The Infernal Devices is the second series in Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter Chronicles, and while it’s generally well received, there are some harsh realities that arise 11 years after it ended. The Infernal Devices serves as a prequel of sorts to The Mortal Instruments, as it’s set more than a century before the events of City of Bones. With Victorian London as a backdrop, the series expands the world of Shadowhunters while weaving a love story that’s lauded as one of Clare’s best.
Many elements of The Infernal Devices still hold up, even though it concluded with Clockwork Princess back in 2013. The Infernal Devices is often touted as an improvement on the Mortal Instruments series, and some readers even believe it’s her best work — though the Shadowhunter Chronicles isn’t finished, so the jury’s still out on that. Even with all the applause the series gets, there are undeniably some harsh truths about The Infernal Devices, especially while re-reading it years later.
Much of the praise given to The Infernal Devices revolves around the characters and their dynamics with one another. Compared to its character writing, The Infernal Devices’ plot just doesn’t hold up. The books’ stakes are meant to be high, but they don’t feel that important compared to the events of Clare’s other Shadowhunter series. The villains’ actions throughout The Mortal Instruments have an impact on the world that carries over into The Dark Artifices. The Infernal Devices’ central conflict feels more isolated, and thus, less critical in the grand scheme of things.
Additionally, The Infernal Devices’ overarching story isn’t all that memorable. Axel Mortmain’s plans and the automaton storyline don’t have nearly as much of an impact as Valentine’s crusade in The Mortal Instruments. The plot is definitely the weakest aspect of Clare’s second series, and part of its problem stems from having a villain who isn’t compelling.
Part of the reason The Infernal Devices’ main story feels so unmemorable is because its villain isn’t a compelling character. Axel Mortmain is the one causing problems throughout the series, but Mortmain’s presence isn’t thoroughly felt. This could be because he originally goes by “The Magister.” But even with that moniker, he fails to leave much of an impression. Valentine isn’t the greatest villain, but he’s a looming presence throughout The Mortal Instruments — and beyond it as well.
Compared to a villain like The Mortal Instruments’ Valentine, Mortmain is far too bland. Both characters have despicable motivations, but Mortmain’s often feel like a stretch. The books fail to sell his revenge storyline, making it impossible for readers to understand him. Valentine might be a monster, but Clare establishes why he’s on the war path — and why he genuinely believes he’s right. Mortmain doesn’t have much depth by comparison, and it hurts the central conflict of The Infernal Devices.
Although there’s nothing wrong with Tessa as a main character, she’s definitely not the most interesting leading lady of Clare’s Shadowhunter books. She’s feisty, especially for the time period she lives in, but it often feels as though she lacks agency. Tessa is pulled along by the plot, and while this is sometimes true of Clary and Emma as well, they leave far more of an impression by the time their respective series are finished. Tessa’s storyline feels wholly guided by her feelings for Will and Jem, as well as the fact that Mortmain is coming after her.
Tessa’s individual character arc is also weaker than the progression of her relationships. The romances within The Infernal Devices are impeccably written, and that’s especially true of the series’ central love triangle. It’s hard to strike the right balance with a love triangle, but Tessa’s feelings for Will and Jem are very well written. Unfortunately, she doesn’t get as much depth in relation to herself. It would have been nice to see Tessa’s development fleshed out further, especially since her warlock status makes her such a unique lead in the Shadowhunter universe.
The reason Will originally refuses to be with Tessa is because he believes he’s cursed, but The Infernal Devices debunks this notion later on. When Magnus summons the greater demon Marbas, the demon admits that it never cursed Will. Will was walking around for years believing that anyone who loved him would die, a tragic fate for someone so young. But one has to wonder why Will never looked into this curse before Tessa. As a means of keeping Will and Tessa apart, the curse feels like a flimsy excuse.
It’s easy to see Will believing in the demon’s curse when he was so young and traumatized, but it’s clear that other characters came to love him over time. None of them ever perished from the demon’s curse, yet Will never questioned whether it existed. And if Will believed Magnus could help him, it seems like he would have gone to a warlock earlier. The curse isn’t the best means of keeping characters apart, though it does ensure that Will Herondale is a tragic hero.
Jessamine is written as an unlikable character in The Infernal Devices, but her fate is a bit too harsh, especially given how young and naive she is. Jessamine refuses to become a Shadowhunter in The Infernal Devices, and she even betrays the Enclave in Clockwork Prince. She later dies in Clockwork Princess, and she shows glimpses of growth and redemption when she becomes a ghost — but that’s hardly as satisfying as having a genuine redemption arc while she was still alive.
Jessamine is meant to be a tragic character, but one has to wonder if she really needed to perish in The Infernal Devices. It almost seems like comeuppance for her actions, but her mistakes aren’t much different from the Shadowhunter books’ heroes. Given more time, Jessamine could have won over readers and had a far more interesting arc. The latter is especially true if she continued to refuse her Shadowhunter Marks.
The Infernal Devices continues a problem that started with The Mortal Instruments: the characters’ dialogue isn’t always very believable. The conversations among the teenage characters swing back and forth wildy between overly quirky to overly mature. The latter moments make Tessa, Jem, and Will feel older than they’re supposed to be, as they speak quite poetically when it comes to their relationships with one another. By contrast, the quirky dialogue makes them feel younger — and it occasionally takes readers out of the story completely.
Clare’s more recent series have gotten much better when it comes to the dialogue, but The Infernal Devices contains a few too many jokes that feel forced. It’s not as often as in the early Mortal Instruments, and some of the jokes do land. However, it’s enough to distract from the story, especially when it’s set in the 1800s.
The Infernal Devices is sure to break readers’ hearts, but there’s no denying that the ending takes the easy way out when it comes to the series’ major conflicts. Jem’s looming death is a major element of the story, and Will’s response to his best friend’s “death” is one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the entirety of the Shadowhunter Chronicles. The fact that Jem actually survives takes away from the impact of this storyline. Even making him a Silent Brother feels like an easy out, but the later books even undo that sacrifice.
Jem’s survival also allows Tessa to be with both Will and Jem, just at separate times. This eases the impact of another one of The Infernal Devices’ major conflicts: the love triangle. While Tessa’s outcome offers a unique approach to the love triangle trope — and raises interesting questions about whether one can love multiple people at once — it does sort of feel like Tessa got to have her cake and eat it too. All the characters avoided major sacrifices that would have given more emotional weight to their story.
The Mortal Instruments has had two on-screen adaptations, and both have failed to reach to achieve the popularity of Clare’s books. The Mortal Instruments movie flopped at the box office, ensuring it wasn’t renewed for any sequels. And while Freeform’s Shadowhunters show did a slightly better job, it was still eventually canceled by the network. This brings up one harsh reality about The Infernal Devices: it will likely never get an on-screen adaptation.
A Shadowhunters movie or TV universe would need to start with The Mortal Instruments, and studios aren’t likely to do that again. Because of this, it’s difficult to see The Infernal Devices getting picked up for an adaptation. This is a shame, as these books would potentially be more of a draw than the original series. It looks like Shadowhunters fans will have to stick to the books though, as proper adaptations don’t seem very likely.
