Was overall fairly indulgent, cheesy, and absurd. So why the 4 stars? I'm a steampunk/clockwork junky. Cassandra Clare is not a good author, but she does have a way of throwing in all sorts of candy for the Victorian inclined. A good point is Tessa, the main character, who is mostly a throwback to the heroines of period novels. But, like in the Infernal Mandie books by Lois Gladys Leppard, where the hay do all these "beautiful young men" come from? They're enough to turn your stomach. Give me Mr. Rochester :)