As she strives to learn the secrets of the villainous Magister and unravel the mystery of her past, sixteen-year-old shapechanger Tessa finds herself caught between two Shadowhunters who love her: sweet, fragile Jem and caustic yet powerfully attractive Will. Dropping references to popular Victorian fiction left and right, Clare's steampunk adventure draws readers in with engrossing romantic drama.

Gr 7 Up-This volume picks up where Clockwork Angel (S &; S, 2010) ended. Set in Victorian London and featuring powerful demon-fighting Shadowhunters defending human "mundanes" from a vampire, demons, and a new madman building a clockwork army, this novel offers mystery, adventure, and, most importantly, a delicious love triangle. Tessa Gray remains at the London Institute with the Shadowhunters who previously rescued her from the sinister Mortmain as she tries to discover the source of her unique power to transform into another person. Try as she might to guard herself against gorgeous but deliberately cruel Will, she finds that he makes her heart race. She is also drawn to his blood brother, slowly dying but beautiful and kind Jem, although it takes time for her to realize that their friendship has become something more. As events race to a cliff-hanger ending, secrets are revealed that explain Will's cruelty and leave Tessa with an agonizing choice between the two friends. Despite the merest veneer of Victorian setting and disregard of period conventions, this is a necessary purchase for any library where the first book is popular; it will not disappoint fans and it will definitely leave them eager for the conclusion of the trilogy. Caroline Tesauro, Radford Public Library, VA

This sequel to Clockwork Angel (2010) pits gorgeous, attractively broken teens against a menacing evil. There's betrayal, mayhem and clockwork monstrosities, and the Shadowhunters have only two weeks to discover--oh, who are we kidding? The plot is only surprisingly tasty icing on this cupcake of a melodramatic love triangle. Our heroes are Tessa, who may or may not be a warlock, and the beautiful Shadowhunter warrior boys who are moths to her forbidden flame. It's not always clear why Tessa prefers Will to his beloved (and only) friend Jem, the dying, silver-eyed, biracial sweetheart with the face of an angel. Jem, after all, is gentle and kind, her dearest confidante; Will is unpleasant to everyone around him. But poor, wretched Will--who "would have been pretty if he had not been so tall and so muscular"--has a deep, dark, thoroughly emo secret. His trauma puts all previous romantic difficulties to shame, from the Capulet/Montague feud all the way to Edward Cullen's desire to chomp on Bella Swan. Somehow there's room for an interesting steampunk mystery amid all this angst. The supporting characters (unusually well-developed for a love-triangle romance) include multiple compelling young women who show strength in myriad ways. So what if there are anachronisms, character inconsistencies and weird tonal slips? There's too much overwrought fun to care. A purple page turner. (Fantasy. 13-16)

In the eagerly awaited sequel to Clockwork Angel (2010), Charlotte's leadership of the Institute is challenged by a rival Nephilim faction. With only two weeks to locate the sworn enemy of all Shadowhunters e Magister ll, Jem, and Tessa follow clues that lead to shocking discoveries, betrayal, and terrible danger. Tessa continues to agonize over who or what she is, even as her brother Nate reveals who she is not. Clare's intricate plotting propels the pace, as does the ongoing tension of Tessa's conflicted attraction to both Jem and Will. Steampunk purists will find only a modicum of clockwork gadgets, but fear not ere's plenty of steam. Tessa's virginity is twice saved by timely (or untimely) interruptions, raising the stakes in the Team Will or Team Jem debate. Fans of the series will revel in another compulsively readable concoction ladled with dollops of Victorian atmosphere, romance, and gorgeous characters, while humorous dialogue rescues the prose from melodrama. Clare once again raises more questions than she answers, but a cliff-hanger ending will leave readers panting for the next installment in the Infernal Devices series. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Clare's already long arms will reach everywhere with this book: tours, advertising, social network outreach, interactive websites, and more. Stock up.