I enjoyed Clockwork Angel, the first book in the Infernal Devices series. I gave it a 3 star rating. I knew that I'd read the second book when it came out and imagined I'd probably like it. But nothing could have prepared me for how immersed I'd get in the Clockwork Prince and how sad I'd be when it ended. I don't put many books on my top shelf...there has to be something special and compelling...something that reaches deep inside me and hooks me on an emotional level for that to happen. Ms. Clare certainly did that for me with this story. 
 Set in Victorian-eraLondon, which, by the way, is so well described that the reader can almost smell the stench of the city and feel the dampness of the rain, the story draws you in with its mysteries, its characters and its twists and turns. Picking up where we left off, we once again find Tessa, Will and Jem in the midst of an adventure. Together with the others at the Institute, they must find the Magister who is in parts unknown building his clockwork army in order to bring down the Enclave and capture Tessa. Although this rush to unravel the clues and find the bad guy in order to save the Institute might have been the obvious plot for this book, it took a back seat to the true plot - the relationships between the characters. More specifically, the love triangle is the plot. 
 And what a love triangle it is. The scenes are more intense and the feelings are more raw and heartbreaking than I anticipated. This is not the type of triangle that has a foregone conclusion as is common in many books. As a matter of fact, the more I learn about Tessa, Will and Jem the more I actually don't want an ending...I don't want anyone left with a broken heart. 
 Ms. Clare continues her character building in this story. We get a very large glimpse into Will's past and finally begin to understand what makes him who he is. But, even as our hearts swell with hope that this information will change the course of his life, we are made to realize that there are many forces at work in this story. We also get to know more about kind, sweet Jem and get a peak into his head and his heart. We see his happiness and his despair, but mostly, we get to see a stronger Jem than we might have imagined existed. And Tessa, the girl caught in the struggle to finding out who and what she is while trying to work out her heart's true desire, grows up in this book. 
 As you know, I'm always looking to secondary characters as a way to determine the depth of a book. In this book, Ms. Clare allows time away from the main story to help us build a better picture of each of them in our mind. She allows us time to get to know them and provides us with enough information so that we are invested in their lives as well. 
 I must tell you that there is an outcome to the triangle within these pages but I'm not convinced it's the final one. And that's just fine because for me, it's not really about the outcome anyway...it's about the journey. And this journey has been a roller-coaster ride of friendship, unrequited love, doomed futures and dubious decisions! 
 This is a middle book, the second in a trilogy, but it doesn't feel like that at all. It's not filler, it doesn't hold back and it doesn't disappoint. In my humble opinion, it is by far Ms. Clare's best book to date! 
 And for those of you who have been skimming this post and thinking I'm awfully long winded, let me sum up my feelings for you in one sentence: It broke my heart and I loved every minute of it!