Rutabaga's Reads 2019: Part 24

I am not immune to those supplements that publishers release relating to series that I enjoy, from novella collections to addendums. (I do not; however, find myself interested in related coloring books or graphic novels.) And I am not an avid reader of e-books, so the two listings you’ll find in this post I have read in physical book form.

The Shadowhunter’s Codex (Oct. 29, 2013) by Cassandra Clare and Joshua Lewis.

Congratulations. In taking a chance on this book and by merely opening it, you, the reader, are ready to prepare for life as a Shadowhunter. We are of a specific number chosen by the Angel to keep our world safe from demons and help keep peace amongst Downworlders. It is not an undertaking for the faint of heart. In fact, a majority of Shadowhunters will die as Shadowhunters. And, not to frighten you, but most will die whilst in battle with demons. A buzzkill? Yes, but I don’t want you to accept your new place under false pretenses. As you will find while reading this Codex (yes, this is homework), you will find that the world navigated by Shadowhunters is beautiful, but often brutal, as can easily be said about the mundane world. The Codex you are reading is a modern edition, which uses the best printing techniques of the 21^st century. Or, if you happen upon it on one of those nifty little tablets, the best in electronic reading techniques. So, welcome, new Shadowhunter!

            Think of this as an addendum to any of Clare’s Shadowhunter-related stories. The Codex is reminiscent of a book that may be assigned to you in school, but this guide has a little bit of everything: history, laws, non-human denizens, etc. The most entertaining part about this supplement is that it supplies banter amongst Clary, Jace and Simon. Otherwise, this book read as technical. Technical about things magical and otherworldly, yes, but still technical. Any true fan has added this to her/his bookshelf, but for others who’ve read the Shadowhunters books (any of them) in passing only, you may want to skip this one.

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy (Nov. 15, 2016) by Cassandra Clare, et al.

“Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy” is a collection of short stories featuring Simon Lewis. His is a unique perspective. He’s been a mundane, and he’s been a Downworlder (type: vampire). Previously called the “Daylighter,” he gave up most of his memories while in Edom, a demon realm of Hell, so that he and his friends could be returned safely to the world known. Amnesia is a companion following closely, but memories resurface at odd intervals and often without warning, especially the unpleasant ones. It’s a struggle to see your friends know you as someone you don’t remember being. But with his memories also went his Downworlder status. Has anyone else ever been “cured” of vampirism? Probably not. Until Simon.

            “Tales” contains 10 short stories written by Cassandra Clare. She collaborates on each story with other YA authors: Maureen Johnson, Sarah Rees Brennan and Robin Wasserman. The short stories are listed in the order they’re placed in the book.

1. Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan.

At the Shadowhunter Academy, Simon Lewis is an “exceptional” mundane. Essentially, he’s a mundane with elite status, so instead of following the track of the “dregs” (derogatory term clearly used by those of elitist mindsets), he gets to jump right into training. Violent training, stabby training and lots of running (training). Warlock Catarina Loss seems to despise him (though he does not know why and wonders if it’s due to something pre-amnesia), and the Shadowhunter-descended students are mostly highbrow in their attitudes toward mundanes. At least his roommate, George Lovelace, is a decent sort, even though he’s buff, looks like a model and is exceedingly good at riding a horse.

2. The Lost Herondale by Cassandra Clare and Robin Wasserman.

Sed lex, dura lex (Latin): “The Law is hard, but it is the Law.” Those Shadowhunters don’t mess around. To Shadowhunters, the worst thing for them to do isn’t kill an innocent. “The worst thing any Shadowhunter can do is betray his fellows in the heat of battle. The worst thing a Shadowhunter can be is a coward.” Lazlo Balogh, Head of the Budapest Institute, shares an example with the story of Tobias Herondale. It didn’t matter that his mind cracked, and he wandered around unhinged in the forest with no knowledge of who he was. All the other Shadowhunters saw was someone who fled and without Tobias to punish, the Clave punished his pregnant wife. (She died, in case you were wondering.) Catarina Loss has a different story, and Simon hears it. He also encounters a vampire he should know from his past, but clearly doesn’t remember her.

3. The Whitechapel Fiend by Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson.

“I spy, with my little eye, something that begins with S.” It’s probably slime and hopefully it’s not snake, but it’s actually Simon, according to George. But now that Simon said the word snake in their dark, dank basement room with “the floor of ultimate moisture,” all George can think about is that there are snakes. (Are there snakes in Idris? Idris doesn’t seem like a place that would tolerate snakes.) Simon works on Falling Out of Trees with Jace Herondale, and their history lecture has a guest speaker: Tessa Gray. While she looks like a sophomore in college, she’s actually about 150 years old (talk about aging well). Tessa is a Downworlder and a Shadowhunter both. She shares a tale of how Jack the Ripper was conjured. There were brutal murders, as most everyone knows, but Tessa’s tale is different. Tessa’s tale includes a demon child.

4. Nothing but Shadows by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan.

In a common scene at Shadowhunter Academy in 2008, Jon Cartwright is being his usual pompous Shadowhunter self, assuming that those of Shadowhunter upbringing are naturally better and smarter at everything, Julie Beauvale agrees with him, and mundies (mundanes) like Marisol Garza and Sunil Sadasivan speak against them. In Marisol’s case, she also challenges “the elites” to beat the mundanes. In baseball. At Shadowhunter Academy in 1899, James Herondale is looking forward to starting school. All he wants is to be a Shadowhunter, of which he comes from an esteemed line of. He is also studious and an avid reader. He wants to befriend cousins Christopher Lightwood and Thomas Lightwood, though the former has a concerning attraction to explosives, and is less excited about trying to befriend Matthew Fairchild. James’ father wants him to befriend Alastair Carstairs, but that shall not happen. James is an outcast, but it gets worse when he discovers he has a warlock side, that the Nephilim side did not burn the rest out. In that happening, though, he may find a friend in someone he never expected to consider one.

5. The Evil We Love by Cassandra Clare and Robin Wasserman.

The guest speaker is the Inquisitor himself, Robert Lightwood. Some, like Simon (and this reader) know that he was once part of Valentine’s inner Circle. He speaks of his time with Valentine and how he wanted his approval even when Valentine did things that were unspeakable. Even when it meant turning his back on absolute love and loyalty, two things Robert didn’t seem capable of. In 2008, the appearance of Isabelle Lightwood with her father has Simon reeling, and it appears she’s using her radiant beauty and admired Shadowhunter status to convince him and his classmates to summon a demon. Simon is wholly against this. What is Isabelle doing? Is this all fun and games to her? Will they all be expelled or worse?

6. Pale Kings and Princes by Cassandra Clare and Robin Wasserman.

Their current events class, according to Simons’ thoughts, could just as easily be titled “Why Faeries Suck.” It’s presided over by Freeman Mayhew, who, despite his gesticulations about the times he fought demons, doesn’t look like he could fight so much as a cold. The guest speaker for the day is Helen Blackthorn, who, since the Dark War, has been exiled to Wrangel Island (“an Arctic outpost that was the hub of the world’s protective wards”). Her girlfriend, Aline Penhallow, went with her. The official standing is that they’re studying the wards, but unofficially, everyone knows they’re punishing Helen for being part Faerie, like it’s her fault. She’s supposed to be “teaching” the class that Faeries sow nothing but destruction with their preferred weapon being human love. A Faerie can love with whole body and soul. But also with destruction. And with a gift.

7. Bitter of Tongue by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan.

The Daylighter is in a mildly good-humored mood. His roommate and school best friend, George, is leading the team (consisting of their classmates) on a mission to stop faeries from slipping over their borders to engage in illicit trade. When a cloaked and hooded faerie is found and pursuit is initiated, Simon prevents George from going to Faerie … and winds up in Faerieland himself. In a cage and wondering if he’ll be fed to the hounds by the purple-eared faerie who’s captured him, that question leaves when that faerie flees the Wild Hunt faerie (which is better than that faerie’s alternative that the Wild Hunt faerie will “bring back my lord Gwyn your tongue”). The faerie of the Wild Hunt is none other than Mark Blackthorn of the Los Angeles Institute, brother to Helen (see “Pale Kings and Princes,” above). Mark continues to hope for rescue by Shadowhunters … that aren’t going to come. Still, he asks after his siblings, noting that he recalls all of their names. Faerie hasn’t taken that. And Simon takes Mark’s words of love back to the Blackthorn family, even if it’s only Helen that hears them.

8. The Fiery Trial by Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson.

Thoughts of parabatai are in the air. Classmates Julie Beauvale and Beatriz Mendoza have decided to become parabatai. And Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn are soon to go through their parabatai ceremony and have asked Clary Fairchild and Simon to be witnesses. They will stand with them at the Fiery Trial, which is the true name of the parabatai ceremony. At Shadowhunter Academy, Simon is brought to a room which also includes Magnus Bane, Jem Carstairs, Catarina and Clary. Simon and Clary are offered tea to drink, and they both find themselves in New York. But, what? Did they Portal from Idris to New York without knowing? And now where did Clary go? Simon’s pretty sure what’s going on isn’t real, but he has to reach Clary! Why? For what purpose is Simon having hallucinations?

9. Born to Endless Night by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan.

So many old things are creations of enduring beauty like the pyramids or Michelangelo’s David. Versailles. And Magnus Bane (he doesn’t lack for self-confidence). Magnus is in Idris to be a guest lecturer at Shadowhunter Academy at the request of his old friend Catarina Loss. Life, as is wont to do, goes in an unanticipated direction when a baby is dropped off on the steps of Shadowhunter Academy. And not just any baby. A very blue baby, like the “blue of Captain America’s suit.” It’s a warlock baby, and the poor little soul has been abandoned. Do they inform the Clave and give them care of the baby? Definitely not. Magnus and his boyfriend, Alec Lightwood, take on the wee one as if it were completely natural to suddenly have a child they didn’t know they were getting. But they are taken with the approximate eight-month-old boy, and the rest of the family is, too, as evidenced when they all descend upon the Academy. Jace is seen lying on the floor stuffing crevices with material, while Isabelle is seen baby-proofing from a stool. Now, what to name the baby?

10. Angels Twice Descending by Cassandra Clare and Robin Wasserman.

Ascension day is near, but first Simon gets to Portal back to his mom’s in New York, eating cold ziti, the leftovers tasting like home. When his mom tells him she loves him unconditionally, he acts as though she means it, but remembers that there was a time where her love clearly had conditions. The day of the Ascension rings in brightly. Simon is happy, he tells George he’s a brother to him (which then means a hug is inescapable), and all of Simon’s friends are crowded behind the rows of students so intensely fixed on Simon “as if they could get him through the Ascension with sheer force of will.” Simon will drink from the Mortal Cup. And so will the others in his class. Will they all be Shadowhunters by the day’s end?

 

            Concluding thoughts: For anyone who’s familiar with Clare’s immersive world of Shadowhunters, this is a snappy collection of short stories. The stories so often involve other familiar characters that it’s like a reunion, and some of the stories also provide insight to other historical Shadowhunter or Downworlder characters, which is often entertaining. With 10 stories totaling 655 pages in the hardcover version, it’s a lot to get through, but I still recommend it for those who find they like this fantasy world.