EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Cassandra Clare talks CLOCKWORK PRINCESS tension, intimacy of the INFERNAL DEVICES world

It’s the final day of our Week of Clockwork Princess and the final installment of The Infernal Devices is now available. No doubt thousands of readers are currently immersed in reading Clockwork Princess and struggling to say goodbye with these characters that we've all grown to love. For author Cassandra Clare, looking at the Victorian era "through a Shadowhunter lens was delightful," as she talks about in reflecting on The Infernal Devices, as was channeling her love of reading upon Tessa and Will. Here’s Part 2 of our exclusive interview with Cassandra Clare, in which she reveals what made Mortmain so intriguing to write as a villain, her love for Victorian London and the biggest difference between the worlds of The Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments.

TMI Source: What was your favorite part about writing in the Infernal Devices world?

Cassandra Clare: Oh, I can’t pick just one! I’ve always loved the Victorian era, and London specifically, so it was great fun to write in that setting. Similarly, writing about Tessa and Will, who love reading, was a lot of fun. And I love writing a character like Jem, with such a good, open spirit. And looking at the era through a Shadowhunter lens was delightful.

TMI Source: What book in The Infernal Devices posed the biggest challenge for you as a writer?

CC: They each had their individual challenges. Right now I’d say Clockwork Princess, because it’s freshest in my mind, and because there is so much tension built up around it. But that’s also what made it extra fun!

TMI Source: What characters were your favorite to write in this series?

CC: Again, very hard to choose! I always love writing Magnus, and I got to have more fun with Woolsey Scott in CP2. Henry and Charlotte and their arc was also very enjoyable. But really, it’s the relationships between Tessa, Will and Jem that run away with the show.

TMI Source: Which character (s) have grown the most in the series?

CC: Good question. Tessa, Will, and Gabriel.

TMI Source: You’ve created quite the dynamic love triangle that has the fandom divided and completely unaware of how it will play out. Are you proud of that? Do you enjoy seeing the fandom’s passion for a certain pairing and love for these characters?

CC: Muahhaha! I am proud of it. Yes, I enjoy the reactions, and am also a tiny bit terrified by them.

TMI Source: Axel Mortmain is a much different villain than Valentine or Sebastian in Mortal Instruments. What is it about Mortmain that made him so intriguing to write as a villain?

CC: Mortmain was a business man. In fact, he was based in part on a real entrepreneur  who conducted business in a similarly exploitative way. He keeps his cards close to his chest, but what he’s doing has been in the works for a long time. One of the things I liked most about writing Mortmain was fitting him into that historical colonial context.

TMI Source: While both The Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments exist in the world of the Shadowhunters there are many differences, including the time periods. What do you feel is the biggest difference between the two series at their core?

CC: The outfits. Just kidding! I think the two series contain many similar themes, but how those themes play out is very different. You’ll understand what I mean soon! As far as pure differences, I think the cultural difference is the biggest one, because that very much affects the attitudes of the characters.The characters in TID are more restrained, whereas in TMI characters are a lot more emotionally open and impulsive. It makes the wild moments in TID all the more exciting! TID is also a smaller story. What is at stake is the fate of these characters, and London. In TMI the fate of the whole world hangs in the balance. On is more epic, one more intimate.

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You can read Part 1 of our interview with Cassandra Clare here