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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn't think I could love Magnus more and here we are
funny
medium-paced
"It was also a very bad idea.
It was a terrible idea.
It was the worst idea he ever had.
It was irresistible."
✒︎4.5 stars
Magnus Bane is one of my favorite literary characters of all time. After I read the (mostly) disastrous Mortal Instruments series, I knew I wanted more from Magnus. I also liked him in other series by Cassandra Clare, but he was done dirty in The Mortal Instruments.
I enjoyed most of the stories in this collection. Although they were co-written by other authors, they all blended together very well and read like any other book in the shadowhunters universe, which was a good thing. My favorite by far was The Last Stand of the New York Institute which showed the backstory behind "The Circle" from The Mortal Instruments series. All in all, I really loved seeing the inclusion of well-known characters in the shadowhunters universe and the backstories behind some of the world's lore. Some of the stories were weaker than others like What Really Happened in Peru and the odd inclusion of a "bonus story" at the end that was just a collection of voicemails that people left Magnus after he broke up with Alec.
I likes the stories with Alec at the end purely because I love Magnus, but I am Alec's number one hater. I will not forget how he slut-shamed Magnus because he is a warlock who has lived likely 500+ years. Obviously, I get why there were stories that included Alec, but I could have lived without it.
"Love did not overcome everything. Love did not always endure. All you had could be taken away, love could be the last thing you had, and then love could be taken too."
✂︎----------
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adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Placer culpable, muy culpable. Adoro al personaje de Magnus Bane, de hecho debería ser el protagonista de esta saga. La única pega el maldito final abierto, quiero saber si se queda o no con Alec!!!
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism
Update: 12/19/20 - As much as I enjoyed these short stories in the past, and even the main books in the Shadowhunter Chronicles earlier this year, I found myself more disappointed by these stories this time around. Maybe it's because I've gotten involved in more modern young adult and adult books/series, but I was so much more aware of how trope-ridden these stories were. Magnus kind of felt like your average cliche male young adult protag, and he didn't feel like the same man I remember loving all those years ago.
I still have a lot of nostalgia for this series and can appreciate it for what it is, but it seems like Clare's writing is no longer a good fit for me and that I should officially move on to other things. I'm sure lots of other people can still find enjoyment in these stories and the other books, but I'm clearly no longer one of them. Though I don't have high hopes now, I may at least still give her most recent series a chance to see if this was just a fluke.
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I'm honestly really glad that I finally got around to finishing this book. I remember loving Magnus as a character when I initially read The Mortal Instruments series, and I was so excited to see that there was a collection of short stories centered around him. His life is too interesting to be left a total mystery.
Some of the stories were definitely better than others. Regardless, I still enjoyed reading all of them. I enjoyed seeing him as his own individual character, rather than just playing the role I was used to in the main series. Honestly, I was just happy to see more of his past after how mysterious he was in the series. It's one thing to know that he's lived a long and exciting life, but it's another thing to read it (and have it in his POV).
I also actually really enjoyed seeing all of his past relationships he's had throughout his life, and how each and every person was important to him in some way. Even his non-romantic relationships were fun and interesting. I especially love his friendships with both Ragnor and Catarina, and how they were with him throughout everything. It's nice to see how this wide variety of characters has shaped him over the years.
All in all, this was a really enjoyable read, and I think it succeeded in pulling me out of my reading slump (which is quite the task). I would definitely recommend it to people who liked Magnus as a character, or even if you're simply curious about his backstory. I definitely wasn't disappointed.
I still have a lot of nostalgia for this series and can appreciate it for what it is, but it seems like Clare's writing is no longer a good fit for me and that I should officially move on to other things. I'm sure lots of other people can still find enjoyment in these stories and the other books, but I'm clearly no longer one of them. Though I don't have high hopes now, I may at least still give her most recent series a chance to see if this was just a fluke.
---------------------------------------
I'm honestly really glad that I finally got around to finishing this book. I remember loving Magnus as a character when I initially read The Mortal Instruments series, and I was so excited to see that there was a collection of short stories centered around him. His life is too interesting to be left a total mystery.
Some of the stories were definitely better than others. Regardless, I still enjoyed reading all of them. I enjoyed seeing him as his own individual character, rather than just playing the role I was used to in the main series. Honestly, I was just happy to see more of his past after how mysterious he was in the series. It's one thing to know that he's lived a long and exciting life, but it's another thing to read it (and have it in his POV).
I also actually really enjoyed seeing all of his past relationships he's had throughout his life, and how each and every person was important to him in some way. Even his non-romantic relationships were fun and interesting. I especially love his friendships with both Ragnor and Catarina, and how they were with him throughout everything. It's nice to see how this wide variety of characters has shaped him over the years.
All in all, this was a really enjoyable read, and I think it succeeded in pulling me out of my reading slump (which is quite the task). I would definitely recommend it to people who liked Magnus as a character, or even if you're simply curious about his backstory. I definitely wasn't disappointed.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What Really Happened in Peru - 2 stars
The Runaway Queen - 2.5 stars
Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale - 5 stars
The Midnight Heir - 5 stars
The Rise of the Hotel Dumort - 2.5 stars
Saving Raphael Santiago - 2.5 stars
The Fall of the Hotel Dumort - 3 stars
What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything - 1 star
The Last Stand of the NY Institute - 4.5 stars
The Course of True Love and First Dates - 3 stars
The Voicemail of Magnus Bane - 5 stars
The Runaway Queen - 2.5 stars
Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale - 5 stars
The Midnight Heir - 5 stars
The Rise of the Hotel Dumort - 2.5 stars
Saving Raphael Santiago - 2.5 stars
The Fall of the Hotel Dumort - 3 stars
What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything - 1 star
The Last Stand of the NY Institute - 4.5 stars
The Course of True Love and First Dates - 3 stars
The Voicemail of Magnus Bane - 5 stars