The problem with tales based on history, like the Titanic or in this case Marie Antoinette, is I know how it’s going to end. It feels like one of Magnus’ stories, “That time I was in a hot air balloon with Marie Antoinette.” Sounds like it would be a fun story, no? Surprisingly it wasn’t. Too much time was spent on the set up and culture of the time, which had little to do with the actual story. There weren’t any interesting side characters aside from Axel and we don’t get to see much of him.
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In the latest Mortal Instruments books we’ve been teased with the story of why Magnus was kicked out of Peru. This short story is actually a series of short stories. It would’ve been better as one story and mentioning some of the other events, because as it was none of the stories were very good. I chuckled a couple of times and I enjoyed Magnus’ warlock friends, but it was disappointing overall. (And in the end we never find out why he was kicked out of Peru!)
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Tessa, Will and Jem return for this short story, set 25 years after Magnus last saw them. We first meet James Herondale, who is 17, drunk, and seemingly suicidal. It was good, but it felt more like a set up or a teaser for a book than a short story. I want to know what happens next! (Why would you leave Magnus, it was just getting good?!) Apparently the fourth series in the Mortal Instruments will feature some of these characters.
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Magnus has been away from New York for two years. When he returns he finds a group of vampires in his apartment, but they look strange, almost sick. It turns out it isn’t just that small group but almost all of the Vampires in New York and they aren’t only sick they’re feeding often and leaving the bodies out in the street. We meet a couple of Magnus’ werewolf friends who are trying to keep things under wraps, but they’ve about had it.
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This is the story of Magnus’ first date with Alec. I chuckled several times, it was fun watching the two meet and interact in all their awkwardness. Alec is a mysterious character in the main Mortal Instruments books, and it was nice to get to know him better, especially through Magnus’ eyes. I liked Magnus’ friend Catarina, a female warlock and nurse. She’s not in these stories nearly enough.
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Set in the 1980s when the circle is starting out, and the clave still believes them when they say they’re only killing downworlders who have broken the accords. When the circle comes to New York, Magnus vows to protect his friends and his city. We meet the young members of the circle Lucian, Stephen Herondale, and the Lightwoods. It’s nice to see another part of the history of the Mortal Instruments. I wish it had included more about the Uprising, but there’s only so much time in a short story. I enjoyed the ending with Jocelyn bringing a young Clary to Magnus and Tessa.
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This story is all of the voicemails left for Magnus after City of Lost Souls. It was amusing but all of the characters acted like they were drunk dialing. Many of them said things which seemed out of character or things they’d only think. Isabelle’s were the best, because she doesn’t really ever have a filter.
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Set in London for the first meeting of the accords, (or one of the first) we meet Camille and Edmund Herondale. (This story really needed to be told from Edmund’s point of view as well, so it wouldn’t feel like he fell in love so quickly and his personality changed so drastically.) The characters were the best part of this story. Even the people we barely meet were great, like the mermaid in her tank who liked scones. On a very annoying side note, every instance of “fl” was replaced by “noindent” in the original eBook… (I’m so glad they fixed that)
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