Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy

Found this book quite disappointing. Actually fell asleep reading it. That never happened before. Managed to get through it to my surprise. The tales were long winded and boring. Won't get into details, as I don't want to ruin it for others. Wish I had waited until it was free.

Rewarding for any fans of Cassandra Clare's other Shadowhunters novels. Similar to The Bane Chronicles in that additional authors Sarah Rees Brennan, Robin Wasserman and Maureen Johnson add their own flavors to the witty, engaging, and often downright humorous chapters about the austere Shadowhunter Academy from Simon Lewis's perspective. A refreshing take on the world we've come to know and love.

I am a lover of Cassandra Clare's writing and was excited when I found this book on here. It reminds me a lot of the Bane Chronicles book with the way it is formatted, and it was nice to read a different POV than Jace or Clary (although I have never been much of a Simon fan myself). A great addition to anyone who has other Cassandra Clare books.

I always love Clare's books, and this is no exception. I loved the fact that everyone got together for a baby's sake, I loved the progression of stories, but I absolutely hated the ending of the last story (this cannot be helped, for I have a strong affection for that particular family). Would absolutely recommend and read again.

Loved the book! I recommend buying the comlete series and reading it diectly in one piece. if you love Clary, Simon and all their freinds- you're gonna love this one. Simon was always a favorite character of mine so there wasn't a chance I'd miss out on it! We get to "catch up" on everything that happens between the mortal instruments series and the dark artifices series. I highly recommend!

I waited a year for all the short stories to be compiled into one book! It was worth it! Price wise this is a much better purchase than buying all the short stories separately! Great stories about the shadow hunters from the past and in the present.

I was hesitant to buy this book since it is compromised of several interconnected short tales, and I prefer the novel form. I'm so glad I gave it a try! You learn much about characters from the other Shadowhunter books and see a side of Simon you wouldn't expect. A bittersweet ending, which I loved, makes this book one of my favorites.

I adore all of Cassandra Clare's books and she is my favorite author by far. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her characters again along with the new ones. I would definitely suggest it to any of her Shadowhunter fans.

I'm a huge fan of all of the shadowhunters books. I had always been wondering what happened to Simon after the City of Heavenly Fire and this exceeded my expectations. The book is really interesting and the end almost brought me to tears. This book is amazing a beautifully written.

**It is highly recommended that The Mortal Instruments series and The Infernal Devices series should be read first. My review assumes that both series have been read so there may be spoilers if you haven't.**

*Avg 4.5 stars*

Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy: 5 stars
As we know from the end of CoHF, Simon was restored to a mundane. However, he was given Demon Amnesia and had no recollection of his friends or his time as a vampire. With Magnus's help he was able to regain pieces of his memories. But to regain all of them he must Ascend. So off to Shadowhunter training academy he goes.
Idris is still in ruins so the accommodations are lacking. Plus, Simon is now revered as a legend for being part of the group of teens that saved the world. Too bad he can't remember. And now armed with only his less-than-impressive mundane abilities instead of the vamp abilities he had when he was a hero, he's feeling discouraged.
But he's no quitter and if anything he's hoping to help change the Shadowhunter's prejudice against Downworlders. The new characters introduced are delightful.

The Lost Herondale: 4 stars
Simon is sucking at Shadowhunter Academy. He'd rather be playing D and D than doing pushups. But he and some of his friends are deemed ready enough for an assignment. An assignment Simon is not comfortable with. As a mundane and a Jew, Simon has always been taught to question everything, but in the Shadowhunter Academy he's told to follow the Law no matter what.
The story of The Lost Herondale - Tobias, once told from an older, prejudiced Shadowhunter and once again told by Catarina Loss, a Warlock, makes Simon think. And he's still trying to reconcile who he was with who his is now and a talk from our good friend, Clary, just might help. Good story.

The Whitechapel Fiend: 5 stars
Loved this one! I'm always up for more Will, Tessa, and Jem.
Simon is improving physically. There was a fun 'how to fall out of a tree' lesson from Jace. Now that the war is over he's researching the Herondale line. Like Simon, Jace is frustrated with the blank pages in his history. But there is one ideal person who can help him. Another guest instructor shows to teach the students about the importance of history - Tessa Gray.
We get Tessa's account of the true story of Jack the Ripper. It was wonderful spending some time in the 19th century with Tessa and her family at the London Institute.
It also seems as if Simon has come to his senses regarding Isabelle. Great story!

Nothing But Shadows: 5 stars
Another excellent installment! We don't get much of Simon this time as Catarina Loss dives right into the story of young James Herondale, Will and Tessa's son, and his short time spent at the Shadowhunter Academy when he was thirteen years old. Any story with more Will, Tessa, and Jem is a five star for me.
James is shy and his only friends are books. He's hoping to change that. From his mother's demon side, James has inherited yellow eyes and Shadowhunters consider being different as a bad thing. As if that isn't bad enough, during an outdoor exercise where James's life is in jeopardy he discovers he has yet another demon ability. But one good thing to come out of the experience is James has a friend after all.
Loss's lesson to Simon is many with the telling of that story but most of all Simon has decided it might not be so bad to rely on his friends and he may be more willing now to listen to their stories of him. I can't wait for more. Well done!

The Evil We Love: 4 stars
In this installment the first year of Shadowhunter Academy has come to an end. But they have one final guest speaker - Robert Lightwood, the Inquisitor. He's brought along his unwilling daughter, Isabelle, to help with the lesson. Robert takes us back to 1984 when Valentine's Circle was gaining momentum. We saw just how manipulative Valentine was and how he could turn the best of friends against each other to follow him.
Robert's point being, do not let someone charismatic with a pretty face deter you from doing the right thing. Hopefully, Robert is finally taking some action in healing the rift with his children. Simon is definitely his own man and stands by the courage of his convictions, no matter how unpopular.
Not as funny or squee-worthy as previous installments but still a great read.

Pale Kings and Princes: 3 stars
This is my least favorite installment so far. The gang has returned to Shadowhunter Academy after summer break. Simon had three disastrous dates with Izzy and he's feeling kind of hopeless.
The guest speaker this time is Helen Blackthorn and we learn the truth of her parents. It's grizzly but it's also another tale of the prejudice Shadowhunters feel for Downworlders and Simon is about to burst at the injustice.
The best part of this book was the end where we hear the tale again from the faery's pov and it left me teary-eyed. I'm hoping it's a foreshadowing of what's to come in Lady Midnight. Otherwise, this novella was a dud.

Bitter of Tongue: 4 stars
It's George's turn to be leader. Simon wants to be supportive but George's bad decision lands Simon in Faery. This is where he meets Mark Blackthorn - desperate to learn news of his family and how his Shadowhunter rescue is coming along. Simon's not sure how to answer. Mark helping Simon is just one more argument that not all Downworlders are bad. Good installment.

The Fiery Trial: 5 stars
I listened to this installment through Audible. I'm in love with Sam Heughan so, knowing he was to be the narrator, I waited for the audible download to become available. It was glorious. His voice is like butter. The different accents were on point. I melted.
On to the story. Simon and Clary were invited to witness the parabatai ceremony for Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn. But Simon and Clary were tricked into taking a parabatai compatability test of their own.
This installment was a little more fantastical than the others but it was no less awesome.

Born to Endless Night: 5 stars
The best and most emotional installment yet!
Born to Endless Night is told mostly from Magnus's pov (YAY!). When an unwanted warlock baby is dropped off on the steps of the academy, Magnus and Alec must decide whether they want to embark on a new adventure. This was just the catalyst needed to move the Lightwood family on a path of healing. It was very touching.
Simon is overwhelmed with praise and he's finally confident in his decision to Ascend.
Lots of good stuff in this installment. I just loved it.

Angels Twice Descending: 5 stars
It's Ascension Day. Will Simon go through with it?
A visit from Clary and Isabelle reinforces his decision. I was happy for him. But we know there's got to be someone from Simon's class that doesn't survive the ceremony. I was torn up over who it was. I even shed a few tears. I especially liked Simon's tribute when choosing his Shadowhunter name. Great finale!

I wasn’t originally going to read this short story collection, but right after I read the prologue of Lady Midnight, a detail was revealed that intrigued me. Then I looked up this book and discovered it was about Simon, who I love, training to be a Shadowhunter. I had already hoped I would get to learn about that aspect of his story in Lady Midnight, so I decided to read this collection of stories before continuing with that book.

My ratings for each individual story:

“Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy”—3/5 stars. This is a good story to give some background on the Academy (not sure if it’s relevant in other Shadowhunter books, though) and to show how Simon is adapting to the “new” Shadowhunter world when he goes to the Academy to train. It also features how Simon is handling his relationship with Isabelle after not remembering their past together.

“The Lost Herondale”—3/5 stars. Simon is at the Academy learning to fight. Catarina Loss tells Simon a story of Tobias Herondale, in which Simon learns there’s a possible Herondale generation out there that don’t know they’re Shadowhunters.

“The Whitechapel Fiend”—3.5/5 stars. This story is about guest lecturer Tessa Grey teaching the students at the Academy about Jack the Ripper. Fans of the Infernal Devices (of which I am not one) will probably enjoy this story because it features Will and their young child James. I didn’t care for the characters, but this still is an interesting story. At the end we also see Simon writing a letter to Isabelle.

“Nothing but Shadows”—3/5 stars. This story is about the shy James Herondale, Will and Tessa’s son, as he goes to school and learns to make friends. I found this story to be way too drawn out, plus I didn’t really know (or care) who many of the characters were. However, I did enjoy the ending, and I think fans of the Herondales will enjoy this story.

“The Evil We Love”—4/5 stars. In this story, Robert Lightwood tells the Academy about his time in the Circle as well as sharing his own intimate history with the students. I enjoyed seeing the flashbacks to the 1980s and learning some more details to strengthen the original story in the Mortal Instruments. There’s also more drama going on with Simon and Isabelle’s relationship in between the lectures.

“Pale Kings and Princes”—3/5 stars. Helen Blackthorn comes to the Academy to tell a story to Simon and his classmates of her father, Andrew Blackthorn, and how he got involved with fairies. Also, Simon and Isabelle are trying to fix their relationship.

“Bitter of Tongue”—3.5/5 stars. Simon meets up with Mark Blackthorn and they have a chat. I think this story is relevant if you plan to read Lady Midnight because something important happens at the end with some of the characters present in that book.

“The Fiery Trial”—4/5 stars. Part of this story is really weird, but the reason for that is eventually explained, and it made me appreciate what had happened. This story is ultimately about parabatai. Simon and Clary attend the parabatai ceremony for Julian and Emma all while considering the possibility of having parabatai for themselves. I would recommend reading this story before Lady Midnight.

“Born to Endless Night”—4/5 stars. Magnus comes to the Academy to teach, and then an abandoned warlock baby shows up on its doorstep. Magnus and Alec have a deep discussion, then Simon and Alec have a deep discussion, and then Simon and Magnus have a deep discussion. I enjoyed the honesty in this story, and I think it’s my favorite one in the collection. Some important decisions are made that impact the future of our favorite main characters, and my guess is that this story is pertinent if you plan on reading The Red Scrolls of Magic.

“Angels Twice Descending”—4/5 stars. Two years after entering the Academy, Simon drinks from the Mortal Cup and Ascends to Shadowhunter. This story wraps up the collection and ends on both a happy note and a sad note. [SPOILER: I am sad that George died because I could have seen him becoming part of the crew, but this side character’s fate felt inevitable, knowing how Clare writes her books. However, his death helped Simon choose a Shadowhunter name with meaning, so I appreciate that aspect of it. Still sad George died though.]

I liked that the stories were all connected in chronological order. I do not usually like or read short stories or novellas, but reading these all in order almost felt like reading an actual novel, except with really long chapters.

I was started listening to these as audiobooks, but halfway through, I checked out the book from the library to read along. I was pleasantly surprised to see that at the beginning of each story is a one-page comic-style illustration. I really enjoyed seeing these.

Overall, I enjoyed these stories, and I’m glad I read them before continuing on with Lady Midnight. I could tell a difference in Simon’s personality in this book compared to him in the Mortal Instruments, but that is to be expected since he lost all his memories, and also because this book was written by three other authors along with Cassandra Clare. He was more serious and less humorous, and his humor is one of the reasons I originally liked him, but by the end, I could see his old personality coming back.

For reference, you need to read all of the Mortal Instruments books before this one. I would also recommend reading the Infernal Devices prior to this book. I read only the first Infernal Devices book, and I wasn’t confused about any of these stories, so if you at least know the gist of that series then you will be fine. I would also recommend reading this book or at least looking at spoilers for all the stories before starting Lady Midnight.

I have finally decided it is time to catch up on the Shadowhunter books because I adore the Shadowhunter world and I am really mad at myself for falling so behind. So on a mission I went to read all of the novellas in the Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy. I enjoyed these novellas a lot more so than The Bane Chronicles and some of them really hit me right in the feels.

Welcome To Shadowhunter Academy: Simon is as awesome as ever. Didn’t realize how much I missed these characters. Also, George Lovelace stole my heart.

The Lost Herondale: This one was SO good. I’m getting ready to smack some arrogant Shadowhunters upside the head though. They need to remember Simon saved ALL their asses and be a smidge nicer. Although the short mention of Will Herondale had me missing him so much.

The Whitechapel Fiend: OH MAN. This one is BY FAR my favorite of all the novellas I’ve read to date. IT HAD WILL AND TESSA AND JEM AND JACE ALL IN ONE STORY. It gave me everything my Shadowhunter loving heart ever desired. I also loved the Jack the Ripper tie in and little James with his spoon. This novella was perfect.

Nothing But Shadows: Those Herondale boys know how to steal your heart. And damn that Will Herondale is forever charming and I love his use of every excuse to see the Silent Brothers. I loved James Herondale and loved Michael Fairchild and I am DYING for their series even more now.

The Evil We Love: This wasn’t my favorite of the novellas but it was very interesting getting an inside look at the Circle and how everyone fell in with Valentine. Also some super interesting revelations about Robert Lightwood. The thing I did really enjoy about this one though was the Simon and Izzy stuff.

Pale Kings And Princes: The ending to this one was a little bit heartbreaking. Loved all the Simon and Izzy feels though.

Bitter Of Tongue: What the Clave did to Mark Blackthorn is horrendous. This was a bit heartbreaking but it also had some really sweet moments. Forever love Izzy.

The Fiery Trial: I loved the developments in this one. And loved seeing Jem! When he mentioned Will my heart shattered. I’m getting to the end of these novellas and I’m super sad.

Born To Endless Night: My heart has grown three sizes reading this book. There was so much to love. So much Magnus and Alec. And so many of my other faves. GAHH I’m so sad it’s almost the end.

Angels Twice Descending: HOW DARE YOU?!?! My heart hurts so so much. But it was so nice to see these novellas come to a close.

Title: Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy

Author(s): Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, and Robin Wasserman

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

I've made no secret about just how much I love Cassandra Clare and her books. My love affair began with City of Bones, and has only grown since. She's one of my favorite authors, and frankly, I would follow her anywhere, as long as she continues to crank out such promising, powerful stories. And I have to admit that I have a bit of a bias when it comes to this book--I've been eagerly looking forward to it since I've known of its existence. I'm a Shadowhunter, through and through, and these characters feel like one of my families, if that makes any sense.

Tales from the Shadowhunter takes place after the Mortal Instruments series ends. But each story expands on a certain time in the existing universe of the previous novels. (And that's all I'm going to say, because I don't want to give anything away for my readers that haven't read it yet!) These stories fill in the gaps left by the Mortal Instruments series, and honestly, I loved every one of them. There wasn't a time during this book that I wasn't laughing hysterically. This book felt like coming home, and as such, it has become one of my favorite books of the last year. It was just so much fun!

It also really made me happy that Clare collaborated with other bestselling authors that I love: Sarah Rees Brennan, the author of the bestselling The Demon's Lexicon series, Maureen Johnson, author of Thirteen Envelopes, and Robin Wasserman, author of the runaway hit, the Skinned trilogy. I loved how each author brought their own unique, individual flair to Clare's world. It really expanded a lot of things for me. It was so satisfying. And that ending! All the ugly crying! I really loved that, too, even though it was really bittersweet. The bottom line: A collection of short stories that take place after the bestselling Mortal Instruments series, Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy was so much fun! One of my favorite books of 2016! Next on deck: Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love and Writing by Jennifer Weiner!

This is a collection of short stories from the world of the Shadowhunters. I would not suggest reading this anthology if you have not read The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare because certain stories won't make as much sense unless you have the background information to the tales.
Clare has several series in The Shadowhunter world. Its best to read them in this order: The Infernal Devices which starts with Clockwork Angel. The Mortal Instruments: starts with City of Bones, and the newest, The Dark Artifices: starts with Lady Midnight.

I usually like series based anthologies but the way this one went it should have been a novella, or even a connective bridge novel between The Mortal Instruments and The Dark Artifices. Its not really a collection of short stories in the sense of an anthology.
All the stories connect to Simon's time at The Shadowhunter academy or to what is going on at the academy at this time. It would have read better as one tale. The stories aren't bad, but they could have been so much more.
The opportunity to enrich the Shadowhunter world was sadly wasted. All the reader gets is some glimpses of academy life and some of that is no surprise. Even the other tales not related to the academy life, could have been so much more.
For example, Jack the Ripper could have been much better, and make a little more sense in why the murders were done. At least Simon's story gets completed enough to satisfy fans of the Mortal Instruments. Some of the tales even connect into The Dark Artifices series.
Yes, I would suggest this gets read before the Dark Artifices series, but don't expect a really great and entertaining read.

I am a longtime fan of anything Shadowhunter; I’ve had this serial on my TBR list for a long time and FINALLY was able to tackle it with great fervor! Simon is one of my favorite characters from the series, he has always seemed a bit tragic with things not quite working out for him at almost every turn. At the end of the Mortal Instruments, Simon is alive, but not well. He has lost a part of himself fighting off a demon. He’s lost his memories and the heartbeat that powers his relationships. His resolution was to “runway” from his reality to the Shadowhunter Academy where the promise of ascension may open the doors to those memories. These adventures aren’t just about Simon’s journey to ascension and beyond, it’s also about the new relationships he forms, mending relationships and learning the stories that have shaped the past and will shape the future of Shadowhunting. We get to revisit and sometimes even tie up loose ends with other characters in the series. Each story is unique and can stand alone but shouldn’t, there is no need to suffer without with joy of the others in this serial.
The narrators all had a similar tone of voice with the ability to role play each character, the one narrator that took me by surprise was Sam Heughan. Yes, the famed Outlander actor. He took me by surprise because I did not recognize his voice. His accent slightly more British-American than Scottish, but then he turned his Scot on when he voiced George and my heart had palpitations and the knees went jello! I’ve never enjoyed changing the narrators around, but in this serial, they were very similar and yet each was different, all were spectacular. No matter which version you choose to enjoy, these are fun reads and bridges to the other spin-offs. Fantastic. Must read for all Shadowhunter fans.
The Oracle Reviews gives only honest reviews.

As with any of Cassandra Clare’s books, I couldn’t wait to read Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy. And, as with any of her books, it did not disappoint.

The book is split into ten short stories, co-written with another author. I can’t pick a favourite because nearly all of them made me laugh at some point. Apart from the final story. That made me cry.

It shows the power of Clare’s writing that in so many of her books, my emotions yo-yo from one extreme to another, and this one was no exception.

Despite each story being written by a different person, there was, for the most part, good continuity between them. Occasionally, there was repetition at the beginning of the story as they attempted to set the scene, despite the reader not requiring that. Other than that, they all blended well together.

Simon’s character was consistent across the stories. More importantly, you really saw him grow between them all – starting off as an unsure mundane wondering if he was doing the right thing, turning into a confident young man determined to do what is right, even if that means telling his classmates they were snobs.

I loved how many of the other series this book referenced. There was a lot of Isabelle and Clary. But there was also Jace, Magnus and Alec. Emma Carstairs and several of the Blackthorns. Stories about Tessa’s past and her life with Will, with Jem making his presence known. Having read the other books, it was great to get to re-visit these characters.

While Clare has always made sure to address the issues that affect our generation – sexuality etc – there were times when this felt too forced. Pale Kings and Princes pushed themes of isolation, degradation, acceptance etc too hard. Previously, Clare has always introduced these issues in subtle ways, but this felt forced, fracturing the story a little.

The only thing I regret is not having re-reading The Mortal Instruments before reading this – I, too, like Simon, couldn’t remember bits that had happened and it would have added more depth if it was fresh in my mind.

If you’re ready to fall back into the emotional rollercoaster that comes with any Shadowhunter story, then Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy is the perfect choice!

I love all of Cassandra Clare's work. I started reading the Mortal Instruments series in high school, followed by the Infernal Devices and just recently finished Lady Midnight & Lord of Shadows. I actually didn't even know this gem of a book existed until I saw it on the shelf at my local library when I checked out Lord of Shadows. It is less a novel and more a collection of 'short stories' told from the view point of several of the background characters in the other books (Tessa Gray, Robert Lightwood, & Mark Blackthorn are among those who make an appearance) following the main plot of Simon's time at the Shadowhunter academy. His perspective lends a sweet, almost funny tone to the narration, which was a nice change of pace from the other books. I really enjoyed how much this book fleshed out many of the secondary characters and subplots in the other series', such as how Magnus and Alec came to get baby Max, a look into Helen and Aline's relationship, even Robert Lightwood's time with the Circle.
A true gem of a companion book, and a definite must read after you finish the other series'.

I actually had a really hard time with this book. I was not pleased to see that guest authors wrote the stories and Cassandra Clare was in name only. As in: Cassandra Clare's Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy brought to you by the following authors... Now, I didn't really have a problem with the content of the stories because I enjoyed reading about the past events of certain characters but the flow just wasn't the same because they weren't written by Ms. Clare. I also found myself wondering if the authors read each other's stories before adding the next one because there seemed to be a fair amount of continuity issues. For example, at the very end of City of Heavenly Fire, Simon has returned to being human and is mentioned at having glasses. Only one of the short stories in SH Academy mentions Simon wearing glasses and that one isn't even until later in the story. I don't know if he was wearing glasses throughout the book and it just wasn't mentioned or not but little details like that annoyed me. I also wasn't sure who the character Jon was dating. In one story it says he was going out with Julie (or was it Beatriz) but then later they never spend any time together and Jon spends the rest of the series catering to the Mundane Marisol. To me, it felt as though the authors just weren't paying attention to who was going out with who and the editor didn't catch it. Simon just felt so out of character! Basically, this is just a collection of author approved published fanfiction. And unfortunately, that just made reading these stories uncomfortable because I was expecting certain actions and phrases from the characters and getting lukewarm attempts. I'm not saying the writing is terrible but when I read stories featuring beloved characters, I want the original author to provide the entertainment. If I want fanfiction, I'll go online. And finally, don't even get me started on what happens to Simon's roommate George! Clearly no one should ever by Simon's roommate. So, overall, the stories in this collection really would have been better if written by Cassandra Clare but for what they are, fanfiction, I would still recommend any diehard Shadowhunter fan to read them.

As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via Edelweiss by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

There's no shortage of companion novels these days amongst the young adult book series which dominate the scene. In the case of Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, it had a lot to live up to--even in a side by side comparison with its previous companion novel, The Bane Chronicles. Nearly a decade has passed since Cassandra Clare's publication of the first of six novels in The Mortal Instruments series and with that milestone, the world has expanded to multiple series, two companion novels of short stories, one film and one television adaptation. And there's more to come in the future.

With no signs of stopping, Cassandra Clare enlisted some help once more to expand her Shadow world and reintroduces us to our favourite characters from all of her series. Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy primarily focuses on the events of fan-favourite, Simon Lewis, as he grapples with his newfound life as a Shadowhunter-to-be and struggles to regain his memories. Seeing Simon grow in his own short stories is a lot different from the growth--and loss--we saw in the original series run; it's bittersweet and promising, it's a new light on self discovery and armed with heartfelt prose and with humour.

Back are characters like Clary, Isabelle, Jace, Magnus and Alec. We also see Tessa and Jem, as well as various flashbacks from other's point of view. One of the most satisfying things about Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy is that it reads like the fantasy we know and love from Shadowhunters and gives us the opportunity to flesh out more characters as well as meet some new ones. There's no shortage of heartbreak and joy in these short stories and it will be a deeply satisfying read to everyone who wonders what happened after the war in City of Heavenly Fire.

I loved the new characters and the way the past and the present wove in each story. It was done so gracefully and it was romantic, action packed and a dramatic twist. I think the idea behind the story was excellent and it was just a refreshing way to expand the world and get to see Simon as someone who knows but doesn't know who he is.

I will say that I also really enjoyed George Lovelace and his and Simon's bond. It was sweet and unique to the bonds we've seen with Simon and Clary. I also loved seeing his friendships grow with characters we already knew--warlocks and Shadowhunters. I was proud to see him stand up to what's flawed in the world he's only just been exposed to. It was a striking standout and seeing him clash, and bond, with other students was pretty great.

Another plus: Simon and Alec scenes. Simon and Clary scenes. Simon and Jace scenes and most importantly: Simon and Isabelle scenes. There's so much to see and rediscover (or discover) in each and everyone of the stories and I have to admit, it's one of my favourite releases from Clare in quite a few years.

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy is a must-read for all Shadowhunter fans and has a little something for everyone. It'll make you laugh, swoon and cry all at once.

This might be the weakest title in the Shadowhunters series, but it wasn't actually a bad book, just....below par.

In seeing so many contributors listed as co-authors, it reminded me of something I long thought when I read The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series, and that is that these books feel like a group effort that sums up multiple contributions under one umbrella name. I know Cassandra Clare is a real a person, and I might well be far off base in thinking that most or all of these books are collaborations, but it is almost as if lately the other writers who helped form the series are stepping out from behind the curtain, and finally getting the recognition they were due all along. (But again, I could very well be wrong in forming that impression!)

In any case, I would say read these tales if you're a Shadowhunters superfan, skip them for something else if you're a casual reader. There are some nice re-visits with old friends here and there, some new ground is covered, the training Shadowhunters undergo is more thoroughly explored than it has been, but the rushed feel to every single story here felt like a printed version of fan fiction that's already available online for free.

I guess to sum up my thoughts, I was just not grabbed by this title and it failed to hold my interest all that deeply. Maybe I'm burntout, maybe Tales was as limp and banal as it seemed.

This was a collection of short stories, or that's the way it read. Simon Lewis, bereft of his memory, struggles through training at the Academy, with a new friend, his roommate, George Lovelace, at his side. Almost everyone from previous books shows up, and there's a lot of backstory here. You fall in love with Simon all over again, and George, and shock!!! even Alec. I never really warmed to Alec in any of the previous books, but in this volume, he finally captured my heart too. If you're a fan of the Shadowhunter world, you will just love this book. If you're new to Shadowhunters, you might want to start somewhere else first - with City of Bones, for example. Otherwise, it's another winner, for sure!

This has been my favorite book series for so long. To be honest, many people have given complaints about Cassandra Clare, saying that she isn't good at plots, or that she gives too many details. So, be warned, that's a popular opinion. But I personally love her books. I have been a huge fan of this book series for several years, and I own every single Shadowhunter book there is. This one book, is just as good as the other books in its series. (Please do not watch the movie or the TV series; the books are literally a million times better)

The story wasn't as well tied together as the immortal instruments series. Most of the stories were flash backs about other people instead of stories about Simon. Basically read more like advertisements to get you to buy her other Shadowhunter series. And the point of Simon going to the Academy instead of training at the New York Institute was to get away from the main characters in the other books and guess what? They all show up to guest teach… you know because they dont have actual adults to teach anything or real steady teachers- can you say bad fanfiction plot? Also they open this castle of an Academy and the entire school is maybe 30 students- makes no sense at all. Maybe it would have made sense if there were 500 or more mundanes they were training otherwise just stick to small Institutes to get the job done- the reasons were just poor. And honestly i still dont know why Izzy fell soo hard for Simon, especially after he turns all shadowhunter- she likes to date men that piss off her parents- supposedly we never actually see that. Anyway, i enjoy fanfiction so even though it was a slow and perdictable story it had some fun moments. maybe buy for the kindle not your bookshelf.

He's one of those characters that sort of grows on you. I like him and his nerdy ways, his t-shirts and goofy band names. But in the beginning he was a Debbie Downer. I liked him as a Daylighter too. He always has a witty comeback, FOR EVERYTHING. I really liked this book and all the others. And kudos to Cassandra for getting her show on Freeform! I love your books! Blessings!

Book: Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy
Author: Cassandra Clare
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I know….I know…Here I am giving Cassandra Clare a four star rating. I’m not sure I have ever given her anything below a five. I really do think a four star rating is fitting. I just didn’t find this as good as some of the other books. I don’t know what it was, but I just didn’t. It may be because Simon is not my favourite character.

I mean, this is a really great addition to my library, but I don’t know. I really did like all of the characters, though some of the new ones were just not my cup of tea. I loved Alec and Magnus of course…Jace was great as well, but Simon and Isabelle just didn’t cut it for me. I don’t know what it was, but these two really have not developed like the other characters. I guess what I’m trying to get at is the other characters seemed to have grown up with time, but these two just seem kind of frozen.

Cassandra’s writing was good as always. I really think that this was a nice set up for Lady Midnight and really helped fill some of the plot holes that I have having. No, you really don’t have to read this before reading Lady Midnight, but it does help fill in some of the gaps. I love how Cassandra has the ability to wrap everything together and make it all flow nicely.

I mean, this is still worth the read. I did buy this book on sale for $8.00 around Christmas. I don’t know if it is still that cheap or not. If you are a fan of Shadowhunters, you will like this book.

Curse Cassandra Clare for being such an amazing author. I absolutely adore all of the Shadowhunters books, and Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy was no different. Not many authors can make me so ecstatic and miserable at the same time. Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy made me laugh and laugh, especially at Simon's song lyrics/titles, George's awesome personality, and Jace in The Whitechapel Fiend. But I also cried. I think I cried a little about baby Max, and I DEFINITELY cried while reading the last story (sorry, I can't remember what it's called). Evil, evil authors, how could you do this to all of us?
If you love the Shadow World as much as I do, you have to read Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy. You won't regret it.

(Additionally, if any of the authors of Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy are reading this, especially Ms. Clare, I would like to thank you for making my life happier. All it takes, for me, is a good book. Thank you so much. Sincerly, a teenage girl to whom reading is the greatest pleasure upon this earth. You are my role models.)

Decent light switch. I tried all over to find out what part of the light switch lit up. The way the manufacturer's website described it, the entire rocker/paddle switch lit up. That made me think the whole thing glowed so that's mostly what I expected. That's not the case, however. It turns out that the little, tiny black pinhole that sits in the top center of the thin plastic frame is the actual light. It's not very bright and it's very tiny and white.
The quick connect wire holes only take 14 gauge and I guess my wires are more like 12 or 10. So I had to use the standard screw connections which was fine.
Other than that, its basic and does the job.

Cassandra Clare got her start writing Harry Potter fanfiction. So it seems strangely appropriate that her own book series has gotten its own book of magical-school stories.

That would be "Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy," a compilation of e-shorts that focus on Simon's training to become a full-fledged Shadowhunter. It's a solid sequel to the Mortal Instruments series, especially for those who want to see more of the various characters from Clare's other series, but about half Simon's school days are used merely as a framing device for other people's adventures and backstory.

Since most of the Shadowhunters have been killed, they are now recruiting teens from far and wide to be trained -- some are from long-lost Shadowhunter families, and others are mundane orphans who have nothing to abandon. And in Simon's case, he wants to reclaim some of the cool he lost when he stopped being a vampire, so he'll be a worthy boyfriend for Isabelle. But he soon discovers that the Shadowhunter Academy -- which doesn't treat mundane "dregs" very well -- has a variety of obstacles for him to overcome, but also a new friend, George Lovelace.

And as he trains physically to become a Shadowhunter, Simon learns a great deal about this other world -- the true story about Jack the Ripper; hints of a "lost Herondale" lineage; the tale of the bookish James Herondale, who was haunted by his demonic blood; how the Lightwoods were seduced by Valentine; the true and false stories of how the eldest Blackthorn children came to be; the process of becoming parabatai with someone; the abandonment of a warlock baby; and finally the fateful -- and tragic -- day of Ascension.

Simon was easily the most endearing character from the Mortal Instruments series, a plucky sometimes-vampire nerd who never allowed the constant derision of Shadowhunters to keep him from helping those he loved. So when he goes to a magic demon-hunting academy, you'd expect him to have some Harry-Potterlike adventures of his own there, perhaps vanquish a villain or two... but weirdly enough, "Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy" is only slightly about its actual protagonist.

Rather, his time at the academy is mostly a framing device for a bunch of other short stories or anecdotes about other people; even the stories that are about Simon in the present day are ultimately about other people's experiences and ceremonies. It makes me wonder why the authors didn't simply write a book of short stories.

The stories vary in intensity and tone, since three different authors (Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson and Robin Wasserman) are producing the prose. Some of the stories are just magical high-school drama, while others are more adventurous, glittering with enchanting descriptions ("turning the stained-glass angel’s hair to silver and the bare winter fields into expanses of light") and some moments of action and intensityand some rather flat attempts at wit ("Nobody could shatter my sheer demon-hunting sangfroid"). One story, mostly from the perspective of Magnus Bane, is an intriguing and layered look at the character's past, present and future.

Simon remains easily the most likable and clear-sighted person in this series, especially as he struggles with his lost life as a vampire and his feelings of alienation among the Shadowhunters. In fact, his relationship with Catarina -- the snarky warlock teacher -- is a particular highlight of the book, as they seem to be among the only people who recognize the dark side of the Shadowhunters.

In fact, this book really highlights that the Shadowhunters are pretty awful people -- cruel, narrow-minded, bigoted, and Simon even explicitly compares their policies to Nazism. However, as the authors are uncomfortably aware of how awful the Shadowhunters are, they're also being peddled to us as the good guys, and and people -- Simon, James, George -- still want to be among their number out of some vague sense of optimism that they'll be "better." Edmund Burke disagrees.

"Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy" is an amusing accompaniment to Cassandra Clare's other books, with a fair amount of backstory and newer developments to follow. If only it were more about Simon.