Ghosts of the Shadow Market Book Review

The Shadow Market has fascinated generations of Shadowhunters, and millions of Shadowhunter fans. First introduced in The Dark Artifices series, Cassandra Clare caters to her fans with a new collection of novellas that follow the Shadowhunters of multiple generations and their ties to the Shadow Market. It all centers around Brother Zachariah, and his quests through time that lead him back to the magic and the ghosts of the Shadow Market.

The authors of this collection make a star-studded cast. Cassandra Clare is the New York Times bestselling creator of the Shadow World, starting with City of Bones in 2004. Since then, Clare has written The Mortal Instruments series with trilogy spin-offs The Infernal Devices, The Dark Artifices and (soon) The Last Hours. If you're interested in more of my reviews of Cassandra Clare's work, you can find them all here. Sarah Rees Brennan is the New York Times bestselling author of Unspoken and the Demon's Lexicon Trilogy. Her newest book, In Other Lands, was a Hugo Award finalist. Maureen Johnson is another New York Times bestselling author of many YA novels, including 13 Little Blue Envelopes, The Name of the Star, Suite Scarlett, and Truly Devious. Kelly Link, the cofounder of Small Beer Press, is also the author of four collections, including Pretty Monsters and Pulitzer finalist Get in Trouble. And last but not least, Robin Wasserman is the author of Girls on Fire and several other bestselling novels for children and young adults. In the other collections of Shadowhunter novellas, The Bane Chronicles and Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, Clare has already teamed up with Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, and Robin Wasserman. This collection does not disappoint.

Brother Zachariah was, before the Brotherhood, known as James Carstairs, or Jem by those who loved him. First introduced in The Infernal Devices trilogy, Jem's adventures during the Brotherhood are now given life on the pages of this collection. Readers follow Jem to the Shadow Market as we also learn of the adventures of generations of Shadowhunters and Downworlders, including Matthew Fairchild, Sister Emilia, Céline Montclaire, Lily Chen, Raphael Santiago, Alexander Lightwood,  Livvy Blackthorn, and many others.

Below are mini-reviews of each of the 10 novellas, and ratings for each. I have also linked other relevant series/collections pertaining to the characters of the pieces, if applicable. Even if you haven't read all of the books in the Shadowhunter Chronicles, you will enjoy this collection as either an introduction to  the Shadow World. No previous knowledge is needed to enjoy these stories, but can certainly enhance the experience. But maybe this collection is a perfect introduction to all the beloved characters of this universe.

If you're interested in more of my reviews on the books from the Shadowhunter Chronicles, you can find them all here.

*This review is also published on my Goodreads page*

Cast Long Shadows

And of course, we start out in the Shadow Market in 1901, with Jem (as Brother Zachariah) and Matthew Fairchild. In this story, we learn about Matthew's past at the Shadowhunter Academy, and how that affects his perception of his family. Furthermore, readers learn about Matthew's character, his actions based on the word from his enemy, and the reasons he is no longer a golden, happy-go-lucky boy.

What's fun about this short story is the way in which Matthew's and James Herondale's relationship as parabatai mirrors Jem's and Will Herondale's parabatai relationship in The Infernal Devices. There are also clear hints into how Matthew and James are as a pair that get readers excited for the release of Chain of Gold (March 3rd), the spinoff trilogy dedicated to Matthew's and James's generation of Shadowhunters.

The only thing a little tricky is keeping all the names of the characters and their children straight. If you've read The Infernal Devices, you will recognized familiar faces (Tessa, Will, Jem, Sophie, Gideon, Charlotte, and Henry to name a few). But if you have not (which, no worries!) then you will be susceptible to mixing up whose kids belong to which couple. Don't worry, for the only truly important characters to this short story are Matthew, Charlotte, Henry, James, and Lucie.

Rating: 9/10

(Check out more Matthew and James here.)

Every Exquisite Thing

We continue in 1901, but we don't start out at the Shadow Market with Jem. Rather, this story begins with Anna Lightwood, daughter of Gabriel and Cecily Lightwood. In this story, we learn about Anna's character, her desires to live freely without corsets and in pants instead, and her love of other women. Anna meets another Shadowhunter like her, Ariadne, and Anna suddenly feels complete.

But of course, it all relates back to the Shadow Market. Anna's and Ariadne's night adventure puts them in the line of action with a warlock. The same warlock who has the information Jem has been searching for at the Shadow Market. Coincidentally, this information reflects Anna's desire to find herself, as Jem is searching for information that will help other characters understand who they are, too.

This is a beautiful, well-written story about finding oneself, expressing oneself, and finding love and acceptance. I wish Jem's quest could have been tied more closely to Anna's journey because I feel like there was a lot of fun parallels to draw on, but I see the benefit in keeping the two distant: this is, after all, a story about Anna Lightwood.

Rating: 9/10

(Check out more Anna Lightwood here.)

Learn About Loss

Clare and Link take us where Shadowhunter fans haven't yet been before: Chattanooga Tennessee, to the Shadow Market of 1936. There, Brother Zachariah and Sister Emilia (of the order of the Iron Sisters) meet to find a very important demon, who offers both Brother Zachariah and Sister Emilia choices to change the course of their lives.

This story exists within the Shadow Market, and between Zachariah and Emilia. But within such a short amount of time, this story creates a larger theme about friendship, and the power we each have to fight for our friends, old and new. Emilia and Zachariah also battle a physical demon not with seraph blades, but by battling their inner demons of curiosity, which was an interesting take on how to fight against evil.

The only thing I can think of that I wish we'd have seen more of was the Shadowhunter world of the United States at this point in time. The Shadow Markets focus solely on Downworlders because they are made up of them, but my inner demon of curiosity would have loved to see more. Some might say they wished to see more from the ending, but I do believe that the ending was exactly as it should be, and that readers don't really need to know what happens, because in a way, we already know.

Rating: 10/10

A Deeper Love

A time period rich with literary interpretations, the Shadow Market in this story takes us to London, 1940: in the thick of World War II. Instead of beginning with Brother Zachariah, we are thrown into this story through Tessa Herondale's point of view, fresh from grief at the death of her husband. However, Brother Zachariah soon comes into contact with Tessa in the worst way possible: he's injured, and Tessa has to save him, or else death will be at his door too. Even more interesting is how he got injured: by trying to find the lost line of Herondales, the secret given to Brother Zachariah from the demon in Tennessee four years before.

Fans of the romance between Jem and Tessa from The Infernal Devices trilogy will positively rejoice at this story, this small glimpse of the never-ending love between these two. While fans are aware that Tessa and Jem do eventually get reunited in the future, we aren't afforded a lot of glimpses (yet!) as to how Brother Zachariah and Tessa interact in the "in-between" time. This story is an exciting and refreshing glimpse into that time, and was chosen strategically (close after Will's death) to show how emotionally raw, yet stable, Jem and Tessa truly are.

I enjoyed how, while this was set during the Blitz, the story did not feel like a war story at all. Rather, Clare and Johnson use the setting to reflect the resiliency of Tessa and Jem as characters. In a literary sense, it was interesting to see how the setting can reflect the determination and the drives of the individual characters, and while it has been done before in stories set in WWII, it took on a new meaning when the characters are now immortal. There's a resiliency in immortal characters that can also be found in ancient cities that have not been destroyed and have endured, and the comparisons between those drawn by Clare and Johnson are striking, and effective.

Rating: 10/10

(Check out more Tessa and Jem here.)

The Wicked Ones

Flash forward more than 45 years to Paris, 1989. Fans of The Mortal Instruments will recognize this time period at the height of the Circle's power, but told in a new perspective: that of Céline Montclaire. The Circle has sent Céline, Stephen Herondale, and Robert Lightwood on a mission to the Shadow Market, the one place Céline has ever felt at home. And the one place Brother Zachariah has tracked down the lost Herondale.

In this short story, readers finally learn some of the rationale behind Céline's and Stephen's marriage, which eventually leads to the birth of one of the most famous Shadowhunters of all time. This story also serves as a character sketch, in a sense: readers truly understand Céline and her background, and how that influences her choices (Valentine's choice?). We also get a fuller sense of Valentine as a villain, but how believable he is as a hero.

Of course, this all ties in masterfully to the Shadow Market, but even then, this story is truly less about the Shadow Market. It also serves as a character sketch for Tessa and Jem in 1989, and where their heads and hearts are at, in regards to each other and to the Herondale line. The future that some readers know for them (revealed in The Dark Artifices) is mapping itself out here, and finally we see this part of their stories start to flourish. It is a very exciting (terrifying?) time in the Shadow World, overall.

Rating: 10/10

(Check out more of The Circle here and here and here.)

Son of the Dawn

The new millennium has dawned, and readers are transported back to the birthplace of the Shadowhunter world: New York City, in 2000. Brother Zachariah is in the process of leaving the Shadow Market, this time, when he encounters two vampires: Raphael Santiago, and Lily Chen. They convince Zachariah to help them keep a dangerous drug, yin fen, from entering the city of New York. Zachariah agrees to help the Downworlders, which puts him directly in the path of the Shadowhunters: most namely, the young Lightwood family and Jonathan Wayland.

What Zachariah and the vampires do isn't really that important compared to how helping them reminds him of his past life and his experiences with yin fen. After decades of being a Silent Brother, this mission (and, more importantly, young Jonathan) reminds him of his long gone parabatai, Will Herondale, and Tessa. We also get to see young Alec, Izzy, and Jace as they first meet, which is exciting for longtime fans of The Mortal Instruments.

It's lovely how Clare and Rees Brennan blend the old information with the new, and how readers finally understand all the blurred lines in Brother Zachariah's/Jem's mind as time has gone by. After having followed Brother Zachariah this whole book, it seems surprising that we can still learn new things about Zachariah, but this group of writers always has surprises around every turn. It keeps each story refreshing, and exciting.

Rating: 9/10

(Check out more of Jonathan Wayland and the Lightwoods here.)

The Land I Lost

This story is arguably the best one in the collection. We open in 2012, and walk right into the home of Alec Lightwood and Magnus Bane, and their sweet family. They are living contentedly in Brooklyn when Alec gets a fire message from Jem and Tessa: they need his help entering the Shadow Market of Buenos Aires. Alec, knowing he has to help and that he needs to be worthy of coming home, goes to Buenos Aires and discovers corruption, and love.

Jem (who is now no longer a Silent Brother, but whose connection to his quest runs deep) and Tessa need to get to the Buenos Aires Shadow Market to continue the investigation Jem started decades before. This story doesn't really focus on the quest this time around though, but rather the corruption of the Institute and how that affect Alec's choices - especially as they are concerned to Rafael, and abandoned Shadowhunter child.

This story is the longest in the collection, but the most fulfilling and wholesome. Choosing to narrate from Alec's point of view was exciting, and helped readers understand his motivations as they related to both his career and his family, and how those things are beautifully entangled. Readers can interpret some themes that can be related to the complexities of the world around them, as far as corruption and a work-life balance is concerned, but truly this story was sweet, engaging, and has readers begging for more.

Rating: 10/10

(Check out more Magnus and Alec here and here.)

Through Blood, Through Fire

We remain in 2012, but travel all the way to Los Angeles, where Tessa and Jem reach the harrowing conclusion to the quest of the lost Herondale. A woman Jem had met before, when he was still called Brother Zachariah, has reached out for his help, in the hopes that he will protect her son. And even though he is no longer Brother Zachariah, protecting the lost Herondale is exactly what Jem and Tessa intend to do.

This story beautifully recaptures the intensity of Jem's and Tessa's relationship to each other, and their relationships with Will. In a way, it feels like the continuation of a love story that had yet to get started because of Jem's oath to the Silent Brothers. I also really enjoy the parallels between Jem's, Will's and Tessa's relationships to the marriage of Rosemary and Jack - I feel like these reflections each make an argument about what "through blood, through fire" truly means.

The musicality of this story is worth highlighting, as it is both beautiful and horrifying. Clare and Wasserman particularly employ a special type of writing style when Tessa is using her warlock ability to inhabit another character's body, while also making a scary argument about mortality.

Rating: 10/10

(Check out more Tessa and Jem here, and more Emma Carstairs and the lost Herondale here.)

The Lost World

In my review of the Dark Artifices Trilogy, I had despaired on the lack of resolution for Ty and Kit. Finally, we see a continuation of Ty's, Kit's and Livvy's story, and how they are all surviving with (and without) one another after the events of The Dark Artifices. It's not exactly a resolution, per se, but readers get to see the existences these three Shadowhunters have, and the implications of love and dark magic.

Strangely enough, this is the first story in which readers don't end up at a Shadow Market at any kind. And, the first story in which Jem doesn't play any major role. This is pretty refreshing, in the sense that a lot of the previous stories dealt with rather heavy topics pertaining to im/mortality, love and loss. This story does focus on those same themes, but with younger, more vulnerable characters whose books are still full of blank pages. It was nice to finally see some ink on them!

The one connection to the Shadow Market is the necklace with the heron, that Brother Zachariah had long ago given a women by the name of Herondale. Now, the necklace comes to pass in the hands of a new owner. However, I don't want to give too much away, and I do think Magnus Bane summed it up best: "A boy, a Carpathian lynx, and a ghost." It does truly make for a most exciting and foreshadowing story.

Rating: 9/10

(Check out more Kit, Ty and Livvy here.)

Forever Fallen

Last, but certainly not least, Shadowhunter fans end up at the last story of the collection which takes place in New York, 2013. We enter the Shadow Market one last time with Kit and Jem. There is also the unknown visitor of Thule Jace (whom we encountered in The Queen of Air and Darkness and now goes by Janus). The beautiful conclusion of Jem's story is completely juxtaposed by Janus's startling narration about destroying the world to get the one thing he most desires.

The juxtaposition of the Carstairs-Herondale family and Janus makes this story a very strange conclusion to a collection of stories. In a way, it's interesting that it's a happy ending within a larger opening of a new plot. However, it is also sad that the Shadowhunters will never seem to catch a break - even though that is the exact purpose of their race. However, there is the sweet parallel of the Carstairs-Herondale family to the Lightwood family that leaves readers with a sense of hope for the days to come.

This story, even more so than The Lost World, gives a better conclusion for Kit. He finally has a home, and a place he belongs. It is something that he never believed in, and Clare and Rees Brennan put lovely words to that feeling. It helps give readers hope that some of the fallen won't be that way forever.

Rating: 10/10

(Check out more Kit and Janus here.)