The second she arrives at their home, Tessa discovers that (shockingly) the Dark Sisters aren't actually Nate's landladies at all; instead, they claim to be holding him prisoner and will only release him if she accedes to their every demand. Now their prisoner and desperate to see her brother again, she does what they ask, everything from drinking strange potions to concentrating on seemingly random items while the sisters scream at her to Change. Despite having no idea what they expect to happen but too scared to disobey, Tessa continues to follow their instructions until, one day, something does happen. While focusing on an item they've given her, she is shocked to find herself changing into the item's previous owner, even able to access their memories. Suddenly she is immersed in a world she never knew existed, one with warlocks and magic and a mysterious figure the Dark Sisters reverently refer to only as the Magister. Even the servants are more than they appear to be, automatons that are frighteningly lifelike and merciless in carrying out orders. Forced to change into different people to collect information, Tessa begins to despair of ever being free again, especially when she learns that she's a crucial part of the Magister's mysterious plan. Enter the Nephilim.
Half human and half angel, the Nephilim are peacekeepers, ensuring that the supernatural population, called Downworlders, follow the Accords that keep their existence a secret from ignorant mortals. Already endowed with enhanced attributes thanks to their angelic predecessors, Nephilim are further assisted by runes permanently tattooed on their bodies that give them increased abilities and iratzes, temporary runes used for all manner of purposes. While investigating a string of mortal murders, the London branch of Nephilim follows the clues to the Dark Sisters, who have a notoriously unsavory reputation in Downworld circles. Intent on justice for the murder victims, typically sarcastic and irreverent Will Herondale makes plans to infiltrate the house and see what he can find. Helped by his parabatai, or sworn blood-brother, Jem Carstairs, Will breaks into the house and is surprised to find Tessa locked in a room upstairs. After a harrowing escape in which one of the Sisters is killed, the Nephilim bring Tessa to the London Institute to stay while she recovers from injuries sustained in the escape.
Although she's now free from the clutches of the Dark Sisters, Tessa finds that she's traded one uncertain situation for another, albeit a more pleasant one. Despite promises from Charlotte, the head of the London Institute, that they have no desire to use her unique power against her wishes, Tessa is unwilling to trust anyone after the ordeal she's been through. Soon, though, it becomes apparent that she'll have to if she's ever going to see Nate again. As hard as it is at first, she finds herself more and more at ease the longer she spends with the Nephilim. Charlotte is a capable leader, but is also kind and compassionate. Her husband, Henry, is a brilliant inventor, if somewhat absentminded. The other Nephilim in the house are all trainees and Tessa begins to develop a tentative acquaintanceship with each of them. Jessamine, the high-maintenance social butterfly who dreams of a normal life; Jem, a Shanghai native with a devastating illness, the cure for which is slowly killing him; and Will. Frustrating, maddening Will, who has a book quote for every situation. Will, who intentionally keeps everyone at arms-length except Jem, the man to whom he's sworn a lifelong oath even though Jem's life is likely to be much shorter. He's the one she finds most interesting when she arrives, but he's also the one she has the most trouble getting to know. As her bond with the others steadily grows, some even past friendship, Tessa struggles to understand her feelings for Will while simultaneously being unable to interpret his attitude towards her. Meanwhile, the hunt to rescue her brother gets them into increasingly dangerous situations and a plot is uncovered that could spell disaster for her and the Nephilim. Will Tessa be able to overcome her fear of her newfound ability and save them all?
Before I do reviewing of any sort, I feel obligated to put a disclaimer in here. When I picked up this book for the first time, I'd never heard of Cassandra Clare and I'd certainly never heard of the Mortal Instruments (the sequel series to the Infernal Devices, although it technically came first). My understanding now is that 1) Cassandra Clare is in some hot water over plagiarism accusations and 2) there are a lot of mixed feelings about the Mortal Instruments that cause people to have a premeditated, negative opinion about the Infernal Devices. I can't speak for any of that because a. I don't know enough about the scandal and b. I still haven't read the Mortal Instruments and, quite frankly, I'm leaning towards not doing so based on things I've heard about it and the fact that she's released roughly 187 spinoffs off of it. That being said, this review is 100% based on nothing but the actual book. Which is what I try to do anyway, but hey now you have confirmation.
Y'all already know that I have a soft spot for Victorian fantasy and, in my humble opinion, this series is Victorian fantasy at its finest. The first time I read this series, I was reading them so fast that I had to keep running to Walmart to get the next one because I couldn't wait for the next scheduled trip. Like you know it was a good book when you find yourself on Etsy 5 minutes after you finished the book looking for character themed candles. And soap. And t-shirts. It's got magic. It's got adventure. It's got romance. It's also got a unique world wrapped in the familiarity of Victorian London, the occasional beheading, and the kind of slapstick humor that'll have you randomly snorting like a pig in public. It's all of these fabulous things and then some, but it's also so much more.
Each character is real in heartbreaking detail. There's literally not a single character that hasn't been shaped by some traumatic event in the past that's still affecting them in the present and, especially later in the series, it's enough to make you bawl your eyes out. For realsies. Even though I've read it before, my nails were so chewed up after re-reading all of them because they're just that good. There are very few things to which I'll say "that's one of my favorites", but this is absolutely very close to the top of my favorites list and if you ever asked, I'd recommend it before you even had the whole question out. The fact that I haven't read it for years and still love it this much should give you some idea of it's undying fabulousness. But just so we're clear, if you do decide to read it, prepare yourself for a LOT of the following because it's basically the entire series:
Pros:
- Heart-pounding, mile-a-minute action
- Incredibly immersive
- Complex characters that aren't just *all* good or *all* evil
Cons:
- If you've read the Mortal Instruments, I've seen a lot of critique that these are almost formulaic plot-wise and character-wise, which is one of the reasons I don't want to read the other series.
- Not this book specifically, but man the series ending will TEAR. YOUR. HEART. OUT. Just a heads up.
- There's not enough time in the day to read these fast enough once you get started. SO. GOOD. MUST. READ.
Final rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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