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kendra_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? No
4.5
blurrypetals's review against another edition
5.0
July 25, 2019
[re-read for Shadowhunter Summer 2019]
All my Shadowhunter Summer 2019 reviews may contain untagged spoilers for all the books in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. If you wish to read a non-spoiler review for this book, you may scroll to the review I wrote on November 14, 2018.
I've already pretty extensively reviewed each story except the new ones so I'll just say, this collection is so much fun. It made me somehow even more insanely excited for The Last Hours and The Wicked Powers. The short story collections remain to be some of the best things about The Shadowhunter Chronicles and I hope this isn't the last of them. They just flesh out the world so well, it makes everything to those of us paying attention just that much more rewarding and it's a damn good way to close out Shadowhunter Summer for me.
Without further ado, here are my mini-reviews for The Lost World and Forever Fallen!
The Lost World Mini-Review:
Dang this was cool! I loved finally getting a POV from Livia, and such a unique and different one from anything we've ever seen in the Chronicles before. I also enjoyed the snapshot we got of what the Scholomance is like, and what the Cohort is up to in Idris. Also, welcome to the world, Wilhelmina Yiqiang Ke Carstairs! My heart busted in two when they announced her name. So excited to see where Ty and Livvy at the Scholomance go!
Forever Fallen Mini-Review:
Holy shit, gang. That was maybe the best teaser for The Wicked Powers that could have existed. Everything involving Kit and his new Carstairs family made me cry. Literally all of it, especially the passage about valuable things and Kit and Jem's final conversation. But holy cow, Janus! What an incredible ride this will be with not-Jace as our new big bad, and we get a chilling POV here with him. I love him, because he's Jace, but fully prepared to hate him, because, well...he's not.
The future of The Shadowhunter Chronicles is exciting and bold and this book gives us quite the incredible peek at it all and, needless to say, I'll be waiting with bated breath to see what we get next!
November 14, 2018
This is the first Shadowhunters short story collection I've read as each story has come out, seeing as I thought The Bane Chronicles and Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy were going to be a waste of my time before I randomly decided to listen to them. Big surprise, they were amazing, so when I was finishing up my big reread of The Shadowhunter Chronicles in its then-current entirety last fall and it was announced there would be another short story collection to tide me over until the release of Queen of Air and Darkness, I felt like the luckiest girl at the ball. There's something about these short stories that somehow is able to crank up the fun even more than the full novels do, and I think it's because Clare and friends just drop any pretense of, well, pretension, and they just write the equivalent of canon fanfiction, making the stories they choose to tell some of the most fun and entertaining stuff to come from Shadowhunters lore. I also really love and admire the ease with which we skip from past to present while the collection still retains an overarching story. It's brilliant and I love it. I have so much fun with these short stories I wish they happened more often.
With all that said, this obviously served to make me even more excited for Queen of Air and Darkness than I already was, somehow, and I'm so incredibly pumped to see how all this business with Kit Herondale, the last Lost Herondale, and the Blackthorns and their Emma all comes crashing together in December. I also really can't wait to meet Cassandra Clare the Monday after the book comes out, not only because I'll be meeting Cassandra Clare, but also because I'll be meeting my best friend for the first time and go to the book signing with her.
As each story came out, I wrote little mini-reviews for them all while my mind was still fresh on them, so here are all of my thoughts on each of the individual stories:
Son of the Dawn Mini-Review, April 10, 2018:
I can’t believe they made that joke about a second Jonathan; I thought I was going to die laughing about that. Also, my soft spot for Raphael Santiago somehow has grown impossibly larger and softer. Loved Jem’s mourning for Will and longing for Tessa. Lily’s nicknames are the fucking best. Lily’s feelings for Raphael are heartbreaking. Adored everything about this; I can’t wait for more!
Cast Long Shadows Mini-Review, May 8, 2018:
These stories that take place post-The Infernal Devices, pre-The Last Hours sometimes stress me out because I’m afraid I’ll get too heartsick and excited before the first book even comes out. Needless to say I loved it: loved Matthew’s naiveté, his relationship with James (especially the moments about the guy Jamie threw in the river), and Jem and Will’s conversation at the end. My heart can’t take this; it’s gonna break.
Every Exquisite Thing Mini-Review, June 12, 2018:
Oh dear, my aching heart. I am so enchanted to finally meet Anna Lightwood. She has such a soft heart and an open, wilder mind, not unlike her Uncle Will. If Cast Long Shadows made me excited for The Last Hours, I don’t know how to properly express how excited I am now. I adored seeing Cecily and Gabriel again and the way they welcomed Anna’s uniqueness with wide, loving arms and a dapper blue waistcoat.
Learn About Loss Mini-Review, July 11, 2018:
Easily the weakest of the four stories released so far, but the ending saved it for me with the melancholy yet hopeful color it cast upon me, like a soft, cool hand passing over my face as I left the theater whereupon Jem’s, Will’s, and Tessa’s lives play out. A new favorite Will Herondale line: “There is nothing so sweet as feasting upon the bones of my enemies with you at my side.”
A Deeper Love Mini-Review, August 14, 2018:
Just when I think I'm over Will Herondale's death, a short story like this one, taking place shortly after his death, comes along and picks at the scabs, to get just a few more drops out of my heart, which eternally bleeds for Will, Tessa, and Jem. This is probably the second best short story after Son of the Dawn, a good mix of action, excellent character moments, and exquisite heartache.
The Wicked Ones Mini-Review, September 11, 2018:
Easily my favorite so far. I have been waiting 900 years to hear Celine's story and I am so happy to have a slice of it, even if it seriously creeped me out. Also, I'm loving the through line of Jem searching for the Lost Herondale. I loved Rosemary and her Jack Crow (who clearly later became Johnny Rook) and that whole reveal with the iratze. I loved seeing more Stephen, too. J’adore.
The Land I Lost Mini-Review, October 9, 2018:
Goodness, I don't even know where to start. This was so incredibly delightful through and through. Everything, from Magnus and Alec's parenting skills to the way Jace and Isabelle spoil Max to Alec and Clary skipping Simon's show to get tacos to all things Rafael Bane-Lightwood to more about the Lost Herondale (and what this history might mean for Kit later). It's all just too, too good.
Through Blood, Through Fire Mini-Review, November 14, 2018:
And so the tale of The Lost Herondale has been brought full circle. Jem and Tessa have also been brought full circle, bringing about the happy ending only hinted at in Clockwork Princess. This collection, like The Infernal Devices, is a big love letter to love itself and this last story is sure to emphasize that point with Jem and Tessa and Rosemary and Jack in a lovely fashion.
With that, this is where I leave you. Catch you in the review of Queen of Air and Darkness!
[re-read for Shadowhunter Summer 2019]
"The only truly unbearable burden is living without love. You taught me that. You and Will."
All my Shadowhunter Summer 2019 reviews may contain untagged spoilers for all the books in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. If you wish to read a non-spoiler review for this book, you may scroll to the review I wrote on November 14, 2018.
I've already pretty extensively reviewed each story except the new ones so I'll just say, this collection is so much fun. It made me somehow even more insanely excited for The Last Hours and The Wicked Powers. The short story collections remain to be some of the best things about The Shadowhunter Chronicles and I hope this isn't the last of them. They just flesh out the world so well, it makes everything to those of us paying attention just that much more rewarding and it's a damn good way to close out Shadowhunter Summer for me.
Without further ado, here are my mini-reviews for The Lost World and Forever Fallen!
The Lost World Mini-Review:
Dang this was cool! I loved finally getting a POV from Livia, and such a unique and different one from anything we've ever seen in the Chronicles before. I also enjoyed the snapshot we got of what the Scholomance is like, and what the Cohort is up to in Idris. Also, welcome to the world, Wilhelmina Yiqiang Ke Carstairs! My heart busted in two when they announced her name. So excited to see where Ty and Livvy at the Scholomance go!
Forever Fallen Mini-Review:
Holy shit, gang. That was maybe the best teaser for The Wicked Powers that could have existed. Everything involving Kit and his new Carstairs family made me cry. Literally all of it, especially the passage about valuable things and Kit and Jem's final conversation. But holy cow, Janus! What an incredible ride this will be with not-Jace as our new big bad, and we get a chilling POV here with him. I love him, because he's Jace, but fully prepared to hate him, because, well...he's not.
The future of The Shadowhunter Chronicles is exciting and bold and this book gives us quite the incredible peek at it all and, needless to say, I'll be waiting with bated breath to see what we get next!
November 14, 2018
This is the first Shadowhunters short story collection I've read as each story has come out, seeing as I thought The Bane Chronicles and Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy were going to be a waste of my time before I randomly decided to listen to them. Big surprise, they were amazing, so when I was finishing up my big reread of The Shadowhunter Chronicles in its then-current entirety last fall and it was announced there would be another short story collection to tide me over until the release of Queen of Air and Darkness, I felt like the luckiest girl at the ball. There's something about these short stories that somehow is able to crank up the fun even more than the full novels do, and I think it's because Clare and friends just drop any pretense of, well, pretension, and they just write the equivalent of canon fanfiction, making the stories they choose to tell some of the most fun and entertaining stuff to come from Shadowhunters lore. I also really love and admire the ease with which we skip from past to present while the collection still retains an overarching story. It's brilliant and I love it. I have so much fun with these short stories I wish they happened more often.
With all that said, this obviously served to make me even more excited for Queen of Air and Darkness than I already was, somehow, and I'm so incredibly pumped to see how all this business with Kit Herondale, the last Lost Herondale, and the Blackthorns and their Emma all comes crashing together in December. I also really can't wait to meet Cassandra Clare the Monday after the book comes out, not only because I'll be meeting Cassandra Clare, but also because I'll be meeting my best friend for the first time and go to the book signing with her.
As each story came out, I wrote little mini-reviews for them all while my mind was still fresh on them, so here are all of my thoughts on each of the individual stories:
Son of the Dawn Mini-Review, April 10, 2018:
I can’t believe they made that joke about a second Jonathan; I thought I was going to die laughing about that. Also, my soft spot for Raphael Santiago somehow has grown impossibly larger and softer. Loved Jem’s mourning for Will and longing for Tessa. Lily’s nicknames are the fucking best. Lily’s feelings for Raphael are heartbreaking. Adored everything about this; I can’t wait for more!
Cast Long Shadows Mini-Review, May 8, 2018:
These stories that take place post-The Infernal Devices, pre-The Last Hours sometimes stress me out because I’m afraid I’ll get too heartsick and excited before the first book even comes out. Needless to say I loved it: loved Matthew’s naiveté, his relationship with James (especially the moments about the guy Jamie threw in the river), and Jem and Will’s conversation at the end. My heart can’t take this; it’s gonna break.
Every Exquisite Thing Mini-Review, June 12, 2018:
Oh dear, my aching heart. I am so enchanted to finally meet Anna Lightwood. She has such a soft heart and an open, wilder mind, not unlike her Uncle Will. If Cast Long Shadows made me excited for The Last Hours, I don’t know how to properly express how excited I am now. I adored seeing Cecily and Gabriel again and the way they welcomed Anna’s uniqueness with wide, loving arms and a dapper blue waistcoat.
Learn About Loss Mini-Review, July 11, 2018:
Easily the weakest of the four stories released so far, but the ending saved it for me with the melancholy yet hopeful color it cast upon me, like a soft, cool hand passing over my face as I left the theater whereupon Jem’s, Will’s, and Tessa’s lives play out. A new favorite Will Herondale line: “There is nothing so sweet as feasting upon the bones of my enemies with you at my side.”
A Deeper Love Mini-Review, August 14, 2018:
Just when I think I'm over Will Herondale's death, a short story like this one, taking place shortly after his death, comes along and picks at the scabs, to get just a few more drops out of my heart, which eternally bleeds for Will, Tessa, and Jem. This is probably the second best short story after Son of the Dawn, a good mix of action, excellent character moments, and exquisite heartache.
The Wicked Ones Mini-Review, September 11, 2018:
Easily my favorite so far. I have been waiting 900 years to hear Celine's story and I am so happy to have a slice of it, even if it seriously creeped me out. Also, I'm loving the through line of Jem searching for the Lost Herondale. I loved Rosemary and her Jack Crow (who clearly later became Johnny Rook) and that whole reveal with the iratze. I loved seeing more Stephen, too. J’adore.
The Land I Lost Mini-Review, October 9, 2018:
Goodness, I don't even know where to start. This was so incredibly delightful through and through. Everything, from Magnus and Alec's parenting skills to the way Jace and Isabelle spoil Max to Alec and Clary skipping Simon's show to get tacos to all things Rafael Bane-Lightwood to more about the Lost Herondale (and what this history might mean for Kit later). It's all just too, too good.
Through Blood, Through Fire Mini-Review, November 14, 2018:
And so the tale of The Lost Herondale has been brought full circle. Jem and Tessa have also been brought full circle, bringing about the happy ending only hinted at in Clockwork Princess. This collection, like The Infernal Devices, is a big love letter to love itself and this last story is sure to emphasize that point with Jem and Tessa and Rosemary and Jack in a lovely fashion.
With that, this is where I leave you. Catch you in the review of Queen of Air and Darkness!
saretta02's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Death, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pregnancy, Violence, and Torture
ionacraig98's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
drakebenefield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 STARS
Cast Long Shadows - 5 Stars
Every Exquisite Thing - 5 Stars
Learn About Loss - 4.5 Stars
A Deeper Love - 4 Stars
The Wicked Ones - 4.5 Stars
Son of the Dawn - 4.5 Stars
The Land I Lost - 5 Stars
Through Blood, Through Fire - 4.5 Stars
The Lost World - 4 Stars
Forever Fallen - 4.5 Stars
Cast Long Shadows - 5 Stars
Every Exquisite Thing - 5 Stars
Learn About Loss - 4.5 Stars
A Deeper Love - 4 Stars
The Wicked Ones - 4.5 Stars
Son of the Dawn - 4.5 Stars
The Land I Lost - 5 Stars
Through Blood, Through Fire - 4.5 Stars
The Lost World - 4 Stars
Forever Fallen - 4.5 Stars
emperor_nero's review against another edition
4.0
sorry the formatting is kind of weird, i wrote this up in the notes app because i was rating/ reviewing each novella as i was reading.
cast long shadows- 4.5 stars
-i just want to give matthew fairchild a
big hug
every exquisite thing- 5 stars
learn about loss- 3 stars
-i wasn’t over or underwhelmed, i was
just whelmed
a deeper love- 3.5 stars
-i wish that this was so much more than
it was. it just seemed to be missing
something and it was incredibly
repetitive
the wicked ones- 5 stars
son of the dawn- 4 stars
the land i lost- 4.5 stars
through blood, through fire- 4 stars
the lost world- 4 stars
forever fallen- 3.5 stars
-hate to correct people, but i highly
doubt that jem has a stradivarius violin.
about 1,110 instruments were made by
stradivari and those aren’t just violins.
on top of that most of them were made
between 1680ish-1700 and were made
in italy, so even back in the late 1800s,
it would have been difficult for jem to
get one. tessa’s first edition books on
the other hand? much more believable.
cast long shadows- 4.5 stars
-i just want to give matthew fairchild a
big hug
every exquisite thing- 5 stars
learn about loss- 3 stars
-i wasn’t over or underwhelmed, i was
just whelmed
a deeper love- 3.5 stars
-i wish that this was so much more than
it was. it just seemed to be missing
something and it was incredibly
repetitive
the wicked ones- 5 stars
son of the dawn- 4 stars
the land i lost- 4.5 stars
through blood, through fire- 4 stars
the lost world- 4 stars
forever fallen- 3.5 stars
-hate to correct people, but i highly
doubt that jem has a stradivarius violin.
about 1,110 instruments were made by
stradivari and those aren’t just violins.
on top of that most of them were made
between 1680ish-1700 and were made
in italy, so even back in the late 1800s,
it would have been difficult for jem to
get one. tessa’s first edition books on
the other hand? much more believable.
jessmaree91's review against another edition
YA Book of short stories, closed the book with 4 stories to go, began reading more adult books and couldn’t push myself back into YA
mcharlotten's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
savannahskram's review
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
kimpunk4ever's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
relaxing
4.25