What's with all the trilogies? Why are authors, particularly authors of young adult novels, seemingly incapable of writing a stand-alone story? You know, one that has a beginning, middle, and an end? The Clockwork Angel is the first in what I presume will be a trilogy, set in the Shadowhunter world of Victorian England, and revisiting some of the concepts introduced in the Mortal Instruments series. The Clockwork Angel has about the usual quotient of bad guys, tortured yet secretly sensitive hotties, and damsels who are pretty capable of dealing with distress. Some interesting plot lines are developed, but we get answers to pretty much nothing by the end of this book. In essence, Clockwork Angel feels like one long prologue, setting us up for events to come in the next couple of books. As a result, it's impossible to really praise this book without seeing what comes next or whether the story eventually pays off. It's likable, but just doesn't really go anywhere on its own.