| $@%&! level: Low “Bedroom” level: Low (though Will can be rather suggestive at times) Violence level: Medium-High (lots of fighting, and killing, and blood. And at least one decapitation.) Back Cover: “When Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother in Victorian England, something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld. Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, who are members of a secret organization called the Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she has a power to transform into another person. The Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own. Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James and Will. As Tessa is drawn deep into a plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, she realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.” |
The beginning is perhaps a little confusing, and possibly that's because this is a prequel series, but they manage to explain things in pretty short order, and get right into the meat of the story. It's a cracking good adventure, with lots of fighting, rescuing and being rescued, and different kinds of magic being used with wild abandon. Except for Tessa's magic—she doesn't much like using hers, so she's very sparing with it. To tell the truth, I think the story would progress a lot more quickly if she wasn't quite so reticent about it. (I would especially like to see her turn into Will, but I won't tell you why. I just think it'd help both of them a whole lot.)
But, while the adventure made it fast-paced and exciting, it was the mystery that truly held my attention. What is wrong with James? Why does Will act the way he does? Who is the Magister, and what does he want with Tessa? Why is Tessa so different from her brother? And speaking of her brother, what happened to him? That last one is the question that sets everything in motion, of course. In this first book, you get the answer to...well, some of those questions, but by no means all of them. You have to save some of the mystery for the remaining books, right?
And finally, you know I love a good brother relationship, and this is definitely an excellent example. Will and James are very different—and not just in looks—but completely devoted to each other. I don't know that I enjoy the whole idea of having the woman torn between the two best friends. That story gets old for me, especially because it would take a narrative miracle for me to believe she won't end up with her first choice, and then what happens to the best friend? But I guess the love triangle can provide dramatic tension for those times when the story slows down a bit—mostly for periods of research and investigation. And meal times. (Well, it is a British household, after all.)