[Infernal Readalong] Clockwork Angel Week 4: Chapter 19 - Epilogue

Week 4: Chapter 19 - Epilogue

Hey quirks! As you may remember from this post, I'm participating in a readalong of Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices! We are in the final week of reading Clockwork Angel and this is the final recap post, but you can see the others here. J and I will also be doing a video chat discussing the book that will be posted sometime this weekend.

In my recap posts there is a high chance of  SPOILERS. If you do not want to be spoiled on anything, I suggest reading the listed chapters before reading this post or avoiding these posts if you haven't read the book.

Chapter 19
Tessa, Sophie, and Jessamine are safely in the Sanctuary. They rehash what just happened, and Sophie gets mad at Jessamine for just leaving Thomas. Then the girls hear Will at the door, and before Tessa can warn Jessamine not to open it, the door is opened and Mortmain, Nate, and some clockwork henchmen come inside. We switch perspectives for a short passage to the real Will, who is rushing through London to get back to the Institute. When he arrives, the doors are ajar which worries him greatly.

There is some discussion back in the Sanctuary, with Nate continuing to be despicable, and Mortmain instructs him to go get something from the weapon room. Then Mortmain sets his automatons to kill Sophie and Jessamine, but as they are doing so, Tessa begs for Mortmain to stop them, and he says he will if Tessa promises not to run. She does, and the other two girls are taken out of the Sanctuary, leaving just Tessa and Mortmain alone. Back with Will, he enters the Institute to find Agatha dead, and then he finds Thomas, almost dead. After Thomas passes, Will is angry and grieving and heads to the Sanctuary.

Tessa and Mortmain begin discussing the situation, and Mortmain hands her a watch and tells her to change into the person it belonged to, someone with the initials J.T.S. Tessa refuses and Mortmain threatens to bring the other girls back in and kill them, but Tessa finds Jessamine's knife and turns it upon herself. Back downstairs in the Institute, Jem arrives and is looking for Will when Jessamine and Sophie, being held by automatons, and Nate, holding the Pyxis, appear on the stairs. Jem tries to reason with Nate, but it is no use and Nate has the automatons go after Jem. In the middle of the fighting, Henry and Charlotte arrive, and when the automatons are defeated, they realize Nate and the Pyxis are gone. The group decides to go after Will, who they figure is going after Tessa.

Back in the Sanctuary, Tessa demands answers about her lineage and why Mortmain, who is just a mundane, had her created. We learn some interesting details, such as Tessa's mother didn't know she was cheating on her husband (the shape-changing demon Eidolon perhaps?), and that her mother may have not been entirely human, though she was unaware of it if she wasn't. Mortmain also says that "warlock" is the best word for what Tessa is, and that her existence had been planned before Mortmain was involved. Tessa orders him to get out, but he doesn't believe she will stab herself, and Mortmain calls her bluff. Tessa remembers something Will told her about the warrior woman Boadicea and how she killed herself to keep from being captured by the Romans, and then Tessa stabs herself in the chest.

Will arrives in the Sanctuary to find Mortmain standing over Tessa, blood everywhere. Will accuses Mortmain of killing her, but Mortmain tells him what happened and says that he grieves Tessa's loss more then Will ever could. Will says that his despair will be temporary, but before Will can kill Mortmain, Mortmain vanishes into thin air. Baffled, Will goes to Tessa and finds her alive. She explains that she changed into a murder victim that, when she had done it before, had gotten blood everywhere, so she turned away so Mortmain couldn't see her change, but she did it just long enough to get the blood to come pouring out, and then she acted dead. We have Will ending the chapter by thinking he has lost everything, which I think is because he has truly fallen in love with Tessa, and that because he knows or suspects how Jem feels about Tessa, Will's own feelings are a tragedy to him.

Chapter 20
We start this final chapter with Tessa thinking about the rituals of Shadowhunter funerals, how they wear white clothes and red runes. Tessa was not allowed to go to the funeral, and she thinks that because the whole situation was because of her and because she is a Downworlder, they are going to tell her to leave when the Nephilum return from the funeral. When they do return, Charlotte tells Tessa that she wants Tessa to stay and there is nothing against the Law about having a Downworlder stay as a guest at the Institute. Charlotte and Henry are expecting to be in lots of trouble about the whole thing, but Charlotte thinks having Tessa on her side will help.

Then Tessa goes to find Will, and he is on the roof of the Institute. She starts talking to him about the good news, and she expresses her growing feelings for him. They share a passionate kiss and embrace, and then Will says they need to discuss their arrangements since Tessa is staying. Tessa doesn't understand. Will explains that because Jem comes in and out of Will's room, Jem would find it odd if the door were locked, so Tessa's room would probably be best. Tessa still doesn't understand, so he goes on to say that it is obviously what Tessa wanted, because a Shadowhunter and Downworlder can have nothing more serious than a dalliance, as he calls it. Tessa is angry and offended, and Will goes on to say that she can't fear having a kid ("the unwanted consequence of a dalliance") because Warlocks cannot have children. Tessa did not know this and is shocked. Will, obviously, knew she did not know, and again, here we see the Herondale calculated cruelty. Seriously, does anyone with the name Herondale ever just come out and say what they mean and mean what they say? Upset, Tessa flees the roof and Will.

Tessa is hiding in the music room, reading over a portion of the Codex that she hadn't read before, about Warlocks and their infertility. However, Church wanders in and is followed by Jem. Jem instantly knows something is wrong and asks Tessa. She is surprised he recognized her sadness (but he did because he loves her - or is falling for her at the very least). She shows him the book and they discuss some of the things Mormtain said. Tessa wonders that since her mom probably knew that Tessa was not a human child, how could she have loved Tessa? Jem says that obviously Tessa's parents hid her from Mortmain, so they did love her. Then Jem goes on to make a case for how Tessa should consider the Shadowhunters in the Institute her family, that they are all orphans but that doesn't mean they need to be alone. Then Jem questions Tessa again on what is wrong, knowing it wasn't all about the infertility thing. She tells him that Will basically said he doesn't want her at the Institute, and Jem replies that Will, like all family, is difficult. Jem also says that though Tessa may feel inhuman, the right man will not care (aww, Jem, you are so my favorite). Tessa doesn't get to reply because there is a tapping at the window. Jem opens it and Tessa's clockwork angel flies inside and goes lifeless again, readyto go back around Tessa's neck. 

Epilogue
We are shown Magnus Bane in Camille's house. Camille has not returned yet despite de Quincey having been dispatched. Magnus is questioning why Camille was in a relationship with him, but whatever the reason, he wants to see her again and staying at her place gives him the best chance. Camille's longtime subjugate comes to tell Magnus that a Shadowhunter is there to see him. Magnus expects it to be Charlotte because Magnus has been helping them clean up the aftermath of Mortmain and de Quincey, but he is told it is a man who is soaked through due to the rain. Magnus goes to meet the visitor and it is Will. Magnus asks if anything else has happened, but Will says no, he is there because Will needs Magnus's help. Will seems completely desperate, and the book closes with Magnus asking Will what the problem is.

My verdict now:
I rather enjoyed Clockwork Angel. There were some issues, but overall I came away entertained and loving some of the characters (okay, Jem mostly). I like how the arc of the book was finished but that there are still questions, and I am dying to know what Will is going to ask Magnus. Good thing we (J and I) are going to be doing the readalong of Clockwork Prince next! It will begin in November, so look for the announcement!

Also check back this weekend for a video chat about Clockwork Angel and my official review!