"When someone has wronged you, It isn't enough that they suffer. They need to look at your face and know why they suffer." 
 Mild spoilers, read at your own risk 
 3.5 
 Though I had a few problems with this book, I do personally think this may be Cassandra Clare's strongest start to a series, and potentially, her most developed plot. In my experience, her books get better as they go on. I wasn't the biggest fan of City of Bones, but I grew to really enjoy the series. I liked Clockwork Angel, I enjoyed Clockwork Price, but I devoured Clockwork Princess which has become my favourite book of hers. 
 If I was rating this book on the last 168 pages alone, it would so easily be a five-star read for me. I've had this book since its release, but the concept of forbidden love between parabatai was never intriguing to me. I'm not the biggest fan of romance driven books unless the romance is angsty and loaded with sexual tension. The romance between Julian and Emma wasn't, they already cared deeply for each other so it was boring to read. 
 I adore Julian, I think he's sweet and such a refreshing change from the typical dark-and-moody-bad-boy, but I feel like he's written in a way that forces you to sympathise and fall in love with him. He had to step up from the age of twelve as a father figure to his siblings, it's heart-breaking but he did it because he loved them. That's what family does without hesitation, but the way that it's constantly bought up got annoying, I just feel like Cassandra Clare was shoving it down my throat and I was fed up, and ready to projectile vomit. 
 It took a while for me to warm up to him because he is so well loved, it wasn't until around the one-hundred-page mark where he started talking about being in love that I started to like him, but it was when the faeries came back to you-know-what that I really started to care about him. Cassandra writes these amazing relationships and scenes between brothers and they really fucking hurt, but they hurt so good. 
 I loved Emma, she's bad ass and well equipped with witty one liners. It was nice to read a book where the main protagonist is already a shadowhunter instead of a mundane(/not really)/something else. I really liked her as a protagonist and I loved the friendship between her and Christina, YA doesn't feature a lot of strong female friendships, so my heart gets super fluffy? (idk I'm not familiar with this feeling) when it does. 
 The romance between Julian and Emma was my biggest issue with this book. They were both already in love with each other so there was never any will they won't they angst, it was fluffy and cute. That's not a bad thing, but I prefer a good old fashioned slow burn romance, oozing with sexual tension, and a high blood pressure in anticipation for the romantic interests to make out. I can usually overlook the romance if I'm not a huge fan, but when the romance arc dominates the plot, it can be hard to do so and completely immerse myself in the book. 
 But, it got better. The tension got so much better at the end, AND MY BODY IS READY. I'm ready for the angst and tension that's bound to happen in future books. 
 Mark was easily my favourite character. In my opinion, he's the most vulnerable (I'm trash for vulnerable characters) and in touch with his feelings (FUCK GENDER STEREOPTYPES AND EXPECTATIONS. GUYS CAN BE SENSITIVE TOO). He was taken to the Wild Hunt for five years, where he was mentally, emotionally, and physically abused. Then returns to the institute with his family where he feels he doesn't belong. I liked the back and forth between Mark and Christina, I especially loved when she wasn't into being his little toy or something for him to use when he felt like it. I find the faerie interesting and hope we get to explore more of that with Marl in future books. I also really want to talk about the other thing but I don't want to spoil it. But that (_ _ _ _ _ _ _), I loved that too. 
 This book was diverse with both people of colour and sexual orientation AND I AM HERE FOR IT. At its core, this book is a mystery. I loved the direction it went in, and it's got me even more excited for the Last Hours. This series has an amazing foundation and I'm eager to see the direction it goes in. I'm glad the parabatai forbidden love thing was explained, because I honestly thought it would be something silly along the lines of "because they would rather protect each other than anything else" that was a shoddy explanation, but I was thinking along the lines of Vampire Academy with Dimirti and Rose (I still love them though).