the infernal devices – Zakiya N. Jamal

12 Book Boyfriends To Spice Up Your Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 12, 2016February 12, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and for those of us who don’t have plans, the best way to spend the holiday is with a good book. And why not a book with the man of your dreams? Here’s who I plan on spending my V-Day with. Who’s your favorite book boyfriend? Let me know in the comments below!

1. Owen Gentry (Confess)

I just finished this book and I’m still not over it. Owen is amazing. He’s cute, funny, and so incredibly sweet. This book was incredible and so is Owen.

2. Will Herondale (The Infernal Devices)

I love Will. Not only does he love books but he quotes them with ease. He’s a man after my own heart.

3. Etienne St. Clair (Anna and the French Kiss)

St. Clair is a Brit who grew up in America who can speak French. Talk about multicultural. Besides that he’s also hot, sweet, and an all around good guy.

4. Josh Wasserstein (Isla and the Happily Ever After)

Oh Josh. He’s got some issues that he needs to work through but despite his struggles he still mentions to be so incredibly loving towards Isla and it’s wonderful.

5. Prince Kai (The Lunar Chronicles)

Almost every guy in The Lunar Chronicles is one of my book boyfriends but Kai has a special place in my heart. The way he falls so hard for Cinder is so endearing and cute.

6. Levi (Fangirl)

Levi is such a cute, tall dork. I love how he just gets Cath and her fangirl ways. Any guy that willingly listens to a girl read her fanfiction is a great guy in my book.

7. Prince Maxon Schreave (The Selection)

Maxon and America are my OTP. The way Maxon falls head over heels for America and loves everything about her is too cute for words. He treats her like she’s already his queen.

8. Tobias “Four” Eaton (Divergent)

Four is the definition of having a hard shell but being such a softy on the inside. He’s so protective of Tris and just loves her so much. It’s unbelievable.

9. Daemon Black (The Lux Series)

Daemon has such a bad boy persona and although I hate to admit it I’m a sucker for a bad boy with a nice center. And Daemon is just that and more.

10. Raffe (Angelfall)

Raffe is literally an angel. With wings! Well, kind of. But Raffe isn’t a sweet angel with a halo. He’s got an edge but protagonist Penryn is able to wear him down.

11. Liam Stewart (The Darkest Minds)

If Liam’s good looks don’t immediately suck you in his Southern charm and drawl definitely will. He’s so genuine and kind, and he’ll instantly tug at your heart strings.

12. Adrian Ivashkov (Bloodlines)

Adrian is the rich, bad boy you know you shouldn’t want but you just can’t resist his charm. Honestly, though, Adrian has a big heart and he treats his ladies right.

Woman Crush Wednesday: Theresa “Tessa” Gray

Posted on January 27, 2016January 27, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Tessa is amazing. She loves to read, adventure, and is insanely loyal, even when she probably shouldn’t be. She cares about her family to a fault and looks for the good in people.

Of course, she’s also beautiful, because what heroine isn’t? But I really like the fact that she loves to read. I love reading about characters who also love to read. It’s kind of meta but also fun to see them fangirl over a book while you’re in the middle of fangirling over a book. It was also interesting to see her love books during the 19th century, books that to me are considered classics and truthfully, not something I’d read voluntarily.

She made me want to do a book challenge of books Tessa Gray has read. Maybe I will one day.

The point is Tessa is great. She has this quick wit that makes her conversations with the infamous Will Herondale very funny to read and her kindness and love for Jem is heartbreakingly beautiful.

If you haven’t read The Infernal Devices trilogy yet, make sure you do. They’re a great read.

Favorite Moment:

“They’re not hideous,” said Tessa.
Will blinked at her. “What?”
“Gideon and Gabriel,” said Tessa. “They’re really quite good-looking, not hideous at all.”
“I spoke,” said Will, in sepulchral tones, “of the pitch-black inner depths of their souls.”
Tessa snorted. “And what color do you suppose the inner depths of your soul are, Will Herondale?”
“Mauve,” said Will.

Dreamcast: Anna Popplewell

Man Crush Monday: William “Will” Owen Herondale

Posted on January 11, 2016January 10, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare involves one of the most interesting love triangles I’ve ever read. That being said, although I truly love Jem I also really love Will and I believe we’re supposed to love them both just as protagonist Tessa Gray does.

Therefore I had to dedicate a Man Crush Monday to Will. He’s incredibly handsome with his jet black hair and blue eyes. More than that, he’s got that complicated, bad boy, dark past that makes him incredibly irresistible even though it totally shouldn’t.

When we’re first introduced to Will he’s adventurous and snarky, pushing away the people that love him because he feels he has to. The only person he lets love him is Jem and their friendship is amazing. They’re parabatai, which in the Shadowhunter world means they’ve taken an oath to protect and look out each other for the rest of their lives. It’s kind of like they got married but they’re like brothers, not husband and wife.

Anyway, I honestly think I loved Jem and Will’s relationship more than Tessa and Will’s relationship because the bond between Jem and Will was just so strong. I won’t spoil it but they’re friendship goals to the max.

But back to Will as a person. He’s really funny, loves books (a man truly after my own heart), and he’s weirdly afraid of ducks. Oh, and did I mention he’s very attractive. Because he his. Even Magnus can’t keep his eyes off him.

Honestly, if you haven’t read The Infernal Devices trilogy yet please do so immediately. Even if you don’t like The Mortal Instruments still read this prequel series. I think it could stand on it’s own and I liked it better than The Mortal Instruments anyway. Although Alec and Magnus are still my OTP so you do miss out on that. Seriously though, read these books!

Swoonworthy Line:

“Of course you can have a true Shadowhunter name. You can have mine.”

Dreamcast: Joshua Anthony Brand

Book Review: Clockwork Princess

Posted on January 5, 2016May 19, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon:

A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain plans to use his Infernal Devices, an army of pitiless automatons, to destroy the Shadowhunters. He needs only one last item to complete his plan: he needs Tessa Gray.

Charlotte Branwell, head of the London Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. But when Mortmain abducts Tessa, the boys who lay equal claim to her heart, Will and Jem, will do anything to save her. As those who love Tessa rally to rescue her from Mortmain’s clutches, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself. But can a single girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army?

The tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

*This book is part of my POPSUGAR 2016 Reading Challenge.*

This was book was everything I needed and more. It concluded the trilogy perfectly and even though I knew how it would end there were still some things that took me by surprise.

This novel starts off a few months after Clockwork Prince. We begin with Tessa preparing for her wedding to Jem and Charlotte being forced to convince her superiors (mainly the Consul) that she’s not only capable of doing her job but that she’s right about Mortmain and his plans (although he has been MIA for a while).

Of course, as a woman in the 19th Century, Charlotte is being constantly underestimated so this causes many problems. Meanwhile, Will and Tessa are still dealing with their feelings for each other by basically not dealing with them at all.

What I really loved about this novel, though, was the major appearance of the Lightwoods. Gabriel and Gideon took more of a center stage in this novel, as did their love interests, which I really like. I also find it interesting learning more about Izzy and Alec’s ancestors and I’m curious to find out if they’re descendants of Gabriel or Gideon.

All in all, just like every other book Cassandra Clare has written, this novel was filled with fight scenes, lots of love, the same old love triangle, and a magical world that us mundanes could never truly understand.

My only issue, and I had this issue with the first two books, is as much as I love Jem personally it always felt like Tessa really loved Will and she felt more of a kindness to Jem. For example, her scenes with Will always seemed more passionate and intense, like she literally keep herself from loving him. Whereas with Jem she loved that he was kind and sweet but there was no scorching hot passion there. He didn’t make her heart race.

Still, overall, I really enjoyed this book. Truly, I don’t know how Clare continues to expand and stretch this world she’s created but I hope she never leaves it because I’m always excited to learn more about these Shadowhunters and my favorite warlock, Magnus.

Also, be sure to check out the extra epilogue to Clockwork Princess on Clare’s Tumblr page. If you’re a Jem fan like I am, you’ll love it.

Borrow or Buy: Buy!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“Of course you can have a true Shadowhunter name.You can have mine.”

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Man Crush Monday: James “Jem” Carstairs

Posted on December 7, 2015December 5, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Well it has been a while since I did one of these but I’m so happy to bring back Man Crush Mondays. If there’s any hot (literary) guys you want to see in the rotation let me know in the comments. For today, however, my Man Crush Monday is none other than Jem Carstairs from The Infernal Devices.

When it comes to The Infernal Devices a lot of people swoon over Will Herondale. And yes he’s cute and brooding and blah blah blah but let’s be real, Jem is the real catch here.

Jem is sweet, kind, a little shy, and a gentleman. He takes everything in stride and it’s really hard to make him angry. If you somehow piss off Jem you know you messed up real bad.

Moreover, he’s also cute. His “disease” gives him silver hair and eyes but they work really well on him. Plus, he’s just so gentle and you know he’ll never hurt you and do everything he can to take care of you.

Seriously, Jem is the best in every way. He’s also a little funny and he can play the violin beautifully. Plus, being a Shadowhunter he’s a skilled fighter and he’s strong.

Jem is the whole package and I’ll be on Team Jem always. The end.

“I can offer you my life, but it is a short life; I can offer you my heart, though I have no idea how many more beats it shall sustain. But I love you enough to hope that you will not care that I am being selfish in trying to make the rest of my life – whatever length – happy, by spending it with you.”

Book Review: Clockwork Prince

Posted on November 26, 2015November 26, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

*Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t read Clockwork Angel yet don’t read this review.*

I don’t even know where to begin with this book. There was betrayal, a love triangle, action, surprises, and so much more. I loved it. Honestly, I don’t even know what else to say.

At the start of this novel ~~Benedick~~ Benedict Lightwood (who I still can’t believe is Izzy and Alec’s ancestor but I digress) attempts to take the London Institute from Charlotte. The Consul isn’t having it so instead he tasks Charlotte with finding the Magister (Mortmain) in two weeks or else she’ll lose the Institute.

Well, that’s easier said than done when their only connection to Mortmain was Tessa’s brother, Nate, who’s disappeared. Meanwhile, Lightwood’s sons, Gideon and Gabriel, are sent to the Institute to train Tessa and Sophie, which only stresses out Charlotte more.

I really felt for Charlotte in this novel. I find her relationship with Henry interesting and I swear if anything happens to them in the next book I will raise hell.

Just kidding. Maybe.

I also fell in love with Jem Carstairs. I was already starting to fall in love him in the first novel but this book pushed me over the edge. He’s so sweet and kind and I just want him to live forever and protect him from all harm. Obviously I know that’s not possible but still. Almost all his lines hit me in the feels.

One thing, or rather person, that did bother me in this book was Tessa. I get that there’s a love triangle but I think she needed to be honest with Will and Jem about it instead acting as if she loved just the one and not both. If she breaks Jem’s hurt in the next book I’ll be pissed.

But besides that, great novel!

Borrow or Buy: Buy!!!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“I can offer you my life, but it is a short life; I can offer you my heart, though I have no idea how many more beats it shall sustain. But I love you enough to hope that you will not care that I am being selfish in trying to make the rest of my life – whatever length – happy, by spending it with you.”

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Book Review: Clockwork Angel

Posted on November 10, 2015November 8, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them….

*Note: If you haven’t finished the Mortal Instruments series yet, beware the spoilers!*

Thankfully my library has all The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices books because otherwise I’d be totally broke by now. I’ve been reading Cassandra Clare’s books almost non-stop for months now and it’s getting a little out of control.

In this prequel trilogy to The Mortal Instruments, we follow Tessa, Will, and Jem as they go up against the Pandemonium Club (I love that this later becomes the name of an actual club in NY). This novel had the same level of action, romance, and plot twists as The Mortal Instruments. So, of course, I loved it.

I could definitely see the similarities between both books and heroines. Tessa and Clary both know nothing about the Shadow World before they’re suddenly thrown into it. Differently, Tessa is a Downworlder and doesn’t know it, whereas Clary is a Shadowhunter who doesn’t know it. Plus, there’s that whole “being in a different time period” thing, as well.

I found it really interesting getting to know Will Herondale since he’s Jace’s ancestor. I definitely see similarities between the two, which was cool. The only issue I had with this book is I already know everything that’s going to happen. But this isn’t the novel’s fault, it’s my own. I read the whole Mortal Instruments series and The Bane Chronicles before I began reading this book so I know who Tessa ends up with and what she is and everything else.

Therefore my suggestion would be to read this trilogy before you even read The Mortal Instruments. Or read the first three books and then read The Infernal Devices and then finish The Mortal Instruments. Definitely do not read Magnus Bane’s stories until you read this prequel though because spoilers everywhere in there.

Besides that I absolutely loved this book. Now I finally get all the hype for Will and Jem. Although, to be honest, I’m definitely a bigger fan of Jem than Will but that might be because I’ve only read the first book and rumor has it Will is just going through some stuff right now. But I’m in love with Jem! He’s so sweet and cute and … well, I won’t spoil it but I know this trilogy will be my undoing. But I’ll still love it!

Borrow or Buy: Buy!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“It is as great a thing to love as it is to be loved. Love is not something that can be wasted.”

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Book Review: The Bane Chronicles

Posted on October 14, 2015October 15, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Fans of The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices can get to know warlock Magnus Bane like never before in this collection of New York Times bestselling tales, in print for the first time with an exclusive new story and illustrated material.

This collection of eleven short stories illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality, flamboyant style, and sharp wit populate the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices.

Originally released one-by-one as e-only short stories by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan, this compilation presents all ten together in print for the first time and includes a never-before-seen eleventh tale, as well as new illustrated material.

I love Magnus Bane. I love his sass and that he’s so kind and genuinely loving even though he sometimes tries to pretend he’s not. Therefore when I found out there was a book centered completely around Magnus I knew I had to read it.

Although the first story about what happened in Peru was terrible and left me worried about the rest of the stories, this book was actually really good. I think starting with the Peru story was the greatest mistake made in the creating of this collection of stories because it totally set the book on the wrong foot.

I obviously love Cassandra Clare’s writing and I know I’ve liked Maureen Johnson in the past but combining three authors’ writing into one book is never easy and I was scared of the outcome. Like I said the first story didn’t make me anymore confident in it but the next story was much better and as the stories went on, each one got better and better.

Of course my favorites were the stories with Alec but I liked the others too. It totally spoiled the Infernal Devices trilogy for me but honestly that’s fine. I’m still going to read them but word to the wise if you don’t want to be spoiled definitely read those first before reading this.

The stories of Alec and Magnus were so cute though. There’s a story about Alec’s birthday and their first date and they’re both adorable. It’s interesting seeing them in the early stages of their relationship because we didn’t really get to see that in the Mortal Instruments series. Alec is such a dork but in the cutest way and it’s fun watching Magnus fall in love with Alec.

Overall, I think I could’ve gone without reading this whole book and just read the stories with Alec but I’m not mad I read the whole thing. It was definitely interesting and made me excited to read the Infernal Devices. I’m glad I didn’t actually purchase it though. I’d only reread the Alec stories and I’m sure I could find those online if I really wanted to. Still, it’s worth a read.

Borrow or Buy: Borrow!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“Trust. It is like placing a blade in someone’s hand and setting the very point to your heart.”

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