The Infernal Devices

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The Infernal Devices
The Infernal Devices box set.jpg


Author Cassandra Clare
CountryLondon, England
LanguageEnglish
Genre Urban fantasy, Paranormal romance, Historical fantasy, Young adult
Publisher Simon & Schuster
PublishedAugust 31, 2010 – March 19, 2013
Media type
No. of books3
Followed by The Last Hours

The Infernal Devices is a trilogy by author Cassandra Clare, centring on a race called the Shadowhunters introduced in her The Mortal Instruments series. The trilogy is a prequel series to TheMortal Instruments series. Cassandra Clare has stated that the two series are able to be read in any order, but it is best to read them in publication order. [1]

Contents

The series follows Tessa Gray, an orphaned teenage girl who discovers she has the power to shape-shift but doesn't bear a Warlock’s mark. She is forced to learn how to control this newly established power and navigate the new world she’s been thrust into. The series follows Tessa's life as she lives in the London Institute with the Shadowhunters.

The trilogy features William "Will" Herondale, James "Jem" Carstairs, Theresa "Tessa" Gray, and other Downworlders and Shadowhunters. It also features Magnus Bane, Camille Belcourt, and Woolsey Scott and other characters who appear in The Mortal Instruments series.

The books also contain many quotes referring to famous pieces of Victorian Literature like Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, and the works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Alfred Tennyson.

Synopsis

The series takes place in London England in 1878, a short time after the peace treaties between Downworlders and Shadowhunters. As Shadowhunters consider themselves superior or purer than Downworlders or demons, they may have no qualms about killing either.

The first book in The Infernal Devices is entitled Clockwork Angel and begins the story of Tessa Gray, an orphan teenage girl who is looking for her brother Nathaniel Gray, who has disappeared, and seeks her true identity.

Her search plunges her into a world she never knew existed and reveals talents she never knew she had. She will have to learn to master them if she wants to find her brother, and must forge an alliance with Shadowhunters if she wants to survive in this dangerous world. Many of the family names of the Shadowhunters used in The Mortal Instruments are first introduced in this series. Another character in The Infernal Devices, Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn, also plays a part in the series.

As Tessa Gray is drawn deeper into the Shadow World, and goes on the quest of finding her brother, she falls in love with two Shadowhunters–but when it comes to choosing one, trouble begins to brew and suspense finds its way into her life. She will have to learn to hide her feelings if she hopes to survive. However, as her heart rages for love but her mind is bent on saving her brother, will she hide her vulnerable side? Which of the Shadowhunters will win her heart?

Publication history

  1. Clockwork Angel (August 31, 2010)
  2. Clockwork Prince (December 6, 2011)
  3. Clockwork Princess (March 19, 2013)

Characters

Reception

The series has received much positive critical reception, with the first book averaging a score of 4.3/5 on Goodreads. [3] The first volume of the original English-language manga adaptation made it to The New York Times Manga Best Seller list for the week of October 28–November 3, 2012. [4]

Adaptations

Cassandra Clare has confirmed that "The Infernal Devices has been optioned as a film project by the same people who optioned The Mortal Instruments along with the Walt Disney Pictures." [5]

It was announced in May 2020 that The Infernal Devices will be adapted into a TV series for BBC Three. [6]

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<i>Lady Midnight</i>

Lady Midnight is a young adult urban fantasy novel by Cassandra Clare. It is the first book in The Dark Artifices, which is chronologically fourth in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. The book follows the events that occur in the Los Angeles area in 2012, focusing on the residents of the Los Angeles Institute. The title was based upon Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe and all of the chapter titles are lines from the poem.

<i>Lord of Shadows</i>

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<i>Queen of Air and Darkness</i> (Clare novel) 2018 fantasy book by Cassandra Clare

Queen of Air and Darkness is the third and final book in The Dark Artifices trilogy by Cassandra Clare, which is the fourth chronological series in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. This series follows the characters of the LA Institute in 2012 and features characters from all of the previous series. The chapter titles all come from the poem The City in the Sea by Edgar Allan Poe.

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References

  1. "The Infernal Devices - Cassandra Clare". Cassandraclare.com. Retrieved 2014-06-06.
  2. "Cassandra Clare - New York Times Bestselling Author".
  3. "Clockwork Angel - Goodreads" . Retrieved 2014-06-06.
  4. "New York Times Manga Best Seller List, October 28-November 3". Anime News Network. November 9, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  5. "Is The Infernal Devices going to be a movie? - Cassandra Clare" . Retrieved 2014-09-15.
  6. "Exclusive: The Infernal Devices Adaptation in the Works at BBC Three". The Cinema Spot. May 6, 2020.