Authors: Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson
Since this is a collection of short stories, I will have to change the format of the review. Also, you can download each short story individually as audible books or download them from overdrive through your library.
The premise of this collection of short stories is that Magnus writes them during his break-up with Alec between City of Lost Souls and City of Heavenly Fire and then gives them to Alec to read so that Alec will know some of the events of Magnus's past.
Short Story Title #1: "What Really Happened in Peru"
What it’s about: Magnus had a funny, kind of throwaway line in one of the Mortal Instruments books in which he says he's "banned from Peru." This short story explains what happened that *might* have caused him to be banned. Ragnor and Caterina are supporting characters along with Magnus in several stories (that take place years apart) set in Peru, and they mostly revolve around Magnus doing stupid things: boarding a ship carrying monkey guano, trying to play the charango to impress a suitor, drunkenly flying a carpet around the desert, and conning rich men with a flower child in the 1960s.
My takeaway: Meh. I know Ragnor is a fan favorite, but he's not one of mine. And the stories were silly and made Magnus look like a moron. Stories like these, in my opinion, are funnier when they are mentioning in passing to lighten up a serious moment. This is not one of the stories that I re-read.
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Short Story Title #2: "The Runaway Queen"
What it’s about: In 1791 Paris, Magnus gets a crush on a man with black hair and blue eyes (a repeated pattern for him) and agrees to smuggle Queen Marie Antoinette out of Paris on a hot air balloon. In the process, Magnus gets a little too involved with dangerous French politics and French vampires.
My takeaway: This story takes place in Paris at the beginning of the French revolution, so imagining Magnus in the decadence of Versailles and Paris is delightful. His character completely belongs there, and he is wise to leave Paris before everything really changed with the revolution. The mistaken identity and vampires were mildly interesting, but once I really got into the story, it ended.
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Short Story Title #3: "Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale"
What it’s about: In London, 1857, Magnus sits on a boring Downworlder council meeting in which nothing seems to get accomplished, and then meets Edmund Herondale, who is a young Shadowhunter who enjoys flitting about from pub to pub, drinking, and gambling, like the unmarried aristocratic sons in almost every Victorian and Regency romance novel I've ever read. They have some frivolous adventures, run into demons (as you do), and save the beautiful Linette Owens. Edmund falls in love with Linette and agrees to denounce his Shadowhunter existence to marry her.
My takeaway: This story is the first time Magnus becomes entangled with the Herondales of the Infernal Devices series. He also met some other familiar characters: Camille (whom I've always pictured as an evil Shirley Temple with blonder hair), and characters with the last names Starkweather, Morgenstern, Lightwood, Wayland, and Fairchild. This reminded me of the Harry Potter world in which the familiar character last names also had ancestors that knew each other. The Shadowhunters must be hopelessly inbred.
Also, the Nephilim are elitist, snobby, JERKS. I enjoyed reading the petty politics from Magnus's point of view. I have no idea how Magnus ever wanted anything to do with Shadowhunters after dealing with these morons.
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Short Story Title #4: "The Midnight Heir"
What it’s about: James Herondale, Will and Tessa's (from Infernal Devices) son, seems to be on a suicidal mission. After catching James in a night of dangerous debauchery, Magnus drags him home to his parents, who have no idea what's going on or what to do about their son, who also has the mysterious power of being able to turn into a literal shadow.
Magnus visits Jem, who is now a Silent Brother. He then visits Tatiana Blackthorn (nee Lightwood) in the rundown Lightwood mansion, living with her ward, Grace, and planning bitter revenge against the Shadowhunters for her miserable life. And has James fallen for Grace? Probably.
My takeaway: This story was a tease. It intrigued me and made me want to know what the heck is going on. James was super angsty. I know that Clare is writing a trilogy with these characters and James is a featured character in the short story "Cast Long Shadows," which I have yet to read. If the purpose of "The Midnight Heir" is to suck readers into the world of these characters, it totally worked for me!
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Short Story Title #5: "The Rise of the Hotel Dumort"
What it’s about: Magnus is running a speak-easy during Prohibition in this story that starts in New York City in late September 1929. Aldous Nix is an old warlock who seems to have lost his grip on reality. Nix seems to have coerced a bunch of rich mundanes to meet with him in a fancy hotel. Meanwhile, rumors are circulating that an event is going to happen that will ruin the lives of these mundanes. The mundanes and Nix open a giant demon portal out of the Hotel Dumont and the stock market crashes.
My takeaway: Magnus's speak-easy is hilarious and I love how he can camouflage it from the cops on super short notice! I liked how the stock market crash was connected to a bunch of arrogant mundanes, their greed, and demons. Readers know that this once glamorous hotel becomes a home for vampires. This story is worth reading for the 1920s references.
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Short Story Title #6: "Saving Raphael Santiago"
What it’s about: In 1950s New York, Magnus is working as private detective. He is hired by Guadalupe Santiago to find out the fate of her son, Raphael, who is presumed dead by the vampires who haunt the old Hotel Dumont (now "Dumort" and run by Camille).
Magnus finds Raphael, who has been turned into a vampire and is struggling with his religious faith, since he believes he now has no soul. Magnus takes Raphael under his wing and helps him to reconcile his existence and even helps him visit his mother.
My takeaway: This story was sad. I felt bad for poor Raphael, a character that I liked in the Mortal Instruments series. I like how this story shows the compassionate side of Magnus and hints at the evil of Camille. I recommend this one.
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Short Story Title #7: "The Fall of the Hotel Dumort"
What it’s about: Now we are in 1977 New York, an era known for nightclubs like Studio 54 and drug use. Magnus runs into a bunch of strung-out slobbish vampires, who are hooked on cocaine because they are feeding off of mundanes who are hooked on cocaine.
Camille and her ilk are living in squalor and carelessly murdering people to get high off their blood. During the New York City blackout, the vampires went on a crazy murder-spree. Magnus is so upset by what he sees that he convinces Catarina to remove parts of his memory.
My takeaway: This was another sad story to read, but I like how the authors are not shying away from actual historical events of the time periods and how they may have affected the Shadow world. However, how does Magnus write this story since he had Catarina remove his memories? I think that this one should be written from Catarina's viewpoint, or maybe a mention of how Magnus was able to write it? I don't know.
The blood and murder descriptions in this story make me squeamish, but that's the point of vivid descriptions.
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Short Story Title #8: "What to Buy the Shadowhunter who has Everything (and who You're Not Officially Dating Anyway)"
What it’s about: It's Alec's birthday, and Magnus is trying to figure out what present he can possibly buy him. Magnus's friends are no help, and the demon Magnus has summoned for a client insists that kids these days love mix tapes of Fleetwood Mac (and scented candles).
Isabelle visits to tell Magnus how supportive she is of him and her brother, and this touches Magnus enough to give her signature weapon a little extra magic kick. Then Alec shows up at Magnus's door and they kiss and AAAAWWWWWW. 😍
My takeaway: I love this story! It's just so fluffy and cute and Magnus is so infatuated with Alec. I get the heebie-jeebies when I think about the fact that Magnus is super old and Alec is just turning 18 (which makes Magnus seem a bit pervy), but when I don't think of that, this story is perfection. I also like the Fleetwood Mac obsessed demon because how awesome is that? This is my favorite story of the collection, and I reread it when I am feeling down because it always cheers me up.
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Short Story Title #9: "The Last Stand of the New York Institute"
What it’s about: Valentine and his Circle have taken over the Clave, and boy they are ruthless jerks. They are killing Downworlders left and right in the interest of "purity," in the style of many of history's famous overzealous dictators. They are even killing children, who they claim are monsters "in the shape of a child," and killed the Whitelaws, who run the New York institute.
Magnus and other Downworlders go into hiding, when they are approached by Jocelyn Fairchild. She and her small daughter are hiding from Valentine, and Magnus agrees to perform a memory spell on Jocelyn's daughter Clary every two years so that they can live in the mundane world.
My takeaway: With today's political climate in the United States, I found this story to be difficult to read. It was similar to reading about Voldemort's Death Eaters in Harry Potter but with more explicit instead of implicit violence.
Once again, after experiencing all of that horror with the Shadowhunters, it is hard for me to understand how Magnus could ever look at any of them again, especially a Lightwood. An important story for the Mortal Instruments canon, but not one I enjoy rereading.
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Short Story Title #10: "The Course of True Love (and First Dates)"
What it’s about: Magnus and Alec go on their first date, and it's awkward and cringe-worthy, and anyone who's ever had a bad first date will wince as things just keep getting worse. Magnus is about to text Catarina so she can call him with "an emergency" so that he can get out of the date, but she calls him with a legitimate emergency which actually saves the date. Then Malec go to Magnus's apartment, they kiss, and all is adorable.
My takeaway: First of all, if you have not read "Kissed," the online-exclusive short story about Magnus and Alec's first kiss, go read it now. It acts as a prequel to this story, which is wonderful, and another one I reread when I'm feeling blue.
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Short Story Title #11: "The Voicemail of Magnus Bane"
What it’s about: A collection of voicemails left by Alec and other Mortal Instruments characters after Alec and Magnus's breakup. Some of them are sad, some angsty, some funny, and some heartwarming, since they show how much Alec and Magnus are truly loved. Mixed in with those are some from a confused warlock client who is requesting a crate of horned toads.
My takeaway: To share an unpopular opinion, I was in favor of the Malec breakup. Now before you huff and send me a billion protesting emails, I wanted Alec and Magnus to be together, but Alec made some poor decisions and Magnus needed to prove that he could trust Alec and that Alec could trust him back.
Also, Alec had some growing up to do and the breakup accomplished that for his character. Still, the breakup was devastating. They were both so sad, and if it weren't for the comedy interjected into this story, I'd consider it filler and not read it. Well, I do consider it filler, but I reread it anyway.
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This book is on the 2016 Rainbow Book List.
My favorite quotes/passages:
- "Devastating ensembles made on Bond Street with red brocade waistcoats do not simply fall out of the sky!" ("Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale")
- "'Magnus,' he groaned. 'Kill me, won't you?'
'Why, that's illegal!' Magnus replied. 'And you know how I feel about breaking the law.'" ("The Rise of the Hotel Dumort").
- "'You should give him a mixed tape,' said Elyaas. 'Kids love mixed tapes. They're the cool "in" thing right now.'
'Was the last time you were summoned the eighties?' Magnus asked.
'It might have been,' Elyaas said defensively" ("What to Buy the Shadowhunter who has Everything")
- "'I'm--sorry about being a lousy date,' Alec muttered.
'What are you talking about?' Magnus asked. 'You're a fantastic date. You've only been here ten minutes, and I already got half of your clothes off.'" ("The Course of True Love [and First Dates]")
- "I'm sorry about all the texts. Especially the one I sent at three fifteen in the morning on Wednesday. You know the one. Yeah. I'm very sorry about that" ("The Voicemail of Magnus Bane").
This book is available in the Greensboro Public Library.
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