Mini Book Review: Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy

SHADOWHUNTERS #11
AUTHOR: CASSANDRA CLARE
SARAH REES BRENNAN
MAUREEN JOHNSON
ROBIN WASSERMAN
RATING: 4 STARS
THE BANE CHRONICLES

This was, by far, the most nostalgic Shadowhunter book to date. Not only does it call back to TMI, which is a series I haven't revisited since the last book came out, but also TID, and some of the character from TDA (whose fates I know now having just finished Lord of Shadows). It was almost liking going home, reading this book, and that was the perfect experience for the place I was in at the time of reading it.

Just like with The Bane Chronicles, it was James Herondale who took the cake with this one. I adored his story, I adored everything about him- his relationship with his parents, his relationship with his friends (particularly Matthew!), and his character in general. I already know he's going to be one of my favorite characters in all of the series and I really, really can't wait for TLH to come out.

I also liked how level headed Simon was, and how he was the voice of reason among the heightened political tension within the Shadowhunter Academy. Pairing this with everything in Lord of Shadows, this is definitely tamer, but it's also important. I'd recommend reading this first because it really sets up the relationships each group has with the other.

My one complaint was that, even after everything that I loved in this book, I walked away feeling a little empty, as if there was something missing at the end. I think that has to do with the fact that it's not a novel, it's an anthology, but I still felt like something key was missing. However, I don't think that should stop anyone from reading this collection, because it really is, overall, wonderful.

5 Star Review: The Bane Chronicles

Authors: Cassandra Clare

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Sarah Rees Brennan

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Maureen Johnson

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Edition: Hardcover

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Book Depository

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Rating: 5 Stars

I've put this off for so long and I have no good reason to have done so.  I got it pretty much when it was released, and while I love Magnus, I just didn't see a rush in reading this one.  But I finished Lady Midnight last month, and I've decided that I'm going to read (or reread) something Shadowhunter every month.  Bane Chronicles seemed like the natural place to start with this, and I'm really glad I finally got to it.  I also think it helped kick me out of my book slump, or, at least, I'm hoping it did.

What Really Happened in Peru

Not my favorite from the collection, but a decent start.  It served as a good introduction to the characters, particularly Ragnar and Catarina.  Magnus is a bit too childish in this story for my tastes, but I suppose he is a much younger Warlock at this time in his life.

The Runaway Queen

My least favorite story in this whole piece.  I was not a fan at all.  Like, cute idea, I guess, but just not what I signed up for when I sat down to read it.  I also think this one had the weakest writing throughout the whole book.

Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale

The Herondale's break my heart whenever they're on the page!  This is about Will's dad, and that was really great, getting to see him.  It was about, though, the way Downworlders and Shadowhunters used to interact.  In the books, up until this point, while we do see some prejudice, we always see it from the Shadowhunters' points of view.  Seeing it from Magnus, who was front-row and dealing with this prejudice every day, really changed my mind about some things.  It certainly made it more serious and helped set the tone for the whole collection.  Also, this is where Magnus meets Camille, which is very important.

The Midnight Heir

One of my favorite stories in here!  Can I just say I'm more than ready for James Herondale?  My heart hurt for him so much in these few pages.  And also, turning into a shadow?  Last Hours is going to be one hell of a series.

The Rise of the Hotel Dumont, Saving Raphael Santiago, and The Fall of the Hotel Dumort

I consider this, more or less, the vampire trilogy.  I liked all three of the stories a lot, but the one about Raphael just broke my heart.  I never really appreciated him as a character, but when I go to reread the books I won't make that mistake again.  He's a darling and very important character that I will never take for granted again.

What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything (and You're Not Officially Dating Anyway)

This is absolutely adorable!  It had me squeeing the entire time.  Malec is the best ship in the Mortal Instruments (if you ask me) and of course anything where these two are on the pages together, or merely referencing each other, will more than please me.

The Last Stand of the New York Institute

This was a surprising story.  I wasn't expecting it to be in here, and it shocked me.  Seeing the Circle when they were younger, and seeing what they were actually capable of, and what they ended up doing to the Whitelaws was... wow.  It was just wow.  I can't describe this one so much.  It was a great read, but it was probably the darkest in the whole collection.

The Course of True Love (And First Dates)

This was the most adorable story in the whole piece, and probably my second favorite one.  It's Malec's first date and it's beautiful.  If you were to buy the book for one story, this would be it.  I think I was smiling the whole time.

The Voicemail of Magnus Bane

This was rather sad, but an important view of Magnus' character, particularly during a hard time (that I won't spoil because, you know, it takes place further in the series than any others do).  However, it was probably on the lower end of stories for me.

Overall: It was a wonderful collection and I can't wait until Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy releases in hardback!

5 Star ARC Book Review: Tell the Wind and Fire

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

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Edition: eGalley courtesy of Netgalley

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Book Depository

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Release Date: April 5th, 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

I received a copy of Tell the Wind and Fire from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

Tell the Wind and Fire was one of my most anticipated releases this year for a couple of reasons.  One, I absolutely love the classic Tale of Two Cities and had never read a retelling of it before, and, two, because it's a standalone novel, something I don't read many of.

This novel follows Lucie Manette, a light magician who was born and raised in the dark city.  In order to get out of the dark city and save her father, she had to take drastic measures, carving herself into nothing less than an iconic figure.  Now, several years later, comfortably settled in the light city and in love with the heir to a fortune of money and power, the dark city has begun rising, and she's at the center of it.

I loved the characters in this book.  My favorite was easily Carwyn, Ethan's doppleganger, but I ended up loving Lucie for her unique personality and Ethan as well.  Lucie, to me, didn't read like other female protagonists.  She wasn't hot headed, like many of the ladies that take center stage, or cold and calculating (which seems to be the only other option, sometimes).  No, she was straight up practical and weighed everything carefully, and honestly, no matter how virtuous or despicable, and made a decision that made sense in the situation.  I rather enjoyed seeing her make only good (or at least, good for the situation in that it worked) decisions without being the smartest one in the room.  It made it easy to connect to her.  While Ethan doesn't get as fleshed out as I would have liked, he did end up growing on me, and the way he treats other people was wonderful to see.  I do wish other characters had the chance to shine, though, since I thought certain background characters had more personality than they were given.

My favorite part of the novel, though, were the social underpinnings.  Obviously, there was tension between those with power and those without, highlighting, perhaps, some of the things going on in our society, but above all there were clear and direct messages about how to treat women and humans in general.  Lucie, when interacting with Carwyn or Jim, and even Ethan, would make a point, either out loud or in her head, to announce how you should treat the person you love.  There are about a trillion beautiful quotes that have to do with this topic, so I recommend reading the novel for this reason alone.

The plot was very good, though somewhat predictable since I have read Tale of Two Cities and knew that this was a retelling.  I liked the original spin on the story that Brennan has taken, though, and there were several moments (particularly near the end) that surprised me.  Of course, I can't tell you what those are without spoiling you.

This book comes out rather soon, so I really recommend you go and pick it up as soon as you can.  It's a great novel with wonderful prose on top of all that.  And the cover.  Did I mention that?  It'll look great on your bookshelf!