Reviews with content warning for Blood - Ghosts Of The Shadow Market

I wanted to read this because I'm patiently waiting for the paperback version of Chains of Thorns and I just love the Shadow World so much that I would pay to live in this world and would kill for the Herondales to adopt me (from any generation). These ten stories are based on the Shadow Markets all over the Shadow World. All these stories feature the one and only Jem Carstairs, but each instalment is focusing on a different character from a different time period. I will be doing a small review for each book and my overall feeling.

Cast Long Shadows – 4 Stars

This book is from the point of view of Matthew Fairchild. He is the Consul’s son and the golden-haired boy of the Nephilim. He has the love of his family and his parabatai James Herondale, and nothing to wish for, except for the excitement and artistry and beauty that do not seem to fit in with a warrior’s way of life. Matthew is wanting to be treated as one of the adults and in on the trouble that is brewing within the Nephilim. Matthew gets more than he bargained for at the Shadow Market, where he commits the greatest sin of his life – something he can never tell his parabatai, or any of the honorable Shadowhunters around him.

This small book broke my freaking heart. We knew that Matthew was broken and that he had a secret and damn when this secret was revealed I was nearly crying. The guilt that Matthew felt made me want to give him a hug. Jem Carstairs being there and also wanting to hug him even if it was a silent brother also hurt my heart. I just want all of the people in this world to be happy and Matthew just feeling constantly guilty was a very heavy start to the book.

Every Exquisite Thing – 4 Stars

This book is from the point of view of Anna Lightwood. She is the eldest child of Gabriel and Cecily. She is mad, bad and dangerously dapper. Every rake has an origin story and now we see Anna’s doomed love story unfolding before our eyes. Anna is always trying on her brother’s clothes and finding them more to her liking than her own. Anna is to accompany her family to the Bridgestock household where she meets Ariadne Bridgestock and Anna finds herself enthralled by her beauty. A week later, Ariadne and Anna go on out to a Downworlder location where they find a warlock surrounded by mundanes, summoning a demon. They attempt to free the mundanes and find themself being attacked by a cluster of Ravener demons. Jem Carstairs shows up and helps them and Anna is injured. The next morning, Ariadne tells Anna that she is marrying Charles Fairchild and that she is in love with her, but she is choosing to marry Charles as she wants to become a mother. Anna gets home and she is heartbroken. But Cecily tells Anna that she accepts who she is and has brought her a suit tailored to her. Anna cuts her hair and finally feels like herself.

This book was so cute and again, I just wanted to hug Anna and to want Anna to be happy. Is that too much to ask for? I hated that she got her heartbroken for the first time during this novella, but I loved the ending and that Cecily and Gabriel were so accepting of her and was like here the suit, and cut your hair and here’s a necklace but just be yourself and we are here! It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I still don’t like Ariadne and I hope Anna finds another woman who won’t be afraid to be with her in public. I loved Jem making an appearance as we knew he was going to do but he had a separate storyline but was still helping Anna and Ariadne and it kept me intrigued for what Jem was after.

Learn About Loss – 3 Stars

In a small town lost to despair, a dark carnival of a market appears. Faeries and warlocks we know converge, and the fate that one day produce Kit Herondale is sealed. Sister Emilia and Brother Zachariah see Roland the Astonishing performing with a faerie woman and a baby. Afterward, they run into a young boy named Bill Doyle who is looking for his mother. He tells them that he has gained the ability to see the Shadow World after going through the Maze of Mirrors. The Shadowhunters proceed to encounter Belial in the heart of the maze. They retrieve the adamas mask from him and he informs Jem of a branch of the Herondale family that is in danger. He offers either a cure for Jem or more information on the Herondales. Jem says the Carstairs family owes the Herondales a debt and asks for more information.

I struggled with this book, I think it’s was just the whiplash from the first two novella to this one that started in the middle of nowhere. So, then it took me a while to get into it. I was waiting for the gangs to do something stupid and then Jem to save the day. I would have preferred this book to be first to get the grip of the Lost Herondales from the beginning, rather than the third book in. Once I managed to get into this book, I loved the grip of the Lost Herondales and wanted to know and this book seemed like a filler to get into the next couple of novella.

A Deeper Love – 5 Stars

This book follows Tessa three years after she lost her beloved husband William Herondale and she is searching for a reason to live, trying to find the path of being a warlock with the guidance of her friend Catarina Loss. World War 2 is raining down destruction on their world, and Tessa and Catarina become nurses who make bargains at the Shadow Markets to help suffering mundanes. But can Jem bear to see the woman he loves risk her life, or might he consider breaking the sacred vows to save her from loneliness?

This one was my favourite book out of the series! I loved Jem and Tessa and Catarina and the whole drama that came with it. I loved how Catarina is always willing to help anyone no matter where they come from. I just love her, she is one of my favourite characters alongside Magnus. This book is the ground-laying chemistry that we see in the Clockwork Series. It was like a really long epilogue from The Clockwork Princess (43 Page Epilogue). I loved the ending to this book and it managed to keep you more intrigued for the next books in the series.

The Wicked Ones – 4 Stars

This book follows Celine Montclaire. She goes to the Shadow Market to escape. She would go anywhere in Paris or the entire world to escape the suffering she experiences at the hands of her family. She did not expect to meet Valentine Morgenstern there, or to have him promise her freedom and the heart of the man she secretly loves. On one condition, of course. At the Shadow Market, nothing is free.

This book at first glance doesn’t seem too important – another one of Valentine’s followers, straying from the pack. You don’t want to feel sorry for her. Then you hear about the fact that she was abused by her parents and that’s why she joined Valentine and that her heart is with Stephen Herondale - I will write that again – STEPHEN HERONDALE. This is the origin story of Jace’s parents. This made my heart hurt for Stephen. The fact that Valentine was that much of a manipulator that he managed to convince this young girl to stick with him and he will give her the love of her life – that was just cruel to Stephen. This book set up the Dark Artifices so well, it could have been a prologue to the first book of that series.

Son of the Dawn – 4 Stars

This book is following Isabelle Lightwood. Her family runs the New York Institute, they are expecting a new addition to their family: the orphaned son of their father’s friend, Jace Wayland. Alec and Isabelle aren’t too sure they want a new brother, and their parents are not helping with their fears – they are too occupied with the dark news that Raphael Santiago, second-in-command of the New York vampire clan, has brought from the Shadow Market.

The first series in this world will always have a special place in my heart and Jace, Isabelle and Alec are also in my heart. So, knowing this was how Jace makes his grand appearance into the Lightwood household and New York was just so badass and so brilliant and . . . so Jace. Jace being insecure about being hurt and for Maryse and Robert not to know because he was scared, he was going to get kicked out – I just wanted to give him a hug. All I want is for the Herondales to be happy – everyone else to be happy as well, but mainly the Herondales and Jem. I just love the connections that were made and how Maryse and Robert immediately accepted him and was like yeah you are a Shadowhunter but you are also a kid, so be a kid.

The Land I Lost – 4 Stars

This book is following Alec Lightwood. He is with Magnus Bane; the High Warlock of Brooklyn and they are fathers to a warlock child named Max. He is asked to go to Buenos Aires from Jem and Tessa, they say that they are trying to access the Shadow Market, but they are being denied access, no Shadowhunters are allowed in the Shadow Market . . . expect for Alec Lightwood. The Queen of the Shadow Market will only speak to Alec Lightwood. Alec asks Lily Chen to come with him as he doesn’t know any Spanish and he believes the Shadowhunters and the institute would be welcoming like the New York Institute, but he is in for a nasty surprise. Whilst trying to find out what the hell is happening, a Shadowhunter orphan confides a dark secret to him at the Shadow Market.

This novella deserves to be a whole damn book. This novella is the biggest of them all, it was 121 pages and I still wanted more. I want Alec and Magnus to have like a cheaper by the dozen kids type lifestyle just with each downworlder – get a wolf baby, a faerie baby just keeps collecting them like Pokémon. I would read them going food shopping or anything. I adore them two. I loved how Alec was so scared that Rafael wasn’t going to understand him or anything, but would still protect him with his life. I loved that Magnus was just like great you go on a mission and bring back a child and was just automatically like right okay I'm your dad, you want a bedtime story? This story was just so cute and precious.

Through Blood, Through Fire – 4 Stars

This book follows Jem Carstairs and Tessa Gray. They are finally united after waiting over a century to be together, but they have become aware of a dark threat that is looming over a child of the Shadow Market: a lost Herondale from a line of Herondales who have used the Market to hide from their fellow Nephilim. Now is the time for the lost Herondale to be discovered. Jem and Tessa must find him before his enemies can.

During this book we learn about Kit’s parents. This is the start of Kit and how he ended up at the Los Angeles Institute. I enjoyed learning more about Kit’s parents and I would love a full story or series about those two being on the run and the love between them. I felt like the flashbacks just wasn’t enough. Tessa being hurt during this book and Jem trying to act calm just broke me. Jem begging Brother Enoch to save her just killed me. This novella left with you enough of the cliffhanger to want you to read the next one.

The Lost World – 3 Stars

This book follows Ty and Livvy Blackthorn. Ty is at the Scholomance and him and Livvy are testing the limits of ghostly powers. Ty is feeling very lonely and he and Kit aren’t talking due to Livvy’s coming back as a ghost. Kit is also feeling very lonely, but he is living with Jem and Tessa who are preparing for the birth of their child.

I struggled with this book, I think it was just because it was very chaotic and all over the place. I get that it was supposed to be that way, but I just wanted more. I would have loved for Kit and Ty to reunited and Livvy be the cause of that, but it just felt like a filler book. This could have been an epilogue or a prologue for the start of the next series or for the end of Lady Midnight. Magnus having to say the day is nothing new so him showing up and making things better was like coming home sometimes.

Forever Fallen – 3 Stars

This book follows Jace Herondale, but not the Jace Herondale we know and love. It's the Jace who crossed into our world from Thule. He is torn between his feelings of responsibility to Ash, who is ever-increasing in power, and his desire to take back the life he lost from the Jace we know in our world, by force if necessary. Meanwhile, in the peaceful country side of England, Kit struggles to adjust to a new life and a new family and to forget Ty.

I would have preferred to have just been a domestic book about Kit, Tessa, Jem and Mina. I wasn’t really interested in the bad Jace and that he wanted Clary. We already read about that within the main series. I just felt like the bad Jace side of the story was a filler and wasn’t needed. I loved Kit bonding with Mina and struggling with a safe household and I would have paid to have the 61 pages to be Kit and Mina. I would have loved for Mina to be a bit older and them and Kit training. They were giving me Izzy and Alec vibes and I was here for it.

Overall

I want all these Novella to be big ass books with chapters and prologue and epilogue and I just wanted more from ALL these books. This review has taken me two days to write, just from the number of stories in this book and making sure I do each review with justice, I didn’t want to rush it because I wanted it to be right.

Content Warnings