"Ghosts of the Shadow Market" by Cassandra Clare, et al.

Ghosts of the Shadow Market (June 4, 2019) by Cassandra Clare, et al.

In this newest collection of 10 short stories, Brother Zachariah – former Shadowhunter James “Jem” Carstairs – travels through Shadow Markets around the world. Shadow Markets are gathering places for Downworlders – vampires, werewolves, faeries and warlocks – to buy and trade magical wares, enchanted potions (or, perhaps, poisons in disguise), dark bargains and the most secret of secrets. The presence of Shadowhunters is tolerated at best, though usually reviled. But Brother Zachariah continues to roam the Markets as over a century passes, observing many a dark dealing or dramatic spectacle, all the while seeking a relic from his past. Each of the short stories is co-authored by Clare and one of four other authors.

            Note that there will be occasional spoilers if you have not been keeping up with the world of Shadowhunters.

   1. Cast Long Shadows by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan.

            At the London Shadow Market in 1901, Brother Zachariah (a.k.a. Jem) meets the effervescent Matthew Fairchild. In a locale where Silent Brothers are as welcome as Shadowhunters (in other words, not), Matthew is thrilled to encounter Jem, who’s dearly beloved by Matthew’s parabatai, James “Jamie” Herondale and his family. Jem is looking for Ragnor Fell (a warlock) for information, and he is distressed to see Matthew. For all of his vivaciousness, Matthew is bothered by something Alastair Carstairs said to him. All Matthew wants is the truth from one of his parents. What he does has devastating results.

   2. Every Exquisite Thing by Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson.

            There is something exotic about wearing men’s clothing in 1901 when one’s not a man. Anna Lightwood loves the freedom of trousers and the dramatic way her slim, Shadowhunter-skilled self looks in menswear. She is dapper. Unfortunately, the only access she has to men’s clothing that may fit her (sort of) belongs to her younger brother Christopher, and he does atrocious things to his clothes (suffice it to say, he likes science experiments). Anna thinks it’s any other day when they are invited to Inquisitor Bridgestock’s house, but she is awestruck when she first lays eyes on his adopted daughter, Ariadne. Anna is certainly interested, but Ariadne isn’t. Or is she? Is Anna trying to read something into nothing? Sadly, other factors look bound to doom their relationship, and it’s hard to protect a wounded heart. But perhaps she will be surprised by what her parents, Gabriel and Cecily [Herondale] Lightwood, notice and support without compunction.

   3. Learn About Loss by Cassandra Clare and Kelly Link.

            On an autumn day in 1936, the inhabitants of Chattanooga, Tennessee, find posters advertising a Bazaar of the Bizarre (it’s a Shadow Market). One pays only what one can afford. It is the decade of the Great Depression. Strange and terrible incidents have been occurring due to this carnival on Lookout Mountain, and word has made its way to those whose business it is to prevent the mundane (human) world from being tormented by the malicious whims of Downworlders and demons. Two such protectors are sent: one a young woman not fully instated as an Iron Sister, Sister Emilia, who’s been tasked to recover the adamas and bring it to the Adamant Citadel, and the other the Silent Brother, Brother Zachariah. They smell demon. Specifically, the Greater Demon Belial, one of the Princes of Hell. He wears a skin suit (“He was a very bad tailor, you see, but in the end he has made a very good suit after all.”) and thrives on illusions. Sister Emilia will surely get the adamas, and Belial will repay a debt to Brother Zachariah. Brother Zachariah will receive something of a gift because a Greater Demon acknowledges the danger possibly posed by a certain Iron Sister to-be.

   4. A Deeper Love by Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson.

            Time: Days after Christmas in London 1940. The Blitz has been going on for months; the German Luftwaffe are dropping bombs on the city while warlocks Tessa Gray and Catarina Loss report daily as war nurses. Food is rationed, which is why they dream of the food they miss most. Brother Zachariah is in London, glamoured to most, but not the faerie with ill intent who attacks him with a blade doused in cataplasm (“a rare belladonna concentrate with demon poison added to it”). Brother Zachariah is more protected than the average Shadowhunter with his Silent Brother markings, but still, cataplasm is usually a death sentence if the correct antidote isn’t administered swiftly. Fortunately, Catarina is the best nurse; she’s the best healer of Nephilim, Downworlders and humans alike. Brother Zachariah reveals who he is looking for, and it turns out that Catarina knows something of those he seeks.

   5. The Wicked Ones by Cassandra Clare and Robin Wasserman.

            Is true beauty the gleaming towers of Alicante? Or the city of Paris? If you’re Céline Montclaire, it’s the latter. Céline has made it into Valentine’s Circle, and she feels special for it, as it’s common knowledge that his Circle is only composed “of young Shadowhunters he knew to be as capable as they were loyal.” Additionally, Stephen Herondale, the man Céline clearly desires, is a member of Valentine’s Circle. Too bad Stephen is married to Amatis, though it’s said that she remains in contact with her Turned brother, so perhaps she’s replaceable? It’s no matter, for Stephen thinks of her as a child, and she’s used to all sorts of pain, though Brother Zachariah says there’s nothing more painful than a love that cannot be requited. The human part of him wants to stay by Céline’s side, but he finds someone else to attend to. It centers around the one he seeks, even decades after talking to Catarina (it is 1989). Can Brother Zachariah be of help to those he seeks? How will Céline handle Valentine’s plan?

   6. Son of the Dawn by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan.

            Crossing into a new century also crosses into a new millennium. It is NYC in 2000. Downworlders the world over tend to avoid Shadowhunters and even Shadowhunters often fear Silent Brothers, and Brother Zachariah is both. So it is unusual for a vampire to seek him out for aid. That vampire is Raphael Santiago, and he’s accompanied by Lily Chen, who has no qualms about letting Jem know how good-looking she thinks he is. Raphael, not yet acting head of the New York vampire clan but with all of his trademark sarcasm, has heard rumors of yin fen being smuggled by werewolves into New York. Jem has a storied past with the stuff, which clearly Raphael knows about. Jem convinces Raphael to have a meeting with the newest leaders of the New York Shadowhunter Institute, Robert and Maryse Lightwood. Robert agrees to help and goes with Jem, Raphael and Lily. They sneak onto the ship, thinking they’ll easily incapacitate the werewolves on board, though there are far more than anticipated. Battle ensues, but this ship, the “Dawn Trader,” also brings a 10-year-old boy called Jonathan Wayland (better known as Jace). He is going to live with the Lightwoods in the aftermath of his father’s (Michael Wayland) death. Michael and Robert were parabatai. Jonathan unknowingly reminds Jem of the bonds he once chose when he chose a parabatai, reminding Jem that, “Sometimes, Will, you seem very close.”

   7. The Land I Lost by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan.

            Thanks to Portals, Alec Lightwood (one of the founders of the Downworlder-Shadowhunter Alliance) and Lily Chen (head of the New York vampire clan) traverse easily from NYC to Buenos Aires. It is 2012. The Buenos Aires Shadowhunter Institute is corrupt under the leadership of Clive Breakspear, leading to understandable unrest with the Downworlders of the city. Their Shadow Market is run by a werewolf called the Queen of the Market; her name is Juliette. According to her, every Nephilim-associated soul is barred save Alexander (Alec) Lightwood. Alec doesn’t recall Juliette, but he saved her life, “and he wasn’t wearing a shirt.” (Alec does not see how that is relevant.) The female werewolves of the city are going missing. A strange warlock in the area is connected, and he’s been in contact with none other than Breakspear. Alec and Lily plan to confront said warlock with the aid of Jem Carstairs (no longer Brother Zachariah, but not officially a Shadowhunter any longer, either) and his wife, the very-unique-even-amongst-warlocks, Tessa Gray. Invited to join the fight (one always knows there will be a battle; we’re talking about Shadowhunters, after all) are Juliette and the Downworlders of the Shadow Market and Joaquín, a trustworthy Shadowhunter of the Buenos Aires Institute. The story grants readers an inside look into how Rafael comes to join Alec and Magnus’ family (Max: “This the brother orra sister?”) and Lily’s vampire origin, which is both insightful and tragic.

   8. Through Blood, Through Fire by Cassandra Clare and Robin Wasserman.

            The line of those Jem Carstairs seeks has been found. One could not be saved, but can they save the other? In order to find the one who is lost, Tessa Gray (now married to Jem) uses her unique warlock ability to Change into another to access memories. Going to the Los Angeles Shadow Market proves almost fatal; however, when Tessa is attacked by Fal, one of the Riders of Mannan (“I suggest you stay dead this time,” Fal says, though not actually to Tessa.) Tessa’s life is in limbo, her body Changing sometimes so swiftly that it’s as though she has no form at all. Jem can’t lose her; he won’t. Although no longer a Shadowhunter or a Silent Brother, Brother Enoch comes to help. It turns out that Tessa was trapped in the Change, not because of Fal’s weapon, but something within herself. It was also the Change that saved her life.

   9. The Lost World by Cassandra Clare and Kelly Link.

            It is 2013. Ty Blackthorn is four months in at the Scholomance. He doesn’t have any friends save his twin sister, Livvy, except she’s a ghost, and recently a Carpathian lynx kitten dubbed Irene. Along with his studies, Ty has been keeping a diligent record over these last six months of the “side effects, benefits, and discoverable qualities of Livvy’s resurrected state.” Livvy can’t penetrate the protective wards over Idris (it’s as if she “were pressing up against a Jell-O mold”), but she discovers that she can will herself right outside it, which allows her to eavesdrop on two Cohort members. The further she’s away from Ty, the more things start to go wrong. She changes and gets stronger (like a poltergeist), but she can also forget the purpose of why she went somewhere. Or instead of doing great things, she might do terrible things, like potentially harm an unborn child to give herself the chance at life again. But Livvy doesn’t want to hurt anybody; she doesn’t want to be like Annabel. So she’ll talk to Magnus Bane, and she’ll convince Ty to write to Kit, and she’ll hold onto Ty as tightly as she can. Because he is her anchor.

   10. Forever Fallen by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan.

            The world has changed for Jem. No longer a Silent Brother, but not a Shadowhunter again, either, he’s taken on a role he never pictured but adores: father. Wilhelmina Yiqiang Ke Carstairs, affectionately known as Mina, has a lot of name, because she represents a lot. She’s named for Will (Jem’s parabatai) and for Rosemary (the lost Herondale), the Chinese portion of her name meaning “wild rose.” Jem and Tessa have also invited Kit Herondale to live with them and readily welcome him to the family, but does Kit want to stay?

            Janus and Ash are in present-day 2013, having escaped Thule. Janus wants nothing more than to have this world’s Clary, Thule Clary having perished awhile ago. Janus and Ash live “on a hollow hill near bone-white sea cliffs, a hundred leagues from either Seelie or Unseelie Court.” They’re safe from prying eyes thanks to the Seelie Queen. Janus has every intention of killing Jace and taking Clary. “Soon Janus would have Clary, and Ash would have the world.”

            Concluding Thoughts: For anyone who already follows Clare’s Shadowhunters world, this collection of short stories is a must-have, but if one has not been following Shadowhunters, I would not start with this collection. Start at the beginning. For me, Jem was my favorite character in The Infernal Devices trilogy and remains one of my favorite characters whenever he pops up. His character is a fierce warrior, an agent of wisdom and a representation of things genteel. The overall caliber of this collection is strong, though like anything, certain stories read more powerfully to me than others. As always, I love the diversity. It doesn’t bring attention to the fact that it’s diverse; it just is, and that is wonderful. For dedicated fans waiting for next series installments, this set of stories is an excellent appetizer.