I laughed and cried over this book! Catarina and the soup, Simon and George, Tessa, Will and Jem (sobs) and that DAMN CUTE BLUE BABY! I want to cuddle him so much! And of course the amazing art by Cassandra Jean!

Wasn't expecting this to break my heart but here we are...

OMFG If you ever told me that this book of novellas.. This 12th book by Clare that I have read.. would be so amazing and funny and heartwrenching.. Wow I'd say you were crazy. But 85 million stars thank you.

Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy- 3 stars
The Lost Herondale- 4.5 stars
The Whitechapel Fiend- 2.5 stars
Nothing but Shadows- 4.5 stars
The Evil We Love- 3 stars
Pale Kings and Princes- 4 stars
Bitter of Tongue- 3 stars
The Fiery Trial- 4 stars
Born to Endless Night- 4.5 stars
Angels Twice Descending- 5 stars

This book was...interesting. I felt like it was a whole new Simon, which made sense because of the whole memory loss, but I rather enjoyed it. I really liked how Clare talked about the tensions between Shadowhunters and Downworlders and I especially loved the flashback scenes...my favorite was, surprisingly, Robert's flashback.

Everything about this book was surprising and interesting and I really loved it.

I was really sad about George but I liked that we were able to get some closure on him. I didn't cry, but I did tear up...I got rather attached to him, how could I not? He wanted to give a rat a funeral! Lol

Also, I really loved the development of Simon and Izzy's relationship because we didn't get to see too much of that in the series, and I freaking love Izzy!!!

Ahh there was so much to love about this book!!! I loved how we were able to see different characters from different time periods and from the other series.

Hey! Thanks for checking out my review. Find more at www.theperusingsociety.weebly.com, or on Instagram at @theperusingsociety.
Without further ado.....
I have always had a soft spot for Simon. Even though he is not Jace, he is still witty, and a good friend to Clary. I was devastated at the end of City of Heavenly Fire (I won’t mention any specifics, if for some reason someone is reading this and has not read the The Mortal Instruments). But as I languished in despair over the cruel conclusion to the series, this collection of stories came around to brighten things up.
Despite how eager I was to find that happily ever after for all of the characters, my enthusiasm cooled somewhat. This is why it took me until now to pick up this novel. But boy, am I glad I did. Did I pick up this 655 page book just to indulge in the characters I first fell in love with 6 years ago? For sure, my dude. And I was not disappointed. I will never be disappointed in a novel full of Sizzy, and this was surprised me by throwing in sections from other characters’ POV.
Can we just take a moment to ignore Simon and his story, to discuss how freaking excited I was to see that there were parts from the point of view of characters from Cassandra’s other series!? I’m just going to go ahead and mildly spoil some of the Infernal Devices here, because I can’t not. For anyone who has read it, you know that there wasn’t nearly enough of Will and Tessa (there can never be enough Will, c’mon). So when I came to see that there were several pages from Tessa’s POV, after she and Will were married and had two small children, I was over the moon. They could have been watching paint dry for all I cared, it was Will and Tessa! But of course what they were truly doing was working together to find a demon (which was called by the name of a notorious murderer in the newspapers (I’ll just say this murderer’s name rhymes with “back the zipper”)) in London in 1888. Exciting stuff, to be sure.
Cassandra Clare didn’t just treat us to Tessa’s POV, but also her and Will’s son, James, and everyone’s favourite freewheeling bisexual high warlock, Magnus Bane. This meant that we got to get to know another Herondale, as well as learn what happens when you mix a shadowhunter and a part-warlock/shapeshifter type person. Magnus’s glamourous time in the spotlight followed how he and Alec came to be parents (AKA the cutest part of the novel).
Essentially, this volume is like a 3 for 1 (or something?). There are sprinklings from The Infernal Devices and The Dark Artifices, crossing over into the territory of The Mortal Instruments. For an avid fan of Cassandra Clare’s shadowhunter world, this novel brings back all of the great characters. As a parting note, I say: The feels! All the nostalgic feels!

Simonnn