Thoughts on Shadowhunter Anthologies

I’ve already discussed my thoughts on the Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy anthology so now I go onto The Magnus Bane Chronicles and Ghosts of the Shadowmarket.

The Magnus Bane Chronicles focuses on the world’s favorite warlock in ten short stories that give some wonderful background to his past like What Really Happened in Peru. While we never really find out why Magnus got banned from Peru (Though I’m sure it is hilarious) we do get some rather bittersweet insight to Magnus’ entertaining personality as a defense mechanism from thinking about his long long long immortal life seeing people he love die, endless human horror visited upon other humans, it really could drive one insane. So it’s lucky he has his friends and an occasonal potioned drink.

I was most interested Vampires, Scones and Edmund Herondale and The Fall of the Hotel Durmont. The latter focuses on the historic signing of the Downworld Accords with Downworlder involvement. It has such important historic figures as Woosley Scott and the first meeting of Magnus and Camille Belcourt. And yeah, Edmund Herondale is there too as you can guess by the title. It is another example of how the Law is hard but it is the Law and how entangled Magnus gets in the Herondale family antics. But I was more interested in his and other Downworlders thoughts on the viability of the Accords imporoving their lives and the brief romance he has with Camille.

Why is the latter important? Because it ties in with The Rise of the Hotel Durmont and how Magnus finally breaks free from his toxic ex during the AIDs crisis of the NY 80s. It is so bittersweet because it best displays Magnus’ heart even as it is breaking because his heart is so strong despite all the hatred and awfulness life throws at him whether be prejudice or by Camille.

Another favorite story of mine from this collection was The Last Stand of the New York Institute because I am absolutely intriguied by the awfulness of the Circle aa Valentine and his followers which is in full display here when the Circle not only tortures eldery and baby werewolves but also massacre the heads of the New York Institute of Shadowhunters.

Honestly all the stories are written well but it depends which era of characters you enjoy the most. I prefer The Mortal Instruments gang so stories like, The Course of True Love, What to Buy the Shadowhunter who has Everything and The Voicemail of Magnus Bane are especially entertaining and sweet to me since I already love the characters. Malec fans will especially like the first story as it depicts their first date together.

If you prefer The Last Hours cast, The Midnight Heir is a creepy gothic involving Tatania Blackthorn trying to enlist Magnus’ help and James Herondale’s drunken heartbroken antics.

If you want more Raphael Santiago in your life after his untimely sacrifice, try Saving Rapheal Santiago that shows how they first met, some of Rapheal’s life which is once more heartbreaking yet uplifting to see his sheer will to walk in sunlight.

The only story that is a dud is The Runaway Queen where Magnus Bane helps Marie Antoinette escape the guillotine. It’s a light story but feels out of place as the others gave some connection to Magnus’ growth and/or past and the greater Shadowhunter universe. This one was just there. Same with The Rise of Hotel Durmont. While more important thematically, and I do adore the 20s atmosphere, it is forgettable as I literally had to look up the plot right now.

The Ghosts of the Shadowmarket is an excellent collection with a tying thread of Jem Carstairs trying to find the lost Herondale throughout the years as he looks at different Shadowmarkets. On the way, he observes the numorous stories/small moments that unfold and will affect history. I enjoy this plot detail as it really ties them all together and just adds to the magical empheral vibe of the Shadowmarkets.

Like the other anthology, your enjoyment of the stories depends which cast you are most interested in. I, for one was most interested in Son of the Dawn which provides a rare POV from Isabelle Lightwood at only 11 years old meeting Jace for the first time. It is fun to see the forshadowing of what’s to come and just have the characters be kids.

The Wicked Powers tackles The Circle again, this time from Jace’s mother, Celine of which we had little information up to now. And her life was heartbreaking to read. Raised by terribly abusive parents, it’s easy to see why she falls for the Circle as the first people to treat her with respect and kindness. Though it makes it all the more tragic as she is so desperate to get Stephan to love her that she makes a deal with Valentine. She learns of his real nature but is in too deep to break free.

The Land I Lost brings back Malec and gives them their second son as well as Lily backstory so I absolutely loved it. The new local-Buenos Aires, a devious thinly veiled sex-trafficking plot (in this case werewolf trafficking) and Magnus thinking about his future as a father and Alec, his future as Inquistor, it’s just great to see these characters again growing up to even better futures that they’re creating for themselves.

The Last Hours characters appear in Every Exquisite Thing and Cast Long Shadows which are entertaining stories in their own right. This former explores Anna Lightwood as she first deals with her sexuality and how she doesn’t fit in with the Edwardian era, leading to heartbreaking but also a nice moment between mother and daughter. Cast Long Shadows delves into Matthew and the reason for his self-hatred that we see in the trilogy. However, these two stories also feel superfluous because they are going to be talked about in the trilogy itself. While it’s nice to know now, I feel like Clare could just stick them into the trilogy and nothing would change. After all, it’s already 600 pages, why not add a few more.

Same with A Deeper Love which is a testament to Tessa and Jem’s love under the backdrop of WWII. I do enjoy their yearning relationship but I read so much about it in The Infernal Devices that it is once again superfluous. I get it, I get it, they love each other, I want something new from their relationship. Which is constrained because of the timeline. Same with Through Blood, Through Fire. At least this one has some plot relevance in finding the lost Herondale and delivering the news that Tessa is pregnant but it also felt melodramatic as Jem angsted over what he’d do if he lost Tessa during their brief magical injury scare. And Learn about Loss just felt out of place even with all the Jem/Tessa loving.

I already wrote about how The Dark Artifices cast was very well-written but of little interest to me so their stories in the anthology were the same. The Lost World explores the ghost Livvy connection with Ty, and Forever Fallen has more otherworld shenanigans as Janus comes to this world to stalk Clary, Jace and the others, plotting to have his own Clary. Creepy but just uninteresting to me.

While Ghosts of the Shadwmarket has some diverse stories through time and location, it also varies in entertainment-value if you’re not interested in one of the cast than the story won’t do much for you. However, you have to slog through it because then the frame device won’t be as effective.