The latest installment of Cassandra Clare's Victorian-set "Infernal Devices" series, "Clockwork Prince," hit bookstore shelves on Tuesday, and we were lucky enough to snag a sit-down with the author to talk all things Shadowhunter.
With the book having been out for a couple of days by that point, we asked Cassie what fan reaction had been like so far.
"What I've gotten has been a really great, positive reaction," she said. "People have really loved it. But there's definitely been a lot of heartbreak: 'This broke my heart. This really made me question my loyalties. Who are my favorite characters? What do I want to happen in the end?' I think there's a lot of questions of how this can be a happy ending for everybody because at the end of the book, we leave everybody in a state of, I would say, very delicate balance."
That is, indeed, a fitting description of "Clockwork Prince"'s closing moments. If you've finished the tome, you know exactly what Cassie's alluding to, but if you haven't, suffice it to say the whole Will-Tessa-Jem love triangle is far from finished. But the sequel also illuminated a new facet of Will's life (SPOILER TERRITORY AHEAD), namely the existence of sister Cecily, who lands at the Institute's door. How will she factor into the series' third installment, "Clockwork Princess"?
"I always knew Cecily would come into it and play a big role," Cassie said. "Cecily is very important to [Will]. She's his little sister. He left his home to protect his family and really to protect her. But since that time he hasn't seen her, she's grown into this incredibly strong-willed and independent person, and she's furious with him. She doesn't understand why he left their parents, so she comes in. And there's this clash of wills between her and Will, and her being like, 'You're my brother, and I love you, but you have to come home.' And him being like, 'I can't come home. I can't leave the people who need me now. This is my family.' Will being torn between going home and the loyalties he feels like he owes to the people he's with now."
Phew! So much drama to look forward to in the series' conclusion. We have a few theories as to how this could all play out, but we'll leave them to ourselves...for now.
Have you read "Clockwork Prince"? What did you think of the book? And how do you think Cecily will factor into "Clockwork Princess"? Tell us in the comments and on Twitter!
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