As much as I adored the Mortal Instruments Series I really disliked this one. I found the characters mostly flat, one-dimensional and stereotypical. The story is set in the middle of the Victorian Era so of course there are different codes of conduct but the level of melodrama is frankly ridiculous. The characters are either wholly perfect or completely evil leaving very little room for any kind of growth, and when a change in character does occur it's with such swiftness that it's unrealistic. The story reeks of pre-determined stance on morality with only one right way to view it, especially when it comes to guilt and female sexuality. I'm not implying that I as a reader agree or don't agree with that stance, I'm simply stating that it's insulting to readers to have it thrust so adamantly in their faces.

A personal bias comes into play, I am fully on board with fantastic creatures and supernatural beings but less enthusiastic about robots - even though they are connected with magic. I thought the use of mechanics was an attempt at showing the massive effects of the industrial revolution and a foreshadowing of the future (similar to the subplots of the Sherlock Holmes films starring Robert Downey Jr.) but that it does so clumsily.

The Clockwork Angel itself as an item in the story is equally disappointing and almost feels like cheating with its perfectly timed savings, serving as a sort of deus ex machina (an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel.)

If this would have been the start of the world of Shadowhunters I never would have bothered reading the Mortal Instruments which would be a crying shame since that series I feel shares none of the flaws listed above. I am sorry if this review seems so angry and bitter but that is simply because when it comes to this series this reader is in fact quite angry and bitter.

Clockwork Angel; Clockwork Prince; Clockwork Princess