“Memories were like love: wound and cure, both at once.”

Finally reading this book after putting it off for a while. I hadn’t wanted to put myself through the pain that this book will inevitably bring, but since Chain of Iron is coming out soon I decided to get over with. Warning: spoilers!

⇢Cast Long Shadows: 4.5 Stars
Wow, this book really wanted to pull at my heartstrings right from the start, didn’t it? Because holy crap, this story was sad and it made me feel so much worse for judging Matthew in Chain of Gold now that I actually know what made him the way he was. Still, I loved this novella. It was incredible to see Matthew when he was actually happy, and it was heartbreaking to see him slowly fade away. I really hope that he makes amends with Charlotte and Henry in Chain of Iron (and Alastair), and after reading this short story I wholeheartedly believe that Matthew deserves a happy ending. I swear if he gets his runes stripped or something I will not be okay.

“Later Matthew would look back and remember it as his last happy day.”

⇢Every Exquisite Thing: 4 Stars

Anna and Ariadne’s first meeting was something I never knew I always needed. Also, can I just say, it was sort of comforting to see that even Anna (who seemed like she had everything figured out in Chain of Gold) had her struggles and took time to discover who she was? We all know that she dresses in a more “masculine” or androgynous way in Chain of Gold, and I liked seeing her start that in this story. AND CECILY AND GABRIEL BUYING ANNA A WAISTCOAT WAS SO HEARTWARMING OMG.

“The trousers and jacket do not make me a man, and the necklace does not make me a woman. They are only what makes me feel beautiful and powerful in this moment. I am exactly as I choose to be.”

⇢Learn About Loss: 2.5 Stars
Definitely not going to be a favourite story of mine, but it was interesting to see how Jem originally found out about Kit’s ancestors and the other branch of Herondales. And that scene at the end with Will and Jem was so cute <3

“The face of the one you love is the best mirror of all. It shows you your own happiness and your own pain and it helps you to bear both, because to bear either alone is to be overwhelmed by the flood.”

⇢A Deeper Love: 3.5 Stars
I am convinced that Cassandra Clare wrote this story to rip my heart (and the hearts of other TSC fans) out. Because why else would she write this? And if reading a story from Tessa’s perspective that took place only a few years after Will’s death wasn’t enough, she had to add Jem almost dying to the mix? UM??

“If she lived until the sun died, there would never be any other for her besides Will and Jem, those two twin souls, the only souls she had ever loved.”

⇢The Wicked Ones: 3.5 Stars
Wow, that was a plotline I hadn’t thought of a while, with Valentine and the Circle. Hearing what happened to Céline, Jace’s mother, was something I never knew I always needed. It was interesting to see what happened between her and Stephen Herondale from another perspective since we only knew the story from Amatis’ point of view.

“It would be unjust to blame the past for choices made in the present. Nor can we justify present choices by invoking the sins of the past.”

⇢Son of the Dawn: 4 Stars
I haven’t thought of the TMI characters in a while and this short story really made me miss them. It was so interesting to see Izzy and Alec meet Jace for the first time, and I didn’t know it was Maryse who came up with the nickname Jace! I loved seeing the set up for Jace wanting to be parabatai with Alec, too. As always, Jem played a role in this story, and it was sad but sweet to read about Jem seeing Will in Jace.

“No, said Jem, because he was always James Carstairs when he spoke of what was dearest to him. Not mine. My parabatai’s. W and H. William Herondale. Will.”

⇢The Land I Lost: 5 Stars
I AM OBSESSED WITH MAX LIGHTWOOD-BANE AND RAFAEL LIGHTWOOD-BANE AND I LOVE THEM WITH ALL MY HEART. THIS STORY WAS SO HEARTWARMING IT MADE ALL THE PAIN THAT THIS WHOLE BOOK GAVE ME WORTH IT. THAT IS ALL I WILL SAY. Oh, and Lily Chen deserves the world.

“No bed!” he argued. “Stay up. Be with Rafe.” He sidled up to a stunned looking Rafael and gave him a big hug. “I’m love him.”
Rafe hesitated, then hugged Max shyly back. The sight of them made Alec’s chest hurt. He cast a glance back at Magnus, who had an equally smitten expression.

⇢Through Blood, Through Fire: 4.25 Stars
It’s incredible how interwoven Cassandra Clare’s books and storylines are. I mean, in this story we learn about Rosemary, Kit’s mother. We learn about how she met and fell in love with Jack, Kit’s father, who is of course also known as Johnny Rook, the character who appears in The Dark Artifices. When I first read TDA I didn’t know about Johnny Rook’s whole past, and now that I’ve read this story, it makes everything seem so much more connected. That’s definitely one of my favourite parts of the TSC universe; the little hints and correlations and crossovers are fantastic. Anyway, I loved this story and it was so nice to see modern Jessa.

“The light winked out. Jem and Tessa were already in motion. In the century and a half they’d known each other, much had changed, but this truth endured: when a Herondale called, they would answer.”

⇢The Lost World: 3.5 Stars
This story was from Livvy’s perspective, as a ghost. It was sad to see her missing out on life, but also nice to see her and Ty together. Livvy was never my favourite character so this wasn’t particularly a perspective that I had wanted to see, but it was interesting nonetheless.

"I would tell them this. That the future isn't fixed. If we see a path in front of us that we would not choose, then we can choose another path. Another future."

⇢Forever Fallen: 4 Stars
What a perfect story to end this collection. It definitely set up some elements of The Wicked Powers, from Ash and Janus’ plans to Kit and Ty’s relationship. I was a bit confused at times because it’s been a while since I’ve read TDA, but overall, this was an… illuminating read. I can’t wait for TWP.

“Whoever you have loved, and however you loved them,” said Jem, “anyone you loved would be lucky.”

⇢Overall
This book… While reading through this collection of novellas I have sobbed, laughed, cried, and sobbed some more. There are honestly no words to describe this universe that Cassandra Clare has created, but I can say that seeing Jem grow throughout these stories that spanned over a hundred years was incredible, and I will never get over how moving Jem, Will and Tessa’s story is. It’s a crime how little time they all got together.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ❦ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

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