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3k reviews for:
Gölge Avcısı Akademisi'nden Hikayeler
Robin Wasserman, Sarah Rees Brennan, Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson
4.24 AVERAGE
3k reviews for:
Gölge Avcısı Akademisi'nden Hikayeler
Robin Wasserman, Sarah Rees Brennan, Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson
4.24 AVERAGE
This was a collection of short stories, or that's the way it read. Simon Lewis, bereft of his memory, struggles through training at the Academy, with a new friend, his roommate, George Lovelace, at his side. Almost everyone from previous books shows up, and there's a lot of backstory here. You fall in love with Simon all over again, and George, and shock!!! even Alec. I never really warmed to Alec in any of the previous books, but in this volume, he finally captured my heart too. If you're a fan of the Shadowhunter world, you will just love this book. If you're new to Shadowhunters, you might want to start somewhere else first - with City of Bones, for example. Otherwise, it's another winner, for sure!
I loved the novellas! Some were better than others, but I think that's all a matter of opinion and tastes. (SPOILERS AHEAD!)
"Sed lex, dura lex," Balogh said. The Latin phrase had been hammered into them from the first day at the Academy, and Simon was coming to hate the sound of it—so often was it used as an excuse for acting like monsters.
Ratings for each, separately:
Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy: 4.5 Stars
I loved seeing everyone's interactions with Simon after he gets his memories taken away. And it was amazing to actually have another Simon POV like we did in City of Fallen Angels. The angst was too real, and it was glorious. When Simon talks about how it feels to have all these feelings but no memories to fall back on, it made my heart ache for him
The Lost Herondale: 5 stars
I enjoyed seeing Simon's school and dorm life. The way he becomes ingrained into a group of new friends, and we get to see all of the born Shadowhunters in their natural Shadowhunter entitlement, and Simon's increasing discomfort being surrounded by it. When the group of them told Simon they thought he was lying about his memory loss, I was incredulous along with him. Simon but he pulls through it with his quick wit, not even feeling hurt about it. I continue to enjoy Marisol's comments and unabashed love of herself; it's so refreshing.
Balogh annoyed the crap out of me, though I'm guessing that's what Clare wanted from the audience. The stark difference in the storytelling of Tobias Herondale between Belogh and Catarina was wonderful—I continue to love how we are shown the difference between the old generation of Shadowhunters and the Downworlders.
"Only a fool would try to get between the Shadowhunters and their Law."
The Whitechapel Fiend: 5 stars
Honestly, this one might very well be my favorite. The Jimon brotp returned full-force for me in this story! I love that Jace immediately falls back into being friends with Simon, and Simon does it as well—even though he doesn't know he is. He just seems to return everything Jace gives him with the visit. The training scene is what I have in mind with the brotp moment being the strongest. Jace going from joking around and being smirky to instantly serious when Simon seems to be in danger gave me LIFE. Man, Jace needing to confide in Simon even though he doesn't remember much of anything in terms of Jace's family drama or even being a person Jace would consider confiding in. AMAZING.
"So you just came here to torture me and talk about yourself?" Simon demanded.
"Oh, Simon, Simon, Simon," said Jace. "You may not remember, but that's kind of our thing."
TESSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Man, the story made me so happy. I've missed these dear characters so much, and the tiny glimpse of their domestic life after the events of Clockwork Princess made me gooey.
Nothing but Shadows: 5 stars
THIS ONE IS PROBABLY 100% MY FAVORITE ONE. I'm sorry for the virtual screaming, but I just can't help it.
The story was so interesting, and I finished this one the quickest. I couldn't stop reading it, and I could probably talk about this one for days. James and Matthew, my babies. At first, I sided with James (mostly because it was his POV and we saw Matthew through James-feels-glasses), but then, like James, I grew more and more fond of Matthew. Alastair was a dick, and I continued to hate him all through the story; and he's a Carstairs! I was just as brokenhearted over his character as everyone else probably was—honestly, I was expecting to have seen multiple lines of Herondale/Carstairs parabatai and closeness, considering how close Will and Jem were. Jem would have probably been aghast at that turn of events. Though, I did feel happy-silly to see that there were some good Herondale/Fairchild bonds from back then, considering Jace and Clary, so I guess I'm not complaining too much. And, Matthew Fairchild loving art made me so so so happy; the Fairchilds love of art is familial!
He curled his hands, one around his father's coat sleeve, and one around Matthew's. He held on to them, all the way home.
The Evil We Love: 4 stars
This one is one of my least favorites, but I did love it, hence the 4 star rating. It was interesting, especially since the Circle is one of my biggest wells of curiosity, but it was a little slow-going. I don't really have much to say about this one, as I did for the others, but Robert's POV may have been what distanced me from it. I felt like there was a wall between me and the story, and I couldn't get sucked into it like I had for the others. Though, getting an insight into Robert's past, and being able to see the Circle in its early days was very entertaining and very cool. I loved seeing Valentine as a teenager, and the entire group of them and how they'd all interacted before the Accords and before they all had children. Oh man, my intense dislike for Robert was heightened with the scene with Michael Wayland. But now I understand why he didn't feel it the way Will did with Jem in The Infernal Devices when his parabatai bond was broken.
"Stop worrying so much about whether or not you're sure. Let me be sure for you. Rely on my certainty, on my passion. Let yourself be weak, and lean on me, because we both know I can be strong. Accept that you're doing the right thing because I know it to be the right thing."
Pale Kings and Princes: 5 stars
I absolutely adored this one. We once again get to see Helen Blackthorn, and this time after the Cold Peace has taken effect in the Shadow World. It was heartbreaking, having to read about the Clave's cruelty, making her come to speak about her heritage the way she did. I won't spoil it, in case anyone hasn't read it, but it made my heart ache even more than it already did for the Blackthorns and what they've had to go through (and even more in Lady Midnight). At least she has Aline, who will always be there for her. Ugh, the Blackthorns and what the Clave did to Helen and Mark still makes my hair stand up.
This is how a faerie loves: with a gift.
Bitter of Tongue: 5 stars
MARK. MY BABY. The Blackthorns make me want to leap and scream, both in agony and in joy. I can't help myself, so some mild spoilers hereon lay.
Simon gets taken by a faerie in a turn of unseen events, and meets Mark Blackthorn. Mark is breathtaking, and my bones ached for him and his situation. The revelations that we have of him, of what's become of him in the Wild Hunt, made me want to cry. Clare has written Mark so beautifully, and so tragically, that I can't even comprehend how lovely of a character he is. He's a faerie, and he is beautiful, and he speaks in poetry, and he walks as if he is caught in an endless, lovely dance, but he holds steadfastly onto his Shadowhunter brothers and sisters, holds on to his hope that he will be saved. We see all of this through Simon's eyes, and it is both terrible and wonderful. We also meet Kieran, the Prince. (I've yet to finish Lady Midnight, but I do suspect some things that I see now may have been alluded to in this story).
All in all, this one was the most heartbreaking, yet the most beautiful. This one comes into my second favorite out of all of them, and would possibly be my absolute number one favorite if not for James Herondale, because we all have a soft spot for Herondales, let's be real.
Julian was their father, Simon thought with a dawning of horror. There was nobody else. Even though the Blackthorns had family who wanted to be there for them, wanted it desperately. The Clave had ripped a family apart, and Simon did not know what effects that would have in the future or how the wounds the Clave had inflicted would heal.
The Fiery Trial: 4.5 stars
Parabatai, Shadowhunters, technicalities, and much more. I loved this one as well, as you can see I've loved all of these stories. We get to see the weird hallucinations caused by Lake Lyn water, and it's so weird. So, so, so weird. But also very fascinating. Simon and Clary in this story gave me early TMI feels, and I welcomed them happily alongside all of the current angst we keep getting thrown at us. We also get to be witness to a parabatai ceremony, through Simon's eyes. It is all very interesting and very cruel, knowing what we know from Clare. It also made me agonize, knowing that everyone bearing witness to this ceremony felt something off about it, yet let it happen. WHY, OH WHY?
It was everything. It was all the love he saw in Jem's eyes when he talked about Will, and the love in Alec's face when he looked at Jace, even when Jace was being annoying, and a clear memory he had of Jace holding Alec while he was wounded and the desperation in Jace's eyes, that terror that comes only from thinking you might lose someone you can't live without.
Born to Endless Night: 5 stars
MALEC. 'Nuff said.
Just kidding.
I'm pretty sure everyone knows about this one; how can one not? It's been all over tumblr and pretty much everything else. I won't spoil anything, just in case anyone has not been defiled by spoilers.
A blue-skinned warlock baby is left on the steps of the Academy. Oh, what a scandal! Everything surrounding this instance, to me, is mysterious. Anyway, Simon and co find the baby, and not knowing what to do, bring said obviously-a-warlock baby to Magnus, who also happens to be with Alec in an apartment alongside the Academy.
Hilarity ensues, at first; things get real mushy real quick, with some tearful angst that gets resolved rather quickly, though there continues to be that underlying string of angst as there usually is with Clare's work.
Max, guys. That's all I'm going to say, to spare you non-spoilery people.
The note read: Who could ever love it?
Angels Twice Descending: 5 stars
Man, you can never go through any kind of Shadowhunter ceremony without angst hitting you like a punch to the gut. Again, I won't spoil anything for anyone who hasn't read it yet.
All the mundanes are on edge; the day for Ascension has finally come, and everyone is nervous. Will they all survive the Cup, finally becoming Shadowhunters, able to bear Marks and fight demons and protect and serve the Angel? That's what all the mundanes are thinking; the Shadowhunters are just ready to graduate. Things happen, and there is honestly a shocking turn of events that I was not expecting. I mean, based on the blurb, I was expecting someone to not make it, but I was completely shocked at who it was. I think I teared up a little bit at it. But man, this one was good. Simon, my poor comic relief baby, made me so proud. I didn't even know I could be even more proud of Simon than I already was, what with his beautiful progressive thoughts, but I was pleasantly surprised at how happy I was with him. Definitely a great ending for this novella of short stories, and definitely worth the read.
But swearing was a serious thing for Shadowhunters. You never promised unless you were absolutely sure.
"Sed lex, dura lex," Balogh said. The Latin phrase had been hammered into them from the first day at the Academy, and Simon was coming to hate the sound of it—so often was it used as an excuse for acting like monsters.
Ratings for each, separately:
Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy: 4.5 Stars
I loved seeing everyone's interactions with Simon after he gets his memories taken away. And it was amazing to actually have another Simon POV like we did in City of Fallen Angels. The angst was too real, and it was glorious. When Simon talks about how it feels to have all these feelings but no memories to fall back on, it made my heart ache for him
The Lost Herondale: 5 stars
I enjoyed seeing Simon's school and dorm life. The way he becomes ingrained into a group of new friends, and we get to see all of the born Shadowhunters in their natural Shadowhunter entitlement, and Simon's increasing discomfort being surrounded by it. When the group of them told Simon they thought he was lying about his memory loss, I was incredulous along with him. Simon
Spoiler
gets compared to ValentineBalogh annoyed the crap out of me, though I'm guessing that's what Clare wanted from the audience. The stark difference in the storytelling of Tobias Herondale between Belogh and Catarina was wonderful—I continue to love how we are shown the difference between the old generation of Shadowhunters and the Downworlders.
"Only a fool would try to get between the Shadowhunters and their Law."
The Whitechapel Fiend: 5 stars
Honestly, this one might very well be my favorite. The Jimon brotp returned full-force for me in this story! I love that Jace immediately falls back into being friends with Simon, and Simon does it as well—even though he doesn't know he is. He just seems to return everything Jace gives him with the visit. The training scene is what I have in mind with the brotp moment being the strongest. Jace going from joking around and being smirky to instantly serious when Simon seems to be in danger gave me LIFE. Man, Jace needing to confide in Simon even though he doesn't remember much of anything in terms of Jace's family drama or even being a person Jace would consider confiding in. AMAZING.
"So you just came here to torture me and talk about yourself?" Simon demanded.
"Oh, Simon, Simon, Simon," said Jace. "You may not remember, but that's kind of our thing."
TESSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Man, the story made me so happy. I've missed these dear characters so much, and the tiny glimpse of their domestic life after the events of Clockwork Princess made me gooey.
Spoiler
Will's condition being that Brother Zachariah accompany them made me squeal, even through the after-pang of angst deep in my chest.Nothing but Shadows: 5 stars
THIS ONE IS PROBABLY 100% MY FAVORITE ONE. I'm sorry for the virtual screaming, but I just can't help it.
The story was so interesting, and I finished this one the quickest. I couldn't stop reading it, and I could probably talk about this one for days. James and Matthew, my babies. At first, I sided with James (mostly because it was his POV and we saw Matthew through James-feels-glasses), but then, like James, I grew more and more fond of Matthew. Alastair was a dick, and I continued to hate him all through the story; and he's a Carstairs! I was just as brokenhearted over his character as everyone else probably was—honestly, I was expecting to have seen multiple lines of Herondale/Carstairs parabatai and closeness, considering how close Will and Jem were. Jem would have probably been aghast at that turn of events. Though, I did feel happy-silly to see that there were some good Herondale/Fairchild bonds from back then, considering Jace and Clary, so I guess I'm not complaining too much. And, Matthew Fairchild loving art made me so so so happy; the Fairchilds love of art is familial!
He curled his hands, one around his father's coat sleeve, and one around Matthew's. He held on to them, all the way home.
The Evil We Love: 4 stars
This one is one of my least favorites, but I did love it, hence the 4 star rating. It was interesting, especially since the Circle is one of my biggest wells of curiosity, but it was a little slow-going. I don't really have much to say about this one, as I did for the others, but Robert's POV may have been what distanced me from it. I felt like there was a wall between me and the story, and I couldn't get sucked into it like I had for the others. Though, getting an insight into Robert's past, and being able to see the Circle in its early days was very entertaining and very cool. I loved seeing Valentine as a teenager, and the entire group of them and how they'd all interacted before the Accords and before they all had children. Oh man, my intense dislike for Robert was heightened with the scene with Michael Wayland. But now I understand why he didn't feel it the way Will did with Jem in The Infernal Devices when his parabatai bond was broken.
"Stop worrying so much about whether or not you're sure. Let me be sure for you. Rely on my certainty, on my passion. Let yourself be weak, and lean on me, because we both know I can be strong. Accept that you're doing the right thing because I know it to be the right thing."
Pale Kings and Princes: 5 stars
I absolutely adored this one. We once again get to see Helen Blackthorn, and this time after the Cold Peace has taken effect in the Shadow World. It was heartbreaking, having to read about the Clave's cruelty, making her come to speak about her heritage the way she did. I won't spoil it, in case anyone hasn't read it, but it made my heart ache even more than it already did for the Blackthorns and what they've had to go through (and even more in Lady Midnight). At least she has Aline, who will always be there for her. Ugh, the Blackthorns and what the Clave did to Helen and Mark still makes my hair stand up.
This is how a faerie loves: with a gift.
Bitter of Tongue: 5 stars
MARK. MY BABY. The Blackthorns make me want to leap and scream, both in agony and in joy. I can't help myself, so some mild spoilers hereon lay.
Simon gets taken by a faerie in a turn of unseen events, and meets Mark Blackthorn. Mark is breathtaking, and my bones ached for him and his situation. The revelations that we have of him, of what's become of him in the Wild Hunt, made me want to cry. Clare has written Mark so beautifully, and so tragically, that I can't even comprehend how lovely of a character he is. He's a faerie, and he is beautiful, and he speaks in poetry, and he walks as if he is caught in an endless, lovely dance, but he holds steadfastly onto his Shadowhunter brothers and sisters, holds on to his hope that he will be saved. We see all of this through Simon's eyes, and it is both terrible and wonderful. We also meet Kieran, the Prince. (I've yet to finish Lady Midnight, but I do suspect some things that I see now may have been alluded to in this story).
All in all, this one was the most heartbreaking, yet the most beautiful. This one comes into my second favorite out of all of them, and would possibly be my absolute number one favorite if not for James Herondale, because we all have a soft spot for Herondales, let's be real.
Julian was their father, Simon thought with a dawning of horror. There was nobody else. Even though the Blackthorns had family who wanted to be there for them, wanted it desperately. The Clave had ripped a family apart, and Simon did not know what effects that would have in the future or how the wounds the Clave had inflicted would heal.
The Fiery Trial: 4.5 stars
Parabatai, Shadowhunters, technicalities, and much more. I loved this one as well, as you can see I've loved all of these stories. We get to see the weird hallucinations caused by Lake Lyn water, and it's so weird. So, so, so weird. But also very fascinating. Simon and Clary in this story gave me early TMI feels, and I welcomed them happily alongside all of the current angst we keep getting thrown at us. We also get to be witness to a parabatai ceremony, through Simon's eyes. It is all very interesting and very cruel, knowing what we know from Clare. It also made me agonize, knowing that everyone bearing witness to this ceremony felt something off about it, yet let it happen. WHY, OH WHY?
It was everything. It was all the love he saw in Jem's eyes when he talked about Will, and the love in Alec's face when he looked at Jace, even when Jace was being annoying, and a clear memory he had of Jace holding Alec while he was wounded and the desperation in Jace's eyes, that terror that comes only from thinking you might lose someone you can't live without.
Born to Endless Night: 5 stars
MALEC. 'Nuff said.
Just kidding.
I'm pretty sure everyone knows about this one; how can one not? It's been all over tumblr and pretty much everything else. I won't spoil anything, just in case anyone has not been defiled by spoilers.
A blue-skinned warlock baby is left on the steps of the Academy. Oh, what a scandal! Everything surrounding this instance, to me, is mysterious. Anyway, Simon and co find the baby, and not knowing what to do, bring said obviously-a-warlock baby to Magnus, who also happens to be with Alec in an apartment alongside the Academy.
Hilarity ensues, at first; things get real mushy real quick, with some tearful angst that gets resolved rather quickly, though there continues to be that underlying string of angst as there usually is with Clare's work.
Max, guys. That's all I'm going to say, to spare you non-spoilery people.
The note read: Who could ever love it?
Angels Twice Descending: 5 stars
Man, you can never go through any kind of Shadowhunter ceremony without angst hitting you like a punch to the gut. Again, I won't spoil anything for anyone who hasn't read it yet.
All the mundanes are on edge; the day for Ascension has finally come, and everyone is nervous. Will they all survive the Cup, finally becoming Shadowhunters, able to bear Marks and fight demons and protect and serve the Angel? That's what all the mundanes are thinking; the Shadowhunters are just ready to graduate. Things happen, and there is honestly a shocking turn of events that I was not expecting. I mean, based on the blurb, I was expecting someone to not make it, but I was completely shocked at who it was. I think I teared up a little bit at it. But man, this one was good. Simon, my poor comic relief baby, made me so proud. I didn't even know I could be even more proud of Simon than I already was, what with his beautiful progressive thoughts, but I was pleasantly surprised at how happy I was with him. Definitely a great ending for this novella of short stories, and definitely worth the read.
But swearing was a serious thing for Shadowhunters. You never promised unless you were absolutely sure.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
4.5 ⭐️
📘/🎧
This book solidified why Simon is my favorite 🥲
📘/🎧
This book solidified why Simon is my favorite 🥲
Overview
Tales from the Shadowhunter Acadamy follows Simon Lewis as he joins the Academy to become a Shadowhunter. I actually love Simon as a character and I really enjoyed seeing his point of view. I actually think that this was my favourite point of view to read from before we get to The Dark Artifices. Simon is such a fun and down to earth character and I think he reacts to these situations a lot like all of us would. I can definitely see a lot of myself in Simon, which is not really something I've been able to say about a main character in a Shadowhunter book before, and I think that's maybe why I connected with this a lot more.
Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy
This was a great opening and I loved that we got to see the new dynamics between Clary and Jace and Izzy and Simon and Alec and... you get it. Clearly things will be different between them after the events of the Dark War and ti was nice to have that bit of comfort, seeing them as a strong unit, before Simon has to go away to train. I particularly loved seeing Simon and Jace's friendship and seeing how Simon would seek Jace out to feel more calm in a stressful environment.
And then Catarina Loss takes Simon to the Academy and we get a strange vibe from her. I wasn't sure to think of her at first but by the end of this novella I decided I was going to love her. I think her burying the mushy grey soup in the forest really sealed the deal for me.
I instantly fell in love with George and I knew he was going to be a character I was going to adore throughout this anthology. His speech at the end of the story killed me and he is the perfect character to go through this alongside Simon.
However, what I didn't like was Izzy turning up and disrupting a class to call Simon out. I don't know, I know Izzy is unfairly liked in this series and I don't want to criticise her too much, but this really annoyed me.
"We all want to be heroes, but you know you can be one... You have it in you to make the right choices, to make big sacrifices. That's a lot of pressure. But it's lot more hope than any of the rest of us have."
The Lost Herondale
Simon has a lot of funny moments in this story, which I think automatically boosts how much I love one of these stories. However, this is probably the most interesting, most gripping story of the anthology.
This was such a wonderful story showing the prejudice of the Clave and the flashbacks were done marvellously.
I loved seeing Clary and Simon reconnect, it warmed my heart so much.
I also loved seeing the group go on their first mission and I love Marisol. She's so fiery!
This is probably one of the most important stories to read before going into Lady Midnight and I definitely regret reading Lady Midnight first. I knew who the lost Herondale was before reading this story, but it kind of made me more interested and I loved seeing where this storyline started from.
"Like all Herondales, his ability to love without measure, without end, was both his great gift and his great curse."
The Whitechapel Fiend
This was a fun story but not my favourite. I like Will and Jim and Tessa, but this anthology made me realise that I'm not too bothered about reading more from them.
It was a fun twist on a story we already know, and in that way it was almost like a Shadowhunter retelling so that was fun. It also had some cool Sherlock Holmes vibes to it that I really connected with.
I did love seeing Jace at the Academy and that was probably the highlight of this story for me.
“I am Tessa Gray,” she said in a low, clear voice. “And I believe in the importance of stories.”
Nothing but Shadows
I enjoyed this more than I expected considering we were being introduced to a new bunch of characters in James heron dale and Matthew Fairchild. Matthew is amazing and I loved seeing Tessa passing on her Warlock genes to James. I also loved seeing Ragnor Fell teach at the Academy.
However, this was one of the stories that I kept wishing that we were following more of Simon and George and their classmates at the Academy. It was an okay story but not one that I'm likely to go back to any time soon.
"Nothing says friendship more than exploding your school just to get expelled with your friend."
The Evil We Love
I... didn't care about this story that much. Robert Lightwood has never been a character that has interested me and so having to read through his point of view for the majority of this novella was tedious. However, I can admit that it is setting up something for the future well and I know that this story was necessary to fully understand the intricacies of following books.
Again, I cared a lot more about the students in the Academy in our present - Simon, George, Jon, Marisol - than the flashback story. While I think the flashbacks are woven in well, I just don't care.
"He and George had even named the rats that lived behind their walls. Every night, the left Jon Cartwright Jr., III, and IV a piece of bread to nibble..."
Pale Kings and Princes
This story gives us some backstory about Helen and about Faerie and that was something I surprisingly really liked. Even more surprisingly, this was the one story that I didn't want to go back to the present and I was more interested in the side story.
"Jace started rubbing his foot against my leg by accident. (I think by accident?) (It better have been by accident.)"
Bitter of Tongue
Simon really has a knack of getting kidnapped, huh?
I did really like this story, getting to see Faerie, Mark Blackthorn, Julian and the kids - love it! But this is where the anothology started to wane for me. I started to get a bit bored and I really had to force myself through. I am glad I did, however, as the last few stories were some of my favourites.
"Fortunate is the one who knows the name of their heart. They are the ones whose hearts are never truly lost. They can always call their heart back home."
The Fiery Trial
This is the main story where I am glad that I read Lady Midnight first as I think the parabatai ceremony between Emma and Julian hit home a lot more; I am so much more connected with those characters and I know what's coming for them.
It was really cool to see all the details that becoming parabatai entails and seeing Clary and Simon basically get drugged was brilliant. Their decision to become parabatai warmed my heart and I love them so so much!
"It was time to celebrate. It was nice, Simon thought, in the midst of all the terrible things that could happen and sometimes did happen, there was also this. There was a lot of love."
Born to Endless Night
Alec and Magnus adopt a baby and my heart is so full!!! Magnus is amazing in this and we finally see Simon confront Alec about the tension between them. Jace when he realises he's been caught out is hilarious and this is such a warm and fuzzy story. That party scene was so nice and then I realised it would be the last time they would all be together and I got so sad and I'm not okay.
"You love the people you love so much that you want to the an impossible ideal for them. You don't realize that you are more than enough."
Angels Twice Descending
THIS BROKE MY HEART. HOW DARE YOU, CASSANDRA CLARE. HOW DARE YOU.
I knew Simon would survive Ascension. How could he not? But... George? Nope. Nuh uh. I won't accept it.
AND THEN... And then Simon goes and calls himself Simon LOVELACE and basically stabs me in whatever is remaining of my poor heart. Ughhh. I can't.
“That they would drink from the Mortal Cup. That they would, like the first of the warrior race, Jonathan Shadowhunter, sip the blood of an angel. That they would, if they were lucky, be transformed on the spot into real, full-blooded Shadowhunters.”
Overall
I loved this bind up overall and there are some novellas here that I am sure I would have rated close to 5 stars! However, I did get bored at times and I kept wishing that we got to see more from Simon, which is why I rated it lower than 4.5 stars. It was a difficult thing for me to rate, but I guess I gave it that extra .25 up from the 4 star mark simply for how much I did love a handful of these stories. I would definitely recommend reading this anthology before heading into The Dark Artifices as you will gain so much more from that series if you do!
Tales from the Shadowhunter Acadamy follows Simon Lewis as he joins the Academy to become a Shadowhunter. I actually love Simon as a character and I really enjoyed seeing his point of view. I actually think that this was my favourite point of view to read from before we get to The Dark Artifices. Simon is such a fun and down to earth character and I think he reacts to these situations a lot like all of us would. I can definitely see a lot of myself in Simon, which is not really something I've been able to say about a main character in a Shadowhunter book before, and I think that's maybe why I connected with this a lot more.
Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy
This was a great opening and I loved that we got to see the new dynamics between Clary and Jace and Izzy and Simon and Alec and... you get it. Clearly things will be different between them after the events of the Dark War and ti was nice to have that bit of comfort, seeing them as a strong unit, before Simon has to go away to train. I particularly loved seeing Simon and Jace's friendship and seeing how Simon would seek Jace out to feel more calm in a stressful environment.
And then Catarina Loss takes Simon to the Academy and we get a strange vibe from her. I wasn't sure to think of her at first but by the end of this novella I decided I was going to love her. I think her burying the mushy grey soup in the forest really sealed the deal for me.
I instantly fell in love with George and I knew he was going to be a character I was going to adore throughout this anthology. His speech at the end of the story killed me and he is the perfect character to go through this alongside Simon.
However, what I didn't like was Izzy turning up and disrupting a class to call Simon out. I don't know, I know Izzy is unfairly liked in this series and I don't want to criticise her too much, but this really annoyed me.
"We all want to be heroes, but you know you can be one... You have it in you to make the right choices, to make big sacrifices. That's a lot of pressure. But it's lot more hope than any of the rest of us have."
The Lost Herondale
Simon has a lot of funny moments in this story, which I think automatically boosts how much I love one of these stories. However, this is probably the most interesting, most gripping story of the anthology.
This was such a wonderful story showing the prejudice of the Clave and the flashbacks were done marvellously.
I loved seeing Clary and Simon reconnect, it warmed my heart so much.
I also loved seeing the group go on their first mission and I love Marisol. She's so fiery!
This is probably one of the most important stories to read before going into Lady Midnight and I definitely regret reading Lady Midnight first. I knew who the lost Herondale was before reading this story, but it kind of made me more interested and I loved seeing where this storyline started from.
"Like all Herondales, his ability to love without measure, without end, was both his great gift and his great curse."
The Whitechapel Fiend
This was a fun story but not my favourite. I like Will and Jim and Tessa, but this anthology made me realise that I'm not too bothered about reading more from them.
It was a fun twist on a story we already know, and in that way it was almost like a Shadowhunter retelling so that was fun. It also had some cool Sherlock Holmes vibes to it that I really connected with.
I did love seeing Jace at the Academy and that was probably the highlight of this story for me.
“I am Tessa Gray,” she said in a low, clear voice. “And I believe in the importance of stories.”
Nothing but Shadows
I enjoyed this more than I expected considering we were being introduced to a new bunch of characters in James heron dale and Matthew Fairchild. Matthew is amazing and I loved seeing Tessa passing on her Warlock genes to James. I also loved seeing Ragnor Fell teach at the Academy.
However, this was one of the stories that I kept wishing that we were following more of Simon and George and their classmates at the Academy. It was an okay story but not one that I'm likely to go back to any time soon.
"Nothing says friendship more than exploding your school just to get expelled with your friend."
The Evil We Love
I... didn't care about this story that much. Robert Lightwood has never been a character that has interested me and so having to read through his point of view for the majority of this novella was tedious. However, I can admit that it is setting up something for the future well and I know that this story was necessary to fully understand the intricacies of following books.
Again, I cared a lot more about the students in the Academy in our present - Simon, George, Jon, Marisol - than the flashback story. While I think the flashbacks are woven in well, I just don't care.
"He and George had even named the rats that lived behind their walls. Every night, the left Jon Cartwright Jr., III, and IV a piece of bread to nibble..."
Pale Kings and Princes
This story gives us some backstory about Helen and about Faerie and that was something I surprisingly really liked. Even more surprisingly, this was the one story that I didn't want to go back to the present and I was more interested in the side story.
"Jace started rubbing his foot against my leg by accident. (I think by accident?) (It better have been by accident.)"
Bitter of Tongue
Simon really has a knack of getting kidnapped, huh?
I did really like this story, getting to see Faerie, Mark Blackthorn, Julian and the kids - love it! But this is where the anothology started to wane for me. I started to get a bit bored and I really had to force myself through. I am glad I did, however, as the last few stories were some of my favourites.
"Fortunate is the one who knows the name of their heart. They are the ones whose hearts are never truly lost. They can always call their heart back home."
The Fiery Trial
This is the main story where I am glad that I read Lady Midnight first as I think the parabatai ceremony between Emma and Julian hit home a lot more; I am so much more connected with those characters and I know what's coming for them.
It was really cool to see all the details that becoming parabatai entails and seeing Clary and Simon basically get drugged was brilliant. Their decision to become parabatai warmed my heart and I love them so so much!
"It was time to celebrate. It was nice, Simon thought, in the midst of all the terrible things that could happen and sometimes did happen, there was also this. There was a lot of love."
Born to Endless Night
Alec and Magnus adopt a baby and my heart is so full!!! Magnus is amazing in this and we finally see Simon confront Alec about the tension between them. Jace when he realises he's been caught out is hilarious and this is such a warm and fuzzy story. That party scene was so nice and then I realised it would be the last time they would all be together and I got so sad and I'm not okay.
"You love the people you love so much that you want to the an impossible ideal for them. You don't realize that you are more than enough."
Angels Twice Descending
THIS BROKE MY HEART. HOW DARE YOU, CASSANDRA CLARE. HOW DARE YOU.
I knew Simon would survive Ascension. How could he not? But... George? Nope. Nuh uh. I won't accept it.
AND THEN... And then Simon goes and calls himself Simon LOVELACE and basically stabs me in whatever is remaining of my poor heart. Ughhh. I can't.
“That they would drink from the Mortal Cup. That they would, like the first of the warrior race, Jonathan Shadowhunter, sip the blood of an angel. That they would, if they were lucky, be transformed on the spot into real, full-blooded Shadowhunters.”
Overall
I loved this bind up overall and there are some novellas here that I am sure I would have rated close to 5 stars! However, I did get bored at times and I kept wishing that we got to see more from Simon, which is why I rated it lower than 4.5 stars. It was a difficult thing for me to rate, but I guess I gave it that extra .25 up from the 4 star mark simply for how much I did love a handful of these stories. I would definitely recommend reading this anthology before heading into The Dark Artifices as you will gain so much more from that series if you do!
3.5 estrellas!
La verdad es que me costó entrar de nuevo en el mundo porque no me acordaba NADA de los libros anteriores, en especial mucho del último. De todas maneras, para la segunda historia ya estaba un poco más enganchada. Me gustó conocer gente nueva, tener datos que seguro son relevantes para Lady Midnight y demás.
Overall, me gustó bastante volver a este mundo y a los personajes y no puedo esperar a empezar Lady Midnight! ♥
La verdad es que me costó entrar de nuevo en el mundo porque no me acordaba NADA de los libros anteriores, en especial mucho del último. De todas maneras, para la segunda historia ya estaba un poco más enganchada. Me gustó conocer gente nueva, tener datos que seguro son relevantes para Lady Midnight y demás.
Overall, me gustó bastante volver a este mundo y a los personajes y no puedo esperar a empezar Lady Midnight! ♥