*Spoiler Alert* Set in the Victorian Era, the trilogy concerns the adventures of sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray, who journeys from America to England to join her brother. When she arrives in London, she is tricked into trusting the Dark Sisters, who instead of leading her to her brother, hold her prisoner and force her to practice her newly-found powers. Before they can marry her against her will to to a mysterious man they refer to as "the Magister", she is rescued by Will Herondale and his fellow Shadowhunters. When she seeks refuge with the Shadowhunters, she finds herself drawn to both Will and his best friend, Jem.
Although The Infernal Devices trilogy is a prequel to The Mortal Instrument series, it stands on its own. Both series follow a similar formula, but I preferred The Infernal Devices trilogy upon reading the first book. I related more to the main character, and I love the steampunk elements (the name of the trilogy is likely inspired by the steampunk novel "Infernal Devices" by K.W. Peter).
The third book, "Clockwork Princess" is anticipated to be released in December 1, 2012. In the meantime, be sure to check out the fifth book of The Mortal Instruments series, "City of Lost Souls", when it is released on May 8, 2012.
I honestly love the book, couldn't put it down, but I do have some complaints about the author's writing. It seems like every family unit (whether in this series, or the mortal instruments) consists of two parents, two boys and one girl. The girl is never really developed as a character, and is seen as a fool of love, a counter to the main character. One brother is always protrayed as meeker and kind and an inner beauty, while the other is arrogant headstrong and "hot." This can be seen with both protagonistic families in the mortal instruments and clockwork series, as well as even the lighwood's home.
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