📱
This book was fine. I liked the parts with Catarina, and Alec and Magnus.

I wanted to read this book because Simon Lewis is an actual angel and a war hero. I adore Simon’s and Isabelle’s relationship. This was the last book I've read beside the Codex and I was confused on why and how Simon became a Shadowhunter and then I brought the three books set – The Bane Chronicles, Ghosts of the Shadow Market and this one.  

There are ten stories about Simon’s journey to the Ascended and the tales from the other main characters we’ve met during this universe. Simon has been a human and a vampire, and now he is on the journey to becoming a Shadowhunter. But the events of City of Heavenly Fire have left him stripped of his memories. All he knows is that he is friends with Clary, and that he had convinced the sexy and beautiful Isabelle Lightwood to go out with him, but he doesn’t know how. And when Clary and Isabelle look at him, expecting him to be a man he doesn’t remember, and Simon can’t take it. Now that the Shadowhunter Academy reopens, Simon throws himself into this new world of demon hunting and he is determined to find himself. His new self, whomever that might be. However, the Academy is a Shadowhunter institution which means it has some problems. Like the fact that non-Shadowhunter students must live in the slimy basement and that Simon gets looked down on for being a former vampire. 

My favourite chapter or favourite short story was chapter six Pale Kings and Princes. I loved that Izzy went to Jace of all people to get dating advice whilst in Idris and the second I hear Izzy say let’s go to the weapons shop - I was getting déjà vu from the Mortal Instruments series. It just made my heart all fuzzy and warm and I loved it.  

I’m slightly gutted that George’s story the way it ended because I was hoping he would get his own series or make an appearance in future books and it was just gutted, I would love Simon and George to be the powerful duo that they seemed to be in these stories.  

I loved all of these stories and I would love all of the characters have their own set of short stories and living their life. I would take the short stories 10 to 15 years after the final series has ended.  

Although I loved the exploration of the Shadowhunters world, and not only about Simon's time in the Academy but the little glimpse into The Circle (I have always wanted the full tale) and into the Academy days of James Herondale, I wished Simon's friends were a bit more fleshed out (apart from George).

Somehow these stories were light but meaningful. A unique twist on the ever common “finding yourself” story. The stories touched on serious things such as homophobia, racism, and death but also was full of humor, friendship, and love. A great follow up to the Mortal Instruments series.