Synopsis (From Goodreads):
What if damnation is the price of true love?

Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the blight that is destroying the race of warlocks.

Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined. Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love.

Review:
Queen of Air and Darkness is a mammoth of a book.  At over 900 pages, this book is a gift for fans of the Shadowhunters series.  All the major characters are back, from Julian and Emma, to Jace and Clary.  And they are not just making cameos!  I really enjoyed all the characters, the plot, most of the romance, and the overall message of acceptance.

Characters:
The Blackthorns:
I love that we get to really get to know all the Blackthorn children.  Each sibling is mourning the death of Livvy, but also has other big issues.  Helen is finally back with her family, but struggles to connect with her siblings.  Mark is torn between the fairy prince, Kieran, and Emma's best friend, Christina.  Julian is struggling with his romantic feelings toward Emma.  Drusilla desperately wants to be valued by anyone.  And Ty is deeply in denial over Livvy's death.  Only Tavvy (who is maybe six years old?) seems to be doing all right, but his older siblings are constantly concerned for Tavvy's safety.

Other Beloved Characters:
Jace, Clary, Alec, and Magnus are back baby!!!  I would say that a tiny criticism of the other two books in The Dark Artifices series is that author Cassandra Clare would pop these characters into her books, but they weren't really part of the plots.  Not so in this book.  Jace and Clary are up to their superhero antics, and I couldn't be more pleased.  I love that Clary really is recognized for her efforts in this book.  Alec and Magnus are also a big part of the story.  I love their devotion to each other and to their family.

Plot:  
The Shadowhunter government in Idris has been taken over by extremists who want to isolate shadowhunters from downworlders and fairies.  In order to do this, Horace Dearborn and The Cohort (a group of young people reminiscent of Hitler's Brownshirts) stir up fear of downworlders, and are quick to silence any opposition.  I can't help but wonder if she is making parallels between the plot and the current anti-immigration sentiment throughout the world.  I appreciated that Cassandra Clare makes the point that a society can go from open and inclusive to isolationist quickly, particularly if people are uninvolved and complacent.

Romance:
There is a lot of wildly romantic relationships in Queen of Air and Darkness.  Besides Alec and Magnus's, there is the huge dilemma for Julian and Emma.  They are parabatai, and have been told that romantic love for them would lead to disastrous results.  Yet they can't seem to stay away from each other.  This leads both Julian and Emma to extreme measures in order to either break the parabatai bonds, or stop their feelings completely.  

Message:
One of the most wonderful aspects of all the Shadowhunters books is the overriding message of acceptance for all kinds of love, all types of people.  There are several characters who are gay, and others who are bisexual.  There is also a transgendered character, and even a romantic relationship between three characters!  Okay, the three person relationship did make me uncomfortable, but I understood the point of it.  The author is showing many different types of genders, sexualities, and relationships in order to send the message that people need to stop judging others.  I think this is a message we all need right now. 

Rating: 




Release Date:  December 4th, 2018

Author:  Cassandra Clare

Publisher:  Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre:  YA Fantasy

Page Length:  912 pages

Source:  Public Library

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  If you are a fan of this series, you will love this grand finale.  Full of beloved characters, this is a very satisfying read.

Be aware that although this is a YA book, there are several very sexy scenes in this story.  The descriptions never get to the level of mommy porn.  But I would say this would be more appropriate for high school readers and above.
 

Synopsis (From GoodReads):
Simon Lewis has been a human and a vampire, and now he is becoming a Shadowhunter. But the events of City of Heavenly Fire left him stripped of his memories, and Simon isn’t sure who he is anymore. He knows he was friends with Clary, and that he convinced the total goddess Isabelle Lightwood to go out with him…but he doesn’t know how. And when Clary and Isabelle look at him, expecting him to be a man he doesn’t remember…Simon can’t take it.

So when the Shadowhunter Academy reopens, Simon throws himself into this new world of demon-hunting, determined to find himself again. His new self. Whomever this new Simon might be.

But the Academy is a Shadowhunter institution, which means it has some problems. Like the fact that non-Shadowhunter students have to live in the basement. And that differences—like being a former vampire—are greatly looked down upon. At least Simon is trained in weaponry—even if it’s only from hours of playing D&D.

Join Simon on his journey to become a Shadowhunter, and learn about the Academy’s illustrious history along the way, through guest lecturers such as Jace Herondale, Tessa Gray, and Magnus Bane. These ten short stories give an epilogue to the Mortal Instruments series and provide glimpses of what’s in store in the Dark Artifices.

Review:
When I read the first Shadowhunter book, City Of Bones, several years ago, I was not overly impressed.  I thought the writing was terrible!  My favorite worst line from that book was: 

"The Weapons room looked exactly like a weapons room should look like". 

 Huh?  But I loved the characters, particularly Simon and his friendship with the main character, Clary.  And the writing improved, vastly, over the course of the series.  I grew to love everything about these books but wished there was more about Simon in them.

This is a book centered around Simon, and I couldn't be happier!

                   
via GIPHY

Simon:
Obviously, I adore Simon.  But he really got a chance to show even more of his ironic sense of humor, and his deep love of coffee!  Also, the book really showed that he was someone worthy of being a Shadowhunter.  He was always concerned for others, and made sure to stand up to those who treated the mundane students as inferior.

He also had to start over again with Isabelle.  At the end of the regular series, Simon loses him memories, in exchange for the lives of his friends.  He got some of them back from Magnus, but he really doesn't remember being friends with Clary, Jace,  and Alec.  And he has no memory of being Isabelle's boyfriend! He is filled with self-doubt over why Isabelle would have wanted to be with him?  Finding his value, Simon must trust that he is deserving of her love.

The School:
I liked that this Shadowhunter school was not a bit like Hogwarts.  The rooms are infested with critters, the plumbing is bad, and the food is gross.  This makes for lots of humorous moments as Simon and his fellow students must find ways to adapt to this school.  

I also liked the tension between the students who were born into Shadowhunter families, and those who were not.  This is kind of like Harry Potter, as the mundanes are treated as second-class citizens (much like the muggle-born wizards and witches in HP).  What I liked about this was that this changed by the end of the book.  

Also, in order to become a full Shadowhunter, students had to drink from the Mortal Cup.  This was dangerous, as sometimes the cup rejected the drinker and killed them!  So this created a lot of tension in the story as the time for the students (Simon included) to drink from the cup drew near. 

Isabelle:
Isabelle is depicted throughout the books as almost a warrior goddess, and one might wonder why she is with Simon.  As they try to find their way back to each other, we can see why she loves Simon, and what Isabelle gets out of the relationship.  I loved that Cassandra Clare delved into this.  It was wonderful to see how much Isabelle cared for Simon.  And what she does to get his attention is fun to read.  I laughed out loud several times due to the situations Isabelle and Simon get in as they try to date like a regular couple. 

Although I loved this book, I think many people who are only casual fans will miss all the little references that make this such a special book for Shadowhunter fanatics, such as myself.   

If you want to go to this academy, you'll need to do your homework!  

Here is your reading list:

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3

Book 4

Book 5

Book 6

Book 1

Book 3

Book 2

 And don't forget...

Book 1

So if you want to get the full enjoyment out of Tales from The Shadowhunter Academy, I suggest you hit the books.  This book is a sweet treat at the end of a very satisfying feast.

Rating: 




Release Date:  November 15th, 2016

Genre:  YA Fantasy

Source:  Bought by me

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  Read this if you are a super fan of the Shadowhunter series.  Otherwise, you might need crib notes.


 










Overall, this book 

  
 

The day has come at last!!!  I have watched the creation of this show via Twitter and the Shadowhunters TV Website, from casting, location photos, and costumes, to the set visits with author Cassandra Clare.  I was already a total fan!  Now I get to delve in to the first episode and really discuss it.

The first episode is the set up for the whole series.  It introduces the characters and lets us see a glimpse of this universe.  I watched the show with my "Mundane" husband.  Of course, I know the story backwards and forwards.  But I wanted to see if the storytelling would make sense to him.     So, I quizzed him after the show.  I think he was a bit puzzled trying to sort out the various groups and so he isn't sure if he liked it Shadowhunters or not.  I, however, unabashedly loved it!!!
                        
via GIPHY
 

What I liked: 

Characters:

• Jocelyn was such a bad-ass fighter!  I loved that she kicked butt and she got a chance to show she was a true Shadowhunter.  
• Simon was adorable and you could see there was great chemistry between him and Clary.  I loved Simon's reactions when he couldn't see who Clary was talking to.  So funny!
• Isabelle was as stunning as I imagined her from the books.  I thought her outfits were really amazing and I liked her interactions with Clary.
• Jace was arrogant, bossy, handsome, and very funny.  "What?  No thank you for saving your life?"  Again, he is just as I thought he would be from the novels.
• Clary was so sweet and cute!  I loved her rapport with Simon and how she only needed a look to shoot Jace down.  

Special Effects:

• I was worried that the effects would be cheesy but overall I was impressed.
• I thought the glowing green demon eyes were a particularly nice touch and it helped the audience figure out who was a demon and who was not.
• I also enjoyed the runes on the shadowhunters.  I liked that they seemed like they were formed with blood, and were not tattoos.

 Dialogue:

• Some of the lines were priceless, especially if you are a fan of the books!
• I had a big smile on my face as Clary lamented, "My life couldn't be more mundane."
• All the times Simon references how strange Clary is behaving, "Do we have a Meth problem, Clary?"

            via GIPHY

 What I didn't like:

•  Clary's reactions were sometimes over the top.  Perhaps it was the dialogue from that scene that made it seem overly dramatic, but I felt Clary's reaction was overdone in the scene where she goes through the portal and leaves her mom.  I DO love the actress.  I loved the tears and most of the times where she was terrified.  The chemistry between her and the other characters was great.  I just wish the director had dialed it down a notch in that one scene.
• We didn't get to see much of Alec!  I think he had about five lines in the entire episode.  I know this will change in upcoming shows, but I was disappointed that there wasn't a bigger introduction.

Overall, I think that this show is off to a great start and I look forward to watching it again every Tuesday at 9pm on the Freeform channel. 

                   
via GIPHY

Fantasy books are some of my favorites because they can envelope you in worlds that will never exist.  There is a certain feel of adventure (as if you were traveling) that I get when I start to read these books.  The fun for me is learning all the elements of the worlds in which the book exists.  Is there magic, creatures, superpowers?  The stranger the better, i feel.  Here are three series that helped me to love the genre.

1.  The Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare:
Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, Clockwork Princess

These books cover the backstory of the Mortal Instruments books and I think are a better series.  I know that City of Bones is popular.  There will even be a T.V. show coming in January to ABC Family called Shadow Hunters.   I think I just like the time period better.  Set in the late 1800's, the story follows Will Herondale and his Parabatai James (Jem) Carstairs, shadow hunters in London.  When they meet Tessa Gray their world becomes even more complicated.  This is a fun mystery along with a touching romance.  We see characters that will pop up again later in the Mortal Instruments series and get information that will be relevant later on.  I liked the love triangle and found it to be lovely and bittersweet.  They characters shared common interests and were not simply hot for each another.

2.  The Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy by Lani Taylor:
Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Days of Blood & Starlight, Dreams of Gods & Monsters

An orphan is taken in by demons and earns her keep as a messenger.  Most of the time Karou is a normal high school student in Prague: dating, hanging out with her friends, trying to get her homework done. But then she also has a secret life as a messenger for a demon.  She doesn't question how this came to be, as she is so grateful to not be alone.  Then, one day, her world is shattered when she is cut off from her demon friends.  And is that an angel watching her from afar?  I loved this series as it is nothing like anything I have read before.  Identities and views change quickly.  Worlds are revealed, lost loves found, fantastical creatures are created.  All of it combines to a complex universe that kept me involved up to the amazing conclusion.  There are demons and Angels, but who are actually the good guys?  You'll change your views back and forth throughout the series.

3.  The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo:
Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising

This is another series that I loved due to it's unique settings and powerful characters.  Set in the mythical world of Ravka (which looks a lot like Russia), children are tested to see if they have certain abilities.  These might include manipulating the elements such as fire, or wind.  Or they might be able to heal...or stop a heart without touching the victim.  If they are, they are taken away from home and trained by The Darkling to serve the King.  Hiding her abilities, Alina tries to blend in to stay close to her childhood friend, Mal (who she is secretly in love with).  But Alina's gift is the most sought after of them all: the ability to summon light.  Once The Darkling finds her, he won't stop until he possesses her completely.  The Darkling is at once charming and monstrous.  This leaves Alina confused as she fights her attraction to him and struggles to understand her own worth.  This dynamic has so many parables to real-life abusive relationships that I found fascinating.  There are many other wonderful characters as well such as Mal, Prince Nikolai, and Genya that round out the story and make this series a truly rich experience.