Bookish Kingdom discussion

This buddy read is for the Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare. We are following the order recommended by Clare

Join in anytime! Just have a look at the detail below for where we are up to.

We'll read 4 chapters every 4 days (ish).
The group will read in chapters so all editions (including audiobooks) are welcome.

See below to find current book details and reading schedule.

And don't forget to mark your SPOILERS guys! (check the html link if unsure).


Participants:
Becca
Regsly
Ilsen



Progress:
The Mortal Instruments, Part 1
City of Bones
City of Ashes
City of Glass

The Infernal Devices
Clockwork Angel
Clockwork Prince
Clockwork Princess

The Mortal Instruments, Part 2
City of Fallen Angels
City of Lost Souls
City of Heavenly Fire

The Bane Chronicles
The Shadowhunter Academy
The Dark Artifices

Current book:



Title: Clockwork Princess
Series: Book 3 of The Infernal Devices
Goodreads Rating: 4.59
Reading dates: 01 September - 24 September

Reading Schedule

Clockwork Princess

02/09- 05/09: Read to Chapter 4 (To Be Wise and Love)
05/09 - 09/09: Read to Chapter 8 (That Fire of Fire)
09/09 - 13/09: Read to Chapter 12 (Ghosts on the Road)
13/09 - 17/09: Read to Chapter 16 (The Clockwork Princess)
17/09 - 21/09: Read to Chapter 21 (Burning Gold)
21/09 - 24/09: Read to end!

Hey Regs, do you wanna turn your post into a reading schedule since you beat me to posting? Haha.

The one I've done up is temporary. If people want to read faster or slower let me know. I find chapters are the easiest to track through different editions. What do you guys want?

Lmaooo Well, I don't mind. I was trying to help since I own the book and could see the nr of chapters right away. You just gotta tell us if you're all busy w/ the BOTM & all that.

First of all, it's easier for everyone to stay on the same track w/ chapters for goals.
For the other botms we read like 3/4 chapters every 2 days, which means we don't actually take a full month ending it. This isn't a hard or big to read book, so I believe we can pull that off.

Or we could do 4 chapters every 3 or 4 days. Tell me what you think.

I'm happy with that - plus if we decide to attempt the entire series/chronicles then we don't want it to take ~4 years haha. What if I speed it up to 4 chapters every 4 days for now and we'll see what anyone else's inputs are?

Agreed.

(5 thousand years later in the Bookish Kingdom Senior
"We made it, guys. We finished Lord of Shadows"
"But didn't Cassandra Clare write another 100 books?"
"Darn it.")

Hahaha I'm fine with the schedule. I read faster but since I'm going to be in school around this time, I think this schedule is perfect and we can all discuss it together. Are you guys going to read The Infernal Devices as it is published with the Mortal Instruments or are you reading it afterwards?

Let me see if I got it right it right, you agree with 4 chaps/every 4 days?

From my talk with Beccz yesterday, I think we're doing it like Cassandra Clare recommends: first 3 of TMI, TID, later 3 of TMI.

Didn't she recommend to read it as it's published? That way it's good too but I'm just asking

The published order goes: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, Clockwork Angel, City of Fallen Angels, Clockwork Prince, City of Lost Souls, Clockwork Princess, The Bane Chronicles, City of Heavenly Fire.

Cassandra puts TID in the middle of TMI because of the spoilers.

Edit: Here's the post http://cassandraclare.com/faq/what-or...

For me the sechudale is fine! I'm a fast reader and I'm in vacation till 15 of September so I can read a lot.
So o if that works for you it works for me

I don't know mutch about the order of the books but either way (3 TMI - TDI - 3 TMI or the published order) is good (:

@Marta
Great! :D Let's go with the suggested one then ;)

I'm excited for this one. I have the book on hold and there's an ebook version free if it isn't ready in time.

Me too! I wanna see your reactions and what you think of the books. (Though it's been so long I don't remember so much stuff)

That's really good :D

Oh, and I must warn you: we used to say Jace was male me because many of his comebacks were just like mine in my daily life. I would even answer back at characters while we read and then Jace would say the same thing xD It was funny

Haha, well if the BR wasn't already looking like a ball of fun it is now! xD

But I don't want to hype anyone, there's always the chance somebody won't like the books.

(Some people have Paris. We will always have TW&TD)

Hey guys! I'm picking up my library copy this afternoon and I'm getting into it. Everyone else get copies of the book okay?

Until Chapter 4

(view spoiler)[I love Simon, even though he's the bff in love trope. He's hilarious & so like the reader in some reactions.

Clary wondered what would happen if she went up and intodueced herself, offered to show him around. lol You'd probably end up dead.

There goes Jace with so much sass *smirks*

I understand your particular issues, Jocelyn, but to this day, seriously, to this day, knowing what I know, I still think you were too much. Your daughter has a PHONE! Call her & she'll tell you she's still on the taxi *raises hand to the sky*

If I'm going to get in trouble, I don't want it to be on account of Eric's lousy poetry.
15 mins later:
Come my faux juggernaut, my nefarious loins! Slather every protuberance with arid zeal! Turgid is my torment! Agony swells within!"

When Simon says if he were gay he would dress better, it actually makes me laugh because of a gay character we'll meet in the future who does not dress up xD

I don't have much to say since I'm at an advantage and since this is just the start of the book, and we know almost nothing about this world except what Jace mentioned. (hide spoiler)]

Not quite up to the end of chapter 4 but I remember the beginning of the book quite well so I've read Regsly's spoilers.

Also note: I was super lazy and haven't got to the library yet so I started with an audiobook copy I got through my library app.

(view spoiler)[Pretty much just came here to say I forgot how much I love Simon and his reactions. Just the sarcasm *claps appreciatively*

So I've started cross dressing and I'm sleeping with your mum....

I have a question, are all age clubs a thing? Can't say I've really seen them here in Aus. All age concerts sure, but not clubs. And herbal ecstasy???

I don't really understand how Clarys mum doesn't want at home by herself (well I mean obviously I know what the fear is) but is happy for her 15 yo daughter to be running around at midnight in clubs with people with tattooed faces?

(hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[Simon is everything:
"Jesus!" Luke exclaimed.
"Actually, it's just me," said Simon. "Although I've been told the resemblance is startling."

The whole cross-dressing & sleeping with mom thing - I shared that part over sushi with some friends. One chocked with fried squid (we are gonna kill each other someday from making the others laugh with bad timing x'D). But that all went unnoticed due to a tourists' baby constantly throwing chopsticks to the floor close to us

I can't really say if all age clubs are a thing somewhere, anywhere xD I do know of clubs/discos that are targeted for teenagers. And when did I ever go to one of those for the first time? 15 or 16 - but they weren't just for teens. Idk if these are that loose nowadays though. But we were responsible meh - the complete opposite of fictional teenagers on tv

Hmmm I had heard of Cloud 9, I mean herbal ecstasy, but I'm not sure how is the law in concern to it now, or back when the book was written. It is hardly the same as ecstasy and it did have a combination of legal herbs with ephedrine. It was also acquired very easily in the USA at least, at some point (over the counter drug stores, in shops, etc). It probably is still legal, even though ephedrine can be harmful to ppl with high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, etc..
But I mean... It's the same as regular medicine, you have to inform yourself before putting it into your system. I'm asthmatic for instance, so there's some components I can't ingest; from really normal drugs too like ibuprofen.

She was with Simon - and apparently supposed to return home really early (why even go, I'm assuming it doesn't open at 9PM). Clary's mother needs some herbal ecstasy herself *snickers* aaand if she had taught Clary some things, she would have less reasons to worry but whatever. And the whole people with tattoos stigma would be rich coming from her, iz all I'm sayin'. (hide spoiler)]

Oops. Once again I wrote more than I firstly intended (^.^)'

Also, go for the audiobook then. It all works. I bet hearing the sarcasm and jokes makes it all the more hilarious

Yeah I'm just sticking with the audio. I'm so so happy that the audio style is so reminiscent of the way I read the book the first time.

I actually wanted The Bane Chronicles audiobook. I listened to the sample for the chapter The Voicemail of Magnus Bane and it was hilarious!

Btw, there is a Cassandra Clare giveaway going on.

http://www.megancrewe.com/blog/?ks_gi...

How good would it be if someone on this thread won the giveaway though?!
And, now I want to listen. It's like City of Heavenly Fire is narrated by Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones which makes me super excited.

Read until the end of Chapter 9 (because I missed the narrator saying Chapter 9 hehe)

(view spoiler)[Okay, this is my first reread (I think) of this book and OMG the foreshadowing!! It's everywhere in this couple of chapters (I won't note them specifically for those who haven't read the book).

I love the background and history that Clary and Simon have - I mean from the trust that Simon has for everything Clary tells him has happened (I think I would be a little more 'WTF' and 'you're talking BS') to the jealousy/concern that Clary has about Simon's liking to Isabelle (it's a little difficult to tell which at this point, which I can relate being so close to someone but not in that way).

The relationship between Clary and Jace feels so... off? Uncomfortable? I feel like I shipped them way more the first time I read the book. But I think I know the reason for my change in feeling (again not saying anything).

I want to hear thoughts of people reading this the first time! Let me live vicariously through you! (I did send a message to Ilsen and Marta last night, although I am more than happy to critically pull apart a book with just you @Regsly xD) (hide spoiler)]

It would be awesome :3

We know Ilsen has a lot going on recently. Marta may have gotten busy? I really wanna live through the reactions of our dear newbies *clasps hand* I live for it. But I'm with you, Becca don't worry xD

Until Chapter 8

(view spoiler)[Glob, I'm remembering how Izzie and Alec were kinda overbearing in the beginning with their arrogance... Jace too sometimes, that faker, though he does it in a fun way because sarcasm xD

Yes, reading this again, it's like OMG this detail here and that thing there, but that foreshadowing will have a twist. Interesting. For Becca: (view spoiler)[Actually, don't take this the wrong way, but I still don't know what he sees in her as fast as he does. Arguably, she didn't make the best impression the first times they met. I was like: Where did this come from? (hide spoiler)]

I must say, one very important thing Jace and I definitely don't share--
Crowd: Is being conceited?
Me: Well, yes. But that's not it (though half of his is bravado). I love Earl Grey and I love bergamot. It's a key ingredient also in the English Breakfast tea and the Ceylon tea. For the life of me, why Jace wouldn't like something so particular (and delicious) is beyond me.

Haha I love it when the mundies get one over the nephilin with normal human lingo and things everybody should know, like ebay xD (view spoiler)[Like that time someone said Shotgun *snickers* (hide spoiler)]

Yes, Becz, yes! If Alec & Jace are parabatai, then Simon & Clary are true parabatai or super parabatai or something. Their bound is amazing. It would be even better w/o the childhood friend crush cliché. (hide spoiler)]

Wow finally I read the first four chapters of the book. It took me a while I know. I'm catching up slowly but surely. On to my thoughts so far, even though there isn't much XD

Until Chapter 4

(view spoiler)[ Obviously I like Simon. His sarcasm is on point. Especially when he's trying to get Clary's attention at Pandemonium. " So I've started cross-dressing and sleeping with your mom." Just amazing.

I don't know I just immediately though Jocelyn was the overprotective type which would make sense since she's hiding the Shadowhunter world from her. (Yea I kinda got spoiled for some stuff. I mean it's inevitable. This series is so popular). But I don't know a lot. I just know that her mom and Luke are involved.

How the fuck does Clary not know that Simon likes her? Like it's so obvious like come on. Also wtf Eric your poem is very weird.

I want to know why Jocelyn suddenly want to move and her involvement. So yes I'm intrigued.

Jace and his sass. I'm trying so hard not to imagine them how they are in the show Clary is the hardest one because she kinda looks like the one in the books. But I want a sexier Jace than in the show. Like the model on the new cover. He is more Jace than that other guy.

Is there an all age club? I have no idea. I think... I live in Miami, city of night clubs and partying I should know this XD Well I don't I have no idea. (hide spoiler)]

Also are we reading publication order because people say that way is the best? It wasn't really clarified so I want to ask.

@Ilsen YES - thank you for quoting the same line I did! Hahahaaha. You can't not love Simon.

I can never decide how I feel about Jace. I mean the arrogance is such a pet hate for me BUT he also just has something endearing about him.

Correct me if I'm wrong @anyone, but I think we were leaning towards the order of books that Clare talks about on her website (I'll have to find the link again). Apparently that's the best way to avoid spoilers that happen in some of the crossover between series.

@Regs The way you just start talking in Shadowhunter lingo is pretty impressive, not going to lie. But absolutely Clary and Simon are 100% parabati 4 LYF <3

I really wanna read the Shadowhunter Academy, just so I can follow Simon closely xD

I think Luke and Jocelyn weren't really involved yet, since she's on a precarious situation. Not like officially, even though the feelings were there.

Jace is endearing because, like I said above, his arrogance is mostly bravado and he may be a warrior and tough, but he's actually tender-hearted and sensitive. You could actually break Jace inside easily with the right words and actions.

Yeah, we had decided on that due to the spoilers. Link:
http://cassandraclare.com/faq/what-or...

Until Chapter 8

(view spoiler)[ I don't really have much to say because we are still getting to know the world and such. Jace is so sassy though but I feel bad that he just saw his killers.

Ok so is Luke a bad guy and just secretly spying out on Jocelyn? I don't know I just got that vibe. I need to know more about Luke's backstory.

Simon legit just popped out of nowhere and he's like a little kid finding out about Shadowhunters. It's pretty unrealistic. Yes my first reaction as a geek is "That is freaking awesome!!! Is there hot vampire babes?" Like no. I would be like "You are freaking crazy wtf" especially since Clary said he was very practical person. This just didn't make sense at all.

I had a tiny feeling that Madame Dorothea was part of this. That's a lot of coincidences though. I just want to know what everything. I kinda thought for 5 seconds she sent the Forsaken and she was evil. But no she was just being weirdly cryptic.

Also the fact that Clary could have been the Forsaken if Jace was mistaken about being a Shadowhunter. I just want to know everyone's backstory. I'm ready.

Madame Dorothea reading Jace's cup: You will fall in love with the wrong person. I was also spoiled about this. Oops XD (hide spoiler)]

First of all, oh to be living this through your eyes.

But the pain of already knowing so I can't make up theories like usually :v

I'm just gonna say, Simon is like the straight-forward guy, yes, that's why he's so funny. But he's also a geek, as a fellow geek, when weird s* happens, I mostly have no reaction xD So if even bigger weirdness went on, I may have reacted but not gone overboard, just like him.
Then there's the fact Clary and Simon have this huge bound that's been going on for years. He loves her, he knows her best. If one of the most important people in my life say they saw a ghost in a serious manner, I'll believe them too.

P.S.: Oh man, wait until you learn more about Luke

It looks like I'm the only clueless one because for you guys these are rereads and then there is me 🙃 I guess when you put it that way, it makes sense so yea.

I only read the first 3 and the 1st one of TID, so after that I'm loooooost too xD

I actually don't remember what I've read beyond the first book. I am pretty sure I read the second book, and maybe the third. But it was so long ago that I'm starting to get to the point where I don't remember what's about to happen but when it happens I'm just like 'oh yeeeeeaah'.

But the foreshadowing! Madame Dorothea kinda reminds me of a Prof. Trelawney character. I'll admit I can't help but draw lines between HP and COB - muggles vs mundies, creepy psychic ladies, etc.

I think I just have a thing for werewolves though, because I mean I always picture him as this honest to god babe of a man with deep down good intentions no matter what is happening in the story haha.

Read/listened until the end of Chapter 12

I found my first irk about the audiobook - she pronounces Houston as How-ston instead of Who-ston.... Maybe I'm the one who's wrong but it's still gonna bug me.

Also there's a long Latin quote at the beginning of Chapter 10, so weird when the audio just starts saying all these sounds that have meaning to me.

(view spoiler)[
Hurrah! Magnus Bane is on the scene. I love any character who is flamboyant and covered in glitter. Especially those who leave signatures on people's minds after removing their memories.

Honestly he comes across as a bit of a douche in this chapter, but I mean that's just Bane I guess. Someone who gives zero f*&^s

And the foreshadowing! @Regsly: (view spoiler)[Clary's dream! I completely forgot about this happening. When Clary asks where Simon is and Jace's response is "This is a place for the living" So many feels for what is coming. (hide spoiler)]

After these chapters the one character I want more background info on is Hodge. Just the way he talks about The Circle makes me want to know details about the situation when it was happening. I honestly felt kind of bad about how aggressive and unwilling to understand Clary was. Hodge came across so remorseful about the situation and the consequences that he ended up with. Part of me wouldn't be surprised if he ended up with a twisted side to him though.

And my feels for Simon continue:
"Suddenly no one at the table could meet her eyes. Except Simon."

Oh and my feels for Alec! He's sullenness and his secrets. I just wanna hug the boy.


And finally, my favourite line of the book so far:

"I shall be Baron Hotschaft Von Hugenstein"

(I forgot the sexual innuendos that are in this book and I'm freaking loving them!)

(hide spoiler)]

I can't say I remember everything either. It's been so long ago.
I do remember more stuff about the characters than the events.
I don't remember a lot of the little things that happen, but then I remember others like the backstabbing Judas, it was black but then it faded (only putting this part so it won't spoil the hilarious scene that I know by heart and why do I know it?) and some of the things Jace answered the same way I did *snicker*...

Actually, I probably remember these things because the friend that got me into this series, Beastly and the Hunger Games and I would throw these lines at each other alongside our private jokes and it was fun 'cuz it was a world of our own. Then she went to the UK, but I didn't have internet for quite some time at home, and no time to mess around playing in the computer back at the college campus so we lost touch with each other. Oh well, so goes life. A shame though...

*goes check out 2nd part*

Oh it's from the Eneida... I mean, Aeneis (Eneida is Portuguese :P)
Facilis descensus Averno;
Noctes atque dies patet atri ianua Ditis;
Sed revocare gradum superasque evadere ad auras,
Hoc opus, hic labor est.

Idk if you checked it out, but it goes something like ahm (having fun testing myself):

"Descending to Averno is easy." If I'm right, Averno is hell

Noctes... plural of nix... can be night, darkness.. dies - days. Patet.. pateo - spread, open... accessible? ianua- entrance... door?
Atri plural atrio - atrium, hall? Ditis - rich, fertile?

"Night and day the path(hall?) to the (i don't think Rich fits here) door is open;"

revocare- withdraw? evadere - escape, get away. superasque- surpass survive.. maybe pass here?
gradus- step.. gradum stairs? auras - air? hmmm atmosphere? (heaven maybe since it speaks of hell?) ugh so hard.. so in this case climb to heaven?

"But retracing the steps to escape to heaven," (how do I fit the surviving/surpassing if the original sentence has almost no articles or prepositions. I could just add them myself thou)

This one is easy, even though it sounds awkward when I write it in English... maybe you have a better expression for it

"Here is the labour, here is the difficulty."

*Looking at my final work* Oh man, that Ditis is killing me and this all sounds awkward xD

Edit: Okay, underlined the "translations" (meh) cuz this looks like a total mess xD shame

Ok, now I have to see what the internet says *laughs*

At https://www.shmoop.com/aeneid/mortali...
"The way downward is easy from Avernus. Black Dis' door stands open night and day. But to retrace your steps to heaven's air, There is the trouble, there is the toil"

Man xD Well it wasn't that far off, but now I've searched the word Ditis, and yeah it's a form of Dis, but it says nothing about it meaning black or tenebrous *shrugs*

@Regs We all appreciate the effort, I actually came across a translation on the net earlier by accident xD But it's kinda like a long-winded version of what is written at the entrance to the City of Bones right?

I was just testing myself 'cuz I'm a veeery slow self-learner of Latin (I wanted to study it in high-school, but they wouldn't let me, I had to study German sooo I do what I can)

Well, yes the quote from Milton's Paradise Lost deals with the same idea of The Fall of Man as the quotation of Virgil's Aeneid. The epic poems by these 2 are very different though.

It's just that Virgil's quote is darker. With Milton at the first part, there's a path to, well, think of COB... the dark world of demons and downworlders, but you can "reascend". So Clary enters this world, but she's not lost.
With Virgil's quote, it basically says we're gonna go deeper and be in danger because dying is easy, fighting your way back is what's hard (if possible). So I'm thinking of vampires...

Now I'm super impressed if that's all from being self-taught.

That's so interesting. I've always wanted to get into Milton's work but I struggle find a time where I have the time and patience to read something in a completely different writing style. I mean I don't even want to admit how long I've had Les Misérables sitting on my bookshelf.

But I love books that have the history and mythology behind it.

Thanks ^_^ It helps that I'm Portuguese, speak English fluently and studied French, Spanish and Italian, because they all have roots in Latin, so some words are similar and I can recall or assume their meaning more easily - though it can also be misleading meh
The problem is I didn't do it like we do in classes, I don't have the verb tenses and all that memorized, I went for the vocabulary, because in Latin the verbs can be used for more than actions as contrary to English, for instance. And I figured: I always know the verbs so well, the grammar too, it's the vocabulary that usually takes longer to stick. And what do you need in a language? Words; if you conjugate the verb in the wrong tense or person, people will usually still understand you most of the time. (and to be frank, just hearing "genative" still makes me cringe from my German years)

But it's been really slow paced.

Milton is another one I didn't properly finish (I never consider it fully read if I skip parts or something, but we gotta make choices in college ;__; diagonal reading wooh) But it's interesting how he explores that side of the bible. Also, he always wanted to created an epical poem of his own and he was blind so he had to dictate it all to someone else! Amazing!!!

Virgil's tale of the man who will ahm father Rome is also on my TRL. I know about it, because I'm really into mythology but I haven't read the proper thing yet. Also there's no copy at my library. Unless they got it recently, because I asked, after reading The Odyssey and Ars Amatoria (which is not mythology and not exactly necessary, but it's fun to know what people thought back then).

My Italian teacher saw me reading those more than once (the Odyssey volume was super heavy. Ars Amatoria is slim) on breaks, and one day she came up to me and asked me why I was reading that. And I was like "Perché mi piace" which is like because I like it/because I want to. And she just stood there staring at me xD Here's a friend reading comics next to me and another playing on her phone, but she stares at me. At me *shakes head* Idk anymore

And oh man, I wanna read Les Misérables, but I don't want to suffer so I'm postponing it for the longest time (actually, I shouldn't be allowed to get any more books, they keep piling up and I'm not reading the eldest of them first).

I know what you mean about buying books. Haha. Except my problem is since I banned myself from buying anything I started visiting the library a tonne more. So the books I have already bought aren't exactly getting read any quicker..... Which I really need to do because I wanna move in a few months and reduce the amount of books I need to carry.

I'm jealous though - I always wanted to be able to learn languages enough that I could start reading books in them. I did Japanese and German at school. But written Japanese is difficult to read for native Japanese some of the time, let alone me and there haven't really been any German books that I've wanted to pick up. Maybe I should start looking again and pick some up.

Ah, poor @Ilsen when she comes back and finds us just taking over the thread with more unrelated nonsense xD

@Ilsen already knows I'm a deviant who leads people astray without meaning to. Hijacking book discussions hurrah xD

Then you really gotta pick them up you can sell the ones you don't like or something similar...

Oh yeah, Japanese, I understand some things orally just like Chinese, but reading? No way. It doesn't help Japanese use kanji, hiragana and katana (they're mean to themselves xD) *pets Becca* But you should try accessible things in German at least, if you don't remember it that well anymore and don't want to get frustrated. It's rewarding and then you end up consulting the dictionary and learn more (I was reading El Corsaro Nero in Italian some years ago and my nose was stuck in the dictionary a lot of the time xD I gotta pick it up again - wasn't liking where the romance part + plot-twist was going)