When Tessa Gray crosses the atlanic ocean to find her brother who she has lost contact with to her new destination of England, this novel is set during the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifyling is waiting for he in Downworld London - where Vampires, Warlocks and all the other supernatural folk who stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons and keep order admist the choas. Tessa is kidnapped by a secret organisation called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa begins to learn that she herself is a Downworlder with a very rare ability - the power for her to turn into another person. what is more, the Magister an illusive and shadowy figuree who runs the club and will not stop untill he has claimed Tessa as his own. Friendless and being hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the shadowhunters of the London Insitute, who swear that they will help her brother if she will help them by using her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by two best friends, James - whose fagile beauty hides a dangerous secret and Will - who caustic with and volitile mmoods keep everyone away from him.... everyone apart from Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of the arcane plot that threatens to destoy the Shadowhunters. Tessa then realises 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.
I love the first installment in this trilogy and loved the way that she helped build the backstory for some of the families we meet in the original series. To find out when and where the traits of the most famous families such as the Herondales and Lightwoods. I can not help but love the way that Cassandra Clare writes and how she has a way a developing all of the plot lines and expands on the world that she has already created. I am so in awe of her and i have now purchase every book that she has written and can not wait to dive into the new installments that await me.
