Mundie Moms

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Clockwork Prince Read Along Day #2: Chapter 1



Welcome to Day 2 of the Clockwork Prince Read Along. You can follow the entire read-a-long and find each of the day's posts here. Remember there's no right or wrong way to participate. Your comments can be as long or a short as you'd like them to be. You can answer one or each of the questions asked, it's totally up to you, BUT, in order to be entered into the CP giveaway (which you also had to sign up to win), you do need to be actively participating in the read-a-long. 

Today's discussion is about: Chapter 1
  • Jem and Tessa's friendship. I love the way this chapter starts with Jem and Tessa together. I've always admire the fact Jem has always seemed to know little details about Tessa without even having to ask her. He pays attention to her, and I adore that about him. What do you make of their friendship?
  • Consul Wayland...... Are you guys making outlines, piecing together the character connections in this series with The Mortal Instruments series? I'm totally fascinated by the family trees Cassie has created.
  • I love Will for the comment to Tessa about her cutting off Benedict's foot during the council meeting. What is your first impression of Benedict Lightwood?

Please DO NOT POST SPOILERS. There's some fans who are joining the read-a-long who are reading Clockwork Prince for the first time. 

31 comments:

  1. I absolutely love Jem and how much he adores Tessa. You dont need hear him tell Tessa how he feels about her, you can just tell Jem cares for Tessa and I love that.

    I never liked Benedict from the beginning. I can tell there is something fishy with him.

    Christy Fleenor

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  2. * I love Jem and Tessa. I think it's sweet and cute how he knows things about her and how genuine and sincere he is.

    * When I first read the books I wrote down all the characters and their surnames and any info or family history I could think of. I became obsessed with trying to make a family tree of sorts.

    *Ugh I wanted to hit Benedict. He is just such a jerk, and I hate how degrading he is to Charlotte. Also very suspicious of him offering his sons to train Sophie and Tessa.

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    1. Amy I did the same thing, kinda like the maps there is for Game of Thrones LOL I have them all connected with lines and hearts ha! My husband thinks I'm insane....
      Just yesterday a friend and I were discussing more theories as to who and what Tessa is though unfortunately I can't share them yet as we come to this realization taking in consideration things that happen later in CP.. but it's most fun to try and connect the dots and explain the mysteries.. I dont think I have ever read a series or book that has made me think this much! lol

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    2. I can't wait to see the family tree that's in Clockwork Princess!! OMG it's getting so close finally!!

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  3. Disclaimer that I adore Jem's character and so I will never have anything but praise and positive things to say about him :) His friendship to both Wil and Tessa is so sincere and beautiful.
    The family tree aspect of this series, being a prequel, is really interesting. I've not gotten organized with it, no, but I do love seeing all the familiar names pop up and thinking about the family histories as a whole.
    Benedict...he gets my pseudo-feminist self all sorts of aggravated (completely agree with Amy ^^); would actually like to see Charlotte kick his butt...

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    1. I dont think anyone would have anything other than positive things to say about Jem, I mean he is just good to the core... his friendships as we have seen them are just true and honest.. I love Jem and my heart aches for him :(

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  4. I l love Jem and Tessa's relationship. It is sweet, friendly, and so sincere. I love how a gentleman Jem is and how much he cares for Tessa. He pays attention to what she likes and truly cares for here. we get to see a little of their relationship as it grows. I also cannot forget Will. He is still daring and brave. As for benedict lightwood, i got the impression the first time i read the description about him that he wasn't a good person. i simply prefer Charlotte.

    I think that seeing the consul allows for some things to clear up, but that there are still a lot of mysteries to be solved.

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  5. There isn't a lot I can say without giving stuff that happens later on, it's hard to have an unbiased opinion on something when you know what's coming I come to find out LOL!

    What I can say though is two things, I remember from the first time I read CP, that the first chapter left it very clear for me that Jem was in love with Tessa, just like the prologue left it clear (if there was ever a doubt) that Will loves her too, but also that Benedict is not a good person and that there was something shady about him wanting the institute besides the fact of course that it irked him that a woman was running it instead of him.

    Wayland of course ties to Michael Wayland in TMI but I haven't quite decided whether we just see this name because it was one of the important families in the Nephilim world or whether the genealogy tree will uncover some more ties.

    Can I say though that the part where Tessa describes Will after he sneaks up on them at Westminster is my favorite?
    Aaaaaah! I love that part! "Black hair, blue eyes, graceful cheekbones,thick dark lashes, full mouth, he would have been pretty if he had not been so tall and so muscular...." WOW!!! :D

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  6. Although I am ultimately a Will shipper, I can't help but love Jem's character. He obviously knows Tessa's character and only wants to make her happy.

    Loved will comments throughout the chapter, his one liners just seem to get better and better. I loved the comparison to him being like a thoroughbred dog that Jem has to keep in line. That observation was probably spot on.

    Also can't wait to finally see the family tree, I am going to struggle not to peak until I finish the rest of the book though. I have wasted many hours trying to unravel all the connections in my head. Unfortunately it didn't get me anywhere.

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  7. At the begining of this chapter I was totally Team Jem. He cares for Tessa. He knows everything about Tess without questions. He helps her and makes her happier. They are so cute together. You read these lines and you know how he feels about her.
    But at that part where Tessa describes Will I become Team Will :) We know how he feels about Tessa (from the prologue) and these complicated feelings break Tess's&Jem's harmonie....

    The council meeting is exceting. Charlotte and the Insitute get a two weeks to catch the Magister. It makes everything more exceting at the beginning.

    P.S. I can not wait to see the family trees. Fairchild. Ligtwood. Wayland. :)



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  8. I like Jem and Tessa's relationship. They are both kind people though for some reason I can only think of them as friends. I'm sure he'd be great for her, but he just seems like friend zone material.

    It is interesting hearing about TMI ancestors. I'm trying to remember enough to connect them but I'm sure I'm missing a ton.

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  9. Jem and Tessa. I agree, I love that in Jem, as well. And I love their friendship, but there is a but. He loves her! He's blushing and he doesn't answer when Tessa calls him her friend. And then there's Will. I think it's terrible what's happening here in a good way if you know what I mean. They don't know what the others feel. Tessa loves Will, but Jem and Will doesn't know. Jem loves Tessa, but Tessa and Will doesn't know. And Will loves Tessa, bur Tessa and Jem doesn't know. It isn't said but we can feel the tension between them.
    Consul Wayland. I love him! Really! And yeah, I couldn't think about the other Waylands in TMI.
    And Benedict! He's an a**hole! Cassie wrote him very well I can slap him to death. He's arrogant and selfish.

    Mihóczy Mercédesz
    (mihoczym@freemail.hu)

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  10. Jem and Tessa have a nice friendship enough, although I’m sure Jem has more romantic intentions and plans for her. Whether or not those feelings are mutual remains to be seen at this point. But he’s a lovely person and his observance of Tessa and all that she does and likes reminds me of Jacob from Twilight (Don’t judge me >:/ ) who also kept a close watch on his love interest, and Peeta, of course, although he had more Edward Cullen stalker-like tendencies. Ron Weasley didn’t start pay attention until that last book, which earned him a kiss from Hermione. It’s always a good thing when a boy pays close attention to the girl he’s finds interesting. It goes a long way in the end.

    Consul Wayland, ancestor of Michael Wayland who perished in a fire with his son by the hands of Valentine. I have no idea who else he is related to but I love seeing the familiar names. I cannot let myself start making a family tree because I’m bound to spend hours on that until it’s perfect (I’m having flashbacks to the hours I wasted on a Naruto family tree, don’t judge me >:P). As for more family ties, I’m marveled by the comparisons of the Lightwoods here and then their decedents in TMI. The Lightwood family here is a group of antagonists while they serve as protagonists in TMI. Talk about a turn around for a family! I wonder if Benedict’s and Gabriel’s outlooks pass on to their decedents, in a way, that somehow later on affects Robert Lightwood’s decision to join Valentine’s Circle.

    George Penhallow is present at the meeting, ancestor of Patrick and Aline. And the mention of Viking-looking Shadowhunters makes me wonder if the Morgensterns were present as well. I also find Charlotte incredibly similar to Jocelyn and Clary. Charlotte maybe a Branwell now, but she’s still a Fairchild. That family seems to churn out very strong and willful women. I like it! Then of course there’s the decedent of Jem Carstairs who goes rouge and becomes a dark-nephilim, an interesting turnout for that family when we all love Jem so much. And William Herondale…Stephen and Jace…seems to be a family of tortured young men who love the wrong people. What’s up with that?

    Benedict Lightwood, what can I say about him? He must be a Slytherin. Ambitious, clever, sly…yeah, sounds like he’d fit in there (I would know, it’s my house as well). I still can’t get over that he’s related to Isabelle and Alec. I keeping wanting to love this family but the more of Benedict I see, the more I see a turncoat. Maybe that’s why Cassie gave him that name? Perhaps it’s a clue to his intentions. As for Gabriel…there might be hope for him yet, and Gideon (who Alec shares his name with). Although Gabe failed to realize that his father has plans for him to spy on Charlotte and the others. Isn’t it obvious? I figured that one out as soon as Benedict volunteered his sons for the training jobs. Keep your friends close but your enemies close, right Mr. Lightwood?

    I’m worried about this Pyxis business. Whatever Mortmain is up to, it makes me nervous. And how weird is it that Tessa can’t channel him? She said his button had no spark or life for her to connect to…that’s odd right? What’s up with that? What is the Magister? Is he more than just a mundane with a few magic tricks after all? It’s all very nerve racking. Good luck catching him, Charlotte. I hope you do it before that Pyxis becomes an issue (although I’m sure that’s wishful thinking.) And am I the only one still wondering who Mortmain wants Tessa to Change into? Why else would he want a girl with shape-shifting capabilities?

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  11. I absolutely adore Jem and Tessa! Jem is so sweet, I just love him so much!

    As for Benedict...I hate him. He's an arrogant little shitwho des everything he can to get what he wants.

    Marie O.

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  12. It's nice to see that Cassie has started putting in more and more parts where Jem and Tessa interact, because I feel as if he wasn't really there for most of Clockwork Angel, but just a supporting character while it was more focused on Will. And even in the early parts of this book, you can see that Jem cares deeply for Tessa, and it's adorable.

    I have disliked Benedict Lightwood from the beginning, and I'm glad that the Lightwood's in City of Bones and so on are vastly different from him. He is in no way the right person to run the Institute, and I can't believe he even thinks that.

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  13. Charlotte really has the odds stacked against her quite abundantly, I might add. And rightly so! Those males act so pompous. There must be more to this fire than the information we glean at the beginning of this chapter. Why is Benedict so inclined to unseat her? Is a struggle for power and/or something more.

    Benedict Lightwood offering up his sons must contain an ulterior motive of sorts. What is Benedict's agenda? Does he want to buffer his usurping of Charlotte's authority? I say, NOT. We all know what happens later in the book; however, what vital role does he play? Benedict's hatred of the Fairchilds seems apparently obvious but what more do we need to know? Does the Consul seem to be Charlotte's champion? Only time can unfurl this mystery.

    As for Tessa, Jem and Will, one can see the quality relationships Cassie seamlessly infuses throughout the chapter. The caring for Charlotte, each shows as well as the care Charlotte shows for her shadowhunter family is endearing. The way Jem shows Tessa The Poet's Corner was adorable. Tessa beams with excitement upon the mention of it. A Reader's Dream. Jem is thoughtful and such a gentleman. Makes me admire him more. As for Tessa describing Will in this chapter, it just leaves my heart a fluttering wayward mess. I simply ache for them to be together. Which begs the question: Cassie what do you have in store for my shipper heart?

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    1. We don't all know what happens later in the book. I'm a first timer lol

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  14. Friendship? No guy pays that much attention to a girl, goes through all that effort of giving her tours, and strives to make her happy is JUST a friend. I think they're adorable together, but Tessa clearly still has feeling for a certain Will Herondale! Until she gets him out of her head, any kind of relationship with Jem would be a BAD idea.

    YES. Which is also why I preordered Clockwork Princess!

    By the Angel, that was my favorite part of this chapter!! Even if it wouldn't have been ladylike, Tessa should have been given a weapon to cut Benedict's foot off! Which also reminds of that one part where Charlotte lost her temper and kicked the wall! Charlotte should have listened to Will and kicked Benedict "aiming upward and a bit to the left". And if you know your stuff, where Will directed her to kick him is clearly stated! xD I would have LOVED reading that!
    Back to the main question here, I plainly hated Benedict. Always have and probably always will. He's like the Scrooge before the 3 ghosts visited him! The man is charged with power-crazy and he is intent on basically destroying Charlotte!

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  15. I love Jem and Tessa as friends, they make SUCH a good platonic pair. I'm totally fascinated by Cassie's family trees, but I get too into the book to really work things out in my head!

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  16. *Jem has to be one of the most considerate and obsevant person ever. The way he is able to pick up on the little things about the people he cares about is super awesome and very important to the person he is. Tessa is a lucky girl to have such a wonderful friend in her life. I think she knows how lucky she is and appreciates the fact that he takes time to notice things about her.
    *Part of the fun of reading both series is keeping track of the family trees. It is interesting to see how the lines connect and continue into the TMI. I look foward to keeping up with the family trees through the DA.
    *I can't not stand Benedict Lightwood. He is absurd in thinking he is better than Charlotte or any other person. He is hateful and unworthy to carry the Lightwood name. The Lightwood's in TMI and caring and loving. I do not see how they are even part of the same family line. We will have to see how it goes forward in the story.

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  17. I love how Jem and Tessa interact with each other. You can tell Jem cares a lot for Tessa, as a friend, and maybe even more than that.

    Benedict Lightwood, never really liked him. Loved Will's comment to Tessa. The little quips towards Benedict are quite funny, if I can say that.

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  18. Jem and Tessa's friendship is so real. I love it.
    Wayland is suspicious for me. He is too kind. But maybe I'm paranoid now. I'm looking forward that family tree. I think there will be few surprise.
    Benedict, Benedict. You are an idiot.

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  19. I love Jem & Tessa's friendship and I'm glad she has him as a friend with all the turmoil going on around her.
    I adore Cassie for her links between her two shadow hunter series, love seeing ancestors in this book from TMI series. Can't wait for the family tree to see it all link up.
    And Will I just love him and his humor so much at this point. One of the reasons why I love this book so much

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  20. I do love how attentive Jem is to Tessa, and their friendship seems very genuine and natural...but I'm a Will-girl at heart ;)
    I really love how Cassie ties the 2 series together!! I can't wait to see how they all tie together, and how the phrase "the sins of the father..." may come back to haunt any of our TMI characters.
    Benedict Lightwood...grrrr....I just want to smack his smug face, lol! Cassie wrote him so well to incite such a reaction :)

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  21. We can tell how much Jem cares for Tessa. I love their friendship. Jem and Will are two genuine characters both amazing and different in their own way so U've found it so hard to pick a 'team'. As for Benedict, I'd rather not talk about him though I really do support Will's intentions on this one ;)

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  22. Unfortunately, I'm an ultimate Will&Tessa fan.. Although I'd say I do love how Jem shows and says what he really thinks and feels. He's very honest and genuine and his friendship with Tessa is not an exception.

    Oh my, I do have this family tree I've been forming in my head ever since I started reading CA. And I get so frustrated with myself sometimes 'cause I can't for the life of me figure all it out, oh sigh..

    Benedict Lightwood? Sheesh, can I just say he's such a jerk?

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  23. Jem is so much more than a friend. I love how he and Tessa interact and how they both paid attention to the most minute details. Will- daft as ever. I find him so funny. I'm keeping my opinion of the others under my hat for now. Not sure any of the Clave can be trusted.

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  24. I don't think that I can comment on Jem and Tessa's friendship without bias so I will just say that Jem showing Tessa around London is sweet. Fans can actually go to Westminster Abbey and pretend that the Shadowhunters walked through the church to go to a Council meeting. It’s so cool. I actually went to the Institute the last time I was in London.
    I like that we get more information about the London Shadowhunters and how they are organised, I’m a sucker for these information. ;)
    Consul Wayland seems nice and Benedict is a very unfriendly man. I do not like him at all and I pity his sons. I’m quite curious whether we’ll ever get to know when the Lightwoods’ genetics change from blond hair/green eyes to black hair/blue eyes.
    Will was his usual snarky self in this chapter, I liked how he first told Tessa to cut off Benedict’s foot and then how Charlotte should kick B :)

    Cathrin

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  25. I think that Jem and Tessa's relationship isn't about friendship. Jem don't want to be her "friend", he wants more. much, much more. I agree with azyvli. Tessa clearly has feeling for Will and any kind of relationship with Jem would be a BAD idea.
    (Tal Rejwan)

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  26. Jem is so thoughtful, isn't he?!?!? I adore how he makes a special point to take Tessa to the Poet's Corner of Westminster before the Council meeting.

    I am enjoying seeing the familiar names from the MI series. I hope that Cassie somehow bridges between the Victorian era and the present. That would be fun!

    I'm enjoying the depiction of the Lightwoods.....not really liking them much, LOL!

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