Clearly, anyone reading this knows the true answer to this is Harry Potter. However, I wanted to branch out in this challenge and discuss some of the other great books I've had the pleasure of reading. It didn't take me long at all to come to a decision here.
The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
*image courtesy of The Readables
(Mild spoilers follow)
What's almost scandalous about this choice is that only 2 books from this series have been published and that Cassie has another (more popular) series with more books to its name. While I appreciate The Mortal Instruments series for being my gateway into the Shadowhunter world, I am ever so smitten with these. I already raved about Clockwork Prince (the second book in the series), but I think both it and the first book Clockwork Angel are fantastic and do not get the attention they deserve. What I enjoy most are the characters- more specifically Tessa, Will, and Jem. The relationships are so complicated, everyone's keeping secrets, everyone's suffering in silence, but it's all written in a way that complements them rather than makes them seem like bad people. Even Will, the one that would be considered the "bad boy" of the parabatai pair, has a completely legitimate reason behind his inner ugliness (because the boy certainly doesn't have any outer ugliness) that is heart-breaking. Everything is life-or-death-serious, and it's awesome. This is the way a love triangle should be written: Team Everybody FTW.
The other aspect of this series that I love is that it takes place in 1878 in London, one of my favorite cities. Cassie has mentioned that Tessa appears at the end of the third Mortal Instruments book which is in 2007, and the reader already knows that Tessa is some kind of warlock and thus is immortal (thus showing up alive and well in 2007 when you know she is 16 in 1878). And Will and Jem are not immortal. Jem definitely isn't, as he's dying. So my question is, how can this series end happily? Answer: it CAN'T. With every word I read, I think about how much of a DOWNER it's going to be when it ends, and you know I LOVE a good downer! No, really, I do. I'm morose and kind of morbid and a wee bit bittersweet as well. Hi, I'm Jessica, it's nice to meet you.
Either way, I'll have my answer in 2013 (WHY MUST I WAIT SO LONG?!?!) when I read Clockwork Princess. Until then, I'll continue to push my theories of Team Everybody and dream of a day when people truly believe that demon pox is real.
(Mild spoilers follow)
What's almost scandalous about this choice is that only 2 books from this series have been published and that Cassie has another (more popular) series with more books to its name. While I appreciate The Mortal Instruments series for being my gateway into the Shadowhunter world, I am ever so smitten with these. I already raved about Clockwork Prince (the second book in the series), but I think both it and the first book Clockwork Angel are fantastic and do not get the attention they deserve. What I enjoy most are the characters- more specifically Tessa, Will, and Jem. The relationships are so complicated, everyone's keeping secrets, everyone's suffering in silence, but it's all written in a way that complements them rather than makes them seem like bad people. Even Will, the one that would be considered the "bad boy" of the parabatai pair, has a completely legitimate reason behind his inner ugliness (because the boy certainly doesn't have any outer ugliness) that is heart-breaking. Everything is life-or-death-serious, and it's awesome. This is the way a love triangle should be written: Team Everybody FTW.
The other aspect of this series that I love is that it takes place in 1878 in London, one of my favorite cities. Cassie has mentioned that Tessa appears at the end of the third Mortal Instruments book which is in 2007, and the reader already knows that Tessa is some kind of warlock and thus is immortal (thus showing up alive and well in 2007 when you know she is 16 in 1878). And Will and Jem are not immortal. Jem definitely isn't, as he's dying. So my question is, how can this series end happily? Answer: it CAN'T. With every word I read, I think about how much of a DOWNER it's going to be when it ends, and you know I LOVE a good downer! No, really, I do. I'm morose and kind of morbid and a wee bit bittersweet as well. Hi, I'm Jessica, it's nice to meet you.
Either way, I'll have my answer in 2013 (WHY MUST I WAIT SO LONG?!?!) when I read Clockwork Princess. Until then, I'll continue to push my theories of Team Everybody and dream of a day when people truly believe that demon pox is real.
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