Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson

Amisha | Biotechnology High School, Grade 9

Rating: ****

Following the events of the The Mortal Instruments series, Simon Lewis is going to the Shadowhunter Academy to learn Shadowhunter history and become a true Shadowhunter like he always wanted. After losing his memory he is wrapped up in trying to figure out what he was like as a vampire and what he is like now that he is a mundane again. This novel follows Simon’s journey through the academy, the friends he meets, the relationships he rebuilds, and the lessons he learns about being true to himself. Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Maureen Johnson bring a riveting, humorous, and sentimental read through their delightful novel, Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy.

This compilation of stories was another beautiful installment in Clare’s Shadowhunter Universe. Simons’ life has changed drastically from after the heart-breaking events of City of Heavenly Fire and now Simon has a clean slate, though that is far from what anyone wanted. It was refreshing to see how Simon reestablishes friendships with Clary, Jace, and especially Isabelle. It was also heartwarming to read about the bond between Simon and George Lovelace since they were a perfect pair and always had each other’s back. My favorite part of these short stories were the guest speakers at the academy since they all were so different from each other and had a range of information to offer the students! I would definitely urge you to give this novel a try if you love the Shadowhunter Universe and all the quirky characters in it!

Kaitlyn | Eisenhower Middle School, Grade 8

Rating: *****

After the events in City of Heavenly Fire, Simon Lewis goes to the Shadowhunter Academy to figure out who he is, to remember who he was, to train to become apart of the Shadow World once more, and to escape the hopeful/devastating, only to Simon’s point of view, looks from every loved one of “the old” Simon. During his two years in the academy, Simon learns about Robert Lightwood and many of the Herondale’s background stories, Tobias, Tessa, Will, and James. Simon finally learns who he is and keeps everything that he had, he also grew more friendships and changed hearts and minds at the academy

I was surprised when I found this book to my liking because I didn’t actually know what this book was about and when I started reading, I couldn’t stop. If you want to read this book without being spoiled or if you want to read this book and understand it, you’d need to read The Bane Chronicles, the Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series to understand all the references.