Antonia Bernardin

Yes, that’s right, it’s another book by Cassandra Clare to review! This book was number 18 of the year, very nearly bringing us up to date. I realise I may have hindered my own mission by choosing to re- read books that are all massive and with multiple books per series but when I’m in too deep now. If lockdown carries on for much longer I’m not too concerned about catching up! Plus, the whole point of this challenge is really to trick myself into reading more.

This book is similar to The Bane Chronicles in that it was originally released as a series of short stories, probably to satiate her audience in between big releases. Unlike that series however, I do think this collection of short stories really adds something to the shadow hunter universe. I love that we get to spend more time from Simon’s point of view and I enjoy immensely his sarcastic thoughts and quips about shadowhunters in general. He feels as most of us mundanes would about some of the madder aspects of a race of part angels, mandated to defend the earth from demons.

The story’s begin with Simon shortly after the dark war has ended, without his memories  and returned back to human state at the end of The Mortal Instruments books. He goes to the academy in order to begin training to ‘ascend’, i.e. to drink from the Mortal Cup and transform into a full blooded shadowhunter. When he first arrives he is hailed as a ‘hero’ for actions he doesn’t remember and enjoys privileges that his fellow mundanes (ordinary humans with the sight also looking to ascend), until faint memories of how he was treated when he was a vampire, inspire him to speak out.

The various stories that follow, detail the ups and downs of his training and trying to reform his relationships with those he forgot. We also get to know his best friend George, without spoiling anything, I carry some resentment towards the writers for that particular nugget.

This collection is a lovely little follow up to The Mortal Instruments series and definitely worth a read if you like the shadowhunter universe. I couldn’t say how well they would work as a stand alone read though.

Interested the book? Check out the Goodreads page to read a less rambling summary!