Book Review: Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales #1)

Release Date: October 1, 2002
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Length: 310 pages
Source: Purchased Book

Welcome to the realm of very scary faeries!

Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother's rock band until an ominous attack forces the sixteen-year-old back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms -- a struggle that could very well mean her death.

Newcomer Holly Black's enormously powerful voice weaves teen angst, riveting romance, and capriciously diabolical faerie folk into an enthralling, engaging, altogether original reading experience.

    

Review:

Protagonist: Kaye has lived most of her life moving from place to place with her less than stable mother. When she and her mother have to move back in with Kaye's grandmother, Kaye finds herself sucked (not literally) into the land of Faeries, when she saves a Faerie Knight one night. Soon she's in too deep, discovering secrets about herself that not even the rest of her family knows and putting her life on the line in a struggle between the Seelie and Unseelie fae. One of the things I love most about Kaye is that she's not your typical YA heroine. She smokes, she shoplifts, and she'll do something wrong even if she knows it's wrong. Granted, I don't want to "become" Kaye, but the flaws and complexities to her character really make her stand out, while not making her so unlikable that I don't want to root for her. In fact despite her flaws I wanted her to succeed every step of the way in this book, and regardless of where she ends up, she does not succeed at every step along the way.

Romance: Another thing that was pleasantly surprising to me is the romance in this story. It's not all consuming like the YA books published around this time always seemed to be. Instead it burns at a constant, but slow, rate that I ended up really enjoying. While Roiben isn't the perfect love interest, he comes pretty darn close and the chemistry that he and Kaye have is undeniable. These two characters start off fairly counterpointed as Roiben is much more formal and polite while Kaye... isn't. She's got a sharp tongue and she doesn't care who she stabs with it, while Roiben uses words like a fencer uses a saber, graceful and elegant. It wasn't hard to start rooting for them even before they actually started to truly tolerate each other.

World Building: FAERIES!!!! So, while I haven't been reading a lot of Faerie stories lately, I loved falling back into a world governed by dark tricksters and mischievous gremlins. While this story does begin in the modern world, and by all appearances, "our" world, it doesn't take too long for the magical mayhem to begin. This version of Faerie, as there are so many different kinds, i divided into the Seelie, Unseelie, and Solitary Fae. Considering this series is canonically part of the "Folk of the Air" trilogy, the first book of which is The Cruel Prince, I'll have to reread that book to remember how all the different parts of faerie connect. Anyway, the world Holly Black creates in this book is breathtaking, I mean, I couldn't stop wanting to see more and more of what this world held. This world is as wondrous as faerie fruit, sweet and addictive, but have too much and you may go mad!

Predictability: I was completely blown away at how unpredictable this story is. I mean, considering this book isn't exactly a spring chicken in the YA world, the fact that its story doesn't feel full of stale and thrown out tropes years later, and can still knock me off my feet at some of the twists and turns this story holds, is magnificent. Looking back I'm trying to see if there was any time when I knew for sure what would happen, and maybe it's because I haven't read very much in a while, but nothing felt obvious about this book, even when I tried to predict something, nothing felt certain.

Ending: This story has a more wrapped up ending that I expected for a trilogy. Though, that's because the next book in this series is a companion, while the "technical" sequel to this book is actually book 3. On the whole though, you could read this story as a standalone, there's enough closure to the story that I don't need to come back, though I will because I love this book and why not, but everything wraps up well for now, and I could see how waiting a while between installments could have really hurt if there wasn't as much closure as there is in this story. As for the final climax, well I'll just say that things didn't unfold how I expected them to. This isn't your typical YA final climax and the diversity in storytelling with it was a treat to behold.

Rating:

Yeah, it's hard to deny that I love this book! It holds up incredibly well after sixteen years and I practically devoured every word of this brilliantly crafted tale. Honestly, I thought Holly Black grew into her writing over time, but no, she's always been this good!

Book Review: The Angel Gift (Dark Word: The Angel Trials #4)

Release Date: September 30, 2018
Author: Michelle Madow
Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing
Length: 270 pages
Source: Review Copy from the Author

Everyone is separated, and no one is safe.

Raven Danvers didn’t think her life could get any crazier since the night a demon attacked her in an alley and abducted her mom.

She was wrong.

Because now that same demon has abducted her too. He’s thrown her into a secret bunker with a group of humans who have unique abilities that make them “gifted.” They don’t know what the demons want with them, and the bunker is impossible to escape.

Her only hope is Noah—the wolf shifter she’s imprinted upon. She just needs to let him know where she is. But she can’t do it alone. Her only way to get a message to him is to team up with the other humans by making use of their unique gifts.

But they have to do it fast. Because their time in the bunker is temporary. The demons are prepping them to go somewhere else… somewhere far worse than where they are now.

They don’t know what this place is.

They just know they really, really don’t want to find out.

Get ready for a magical, twist-filled ride in the fourth installment of The Angel Trials series, a fast-paced urban fantasy adventure that will leave you on the edge of your seat wanting more!

  

Review:

Protagonists: In this installment, the POV characters are switched up a bit. There’s a greater focus on Noah and Thomas, specifically Noah as I think he has the most chapters out of anyone, even Raven, in this book. We do get to see quite a bit of Raven though, as she learns more about both her captivity and her “gifted” human status. Interestingly, Sage does not narrate any chapters in this book, which makes sense due to her being forced into the blood bond at the end of the previous installment and this story does go into why her having a POV chapter wouldn’t be so interesting without actually addressing it head-on. Finally there is a new POV, or at least I think her POV is new, and that’s Mara, Azazel’s daughter, I was extremely surprised at how much I liked her chapters, sure her character arc does feel a bit tropey, but it’s a trope that I like so I’m completely on board. I really loved reading from all these characters POVs, each one (apart from the last chapter POV) had something to learn and experience over the course of this tale, except maybe Noah, which is a little disappointing, I mean there are plenty of other characters that had phenomenal development in this story, but since he has the majority of POV chapters, not to mention that he’s my favorite character, I would have liked to see some more development from him in this story and more of a purpose in this installment than just the guy who wants to get Raven back.

Romance: There was actually very little romance in this story, I mean it’s not surprising as our two main romantic couples have been separated, not to mention the fact that an individual in one of those couples, Sage, has been so fundamentally changed that she’s pretty much not the same person anymore. There is some romance in this story, though there isn’t much romantic development, and certainly no romantic development with our two main couples as they need to overcome a few obstacles before those relationships can continue to develop. The romantic development that is in this story is more laying the groundwork for another couple, Flint and Mara, finally showing Mara’s side of things and her feelings about her imprinting bond with Flint after the blood bonding ritual.

World Building: How the world Building unfolds in this installment feels a bit different than the previous installments in the series, I mean, there is expansion to the world, we start to get a better idea about what the demons are planning, in fact, I’m pretty sure I know what their endgame is, but I did leave this story with more questions than answers as to HOW they will accomplish this feat. Still, in many ways this story feels like filler, pretty open and shut in terms of the amount of story progress this installment will have, and while we have some new information and we’ve met some new people, this felt like more of an unplanned pit stop (or kidnapping, whichever you prefer) on their way to Avalon and while I didn’t expect they’d reach Avalon in this story, which they didn’t, and even though I told myself to view this story as an episode of a TV drama which helped immensely in the previous installment, this story just felt like it was missing something, maybe more about the “gifted” humans, though I suspect we’ll get more on that later, maybe another Mara chapter, maybe even an Azazel chapter, I’m not sure all I know is it feels like it’s missing SOMETHING. (Edit: About a day after writing this review I realized what that SOMETHING was, I talk about it in the conclusion.)

Predictability: Overall this installment did feel very by the numbers, there were, of course, a few moments over the course of the book that caught me off guard, such as what I think Azazel’s, and by extension many if not all of the demons’, plans are, but even then, when I’m caught off guard like that, I’m not surprised, in fact, I was only surprised two times and they were both towards the end. Also, I will say that there are a couple moments in this tale that seem a bit too easy and a bit too constructed which pulled me out of the story a few times, so I do wish things were a bit harder on our protagonists, that way they feel like they’ve really earned their victory, should they have one.

Ending: Again, as it seems the theme of this review is, the ending was pretty predictable, and while this was the only time in the entire story that I was truly surprised, that only applies to two moments in the last few chapters. The final climax is great and included one of the shocking and surprising moments, but it did play out mostly how I expected. There was also only one point during this story that I was at all confused, and that was the final chapter. In Madow’s typical Dark World form we have a final chapter from the POV of someone new, but unlike past, let’s just call them epilogues, unlike past epilogues this one didn’t have the same cliffhanger gut punch for me that it usually does, I feel like I missed some subtext or just plain text because while I felt I understood what was going on, I just didn’t feel that signature Madow stomach dropping cliffhanger, but then again, I’d rather have a calmer ending than that torture-fest and the end of the last installment.

Rating:

While I did utterly devour this installment, as I said numerous times in this review, it’s missing something, everything that’s in the book is fantastic, except for maybe the epilogue, but it's been about a day since I wrote this review and upon reflection I realized what it was missing, it was missing all of the great character interactions from the previous installments, while I love seeing our main characters interacting with newer and returning characters, because everyone's split up, there's sort of a hole left in the story that not even a fantastic story like this could fill in.

Book Review: The Thief (The Queen's Thief #1)

Release Date: October 1, 1996
Author: Megan Whalen Turner
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Length: 279 pages
Source: Audible Audiobook

Nothing is overdone and not a word is out of place in this auspicious debut," wrote Kirkus in a starred review of Instead of Three Wishes, the first book by Megan Whalen Turner. Her second book more than fulfills that promise.

The king's scholar, the magus, believes he knows the site of an ancient treasure. To attain it for his king, he needs a skillful thief, and he selects Gen from the king's prison. The magus is interested only in the thief's abilities. What Gen is interested in is anyone's guess. Their journey toward the treasure is both dangerous and difficult, lightened only imperceptibly by the tales they tell of the old gods and goddesses.

Megan Whalen Turner weaves Gen's stories and Gen's story together with style and verve in a novel that is filled with intrigue, adventure, and surprise.

    

Review:

Protagonist: Once claiming to be a thief who can steal anything Gen is now rotting in prison in Sounis when the King's magus comes to retrieve him for a mission where he could gain fame and fortune or a knife in the back. Joining Gen and the magus on their journey are the magus's apprentices Sophos and Ambiades, as well as a soldier and bodyguard named Pol. On this journey, Gen often butts heads with his companions, but along the adventure, he proves to be a capable and cunning thief. I love that Gen's flaws don't come from his profession, something that has been established he excels at, instead, his faults come in his pride and, like most fantasy heroes, his stubbornness. Over the course of the story, I loved seeing Gen come out of his shell as well as learn more about where his true motives lie.

World Building: My favorite thing about this story is that throughout their journey the magus and Gen trade stories about the gods of this world, gods that are very obviously inspired by the Greco-Roman pantheon of gods. The stories are a joy to behold in this tale, while I was a little anxious as I wasn't sure if the stories would be based on Greek and Roman myths or if the stories would be brand new, while most of the stories are original there are of course bits and pieces that are pulled from Greek myths. The stories in this book deal mostly with the creation of the world as well as tales relating to a specific god and the item that our group seeks. There isn't a whole lot of development of this world in the story beyond setting up the three kingdoms that we see, however, there are five more books in this series so there's a whole lot more to explore in the future. As for any romance in this story, well, there isn't any, however, I did think that Gen and one of his traveling companions had slow-burning romance, but by the time the story was over, I realized just how wrong I was.

Predictability: This story isn't particularly long and while there are a fair number of twists, I felt like the characters pointing said twists out in the book lessened some of that gut punch that a good twist will give you. For most of the story, I had a vague idea of where everything was headed but was stumped on how it would end, which we'll get to in a second, the end had the most twists and turns and it was during the cooldown period where I was the most blown away with how everything ended up.

Ending: The final climax of this story is excellent. As the story winds to close things get crazy as our group of adventurers and treasure seekers find themselves in a few sticky situations and they are forced to navigate their way out. I don't want to say too much but there is at least one action scene and there may have been a plethora of emotions unleashed on me as this story not only overcame the final climax but came to a close during the "cooldown" period, I put cooldown in quotes because there are plenty of twists during this point and they didn't exactly cool down the story. The story doesn't end with a cliffhanger, and in fact, you could probably read this as a standalone if you didn't enjoy it, but for me, I can't wait to explore more of this world and the mythology the pulled me in in the first place.

Rating:

I loved this story and the only thing I feel I can complain about is that it's too short, but again, there are more books and more to explore and when I can I'll be diving right back in!

Book Review: Heart of Iron (Heart of Iron #1)

Release Date: February 27, 2018
Author: Ashley Poston
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Length: 480 pages
Source: OwlCrate Book/Audible Audiobook

Seventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09—one of the last remaining illegal Metals—has been glitching, and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him.

Ana’s desperate effort to save D09 leads her on a quest to steal the coordinates to a lost ship that could offer all the answers. But at the last moment, a spoiled Ironblood boy beats Ana to her prize. He has his own reasons for taking the coordinates, and he doesn’t care what he’ll sacrifice to keep them.

When everything goes wrong, she and the Ironblood end up as fugitives on the run. Now their entire kingdom is after them—and the coordinates—and not everyone wants them captured alive.

What they find in a lost corner of the universe will change all their lives—and unearth dangerous secrets. But when a darkness from Ana’s past returns, she must face an impossible choice: does she protect a kingdom that wants her dead or save the Metal boy she loves?

    

Review:

Protagonists: This story is told from four, third-person, POVs. We have Ana, the orphan girl raised by a crew of outlaws, Robb, the screw-up son of a noble family with a mission, Di, the Metal boy who's Ana's best friend and medic, and Jax, the best pilot in the galaxy with a tragic past, I quickly came to love most of these characters, though I have to say that I felt we didn't get a lot of time to truly know Di, and while I care for him because Ana and the others care for him, I couldn't really get invested in his character all that much. Ana is a fantastic heroine, sharp-witted and sharp-tongued, she's a force to be reckoned with, Robb has a deep sense of loyalty to those who deserve it, and Jax is pretty much the personification of my favorite character trope, the cocky yet damaged character. None of these characters are perfect, they each have their flaws, whether it be poor impulse control or an inability to move on, they're flawed, but each has the potential to grow.

Romances: So, I wasn't a huge fan of one of the biggest romances in this story. See, Ana has feelings for Di, or D09 as he's sometimes referred to as, and whether it was the fact that Ana has these feelings from the beginning of the story, Di's appearance not being very humanoid, the fact that he's a fairly emotionless robot, or some combination of the three, I just couldn't get into their romance. Eventually, it gets to a point where there's hope that I might get invested in their romance, but things happen and the book ends before I can really get invested. The other main romance in this story though, I did really enjoy. Robb, a cocky and rogueish noble, and Jax, the pilot with a dark past, have some really great moments in this story. There's one scene, that kind of reminds me of Star Wars, but their dialogue during that scene was fantastic and I felt there are so many fantastic moments between them in this story, yet not really enough. For what there is, it's fantastic, and it doesn't affect my rating that I want more, I just want more.

World Building: The world building in this story is fantastic, from the history to the mythology of this world everything was captivating. I don't read too much sci-fi, but this is the sci-fi that I love, space battles, outlaws flying through space, lost royalty, mysteries, I love it all. This story also has major Cinder by Marissa Meyer vibes, mixed with a little Star Wars. This is also an Anastasia story after all and while I think this story did a pretty good job in that area, it was how things diverged from the story being retold that really fascinated me. There are some fantasy elements mixed with the sci-fi in some of the best ways I've ever seen and the royal angle of this story and the secrets hidden in Ana's family history are astounding. There's a lot built out in just this one installment, so much that I'm wondering if this might be a duology.

Predictability: This story is on the predictable side of things, not only with it being a retelling but the foreshadowing was pretty obvious as well. Take, for example, there's something in this story that could have been a truly amazing twist, I mean mind-blowing, but I felt like I got all of the pieces to that puzzle quite a while before it was revealed, there are quite a few twists that went that way, though there were a few times, particularly toward the end where things were more shocking.

Ending: The final climax of this story is fantastic, it's intense and chaotic. There's a lot that goes into setting it up and everything leading to this final mix of scenes was fantastic. As I said earlier, there are a lot of shocking, and some not so shocking, moments in the end and I pretty much raced through this story until the ending because I could hardly stop. There is a bit of a breath after the final climax but still as things unravel and even though there wasn't really a cliffhanger, the ending does feel too soon, and I'm excited to see where things go.

Rating:

Even though I had a few problems with one of the characters and one of the romances, I still really love this story and cannot wait to dive into the next (and final?) installment!

Book Review: Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1)

Release Date: July 7, 2015
Author: Rachel Caine
Publisher: NAL
Length: 355 pages
Source: Purchased Book/Library Audiobook

In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time…

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly--but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When his friend inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life--and soon both heretics and books will burn…

    

Review:

Protagonist: Jess Brightwell lives in a world where the Great Library of Alexandria not only stands the test of time but has grown in power as they control the flow of knowledge to the masses. Jess doesn't really want to work for his father as a book smuggler, as owning physical books is illegal in this world, and he doesn't want to take over the family business. So when Jess's father asks him to be a spy for his family within the Library, his father doesn't exactly give him a choice. Now Jess has to pass the Library's tests while not getting found out, but training for service in the Library can be very dangerous as Jess and his class soon find out. I really like Jess, he's a bit headstrong, slightly short-tempered, but he's also loyal and fights for what he thinks is right. His character development over the course of the story feels authentic with the challenges he faces on his journey to become part of the Great Library.

Romance: I actually really liked the romance in this story but it definitely didn't go as I had expected. For a YA book, there is surprisingly little romance, it's very light and innocent. Jess and his love interest are sort of shoved together because of circumstance, and while there are times when I felt the romance was a little forced for sake of convenience to the story, I actually did end up really liking them together, though I hope to see something more from their relationship in future installments.

World Building: So, going into this story all I knew about this world was that it took place in a world where the Great Library of Alexandria survives, I was expecting it to be more of a fantasy, but in fact, it turns out to be more of a dystopian story instead. Still, I was fascinated by a world controlled by the Great Library where owning a physical book is illegal and if you declare war on the library, you’re wiped from existence. One of the fantastic ways this author introduces you to how power hungry the Library is, is through letters between chapters between Library personnel. I was drawn into this world from the beginning, the book smuggling, the Burners, and even some things that we don’t get very much information on in this book, but are more than intriguing enough for me to continue.

Predictability: I will say though that this story is pretty predictable, I felt like all of the twists, save a small few, were spoiled before they were actually revealed because the foreshadowing was so heavy just before the revelation. Also, it’s a good thing I didn’t read the synopsis before starting the book because I feel it gives just a little too much away.

Ending: This story does have a very tense ending. There are moments I experienced such pure emotions, both good and bad, towards and about some of the characters. The final climax isn't exactly an action-packed one, it's more about the tension of the moments without any physical confrontation. It's really great and leads to some amazing twists that will affect the future of this story. This book doesn't exactly leave you on a cliffhanger, but there's so much left unresolved here and I'm actually looking forward to seeing where this series goes.

Rating:

I really enjoyed this story, I wasn't expecting the dystopian element so that threw me off a little, but I am really intrigued by the world and the power-hungry Library, it can be a tad predictable and the story didn't suck me in as much as I'd like, but I'll be interested to see what happens next.

Book Review: Hunted

Release Date: March 14, 2017
Author: Meagan Spooner
Publisher: HarperTeen
Length: 384 pages
Source: Purchased Book/Library Audiobook

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.

So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.

Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

    

Review:

Protagonist: When Yeva's father loses his fortune in a venture ransacked by bandits, they and Yeva's sisters have to move to their father's old hunting cabin at the edge of the woods. Yeva feels happier there than in the city and hopes to go hunting with her father, but he urges her not to follow him. When he doesn't come back from one trip, Yeva follows him into the woods and discovers the horrors of the woods, including a monster who has trapped her. On the whole, I like Yeva, she's a headstrong and capable protagonist, she knows how to take care of herself and hunt, and she doesn't back down when challenged. Still, I do wish that I cared about her more, I mean, like I said I like her, but there was something holding me back from truly connecting with her as a character and I wish I knew what that was but unfortunately I don't, still as I've repeated already she's a great character, I just couldn't connect for some reason.

Romance: The romance in this book is a slow burning one, at least for Yeva, the Prince trapped in the Beast softens to Yeva rather quickly. Much like with the protagonist, there isn't anything about the romance that I don't like, it's slow burning and I can tell that the two characters truly grow to care and love each other and that love feels earned, but unfortunately, I couldn't connect with the romance very well. It may be because I couldn't connect with Yeva, but I wanted to love this romance, and in some aspects I do, but emotionally I could never get invested in the romance, try as I might.

World Building: This is one place this book truly shines. As many of you may know, my favorite fairy tale, and thus my favorite retelling fodder, is Beauty and the Beast, and I've never seen one set in Russia or based on Russian folklore before and I really enjoyed how this author wove those folktale elements into this story. I think this story takes place in a version of our world, though I'm not quite sure as I don't think it was said where this story takes place, only some mentions of real places every now and then. Still, the valley of enchantments that the Beast is cursed to, feels lush and beautiful full of creatures of all sorts, some I'd never heard of before. While the retelling itself had some unique qualities to it, unfortunately, it read as a very simple Beauty and the Beast retelling and while I loved the Russian folklore elements to the story, I wish there was something more unique about the retelling itself.

Predictability: As this is a retelling, pretty much everything in this story is predictable, save a few things but they are small and I mostly didn't predict them due to not remembering certain parts of the story from before. I mean, every major twist in this story was completely obvious, I really wish that the author had kept some secrets to herself because the foreshadowing in this tale is very obvious.

Ending: So, the end of this tale really serves to drive home the "lesson" of this story. It tries so hard to drive that lesson home that there are aspects to this tale that sort of crumble just to serve this supposed lesson. Don't get me wrong, I like the lesson and it does fit with this story, but I felt the message was very heavy-handed at the end of this tale. There is an epilogue to this tale that while appreciated, isn't really needed, and that's coming from me who loves epilogues.

Rating:

While I did enjoy this tale, I, unfortunately, couldn't connect with the characters and story as much as I wanted to and while I love Beauty and the Beast retellings, this one was, unfortunately, despite the interesting Russian folklore elements, rather basic in its story structure.

Omnibus Review: The Bane Chronicles (The Bane Chronicles #1-11)

Release Date: November 11, 2014
Authors: Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, & Maureen Johnson
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Length: 507 pages
Source: Purchased Book/Library Audio Book

Fans of The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices can get to know warlock Magnus Bane like never before in this collection of New York Times bestselling tales, in print for the first time with an exclusive new story and illustrated material.

This collection of eleven short stories illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality, flamboyant style, and sharp wit populate the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices.

Originally released one-by-one as e-only short stories by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan, this compilation presents all ten together in print for the first time and includes a never-before-seen eleventh tale, as well as new illustrated material.

    

Reviews:

What Really Happened In Peru

Fans of the Shdowhunter Chronicles may know that Magnus Bane is banned from Peru, but it's never been explained why. In this story, we see various times that Magnus Bane visits Peru, sometimes with friends like Ragnor Fell and Catarina Loss, and sometimes he's there by himself. Regardless he always seems to get himself into trouble. Each adventure in Peru was so much fun. Even though the group, or Magnus, would always find trouble, their adventures were a delight to read as we see these characters come back to Peru at different times, sometimes they'd find love, sometimes they'd assist in tomb raiding, Since this is a novella made up of various short stories, it's harder to review, not only because it's hard to review multiple stories in one review, but also because due to their length it's hard to talk about them without spoiling anything. Regardless, I found this story to be the perfect start to this collection. We see more of Ragnor Fell and Catarina Loss and I really love their friendship and kinship with Magnus.

Rating:

I mean, there's nothing wrong with this story and only everything right with it. It's fun and exciting with just a touch of seriousness to really round it all out.

The Runaway Queen

In this tale Magnus finds himself helping a rather attractive count try to save the lives of the French royal family during the French Revolution. While this story is enjoyable as we watch Magnus in Paris during the Revolution and see his interactions both in the Mundane World as well as Downworld, there isn't really a lot to connect it with the main series. With the previous story, we got to see more of Catarina Loss and Ragnor Fell and see some of Magnus's misadventures in Peru, a country we know he's banned from in TMI. Here while I enjoyed the story, it didn't really feel necessary.

Rating:

While the story is fun and entertaining, I do wish it felt a bit more grounded with the novels. Overall, I don't regret reading it, I might even read it again someday, but I'm not a huge history buff, and this story seems like it would be enjoyed more by someone who likes to see how history is slightly different in this world, as well as Magnus's role in historical events.

Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale

This story takes place during the negotiations of the Accords between Shadowhunters and Downworlders and not only shows the beginnings of the romance between Camille Belcourt and Magnus Bane, as well as the quick friendship between Edmund Herondale and the warlock. This was such a fascinating story to read, first I loved learning more about Will and Cecily's father Edmund, as well as seeing the beginnings of Edmund's romance with Linette. Edmund is very similar to his children, though has a fairly distinct personality which I greatly enjoyed. Magnus and Edmund's friendship, however brief, was a lot of fun as well. Camille is a character I don't normally like, remembering her more from her time in TMI, but there was a time when Magnus was in love with her and it's pretty easy to see why from this story. As for the negotiations when it came to the Accords, I honestly hated that part, more because of the bigoted Shadowhunters who put forth parts of the Accords that only benefit themselves and not the Downworlders who they're having peace talks with.

Rating:

On the whole, this story is enjoyable, I love Magnus's relationships with important characters and I loved getting to know Edmund even if it was just for a short time. My only complaint is that I didn't care for the Accords stuff, I already know they're going into place and I'm already well aware of how bigoted some, in this case, most, Shadowhunters can be.

The Midnight Heir

This is the story I was most excited to read. I'm obsessed with the Last Hours series and the first novel isn't even out yet. I'm a huge fan of the novel Great Expectations, or rather I'm a fan of the story as I've only seen adaptations, and I'm very intrigued by the characters in this series. In this story we see Magnus have a chance meeting with a rather drunk James Herondale, Tessa and Will's oldest, which was a rather fun part of the story, but also heartbreaking as James is hurting so much in this story that I want to wrap a blanket around him and give him some hot chocolate telling him everything is going to be alright. The second half of this book is dedicated to showing what Tatiana's been up to since the end of The Infernal Devices. I was never a fan of Tatiana, I felt sympathy that she watched her husband be ripped apart by the monster that used to be her father and that she was driven mad because of it, but her actions and words in Clockwork Princess, as well as this story, have proven to me that I should feel very little sympathy for her. This story seems to be a way to introduce the Last Hours to readers, so if you haven't gotten a taste of that series and love the Infernal Devices recommend giving this story a read. I just realized (this is after finishing the review, but before continuing on with the book) that I kind of forgot to talk about Magnus, and well, I love how he interacts with these characters, the patience he has for James, the observance he has for both Tatiana and Will's situations, and as always how, despite most Shadowhunters' thoughts to the contrary, that he has a moral code and won't become what others expect him to be, though that last one might be more indicative of the entire collection than just this story.

Rating:

This story was everything I wanted it to be and more, though I do have to say that I'm even more obsessed with these characters and the long, long wait for the first Last Hours book, Chain of Gold, feels even farther away, even though we only have to wait like a year, give or take a few months.

The Rise of the Hotel Dumort

This story takes place in Prohibition-era New York as Magnus, who of course runs a speakeasy, is warned of calamity imminent, this not only being a hint at the Great Depression but also something supernatural. Much like with The Runaway Queen, this was an enjoyable story and while there is the Hotel Dumort to tie this is some small way with the main series, there wasn't much about this story that kept me hooked or blew me away in any way. I enjoyed reading about the period in which this story is set and as always I love Magnus and his role in this story, but while I wanted to care about the rest of it, I never fully felt like I could. There are aspects of the story that drew me in, I'm very curious about what that ending means, and when the final showdown went down I'm wondering if there was more meaning to that than there appeared to be, but the rest just felt slightly pointless.

Rating:

As I said in the review, this reminded me a lot of The Runaway Queen, I always love reading about Magnus, but this story just fell short, if you're a history buff you may enjoy that aspect of the story and if for some reason you're really obsessed with the Hotel Dumort than I'm sure you'll like this story as well.

Saving Raphael Santiago

This story follows Magnus when a Mundane woman name Guatelupe Santiago comes to him, begging that he save her son who was abducted by a vampire along with some friends. As fans of the Shadowhunter Chronicles may know, Raphael is a vampire in TMI and this tale is his somber origin story. I really enjoyed learning more about Raphael and his first months as a vampire. His cynicism is oddly charming and I absolutely loved his interactions and his odd friendship with Magnus. This story definitely has a more somber tone to it, but nothing ever gets too sad, and that balance felt very key to this story. We also get to see another one of Magnus's loves, a Mundane who knows about Downworld, and I really love what that relationship, even if it isn't critical to the main plot, it adds a nice touch and detail to Magnus's story.

Rating:

I was never a huge fan of Raphael in the Mortal Instruments, so I'm actually really happy that I got to see another side to him and get to know his character and where he comes from better. And of course, I loved the little details like Magnus's love at the time and well as his personal relationship with Raphael.

The Fall of the Hotel Dumort

Taking place in the 70s, Magnus comes home to New York after being away for a while and learns that something is wrong with the vampires. They're crazed and killing conspicuously and the rest of Downworld is getting restless because if the Shadowhunters find out what's happening, they may not discriminate between vampires and other Downworlders. Even though I wasn't a huge fan of The Rise of the Hotel Dumort, I found myself really hooked on this story. I don't know, there's something very energizing reading about the 70s and I really liked seeing how the Downworld handled cases where an entire subset goes rogue, it really instills the Us v. Them idea between Shadowhunters and Downworld. Then there's Camille and her role to play in this whole story. Magnus's complicated feelings for her really added a nice layer to this tale.

Rating:

I'm surprised at how much I really loved this story. It's exciting and fascinating all at the same time. Seriously I'm a little blown away at how much I ended up liking this story, from Camille's arc to the vibrant, and sometimes desolate, setting.

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

In this story, Magnus and Alec have just started dating, in secret as Alec isn't out yet. It's Alec's birthday and as he goes about his normal day, taking clients and talking to old friends, he wonders if he should get anything for Alec. In a lot of ways, it feels like many of the past stories were always leading up to this, to the start of Alec and Magnus's romance, and we still have a few stories left. This installment feels the most connected with the main series as it's actually taking place during a series that I've actually read, though I would have read the Last Hours if it was out already XD, and so all of the little flashbacks and reminiscing that Magnus does are made all the more significant as it's seeing another aspect of a familiar story. Then, of course, there is how Magnus sees the main group from TMI, a lot of it's comical but there's also a good chunk where Magnus goes a bit more philosophical and I just ate it all up.

Rating:

This rating didn't surprise me as I do love Magnus and Alec and seeing the beginnings of their romance through Magnus's eyes is incredible, all the little insecurities he has, how he annoys his friends, and put all that in a "typical day" format and I'm sold.

The Last Stand of the New York Institute

So... this story really threw me off kilter. It just seems out of place, as it takes place during the time of the Circle whereas the previous story takes place much later during the time of TMI. It was just trippy to all of a sudden jump back in time, especially since it would have felt better before the previous story, but maybe they just wanted to give readers a palette cleanser between Malec stories. Regardless, in this story, Magnus comes into contact with the Circle during a time when they were slaughtering Downworlders and calling it justice. This story also covers Magnus's thought, though no actual involvement, in the fate of Lucian Greymark and the Uprising, and a little bit after that. It was really interesting reading about the time of the Circle, as it's always talked about in TMI, but I never felt like I fully understood what those times were like, and I really appreciated getting to see how it was, even if it was a bit emotionally draining. There are also a few surprises in here that add a lot of context to the overall story.

Rating:

I know it feels cheap taking off half a star for placement, but it really did interrupt the flow of reading a bit when a story takes place so completely before the previous one. In the end, I still did really enjoy this story and love how it feels like the world is getting filled in so much.

The Course of True Love (and First Dates)

Sooooooo... it turns out that it wasn't The Last Stand of the New Yor Institute that was out of place by the story before that, as this tale takes us on Magnus and Alec's first date. The story starts out with Magnus stressing over said date, even calling his friend Catarina Loss for a back out plan, before showing off the near trainwreck of a date. This is another one of those stories that really bring to light the tense relationship between Shadowhunters and Downworlders during TMI, though it's Magnus and Alec's first date that takes center stage. I really enjoyed how their first date wasn't perfect, that this story showed off a lot of the roadblocks in their relationship, and yet they're both fighters. My only problem with this story is that because it's out of order, it doesn't feel wholly necessary, we already know that their relationship continues, and while it was fun seeing their first date, I feel that the past three stories would have had more impact if they were read in order.

Rating:

Again, I did really enjoy this story, but with me reading it out of order, even though I've already read TMI and I'm aware they didn't stop at one date already, it just threw off the flow of these stories. Still a fun and exciting read for fans of Malec

The Voicemail of Magnus Bane

There isn't a whole lot to say about this one. This bonus "story" takes place after a certain event between Magnus and Alec transpires in City of Lost Souls and is a series of voicemails on Magnus's phone, most of which have to do with that topic. This "story" is hilarious, I mean, it's pretty much all fluff, no actual substance, and doesn't really have an actual storyline, and yet I love it so much, so much so that I may even reread it after, or during I'm not sure yet, my reread of City of Lost Souls. Overall, I had a freaking blast reading these voicemails and Simon's is my favorite.

Rating:

Even though there wasn't much substance to this "story" and the fact that I have to use quotations marks everytime I refer to this as a "story" it's merely a bonus for buying the omnibus and it's hysterical.

Overall Rating:

While I greatly enjoyed this bundle of stories, many of which were impeccable, some of them just didn't resonate with me personally and I really wish they would have been assembled in chronological order, if not for individual release than at least for this omnibus bind up release. Still, this was such a joy to read and more Magnus in the world can only be a good thing. Oh, I also wanted to say though it doesn't affect my rating, I really wish we would have learned more about Magnus's past that was hinted in this collection, like his past with the Silent Brothers and more about his formative years.