Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, 2010 Walker Books

     When Theresa Gray arrives in London after the death of her Aunt Harriet she expects to be met by her brother, Nathaniel. Instead she runs into the Dark Sisters, two warlock sisters who plunge Tessa into a world of demons, wizards, vampires, warlocks, and Shadowhunters.
     After six weeks of captivity, being forced to discover and learn how to control an unknown power at the hands of the Dark Sisters, Tessa is rescued by William Herondale and James Carstairs. She joins them at the Institute where she meets other Shadowhunters and discovers their mission as Nephilim: angels who keep the world of Downlanders separate from the human realm. No one knows who, or what, Tessa is but they do learn she is a Downlander.
     The Shadowhunters begin their search for Nathaniel, and Tessa begins her training with Will, Jem, and Jessie (another young Shadowhunter) in order to defend herself against the Magister, a criminal mastermind trying to harness her strange powers in the hope of controlling the world. Her feelings for Will grow and this strange young man who drives everyone away becomes a fascination.
     The group encounters strange clockwork devices that function as if they were human, and are to an extent--wrapped in human flesh. The leaders of the Institute, Charlotte and Henry come across a lead: the vampire de Quincey is the Magister and holds Nathaniel prisoner. When the Nephilim go undercover to check out the lead, de Quincey and his fellows drain a human, leading to the discovery of Nathaniel and a battle between the Shadowhunters and vampires.
     Will swallows vampire blood during the fight and, while he drinks holy water to cleanse himself, he and Tessa share their first kiss. Afterward, life goes on much as it has, however Will distances himself even further from Tessa. When she and Jem go on patrol, they run into an army of the clockwork devices and though they make it back to the Institute, Jem is injured. During his recovery, Jem reveals to Tessa his addiction to a demon drug that while it keeps him alive, only slows his death.
     After some trickery, Jessie and Tessa are left at the Institute with Nathaniel while the Magister marches his Clockwork Army on the building. The ensuing battle ends in many losses, both in people, assets, and innocent notions. When the Shadowhunters regroup at the Institute, the betrayal slices through the group, but they live to fight another day. Charlotte and Henry ask Tessa to stay, and despite misgivings she stays.
     Tessa's story includes romance, self discovery, and betrayal. Although she is only sixteen, Tessa must grow up quickly to survive the chaos that surrounds her life in London. Her friendships with Will and Jem help her through the changes, but there are still elements that Tessa must figure out for herself. It was written for an older group: fifteen or older, with some mature segments and themes.