loving description of the seemingly mundane object. You know it's sentimental, but it's also become a part of who Tessa is as a person since she never takes it off. I think this means that anyone she takes it off for in the future, would be someone who's greatly trusted and she cares for as well.

    Setting in Victorian London: This was my first "modern" novel that was set in this time period (aka not written during or shortly thereafter, like Charles Dickens novels,) and I've always enjoyed Cassandra Clare's descriptions for everything in her books. This one certainly didn't disappoint, and she painted a marvelous tapestry for this story to be told from. It's realistic, attainable, understandable to anyone, regardless of their expertise of the time period or subject matter, and as always fun to read!

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  21. Will & Jem best friend, complete opposites, more great characters to love (though I favor Will...I have a soft spot for the tortured bad boy)

    Clockwork Angel knew from the start it would be important...maybe the key to the story/mystery...a clue to Tessas identity...maybe shes an angel..

    Victorian Era...is one of my favorites to read about would love to travel there in a time machine for a visit
    StephAnnee

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  22. *My first impressions of Will and Jem. Will is a bit of a bad boy but mostly for attention. He likes to tease, but he truly cares for Jem. Jem is less sarcastic and quieter compared to Will. I'll learn more about him to come.

    *When the clockwork angel is mentioned so early in the book I knew it must be significant. I just didn't know why. We do know its significance to Tessa because it belonged to her mother.

    *I love historical settings. Victorian London! Awesome. I think that's why I like The Infernal Devices more than The Mortal Instruments. Tessa has a moral standard that modern characters sometimes lack.

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  23. Upon meeting William Herondale I was immediately brought into a sense of his character. The actions he performs to the language he uses gave me the overall idea of this young, arrogant, cocky teenager:
    "Killed it with one blow! Not bad, eh?"
    "He frowned in annoyance—it was much less fun showing off without having Jem to show off /to/."
    I also felt the poem before the prologue really helped to support and build him up in my minds-eye. Especially with the references to the Thames throughout Will and Jem's discovery of the dead girl. I felt that the murky water port helped serve to present Will in a light he is comfortable in. He was dirty, shrouded by darkness with light illumination of street lamps and in this unknown and uncared for area. His thoughts when he looks around the scene really helped give insight to what sort of character he is:
    "It was easy to lose yourself in a place like this."
    Already that has me thinking why does he want to be lost? Why would that appeal to him? And already I have this image of a mysterious, dark and adolescent teenager.
    ---------------------------------------

    Meeting Jem was a surprise for me. I know we all can relate Jace to Will, so I was expecting another Alec when in regards to Will's friend. But Jem is just so much different.
    The immediate difference about Jem that startled me into enigma's from the get go was his silver hair! I was so confused as to why a young man would have that colour of hair, and why it sounded to attractive too!
    He is a total contrast to Will that allows for the best of both worlds. His quietness and reserved speech compared to that of Will's violent cursing say a lot about his character. What I immediately had a sense of was that he was the thinker, the controlled one of the party. Even in the way Will looks behind him in the beginning over his shoulder says a lot about Jem. He remained behind while Will blazed in, he watched his back and held up the fort. Reliable, trust-worthy and kind. That was what I felt when first meeting Jem Carstairs.
    ------------------------------------------

    Tessa's clockwork angel is brought into the first sentence of her introduction and it is in the last sentence of the prologue as well. This automatically made it important to me, also I was confused by it's curious ticking but with no clock, like a bomb or something. I had thought the first time reading this book that it would explode at some stage, or be a deadly weapon.
    The fact that she slept with it and that her mother had died in it allowed for me to sympathise with Tessa and find the clockwork angel sentimental to even myself. Also the fact that the locket itself is the title of the book made me wonder why a little locket was so important.
    In any case, I was extremely interested in it's functions yet to be revealed!
    --------------------------------------
    The Victorian setting was magical. I am and always will be in love with this Era, but this is the first teen book I have read that features it! And it was so well done, it could have easily been a scene from Charlotte Bronte's novels of Jane Austin. TMI and ID were bridged together for me due to the fact that both settings for the books are major cities of the world. A lot more can happen in large cities, a lot more people to play with. And easier for civilisations to go undiscovered. Like Downworld and Shadowhunters. The setting in both allows for fun—the possibilities are endless!

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  24. *I honestly loved Will for the first moment. It was obvious that he was related to Jace and I really like his arrogance because in this type of characters there's always so much more than what you see at the first look.

    About Jem, I thought that he was going to be the nice guy. Polite and correct, very sweet and kind.

    *Yes, I think that the Clockwork Angel being the first thing we know about Tessa is very significant. That make us think that it's going to have a important role in the books.

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  25. When I first saw Clockwork Angel in the bookstore, I had never read any of Cassie's books so when I met Will and Jem, I had no Jace or Alec to which to compare them. I immediately thought bad boy/good boy though which turned out to be about right.

    After I read the MI trilogy, I could definitely see the connection between the characters and I love how the author interweaves the old story with the new. I have a feeling that there is a connection between Will and Jace and it is related to the clockwork angel around Tessa's neck. I kind of think that Tessa, like both Jace and Clary, is part angel and that is why she can do what she can do. I think the clockwork angel runs on angel power kind of like the motorbikes in MI and the clockwork army in CA run on demon energies. My theory is that this little angel is a key to something, maybe to calling a real angel into their presence like Valentine did with the mortal instruments. My guess is that Will may get hurt or die like Jace did and Tessa will call an angel to them for help. Then the Herondale mark of the angel in the form a star will appear on Will's shoulder that Jace, 130 years later will inherit. Did anyone notice how this is mentioned in MI but not in CA? I think this will be the connection between Will and Jace.

    I absolutely love the setting! It is why I chose to read the book in the first place. I can't wait for the Clockwork Prince to come out in December!

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  26. Linda Slade: I love the setting in Victorian London. She descibes everything so well you can smell and feel how it was in London then. You just want to read in till youfinish the book because you get lost in the story. LOVE CA

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  27. *Not more than couple page through i was completely sure that Will would be one complicated, tormented, yet profound character (we saw him in action, we saw through his eyes, smelled what he smelled, even felt something of his feelings). He was way brighter presented than Jem, although there was no actual appearance description of him [Will]. Whilst Jem looked more mysterious and more like a part of Will, like he was describing him to us, he [Jem] was showed so thoroughly and with words that were so carefully chosen that i had no doubt he's something precious.

    *As earlier Jem said "i understand the symbology,…". Whether to look at it as an object of great sentimental value or something more obvious - a guardian, or let your mind go and see it as a some sort of connection between Tessa and Shadowhunters' world, it [Angel] seems to fit any theory that i tried out. Besides, everything that's close to the heart is important (maybe even of life's importance).

    *Setting was nice. London like faded in: from night to day, from view of gray mist to streets filled with people. As for the Victorian Era: epic and notorious it was. And all that's set then is always promising.

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  28. I think that the fact that the clockwork angel is described first shows it's importance and relevance to the story and to Tessa. Knowing the clockwork angel is also a way of knowing Tessa better, it presents her even more to the readers.

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  29. 1) I thought that Will was going to be fun but he didn’t seem very mature. Jem’s impression was much more mature and it seemed that he could handle himself really well.

    2) I think Cassie did that on purpose TO show that there was a huge significance.

    3)I LOVE Victorian settings; one of my favorite times in history. I think she did it to show the parallels of both times but to also show where the character ancestry backgrounds (in TMI) come from

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  30. 1. I think Will was just Jace, in Victorian England. He has such a swagger about him that makes me know I'll love him and hate him at the same time.
    2. This is my first time reading it, so I'll have to wait and see!
    3. I love Victorian setting! I think it's a nice bridge because New York is the place to be now, back then it was London, so they're both the world capitols of their time.

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  31. My first thought of Will is he is similar to Jace and I wonder if somehow they end up being related.
    I so Love the Victorian London setting! That alone makes this series a top favorite!
    Shadow hunters plus Victorian London = win win
    Love Love

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  32. When I first read about Will, I thought he was a more...dramatic version of Jace. Jem caught my attention because of how mild-mannered he was, even when Will was swearing like crazy. I definitely thought the angel was special, that it would kind of end up being a deus ex machina type of device in the end. As for the Victorian England setting, I just love it!! It's always been one of my favorite periods in history!

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  34. When Will is first introduced I was like "He seems swe-, oh wait, no, he seems haughty and full of himself." with the whole "... it was much less fun showing off without Jem to show of to." Yet at least he seemed somewhat concerned for his friend/ partner when he saw the blood on him (though anyone would probably be concerned with that). And then when Jem was introduced I was like, "Good. He seems to be the haughty one's complete opposite. Self assured and focused on the task at hand." So first impressions... yeah.

    "Tessa could not remember a time when she had not loved the clockwork angel. It had belonged to her mother once, and her mother had been wearing it when she died." That intro with the clockwork angel obviously had some meaning otherwise it would be introduced later and not straight away. I mean, it had to be a major (though maybe not horribly obvious) part of this book.

    First off, I hate it when things are based in a historical setting, so I was sort of annoyed when it became obvious that this was based in Victorian London, though by the end of the Prologue I was pretty appeased. I think the setting plays a role in the Mortal Instruments by being based in Europe, which is where shadowhunter land is (though the name has temporarily eluded me). This may also play a part because of the whole Herondale in London thing... though if you don't follow me on my train of thought, that's perfectly fine. Finally, the setting must be important otherwise it would be somewhere different.

    ~Brittany B.

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  35. I agree that the clockwork angel was introduced right away on purpose, since it plays a major role in the story.

    I love the setting of the book! I'm glad to be in the familiar world of the Shadowhunters, but glad to have a new environment to explore instead of it being set in the same place as TMI.

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  36. I am so reading the chapters/prologue tonight!... well I will once I finish my AP American homework LOL!

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  37. First, I can't believe it is 10:30 p.m. and I am just getting around to joining in on the fun!

    As far as the first meeting of Jem and Will, it's kind of hard to give a first impression since this is actually my 3rd reading, but Cassie did a great job of giving the reader a glimpse of their relationship without giving too much away. You know from this reading that they know each other well, but that's as far as it goes. You're really shown more about Will and his personality more than Jem. But that's true to form, Jem stays a mystery to a certain extent throughout the book. Don't want to say more about Will, so I'll stop there to keep it "spoiler free."

    I also think that it is very significant that the clockwork angel is brought up early. It not only shows its significance to the story, but its importance in relation to Tessa. Once again, enough said. :)

    As far as the setting? I had no idea that I was a fan of historical fiction until I read Clockwork Angel. I'm not just saying that either. Cassie brought the setting and time frame alive. I love the Mortal Instruments series, but Clockwork Angel will always be my first love. It may be because it was the first of Cassie's books that I read, but I'm still not sure.

    Now, on to Chapter 1, so I'm not so far behind tomorrow!

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  38. Wow, I haven't read the whole of Clockwork Angel in ages, and I'm pleasently surprised at how utterly AMAZING it is. Oh, wait, first impressions...right! I loved Jem right from the start with his level-headedness and all. Will, well, I loved him too, especially the part with the policeman....oh, Will.......
    I really like how they introduced the clockwork angel along with Tessa because of its significance in the story (not that I knew it at first....) and the setting was totally different from New York City-not that I'm complaining!

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  39. My first impression of Will is that he's just like Jace but is much quirky. Jem is just my normal teenage boy, he is just it! very calm, very well mannered I just love Jem <3

    I hope and think that it has something to do with the whole story. I think it possess some power of some sort. who knows?

    Having not read any historical novel, yes sorry I haven't, the victorian era is one era that I want to go back. I really want to know what it's like to live in that era. specially cause I like the vintage look ;)

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  40. This is my first read along, and it's great to see everyone's different take on the story.

    1. I agree with a lot of you, at first Will reminded me of Jace. I was drawn to his character right away, I liked his playfulness and his bantering. As for Jem, I liked him ok, but I wanted to know more about him (of course I ended up loving him too).

    2. By the way, the Necklace was described, I knew it would be an important part of the story. I just had no idea how. I did think how it showed how important family is to Tessa.

    3. I Loved the Setting! It was my first steampunk novel also. By the way she described the setting, it made me Victorian London so clear in my mind.

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  41. This is my first time reading Clockwork Angel, so everything is new to me, but it's nice because I get to learn all about an entire new cast of Shadowhunters. Even if I am behind a bit haha

    Like everyone else has said, Will appears to be like Jace from his actions in the Prologue. His need to show off and hold a higher than average reputation shows that perfectly. I have a feeling Jem will be the constant in CA. The good friend. Loyal, calm, never doing anything brash. A good balance for the abrasive and proud Will.

    As for Tessa's Clockwork Angel, other than it being the name of the novel causing me to know of it's importance, I'm really interested in finding out more about what it is and what it means to her. It represents family and the memory of who she has lost.

    Usually, I tend to shy away from period stuff because they tend to be hit or miss with me. If you're setting your story in the past, SELL ME ON IT! I have to believe in the setting. And Cassie sold me from the beginning. I love the Victorian setting and how it will influence the plot points in the story.

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  42. My first impression of Will is that he has the kind of personality that needs an audience. These kind of young men annoy me in real life, but they are great fun to read about. Jem is more the calm caretaker, the brains of the operation.

    Reading about the beautiful delicate clockwork angel makes me want one!

    I'm new to the steampunk genre too. I love historical settings and costuming.

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  43. Never done a read-along before, but hey, sometimes gotta be the first ;)

    My first impression of Will was, HEY JACE nr.2! Eventhough they kinda have the same traits they're still a little diffrent. He is cocky and selfconfident in another way than Jace. You kinda notice that Jace is alone (in a sense), which I didn't think at first with Will. He seems like he wants Jem to be proud of him.

    Jem was Welma (Scooby Doo) for me. He was the sensible one. The one who could keep Will in line. The grown up in a way. Also the way Cassie describes him, I knew something was not quit right with this boy.

    Prologs for me shows what's going to be important in the book. The main characters are often in them and it gives you a feel of what's to come. By making the clockwork angel such a big part of Tessas part of the prolog (and the name of the book of course) makes you realize that these details are worth remembering cause this is going to be something special :)

    about the setting. I just looove victorian, and especially London. It's much more intense, mysterious, romantic and... everything. How just a small gesture can mean so much thrills me and the way they speak also appeal to me.

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  44. THANK YOU to everyone for sharing their thoughts on CA's prologue. I've enjoyed reading everyone's impressions on Will & Jem and what your thoughts are so far on the book.

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  45. My first impression of Will was that he absolutely loves being a shadowhunter. He loves to use his skills to trick people for his amusement. He also loves to show off but he takes his job very seriously. Jem is also determined with his job. Finding out what happened to the dead girl becomes first priority. He also loves Will and you can tell he has a lot of patience because Will is a handful but Jem will do anything for him so that shows how kind he is.

    I think the clockwork angel is of huge importance. We are aware of it right away and even though it's just a necklace that Tessa wears, I think it will mean a whole lot to piece together her family and bring the whole series together.

    I love that ID takes place in London. From TMI we know that shadowhunters are everyone so it's very fitting to be somewhere other than America. I also love the historical asspect because obviously this takes place way before TMI and also because the characters are early ancestors of TMI characters. It's a huge role because ID will bring together everyone's story of who is related to who and how they came to be. We know that Jace is descended from Will but we don't know how. ID is definitely going to make TMI better because of the knowledge of the ancestry.

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  46. Will and Jem...Will is reminding me of Jace quite a lot..
    Jem is a good guy , always there to help , I think.They both love being Shadowhunters , but I think Will is a little more 'obsessed' with it.

    The clockwork angel pendant is VERY important to the story , ,it just feels like it is..a mention this early on , can't be wrong.

    Victorian London...OMG! Perfect.I'm thrilled.Can't wait for more details...

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  47. I think I'm a day behind already! This is so fun, I've never done a read-along before. I am going to try hard to only read one chapter a night...

    Will and Jem remind me a little of Jace and Alec -- what is the word, parabatai? Fighting partners... Will is being painted as adventurous with a little evil streak in him. I haven't really gotten a good read on Jem yet.

    What strikes me about the Clockwork Angel is that there's no description of any kind of clock or watch face -- so what exactly is it keeping time of or for? I'm sure this will get explained later (I hope), but this is a fun little mystery.

    Looking forward to seeing what Cassie does with Victorian London. The dead girl mystery reminds me a little of a Jack-the-Ripper type story.

    Loving all the great comments from everyone! I know this has been mentioned, but like many here, I am reading CA for the first time -- so PLEASE keep your comments spoiler-free. I saw a few spoilers peeking through in some of these posts. I REALLY don't want to be spoiled guys! Thanks.

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  48. Well, when I read Clockwork Angel, I've already known that there's a love triangle in the books and I couldn't help myself but associate Will with Jace. I really like Jace, but Will is a totally different person.
    But Jem... Well, he's my favorite. I remember that I've known right in the beginning of the book that he's the guy who I will fall for. And I did :) He's sensitive, kind and observant, and I think he's really vulnerable in some way... but I love him! :)

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  49. First I want to say that when I found out Cassie was writing another shadowhunter series I was ecstatic! Then when I found out it was going to be set in the 1800's and in London I was even more excited lol.

    * What are your first impressions of Will and Jem?

    I was very excited to find out their story...Will sounded a lot like Jace to me too which I totally loved lol.

    * What are your thoughts on the Victorian London setting? Are you a fan of historical settings? What role do you think the setting has in bridging together the Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instrument series?

    Oh I already answered some of this lol...I absolutely love books set in times long ago. I wish I could go back in time myself. I also lived in England for a couple years and absolutely adored it. I wish I could go back! I like how we're seeing how shadowhunters worked in the Victorian era and how they've evolved since then in the mortal instruments.

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  50. - I don't remember my impressions of Will and Jem from when I first read the book. But now trying to stay away from my already formed thoughts of the book, all I thought was that Will was cocky haha. I really didn't think much of Jem. I always wait until further, when characters get a "defining moment" to form a better opinion of them.

    - I think there might be. I mean it's already the title of the book, and she does describe it first when we see Tessa, it makes you really curious about it. You immediately know is going to hold some importance to the story.

    - It was interesting reading about the setting. I always like Cassie's descriptions, it makes you feel like you are there with the characters. I'm not a fan really of historical settings, but the one in CWA definitely called my attention. I really can't think of anything that explains relation the setting has with the two series. I do like that now we are reading about Shadowhunters in a different place, and era.

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  51. I choose the last question. I absolutely LOVE Cassies interpretation of Victorian London, and tying this in to the Shadow Hunter world was a genius move on her part. I also love the historical setting she created. As for the role of binding together The ID and TMI series with this i never really thought about, but know that you mention it having the setting in London with totally different characters does help us get a better interpretation of the Shadow Hunter world. I absolutely love this.
    ps. i hope im not to late in my response i had trouble with my wifi yesterday.

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  52. First of all, gotta say, my username sucks. I use this account at high school. Second of all, I have never done a read along and have no such thing as a simple oppinion. Im real excited and can't wait to see where these questions go!

    My first impression of Will? Well, it was pretty much WOW. Will. Going into the series I saw another Jace-like character coming out. A character you love so much, but because you love them, you hate them. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Jace. I wish I was Clary so I could have him. He has personality issues, though. I see the exact same thing in Will. Jem is definitely my character of choice from ID. He is smart, sensitive, kind, and seems like the kind of friend I would want in my life.
    I love the setting because it is so different from TMI but it gives the same feel. I think this shows how fantastic a writer Clare has grown to be. I think the London setting is interesting because I was never and never will go there so the setting is however my mind creates it, not by how it actually looks.

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  53. DigitalDaggers said...

    First impressions? Hm. My first impression was that I was more likely to vie for Will instead of Jem. In two pages, I was already hooked on his personality. Jem appeared to be a the sweeter, quieter one, and usually (but not always!) I don't care much for those types, but there's some sort of fragileness about him that's still endearing.

    As for the Clockwork Angel, there's definitely some significance behind that. Being the first thing described ,you're already clued in that it is of importance. As to why, not sure.

    NYEAH. I WANT TO LIVE THERE. I've always been a rain junkie, and the picture Cassie paints in my mind is like magic. So mysterious and sexy. So yes, the setting definitely appeals to me :D

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  54. I'd like to touch on the first question:
    I think it's amazing how much we learn about Will in Jem in the first six pages. We learn that Will is very boyish and playful (and most definitely cocky!) but he responds strongly to the dead girl int he alley, so we know that he cares, that he takes his role seriously in protecting people. He seems to experience emotions strongly- mainly anger. When Will's mad he's MAD.

    Jem seems to balance him out almost perfectly. He's more serious than Will on the surface, but he shows some hints at humor. He's clearly intelligent, quickly deducing that something is amiss with the girl in the alley. We also get to see how the two interact together and they have a give and go that is both functional and speaks to their attachment to one another.

    All in six pages :)

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  55. I love Will and Jem probably better then i ever liked Jace. Will is the typical womanizing bad-boy but with the time period and once you get to actually know his character he is so much more. Jem is Jem :) ENough said. I personally have an obsession with steam punk so the time period really interested me. I like that its totally different then the world of Clary and Jace. The clockwork angel is more of symbol to me, but i think its definitely going to be heavily touched upon as the series progresses

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  56. I was drawn to Will. As for Jem I was Uh-uhhh. Okay. I really didn't have any strong emotions towards Jem.

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  57. I've read the book before. I normally dislike historical fiction, but the Victorian London setting in CA really drew me in and this is one of the only Victorian novels I like.

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  58. My first impressions of Will were that he is another risky and arrogant fighter. My first impressions of Jem were that he cares about mundanes. He has a heart.

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  59. @AlternaKat
    "What strikes me about the Clockwork Angel is that there's no description of any kind of clock or watch face -- so what exactly is it keeping time of or for? I'm sure this will get explained later (I hope), but this is a fun little mystery."

    I thought of that too! When Tessa says that Nate didn't find an opening or anything. And I just thought why is it even working for anyway ?
    I agree, there's definitely a good mystery there.

    And I do agree with everyone else, Will reminded me of Jace right away. Which may be why I liked him from the beginning. And I liked that you can instantly tell Will cares about Jem a lot :)

    @Benji
    "I love Victorian setting! I think it's a nice bridge because New York is the place to be now, back then it was London, so they're both the world capitols of their time."

    :O That's definitely true. I never thought of it that way.

    @Melissa Douthit

    Your theory about the angel is very interesting! I love how you made the connections work.


    @Eileen
    "I found it strange that Will was so upsetted by the dead girl they found, except for the pointless loss of life that she presented. I have a theory that his outburst was resulted from him correlating the dead girl with the sister that's been rumored that he had in the family he ran away from, but that's just my thought."

    I thought that too! He had a very strong reaction.

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  60. I love the Victorian London setting. There is something romantic about it but also has little bit of a dark feeling the goes well with the book

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  61. my first impression with will was definitely, 'he is going to be like jace.' jem seemed just like a nice guy, with his mild personality and the amount he obviously cares about will.

    about the clockwork angel, yes evidently because it's the title and it is referred to straight away, he hols a lot of significance to tessa and will ultimately do something big later in the book or series.

    i love historical settings! the steampunk genre is something that i'm fascinated by, and i really wish i could find more books in my library of that genre! TID series has really interested me more into it! and as other people have said, it's good to have osme books that are set in england instead of america and stuff. in terms of it bridging it with TMI, it being set in victorian london is great because of the different setting and yeah, the mysterious feeling it gives (like all the mist and stuff that is described)

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  62. I thought Will was a tad cocky. He was dissapointed that his friend wasn't there to see his fighting instead of concerned about where he was. He seemed like he'd be a fun character to read about though... And boy isn't that true.

    I'm a sucker for historical fiction especially anything in England. I felt right at home.

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  63. * I thought Will was almost overly cocky but still humorous, and Jem seemed more reserved and practical.

    * The clockwork angel is definitely going to be something important...I’m curious to see how important it will be!

    * Adore the setting – I love historical settings, especially ones that take place in other countries :)

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  64. I love London as the setting I think it will allow us to see how diverse Cassandra Clare can be. It expands the world of shadow hunters its interesting to see how the customs of Victorian London effect the shadowhunter world. I am excited to see a totally different feel to a world I already love in her reading. I enjoy how it separates these series and gives them distinctly different feels to them. I am amazed at how easily she can tie together similar stories with entirely different plots that I can find connecting events and characters through. I fuels my detective side and I can't get enough

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  65. My first impression of Will was that he would be like Jace, and i knew from the beginning that I would love him. And about Jem i thought he would be like Alec, a little bit shy.

    I think the setting is very important, because at the Institute of London lived some members of the Circle,perhaps there is something we don't know.

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