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Clockwork Angel is a fantasy novel by Cassandra Clare, which is the first book in The Infernal Devices trilogy. It was published in 2010 and received numerous award nominations. Clare has written several books for young adults, including The Mortal Instruments series. She’s best known for her debut series, which was adapted into a film and television show.
Tessa Gray is moving to London from New York during the time of Queen Victoria. Her brother, Nate, promised to meet her at the docks but didn’t show up. Two women were waiting for her and said that Nate sent them. Tessa got into their coach against her better judgment.
Meanwhile, Will and Jem are fighting demons in London. They’re Shadowhunters, meaning they’re trained to kill demons and other supernatural monsters. Their investigations into a series of missing teenagers lead them to the Pandemonium Club, where they encounter Tessa.
Two women named Mrs. Dark and Mrs. Black are holding Tessa hostage, but Will and Jem rescue her from them. The London Institute is the home of Shadowhunters, who are people that hunt demons in a world where humans don’t know about demons or their existence.
Will and Jem are Shadowhunters who hunt down demons. They can sense that Tessa is not a full-blooded demon, but they need to figure out what she is. A senior Shadowhunter studies her and says that she isn’t quite a demon or human; however, Will finds her attractive anyway. Jem warns Will to stay away from her until they know more about her nature.
Meanwhile, the Shadowhunters try to help Tessa find Nate. They think he’s connected to the Dark Sisters and their desire to steal powers from demons. Tessa thinks that her brother is sweet and kind and wouldn’t be involved with anything bad. The Shadowhunters believe that anything is possible, though.
The Shadowhunters agree that Tessa should pose as one of them so that she can gain access to privileged places. They believe this will help with their investigations, but they change their plans when a local vampire tells them about trouble in the underworld and other vampires breaking the law.
Instead of changing into Jessima, Tessa becomes Camille. She goes to the ball and tries to find out which vampires are breaking the law so they can be punished. However, when she discovers that Nate is in danger from other vampires, she blows her cover as Tessa and tries to save him.
The Clave manages to capture Nate and bring him back to the Institute. They discover that the head of the Pandemonium Club is making his own clockwork army, which consists of demons trapped inside mechanical bodies. It’s extremely difficult to kill them. Tessa realizes that her brother isn’t so innocent after all, because he’s been working with these people.
A Shadowhunter named Jem falls sick with a drug addiction. He is turning grey and his hair, eyes, and body are being affected by the withdrawal symptoms. Tessa runs to tell Will that Jem has been taken over by this drug but before she can get there, the Institute is attacked by clockwork automatons. The Institute is swarming with these automatons and Tessa feels like a burden because she doesn’t know how to fight them off. She faces Nate who isn’t just working for the Pandemonium Club—he’s their leader. She feels betrayed when she finds out he was lying to her all along about helping her find out what happened to her brother Henry (who turned into an automaton). Her emotions make it difficult for her to concentrate on fighting against Nate so she decides not to go after him when he escapes from the Institute with Gideon Lightwood (the head of New York’s institute) as hostage.
