Life of Bry

Simon Lewis is a hero.

At least that’s what people keep telling him. Unfortunately, thanks to the demon amnesia he suffered in City of Heavenly Fire, he can’t remember saving the world. To him, he’s just a boy from Brooklyn in a band. However, there’s a lifetime of memories lurking in the shadows that prove that Simon is so much more

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, co-written by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson and Robin Wassermam, is a collection of 10 short stories following Simon’s journey through the Academy on his quest to join the ranks of the Nephilim and regain his memories. 

Throughout this novella collection, Simon aims to discover not just who he was, but who he is and who he wants to be in this world full of magic. He learns the history of the Shadowhunters, sees the cruel injustices brought down by the Clave, witnesses the divide between the born-Nephilim elites and the mundane “dregs”, and decides that he will be the one to initiate change. 

It’s not easy, but Simon is relentless — just ask the Angel Raziel. 

Here’s the good, the bad and the best from Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy.

The Good

There is so much to like about Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy. Simon as a main character is dorky and fun, his identity crisis from the demon amnesia is harrowing, and the stories he learns at the Academy are thought-provoking and insightful to how the Shadow World looked both before and after the Dark War. 

The collection itself is also put together wonderfully, which is huge for readers. 

That’s the main thing that Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy did extremely well that The Bane Chronicles lacked — an overarching story that perfectly connected one novella to the next. While TBC often felt jumbled and inconsistent, TFTSA flowed smoothly and seamlessly. While each novella is unique, introducing and welcoming back different characters with new messages and stories, everything circles back to Simon attempting to survive the Academy long enough to Ascend. 

Clare was so smart for creating this collection to explain the journey Simon takes to get back his memories rather than having this momentous occasion happen off the pages. If Simon showed up in The Dark Artifices trilogy as a Shadowhunter with his demon amnesia cured with no explanation, I would be very confused and considerably angry. Instead, we get a wonderful collection of adventures that give readers an inside look at how Simon and the rest of The Mortal Instruments gang fared after the events of City of Heavenly Fire. 

We also get to see some of our favorite characters like Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs thanks to a guest lecture from Tessa Gray and a glimpse of the hushed failing parabatai relationship between Robert Lightwood and Michael Wayland in a flashback from Robert.

I’ll get to these inner stories later on. First, I want to start with Simon’s character arc. 

When Simon first arrived at the Shadowhunter Academy, he was looking for an escape. He needed out of New York, away from his mother who once betrayed him and far away from Clary Fray and Isabelle Lightwood who both always looked at Simon expecting the boy they remembered but he did not.

“He didn’t want to stay around them. He didn’t think he could bear the constant expression on their faces — on Isabelle’s and Clary’s most of all — of disappointed expectation. Every time they saw him, they recognized him and knew him and expected things of him. And every time he came up blank.”

Simon, “Welcome to shadowhunter academy”

Simon’s identity crisis is a common theme throughout the novellas.He believes that the boy who saved the world is separate from the person he is in the present, and that he lost who he was entirely. 

“I’m never going to be the guy who did all that. I’m going to do different things. I’m going to be a different guy. … I know you believed in me, Isabelle, I know you believed because you — you cared about him. … It isn’t fair to keep you waiting for him, when he isn’t ever coming back.”

Simon to Izzy, “Welcome To the Shadowhunter Academy”

He holds this idea despite multiple people from his past saying otherwise. 

“I’m telling you that you saved us, Simon. You did it more than once. Not because you were a vampire, not because of anything you’ve lost. Because of who you were. Who you still are.”

Clary to Simon, “The Lost Herondale”

Surprisingly, Jace Herondale becomes the person who brings the most comfort and peace to Simon. Jace is expected to be a hero because of his illustrious bloodline that he knows so little about, much like how everyone expects Simon to be heroic because of what he has already done but cannot remember.

“They shared a small moment of bizarre, companionable silence — the boy who’d forgotten everything about his history and the boy who’d never known it.”

“The Whitechapel Fiend”

Sidenote! I LOVE the bond between Simon and Jace. These two once fiercely despised each other, and now they seem like best buds. Simon gravitates toward Jace, because he seems to expect the least out of him. Perhaps this is due to their similarities. Jace knows what it’s like to have all eyes on you. He’s not going to force expectations on Simon. He checks up on him at the Academy, genuinely helps him with his training and gives him encouraging messages. Also, I love how Jace fucks with Simon constantly, too. He makes Simon believe that he and Alec had beef before he lost his memories, and he’s always flipping him off. It made me laugh so hard every time.

On his path to discovering who he is, Simon learns that he is meant to be a catalyst — a catalyst for change. From the very start of his time at the Academy, Simon questions both the attitudes of his born-Nephilim classmates and the social/justice system that the Shadowhunters had constructed for themselves. 

“I must inform you there are werewolves worth a hundred of your and Jon’s Shadowhunter asses. I must say that I am sick to the teeth of you insulting mundances and telling me I’m your special pet exception … You’d better hope this Academy works out and mundanes like me Ascend, because from all I can see of you, the next generation of Shadowhunters is going to be nothing without us.”

Simon, “Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy”

He refuses to sit by and allow for the same injustices to repeat, even if that makes him an outcast at the Academy. It absolutely does make him an outcast, until slowly the mundanes and Shadowhunters start to become a singular unit — possibly because of a game of baseball that Simon conveniently missed

“You all notice when I put down Shadowhunters, but none of you check yourselves when you talk about Downworlders. I was a Downworlder. … It seems like you want me to just accept that the Nephilim are great and nothing needs to change, but I won’t accept anything. … I want all of us to be better. I haven’t figured out how to change everything yet, but I want everything to change.”

Simon, “Bitter of Tongue”

What Simon didn’t realize was that he was a hero all along. It’s his mindset, not the fact that he was a Daylighter. Even during the TMI series, Simon fought for what was right. He refused to let Clary enter the Shadow World alone, he stood by her and his newfound friends even when they were less than amicable toward him, and he sacrificed the life he knew to protect those he loved most. 

It was sort of beautiful to see Simon discover this about himself in TFTSA since he didn’t have the opportunity to do so in TMI. Time was moving too quickly for Simon to realize that he was more than just an onlooker in the Shadow World. Two wars in a row doesn’t exactly allow for much self-actualization and evaluation. This self-discovery brings Simon’s character arc full circle. He may not believe he is a hero, but he understands the power he has to influence change around him. Others notice it, as well.

“These are children who know Shadowhunters fought side by side with Downworlders when Valentine attacked Alicante. These are children who saw Dean Penhallow welcome me to their Academy. They are the children of a changing world. But I think they needed Simon here, to be their catalyst.”

Catarina to Magnus, “Born to Endless Night”

There were a couple moments during the Ascension ceremony in “Angels Twice Descending” that were pure perfection. First, Simon looks into the crowd and sees his found family — Clary, Izzy, Jace and even Magnus and Alec with baby Max — and his reasoning for becoming a demon slayer becomes more clear.

“His life was much less safe than it had been two years ago — but it was also much more full. … It was crowded with all the people he loved, people who loved him.”

Simon, “Angels Twice Descending”

Then, when it’s his turn to step forward to drink from the Mortal Cup, Catarina delivers a powerful message.

“Finish what you started, Daylighter. You have the power to change these people for the better. Don’t waste it.”

Catarina, “Angels Twice Descending”

Finally, in a perfect full-circle moment, Simon remembers that his journey into the Shadow World began because of the Mortal Cup.

“He couldn’t remember the first time he’d seen the Mortal Cup … but he knew the role it had played in his life, knew that if it weren’t for the Cup, he and Clary might never have discovered the existence of Shadowhunters in the first place. It had all begun with the Mortal Cup; it seemed fitting that should all end here too.”

Simon, “Angels Twice Descending”

That was a flawless way to wrap up Simon’s path to Ascension, to finish where it all started. It made me tear up. I said this in my CoHF review, and I’ll say it again: Simon has one of the best character developments of any Clare character. He’s been a mundane, a rat, back to a mundane, a vampire, a Daylighter, a mundane again, and now he’s a Shadowhunter.

I will say that Simon always felt like a lost puppy dog in TMI. He didn’t really have many options for his life at that time, so he trailed after his Nephilim friends. In TFTSA, we see Simon step out his shell more and exude more of his personality. He stands up for Downworlders, he’s not afraid to tell cocky Jon Cartwright when he’s being a jackass, and he doesn’t let people walk all over him — this includes Izzy, who can be very intimidating when she wants to be. He spends this novella collection worrying about losing himself, but, instead he gains his true identity and self-confidence (all while maintaining his nerdy roots). 

“The point wasn’t that you tried to live forever; the point was that you lived, and did everything you could to live well. The point was the choices you made and the people you loved.”

Simon, “Angels Twice Descending”

That actually brings me to another part of TFTSA that I appreciated — Simon made friends outside of the TMI gang. As I pointed out above and in my CoHF review, Simon didn’t have a choice about entering the Shadow World his first time around. He was thrust into it because of his loyalty to Clary and the tragic circumstances that followed. This time around, Simon supposedly had a choice … but did he really? 

Magnus and Izzy lured Simon in with a sales pitch of glory and heroism that couldn’t possibly be refused. I won’t say it was wrong of Magnus to extend the offer. Simon deserved to know the truth and not live his life as part of a lie of which he’d never be aware. However, after being told that he was a hero and seeing the pure joy in both Clary and Izzy when he arrives at Jocelyn’s wedding in CoHF, Simon didn’t really have a choice. He felt he owed it to these people to become the person they once knew, once loved. He also wanted to get rid of the sense of lacking he had felt as an after effect of the demon amnesia. Plus, once he was entrenched in the Academy, he felt it was cowardly to turn back.

“What options? How, after two years at the Academy, after all his training and study, after he’d sworn over and over again that he wanted to be a Shadowhunter, could he just walk away? How could he disappoint Clary and Isabelle like that … and if he did, how could they ever love him again?”

Simon, “Angels Twice Descending”

Simon’s time at the Academy gave him a more substantial reason for wanting to join the ranks of the Shadowhunters through his interactions with the other students and even the faculty. 

The TMI gang is far from normal. They’re a group of teenagers who have had greatness and trauma of absurd amounts thrust down upon them. However, the group of students that Simon meets at the Academy are more on his level.

“Now he was surrounded by people who panicked and screamed and stood on stools, flailing disasters of human beings who could not cope with a single rodent, and Simon was one of them. They were just normal kids.”

Simon, “Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy”

I adored the group of kids at the Academy — from born-Shadowhunters Julie Beauvale, Beatriz Mendoza and Jonathan Cartwright to scrappy mundanes Marisol Garza and George Lovelace. These were kids who screamed at possums, asked silly questions, fawned over cute boys and girls, and operated as if they weren’t ready to fight a war at a moment’s notice. They didn’t have anything extra about them that made them overtly special, they were simply following a calling to be something greater than themselves. It was refreshing to see Simon around people who weren’t bounding ahead of him. 

George’s story is by far the most distressing. I was not prepared to be hit by a full-blown feels train in a novella collection, but I should expect nothing less than from a story Cassandra Clare had a hand in crafting. I loved George’s motto that “Lovelace’s are quitters”, which we know because of Jessamine in The Infernal Devices. He’s a mundane who was adopted by a former-Shadowhunter family. He could’ve slid through the Academy based solely on his surname, but instead follows Simon into the dregs courses in solidarity. 

This pair of boys are more than just roommates and even more than friends. They train together, they create a system for disposing of the many creepy creatures in the basement of the Academy, they stay up late talking about life and the ooze that covers the walls, and they believe in each other. They quickly become brothers. 

“‘A brother.’ The word felt right. Not someone you chose — someone the fates assigned you, someone who, under any other circumstances, might never have given you a second look, nor you him. Someone you would die for and kill for without a second thought, because he was family.”

Simon, “Angels Twice Descending”

The bond Simon and George form makes Lovelace’s demise even worse. George dies at the hand of the Mortal Cup — in horrifying and traumatizing fashion. 

“What was the point of dying like this, not in battle, not for a good cause, not to save a fellow warrior or the world, but for nothing? And what was the point of living as a Shadowhunter, what was the point of skill and bravery and superhuman powers, when you couldn’t do anything but stand by and watch?”

Simon, “Angels Twice Descending”

Simon had a point. George died because some higher power felt he wasn’t worthy enough to be blessed by the Angel. He was more fit to be a Shadowhunter than Simon. He practically soared through the training. He was strong, intelligent, graceful, and brave.  It didn’t make any logical sense for the Cup to determine he was not cut out to be Nephilim. Then again, sometimes things just don’t make sense. 

While I wish we could see more of sweet, funny George in the future, I thought that his death was perfectly placed. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I like unhappy endings. I don’t want everyone to ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. I want despair that leaves lasting impressions that change the people around it. George’s death was a tough lesson about life, especially life in the Shadow World where people die in unjust ways for no explicable reason all the time. Simon will carry George’s spirit with him for the rest of his life.

TFTSA was a beautiful mix of old friends and new, that built on Simon’s character development that readers saw throughout TMI. These novellas gave Simon reason and purpose behind his choice to re-enter the Shadow World despite the risk, which fills in an otherwise wide-open gap that could have been left for Clare’s future stories if it didn’t exist.

The Bad

To be honest, there wasn’t much I disliked about Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy. My main critique is purely personal opinion — like everything I write, but this one is a hotter take.

Before I start, I want to preface my first take with the fact that I stan Isabelle Lightwood. I loved her character throughout TMI. Usually, there’s two options for female characters, a warrior who despises femininity or a stereotypical girly girl who cares more about fashion than fighting. Izzy creates her own category. She’s a pure-bred fighter, but she’ll do it in six-inch heels and without chipping her nails. I stick by my statement that she’s simply the baddest bitch.

However, she was extremely annoying for 90 percent of these stories — until she ultimately gets what she wants (aka Simon). Actually, Simon is equally annoying when it comes to Izzy. It was an all-around mess.

Izzy is understandably upset. She finally allowed herself to give her heart over to Simon, and then the demon amnesia took him away from her. She’s crushed. It’s heartbreak like this that prevented her from loving unconditionally in the past. Plus, it didn’t help that Simon refused to believe Izzy could love him for just being himself. They felt at odds since the very beginning because neither would simply open their dumb mouth to say anything. Izzy was expecting the boy she fell in love with, and Simon didn’t know who that was or how to be that boy.

Simon actually snaps on Izzy a few times throughout these novellas. He refuses to let her make decisions for him and for her to stake claim on him like he is her possession. That is something I did like. It was nice to see Simon stand up for himself when Isabelle is being assertive. 

“It’s not your job to choose for me anymore, to decide what I should do or how I should live. Who I should be. … I’m not him. I will never be him, Isabelle. He belonged to you, I get that. But I don’t.”

Simon to Izzy, “The Lost Herondale”

Isabelle is used to protecting Simon, but this Simon is learning to protect himself. She can’t let up enough to allow him to grow as a Shadowhunter (well, a Shadowhunter in training). However, Simon lets a vampire get in his head and make him hesitate. If Izzy didn’t show up, Simon would probably be dead. 

It’s Simon who reaches out first to ease the tension between them. He writes Izzy a heartfelt letter with his realization that he is the boy she fell in love with, he just has to discover himself first before he can accept that. 

“Here’s the problem — I don’t know what I am. I have to figure out who I am before I can accept that I’m someone who deserves someone like you. It’s not something I can accept just because I’ve heard it. I need to know that guy. And I know I am that guy you loved — I just have to meet him. … I don’t know why you would wait for me, but if you do, I promise to make myself worth that wait. Or I’ll try. I can promise I am going to try.”

Simon, “The Whitechapel Fiend”

Of course, Izzy sent the letter back unread. Absolutely heartless. 

Then, she shows up at the Academy with her father Robert, tricks all the students (except Simon and Julie Beauvale) into thinking they would summon a demon for funsies. I get it was all a test and she was being rude and obnoxious toward Simon as part of a bigger plan, but she went out of her way to flirt with Jon. That was not cool.

Plus, when Izzy flips a switch to be kinder and gentler to Simon, she takes him on a date to a weapons shop. Even with Jace’s bad advice, she should’ve known better. She knew Simon better than he knew himself at that point. There was no way that was going to turn out well.

I’m happy these two worked things out and became more comfortable with each other, but I couldn’t help but despise Izzy’s attitude for the majority of these novellas. I know she’s a little rough around the edges when it comes to emotions, but she knew Simon enough to understand that he wasn’t going to respond well to her shouting at him and being distant when he became frustrated that he couldn’t quite find the right words or memories. 

That’s it. I just wish Izzy had a more gentle approach to Simon’s demon amnesia, instead of expecting the guy she already loved right away.

The Best

OK … Simon’s overarching storyline is wonderful, but the best parts of TFTSA were the little stories hidden within the plot that proved how shit the Clave and most Shadowhunter truly are and always have been.

In “The Lost Herondale”, Shadowhunter and head of the Budapest Institute Lazlo Balogh presented the story of Tobias Herondale as a statement that the worst thing a Shadowhunter can be is a coward. Tobias ran away from his fellow Shadowhunters when they were attacked by a Greater Demon, leading to the death of three Nephilim. The Clave couldn’t find Tobias, so they carried out the punishment on his pregnant wife.

However, boss babe Catarina Loss knew the real story. A warlock made Tobias believe that his wife was dying, which drove the Shadowhunter to madness. He ran away because his mind was shattered, which the Clave knew. Catarina saved the unborn baby by sneaking into the guard and casting a spell on Eva Blackthorn to make her deliver early. Then, she raised the baby on her own, away from the Shadow World. It was against the Law, but it was the right thing to do.

“There’s always a higher law,” Catarina told Simon. “Every decision you make, makes you. Never let other people choose who you’re going to be.”

Simon was already questioning the Law. Catarina’s tale of saving the Herondale boy was a perfect way to show Simon that sometimes one must work around the Law to do what’s right. The Law is hard, but it is not always correct.

Catarina also shared with Simon the story of how James Herondale and Matthew Fairchild got kicked out of the Academy and decided to become parabatai in “Nothing but Shadows”. James was relentlessly made fun of for his mother’s demon heritage, but didn’t want to go home and make Tessa believe that she had made his life harder. 

“Mother was kind, Mother was lovely and loving, Mother was a wish come true and a blessing on the earth. … He was a coward. But he was not enough of a coward that he would run away from his own suffering, and let his mother suffer for him.”

James, “Nothing but Shadows”

Meanwhile, all Matthew wanted was to go home and take care of his father, but nobody dared send the Consul’s son away. Both boys had what the other desired most — James wanted friends and Matthew wanted a way out of the Academy.

In the end, James was kicked out of the Academy after being blamed for another student’s death. The truth was that older students planned to release a much stronger demon than intended to scare off James, but the demon killed the boy holding the Pyxis. In solidarity, Matthew blew up part of the Academy so that he would also be expelled. He claimed that he and James were set to become parabatai, and, thus, they would be forced to train together — going between the Herondale’s home of the London Institute and the Fairchild’s residence in Idris.

This story is full of sweet messages about leaning on our friends and looking at situations from other perspectives. It’s also a reminder that the Nephilim have a history of being awful toward anything that’s different, but there have always been the few that choose to rise up rather than stand down.

Side note! I absolutely adored the Herongraystairs content in “The Whitechapel Fiend”. Tessa and Will had found a way to include Jem in their lives and their growing family even as a Silent Brother. Tessa mentions that it was not uncommon to find Will asleep against Jem’s shoulder and wrapped in the parchment robes, while the Silent Brother read a book. These three just share such a unique love that my heart melts like an ice cream during a heat wave every time they’re mentioned. Jem and Will deserved more time together as parabatai, even if the Mark didn’t define their relationship. I will live and die on that hill.

The novella that made me want to throw hands was “The Evil We Love”. Robert Lightwood arrives at the Academy to give a cautionary tale about his time in the Circle and how easy it is to fall prey to charisma and power. 

Robert was nearly killed by his first Mark. His parents refused to allow the Silent Brothers to strip him of the Mark to save his life, because they’d rather him be dead than a mundane. This experience left Robert a coward for the rest of his life and an easy target for Valentine, who promised to give Robert the strength and faith he couldn’t find within himself. 

Sidenote! It’s mentioned that when Stephen arrived in Idris from the London Institute, he was a rock n’ roll kid who wore leather jackets and covered his room in band posters. Unfortunately, Stephen leaves his unique look behind to stand behind Valentine. My guess is that Valentine knew that Stephen was a descendant of Tessa and used this information to manipulate him. However, I like that we get this detail, because Jace always wears a leather jacket. Perhaps, without even knowing it, Jace inherited his biological father’s sense of style. It just made me smile. I wish we could’ve seen more of the happy Stephen before he was corrupted.

Valentine exploiting Robert’s cowardice is not what made me want to throw hands though. That moment belongs to the scene where Michael Wayland, who went out of his way to befriend Robert after the boy was isolated due to the Marks’ incident, confessed his love to his parabatai. Michael was too good for this world. It felt like he was in the Circle purely to stick by Robert. He had a soft spot for Downworlders, and he often looked to Robert for clarity when Valentine crossed the line. How does Robert repay Michael’s loyalty and trust? By being the absolute worst friend, worst parabatai and worst person he can be.

“He knew he should say something reassuring to Michael, something like, ‘I can’t love you that way, but I will love you forever.’” 

Robert, “The Evil we Love”

Robert knew the right thing was to extend Michael comfort and reassurance, instead he said the most vile thing he could think of.

“I think you’re disgusting. I swore an oath to you, and I will honor it. But make no mistake: Nothing between us will ever be the same. In fact, from now on, nothing is between us, period.”

Robert, “The Evil we Love”

It was unnecessarily cruel, and it wounded both boys to the point that this impenetrable bond between them was seemingly nulled as they grew apart. Robert didn’t even notice when the bond severed completely when Valentine killed Michael after the Uprising to stage his own death.

What pissed me off after reading this story is that Robert knew what he did to Michael was awful, and yet he still treated Alec similarly for his sexuality. This was a chance to redeem himself, to prove he’s changed and do better by his son. I guess he is trying to do better. He admits his past mistakes, talks about how proud he is of Alec and voices his love for his son. I still hate Robert and think he’s a piece of shit, but I also appreciate the effort he is putting in the effort to change himself for the betterment of his relationship with his son. I like that Clare gave us this look at Robert, not to give this character a full redemption arc but to show the messier side of the Shadowhunters who always deem themselves perfect.

Perhaps the most talked about novella from this collection is “Born to Endless Night”. If you’ve been following along as I journey through the Shadow World, you already know how much I love and appreciate Alexander Lightwood. This short story just reconfirmed my undying love for my newfound comfort character.

When a blue-skinned warlock baby is left on the steps of the Academy, Magnus Bane is quick to scoop it up before the Clave can sink its ruthless teeth into it. His plan is to somehow find a loving home for this bundle of magic, but, from the moment Magnus handed the little blueberry over to Alec, the baby’s fate had been decided. 

There was so much to love about this novella. Alec seems so much more confident in himself and his relationship with Magnus, he has also formed an alliance with Lily Chen of the vampires and Maia Roberts of the werewolves to help solve problems in the Downworld, Simon and Alec have a heart-to-heart about why things have been awkward between them, the Lightwoods are losing their minds over this baby, and Maryse even gives an apology to Magnus for all the terrible things she’s done. 

However, Magnus and Alec coming to terms with keeping the baby was truly heartwarming. It made me smile and made my eyes well up with tears. Magnus knows that so often warlocks have awful childhoods because they are conceived in heinous ways. Alec still feels guilty for not being able to save his little brother Max. The baby was left with a note: Who could ever love it?

Magnus and Alec can love him for who he is and give him a life so few warlocks get by surrounding him with people who will adore and protect him.

“You don’t have to be scared of what will happen to the baby or that I will be hurt because the baby — is a warlock, and was not wanted. You do not have to feel trapped. You do not have to be scared, and you do not have to do this.”

“What if I want to? I’m a Shadowhunter. We marry young, and we have children young, because we might die young, because we want to do our duty to the world and have the love in the world we can. … I am not trapped. I’m happy. I’m exactly where I want to be.”

Magnus & ALec, “Born to Endless Night”

Plus, Alec also inadvertently asked Magnus to marry him (accidently proposing without thinking must be an inherited trait for Lightwoods), which shocks our favorite warlock. 

“There had been lovers willing to die with him, but nobody had ever been willing to swear to live with him every day as long as they both had to live.”

Magnus, “Born to Endless Night”

However, Magnus says yes with a condition. He doesn’t want to get married until they can have a proper Nephilim wedding for Alec, because he knows how much being a Shadowhunter means to him. Alec is about to flip the Clave upside down to change the Law, so he can marry Magnus. I can’t wait. 

Finally, the one novella that made me close the book and scream into the abyss was “Bitter of Tongue”. 

When Simon got trapped in Faerie after getting caught up in the horses of the Wild Hunt, he came face to face with Mark Blackthorn, the half-fey son of the Blackthorn family that Sebastian captured and gave to the Hunt during the Dark War. Mark believed that the Shadowhunters were finally coming to save him, which tore me to shreds. He risked his life to send a message to the Shadowhutners to confirm that the fair folk were working with Sebastian. He saved countless Shadowhunter lives, and, in return, they turned their backs on him completely. After Simon relays the disappointing news, Mark asks about his siblings.

“Helen, Julian, Livia, Tiberius, Drusilla, Octavian. And Emma. I have not forgotten. Every night, no matter what has happened during the day, no matter if I am torn and bloodied or so bone-tired I wish I were dead, I look at the stars and I give each star a brother’s name or a sister’s face. I will not sleep until I remember every one. The stars will burn out before I forget.”

Mark, “Bitter of Tongue”

I am the youngest of six kids. I believe there’s such a special bond between siblings of bigger families. We rely more on each other, take care of one another and protect each other passionately. As much as my parents raised me, so did my five older siblings.

Mark listing off each of his siblings and their interests, along with his worries that Tavvy doesn’t remember him and that the Clave would punish Ty for being different, really struck me in the feels. He doesn’t know that Helen was exiled, so he thinks she is taking care of all of them. In reality, Julian — “Jules. My artist, my dreamer” — has taken it upon himself to raise his four younger siblings despite being a child himself. 

 Regardless of the Clave’s choice to turn its back on Mark, the boy still helps Simon escape. 

“Helen, Julian, Livia, Tiberius, Drusilla, Octavian. And Emma. My brothers and sisters are Shadowhunters, and in their name I will help you, I will.”

Mark, “Bitter of Tongue”

Izzy and Simon want to help Mark, but he cannot leave the Hunt. They will follow him and kill his siblings. The Clave essentially has to bargain for his release and that doesn’t seem likely to happen anytime soon. My heart breaks for Mark, who is still a child, as he’s being beaten bloody for insisting that he’s still a Shadowhunter when they have turned away from him.

I only went in depth on four of the many stories told during the events of Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, but every single one of them gave so much more depth to the world we already know and insight into Simon’s decision to carry out his plans to become a Shadowhunter. 

I loved that these tales were often double sided — the Shadowhunters’ truth and the reality of the situation. I’m a huge fan of morally gray characters and conflicting points of good vs. evil. The Clave is meant to be the leaders of Team Good, but these stories further show how destructive, cruel and merciless the Nephilim governing body can be, and why one would choose to enter the Shadowhunters’ ranks despite knowing what they’re capable of.

Plus, it was so much fun to see characters from all across the Shadowhunter Chronicles in one collection. My heart legit skipped a beat at the mentions of Will and Jem, I’m a SIMP for anything Alec does, and my soul already hurts for Emma and Julian. 

These stories were perfect.

Conclusion

Simon Lewis was a hero. Simon Lovelace is still a hero.

He made his way through the Shadowhunter Academy as a mundane on a mission to make a difference. He made new friends, rekindled old relationships and discovered why he wanted to be a Shadowhunter. 

Simon’s commentary on the Shadow World was comforting. He’s nerdy and a little bit cringey, but he’s also real. His POV gives a more realistic approach to this world full of magic and combat. He’s not some suave, graceful half-angel born and bred warrior, he’s a boy from Brooklyn looking to change the world. He’s just not sure how he’s going to accomplish that quite yet.

Compared to The Bane Chronicles, Clare’s other novella collection, Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy was a more complete and impactful story. It fit perfectly into the timeline of The Shadowhunter Chronicles, giving readers details into a character who had an open-ended conclusion in City of Heavenly Fire. TFTSA prevented what could have been a serious plot hole in The Dark Artifices trilogy if Simon showed up cured without explanation. 

Novella collections can often seem like throwaway works in an author’s extensive lineup. TFTSA feels vital to the overall story of the Shadowhunters. It gave me a new standard for what I expect out of novella collections moving forward.

Perfect 5 out of 5.