Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy

Hello Everyone,

Another day is here and as I recall saying in a post from last week I mean to publish twice a week on Tuesday and on Friday, and when I have time. So as today is Tuesday I bring you a new post.

I read all ten books in Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy series last weekend, except for Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy that I read last month. I am really glad I read these books because when I finished both The Mortal Instrument and The Infernal Devices series it was like I wouldn’t know anything else about those characters that I deeply love.  So Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy was a good fun read. I enjoyed this tales much more than The Bane Chronicles, I think this are much more in line with all the other Shadowhunter related books and is nice to get to know some new characters.

In average I gave this series 4.5 stars. There are some of the novellas that I´ve loved and some that I´ve liked but have been such a great disappoint. Before I keep talking about this books I must say that if you keep reading you will be spoiled about some stuff in The Infernal Devices Trilogy as well as you will be spoiled about a lot of stuff about The Mortal Instruments. And of course you might be spoiled about the events in these novellas. But seriously, if you liked the world that Cassandra Clare had created, go and read Tales from The Shadowhunter Academy and then comeback so we can discuss.

Before I start to ramble I will say that one of the things that I´ve enjoyed the most is how much parabatai are discuss in these books. I think with a couple of exceptions all the novellas treated the parabatai topic and is so interesting. In one hand, if you have read The Mortal Instruments you will know basically that there is a thing called parabatai but not much is explained besides that. Alec and Jace are close and we all know that, but as is not the main story concern we do not get to see that much. On the other hand, if you have read The Infernal Devices trilogy, you know that parabatai is much more than just a typical friendship thanks to Will and Jem. However in these novellas as we see Simon understanding what a parabatai is, we understand it ourselves.

So before I said all that, I meant to speak about each one of the books in the series and that´s what I am going to do now.

Welcome to the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan

This novella starts while Simon is leaving to the Shadowhunter Academy. He had not remembered anything and it felt like he is going to the Shadowhunter Academy so he can run away from all his issues. He had some pieces of his memories that have been restored thanks to Magnus and even if he don´t remember everything he remember the feeling of being kick out of his house by his own mother while he was a vampire. I think that at this point he hadn’t very clear why he want to be a shadowhunter.

So in the New York Institute he says his goodbyes and Jace trick him into believe that he had done some wrong to Alec, but I will talk about it in further detail later. Simon says goodbye and go to the Academy with Caterina Loss who seems to not like him very much.

In the Academy he meets a lot of new characters. But the one that I like the most is George Lovelace. He is so funny and everyone seems to believe that he is a Shadowhunter with Shadowhunter blood instead of an adopted kid. I do like that eventually he confesses to all that he is a mundane, and how shadowhunters work to be better. Because let´s be honest: shodwhunter are kind of racist.

This first novella is so introductory to this new scenario and to these new characters but is really well written. I enjoyed the reading and I even laugh a couple of times. I gave Welcome to the Shadowhunter Academy 4 out of 5 stars.

The Lost Herondale by Cassandra Clare and Robin Wasserman

Again and as all shadowhunters books this one is so funny. One of the things that I´ve enjoyed the most is the fact that Simon is clumsy. In YA we are used to see characters that are not heroes becoming some sort of Superman after they discovered their true identities or that they want to be heroes. We are used to see characters that are portrait as perfect. And I do like a lot the fact that Simon is trying to become a warrior but he has to work to get to that point, he is not a natural. Of course he is so nice and knows how t differentiates right to wrong but physically is a great change.

Another of the things that I enjoyed so much is how close Simon is coming to be with George. In this novella they are friends and both of them have a clear sense, as I said earlier, of what´s right and wrong.

But the thing that I liked the most about this novella was when Catarina told Simon the story of Tobias Herondale from her point of view. There is much more than just one true and she told him what really happened and how she saved the children. And is a huge act of trust on her side because what she did could be punished very severely by the Clave.

What I dislike about this book, and that´s why I gave it 4 out of 5 stars was that Simon was jerk to Izzy. I know that he hasn´t had his memories, but he is so egocentric. Of course Izzy is there to save him but she is also doing her job. However his relationship with Clary is going in the right way.

The Whitechapel Fiend by Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson

I enjoyed very much this novella. First of all we can see how Simon´s and George´s friendship still developing and they are becoming so close to each other, and how they support each other. Then is the fact that we get to see Jace teaching in the Academy a lesson about how to jump from high places. But that´s not even the best of it. The best part was the fact that Tessa is in the academy as a guest lecturer.

When the story is about Tessa and Will as parents I was shocked but so excited to see all. Will is so much fun, and kind of crazy. Only he would think that is a good idea to give a dagger to a two years old. But beside that is so much fun to see him and read all over again about he and Tessa and their love. And see how he and Gabriel Lightwood still making fun of each other even when they have a good relationship already.

And the main thing that I love and think that was an excellent plot twist was the fact that Jack the Ripper appears on this one. And it is shown that shadowhunters in order to protect mundane have sometimes to change history. Jack the Ripper was a demon that eventually was killed by Will after several months of patrols and a child kidnapping. But the best of these stories to see how much Will missed Jem and how he does everything he can to have him at his side. I laugh so much when I read how Gabriel said that Will called Jem over a green toe.

And finally, about The Whitechapel Fiend I like that Jace, who is some ways is so much like Will, get to meet Tessa and talk to her. And I love Jem is on the book and we get to see from Simons point of view how in love he and Tessa are. SO for all that I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Nothing but Shadows by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan

At this point I was expecting to be let down, because I loved so much the previous novella that I couldn´t imagine loving this one as much as I did. I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Again we have Catarina telling Simon a story and we get to know James Herondale deeply. I like how shy he is and how much he knows about books, just like Tessa and Will. I loved see Will as a parent as well.

I think that the writer have done an excellent work. I found myself caring so much about these characters, considering the little amount of time that I get to spend with them. If you had read The Bane Chronicles you would already know that James has a power like his mother, Tessa, does. The power James has is cool, he can become a shadow and because of that some of the kinds in the school are so mean to him. They are scared, and the surprised come from Matthew Fairchild, the son of Charlotte from The infernal devices.

I like how James and Matthew come to an understanding and became such a good friends. And I have to say that Matthew is perhaps one of the funniest characters I´ve read about, I cannot wait to see him and James in The Last Hours when it came out. I feel like in this case Mathew is going to be the funny one in the parabatai couple and, for all that I’ve seen it´s going to be kind of weird that is not a Herondale.

In this book Jem appears as well, but not as Jem but as Brother Zachariah, and even then he is so Jem. The Silent Brothers are not as intrinsic to himself as to the rest of the Brothers; which of course I am not complaining about. I really love how much Jem cares about Tessa´s and Will´s kids.

The Evil We Love by Cassandra Clare and Robin Wasserman

This novella is most likely the one that I liked the least. Is good and is a very fast read, but still. In this case Robert, the father of Isabelle and Alec is talking about his days in the Circle. I think he is not a very charismatic character, so as much as the book is told by his point of view I couldn´t empathize with the characters.

Also I really think that he making Izzy to be a manipulator is not a good thing. Is an absurd test and I really don´t get what educational purpose there is in all that. And he is so mean to his parabatai and I just don´t like him, not even at the end.

Pale Kings and Princesses by Cassandra Clare and Robin Wasserman

This one was so much better than the previous one. In Pale Kings and Princess we are already in the second year in the Academy for Simon and all of his friends. They already know a little bit more about being a shadowhunter. And Simon is so funny when he tries to explain what happened during all his failure dates with Isabelle. But I am so happy that at the end everything turns to be right between both of them.

I feel so sorry for Helen and how she and Mark are being treated by the Clave. Of course they have some fairy blood on them, but they still shadowhunters. They have grown in the L.A. Institute and all their siblings are shadowhunters. I think what the Clave is doing to them is so despicable.

Despite of my thoughts on the clave this book was so good and such a fast read and I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

Bitter of Tongue by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan

Again we deal with the Clave injustice leaving Mark Blackthorn with the fairies. The poor guy was still expecting to be saved. And even when he is half mad and going through such a traumatic experience all he cares about are his younger siblings. I really like Mark and feel so sorry for him.

And I also feel so sorry for George. All the missions have gone just right except for his. Poor guy, he is obviously not a leader. And for that the poor Simon ends the Fairyland.

So my conclusion of this book is pretty much, poor everyone. Except for Helen, who gets to marry Aline. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

The Fiery Trial by Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson

I am so disappointed that I did not like this book better. This book talks about parabatai and how they are meant to be. But I feel like the Water trial was so absurd, most in the case of Clary and Simon which for me is such a clear thing that they are meant to be parabatai. I am so happy the finally know it for sure thanks to Jem and Magnus.

And Jem is just the cutest, when he talked about Will or even thinks about him. Is amazing how much this pair love each other.

And we also get to see a parabatai ceremony between Julian and Emma. I am really looking forward to know more about this two when I read Lady Midnight.

I ended u giving this novella 3 out of 5 stars.

Born to Endless Night by Cassandra Claire and Sarah Rees Brennan

OMG!! This novella is certainly my favorite of all of them. It is amazing. I have loved it from the very first page to the very last one. Magnus and Alec have a baby!! Is just so amazing! The writing is so good and the lines are so funny. And c’mon Alec as a dad!!!!!

Who would think that Alec was so good with children. And I really like a lot little Max. And how all the Lightwoods go and welcome the baby into their family fighting over who would hold the baby and how they baby proof Magnus and Alec´s apartment.  I just love this book.

And I like how, eventually Clary has become one of Alec´s best friends. And I liked that finally Alec explains everything to Simon who, at the end, realizes that Jace was just joking, even when it was no funny at all.

Obviously I gave this novella 5 out of 5 stars because I couldn´t give more stars to it.

Angels Twice Descending by Cassandra Clare and Robin Wasserman

After reading the last one, even when I was so tired I have to keep reading until I finish all the Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, so that´s what I did. And even when I gave this book 5 stars I do not want to talk about all that happen.

I just want to talk about that pointless death at the end. Why do they have to kill George? Why could not he be a shadowhunter and have a happily ever after? Why do I have to end all Cassandra Clare´s book crying?

So those are my thoughts in Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy. Have you read them yet? Leave a comment down below in the comment section so we can discuss and if you like ths post and want to be notified abbot new post, subscribe.

See you all soon.