Review: Angels Twice Descending by Cassandra Clare & Robin Wasserman (Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy #10)

Summary

(from goodreads)

Someone lives and someone dies at Simon’s Ascension ceremony.

Read from: November 27, 2015

Read on: Ereader

Review:

The last book in this series of novellas and it brings a lot of emotions right now. I seriously didn't expect to end up like this even if by reading the only line for the summary, I didn't expect it to happen like that.

Simon is getting ready to become a shadowhunter and even if every kids who are from shadowhunter's blood can't wait, many of the mundane are doubting whether they are ready to face the fact that they may not make it through the ceremony. A few walk away from it making Simon's thoughts about the graduating ceremony go in every possible place from being sure to what he wants to doubting whether he is capable of going through it.

I liked that Clary knew what Simon needed; showing up and sending him where he needs to go to be able to make up his mind. Isabelle also is a big help and I love them together so much. I'm just glad that they found each other again.

But even with all the good, Cassandra had to bring the bad and I seriously was mad when I read this. I guess when she wrote the line for its summary, it might have been the most obvious choice, but I really was hoping it wouldn't come to that. If it wouldn't have been on my ereader, I might have just threw it against the wall; yes, I was that mad.

But I guess it shows that life isn't always what we want and we have to deal with it, but I felt like Simon had already gone through so much that he didn't need more. But it was still wrapped up beautifully and now, I'm waiting on the next series really impatiently, so come on Cassie, give it to us.

Review: Pale Kings and Princes by Cassandra Clare & Robin Wasserman (Tales from Shadowhunter Academy, #6)

Summary

(from goodreads)

Simon has an encounter with Downworlders and is reprimanded for not following the rules for Academy students interacting with Downworlders. A story within a story: Andrew Blackthorn, while a student at the Academy, becomes enthralled by a faerie and has two children with her: Mark and Helen.

Read from: July 25 to July 26, 2015

Read on: Ereader

Review:

Simon returns for his second year at the Academy after spending his summer in Brooklyn with Clary, Jace and the whole gang. From the beginning, we see that his dates with Isabelle haven't been successful and we are yet to see where their relationship is going.

But back at the Academy, Simon has his first lecture of his second year by Helen Blackthorn who is half shadowhunter and half faerie. She is to teach them how Faeries can't be trusted through the story about her father and her mother.

But, Simon isn't for being all things being black and white and that's what I really love about him; he sees they are bad faeries, but he also believes that they can't all be all bad or as bad as every shadowhunters try to tell them, I really enjoy how he is passionate about his opinions and his interactions with Helen are really giving us readers something to think about because this novella reflects a lot about today's society.

But also, Isabelle come to Idris and together, they try to give it another shot, but I really liked the fact that through another almost bad date, they both realized what they were doing wrong in the first place to mend their relationship. Would it work out for real or not? I guess we need to continue to read the next few novellas left to these tales :)

Once again, I devoured this novella like the others and I'm waiting impatiently for the next one.

The Evil We Love by Cassandra Clare & Robin Wasserman (Tales from Shadowhunter Academy, #5)

Summary

(from goodreads)

All evil starts somewhere, and Simon Lewis learns how The Circle—led by Valentine Morgenstern—began. One of ten adventures in Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy.

The Shadowhunter Academy has only just reopened following the disastrous rise of the Circle. Now the faculty can finally admit to what happened when Valentine was a student.

This standalone e-only short story follows the adventures of Simon Lewis, star of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments, as he trains to become a Shadowhunter. Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy features characters from Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments, Infernal Devices, and the upcoming Dark Artifices and Last Hours series. The Evil We Love is written by Cassandra Clare and Robin Wasserman.

Read more of Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter Chronicles in The Infernal Devices, The Mortal Instruments, and The Bane Chronicles.

Read from: July 21 to July 22, 2015

Read on: Ereader

Review:

I've really enjoyed this novella. In this one, we learn more about The Circle through Alec and Isabella's father's eyes, Robert, and I really liked that we got inside his mind because the version we would have gotten if we were reading through Simon's eyes would have been more technical I fear.

I still don't like the guy, but it was great to see how he felt during his time in the circle and even before that; we see a glimpse of his past life and how it effected him. I really feel like he wants to be better for his children, but he has a hard time trying to find the right way to do it.

Also, Isabella comes back to the Academy with her father and is torturing poor Simon by flirting with other boys and ignoring him as much as she can.

But Simon has other problems as his fellow students are starting to break some rules and he must decide whether to join them or stop them.

This was a nice addition to the series and I can't wait to start the next one. They teach us so much about the past of shadowhunters and it makes a lot of things make more sense now.