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Mood: Happy ]
[ Currently: About to get ready for work. ]
I loved the Mortal Instruments series, burning through it at an incredible rate. So when I found out that author Cassandra Clare was releasing a prequel series taking place in Victorian London, I got very excited. As soon as it came in from the library, I put aside all other reading to immerse myself.in this book.
And I have to say, I came away disappointed. The action is interesting, and I like the take on the Shadowhunters in this time, but the characters left me feeling more of the same. Tessa is so heavily influenced by Clary it is ridiculous. She is an ingénue with mysterious powers who is swept up into the Shadowhunter world. You are left to wonder if she can master the powers in time to save herself and help her new friends. Sound familiar?
The character of Will is an even worse copy. An orphaned, angry bad-boy, she might have well called him Jace. That becomes doubly clear when (SPOILERS) you find out his parents may not in fact be dead. Jem, the soft-spoken young man with a mysterious illness also bears more than a passing resemblance to Simon.
It is the secondary characters that give us something new. Jessamine is the young female Shadowhunter who just wants to be a lady. The head of the institute, Charlotte, and her mad scientist husband, Henry, are also interesting.
This book is really only for the die-hard fan. The rest of you are going to find more of the same.
Needless to say, this won’t be making my After Harry list.