When Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks, and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.
When Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks, and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.
Critiques-
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July 19, 2010
This first book in Clare's Infernal Device series, a prequel to her bestselling Mortal Instruments books, opens as Tessa's pleasant life in 1878 New York is coming to an end when her guardian aunt dies. Upon her arrival in London, where her brother lives, Tessa is kidnapped by the Dark Sisters, who force her to learn to use a rare power—shape-shifting—she didn't know she had. Her rescue by a young man named Will leads her to the Shadowhunters—Nephilim descended from humans and angels—who enforce the magical Accords against demons and other creatures. Tessa gets caught between the various players seeking to use her amid a plot to conquer Britain. The events often read as bleakly as the Victorian London weather, punctuated by Clare's trademark humor, empathy, and authentic characters, who fight their own flaws and tragic pasts as often as they do evil. Mysteries, misdirection, and riddles abound, and while there are some gruesome moments, they never feel gratuitous. Fans of the Mortal Instruments series and newcomers alike won't be disappointed. Ages 14–up. -
October 1, 2010
Gr 9 Up-Readers of Clare's "Mortal Instruments" series (S & S) will recognize the warlock Magnus Bane and the demon-killing Nephilim, but instead of modern-day New York, this book is set in Victorian London and takes a look at the historical role of the Shadowhunters (aka demon hunters). Tessa Gray, 16, has traveled from America to London to join her older brother. But instead of Nathaniel, she is greeted by the Dark Sisters, two evil women who kidnap her in order to develop her previously unrealized ability to change shape into another person. Their employer, a shadowy figure ominously referred to as the Magister, wishes to exploit Tessa's great power. The teen is rescued by a group of Shadowhunters who are perplexed as to the origin of her ability and unsure about whether her nature is one of good or evil. Together they must discover the identity of the Magister and thwart his devious plot that threatens London. Vampires, warlocks, demons, and steampunk elements such as clockwork monstrosities abound in this supernatural offering. From the erratic and volatile-yet charming-Will to the bumbling and amiable inventor, Henry; to the ethereal and gentle Jem, Clare has made each character unique. The action-heavy plot takes off from the first page, propelling readers toward a dramatic conclusion that fails to answer all the questions raised during the course of the tale, leaving the door wide open for the next installment. Give this book to fans of Libba Bray'sA Great and Terrible Beauty (Delacorte, 2003).-Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO
Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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August 1, 2010
Grades 8-12 After journeying from New York to Victorian London in search of her brother, 16-year-old Tessa Gray is kidnapped by the loathsome Dark Sisters, who forcibly train her to use powers she never knew she possessed. Then two mysterious, striking young men whisk her away to the safety of the Institute, a base for demon-hunting warriors, the Shadowhunters, who introduce her to a paranormal world of demons, supernatural beings, and half-angel Nephilim. Tessas unique powers to shape-shift make her incredibly valuable to both sides in a battle between the Shadowhunters and the Magister, who controls an army of clockwork automatons. Breathlessly melodramatic but compulsively readable, this is the first title in a new, companion series set 100 years earlier than the authors bestselling Mortal Instruments books. Packed with battles, romantic entanglements, and tantalizing foreshadowing, this will have readers clamoring for the next installment. Although prior knowledge of the Mortal Instruments books isnt necessary to enjoy this title, you can bet your sword newcomers to the world will be rushing to read what theyve missed.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.) -
January 1, 2011
Prim, bookish sixteen-year-old Tessa discovers she can shape-change. Only the demon-fighting Shadowhunters, kindhearted Jem, and cruel, handsome Will, can protect her from the supernatural underworld. Steampunk elements and the gritty Victorian London setting distinguish this prequel from the Mortal Instruments series; some plot elements are unoriginal or recycled. Nevertheless, fans will enjoy this page-turning urban fantasy.(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
