Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, and Robin Wasserman — 3 stars
After the way City of Heavenly Fire ended, I was very much looking forward to reading about Simon’s time at the Shadowhunter Academy. Unfortunately, I didn’t end up enjoying it as much as I thought I would. The best parts were the backstory about the characters from the The Last Hours and The Dark Artifices series! My favorites from the collection were “The Whitechapel Fiend,” “Nothing but Shadows,” “Bitter of Tongue,” and “Born to the Endless Night.” Read my full breakdown of each story here.
The Mortal Instruments: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 3 by Cassandra Clare and Cassandra Jean — 3.5 stars
It’s been so long since I’ve read City of Ashes, so I’m not sure how accurately this adaptation follows the the book, but it seemed pretty accurate. Volume 3 follows the first half of the book, and it was nice being back in the story again after reading the series over five years ago.
Zatanna and the House of Secrets by Matthew Cody — 3 stars
Zatanna and the House of Secrets is a cute middle grade graphic novel! The artwork is very fun and colorful. I’m not familiar with Zatanna, so this was a nice introduction to her character.
Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter — 5 stars
I’m a huge fan of Ally Carter’s work, so it’s no surprise that I loved Not If I Save You First. The characters, setting, and plot kept me engaged with the story the entire time. This does depart from Ally Carter’s previous works as it’s a standalone and dual POV, but fans will still see her trademark style throughout the novel. I actually listened to this one on audiobook and highly recommend this format as the narrator did a phenomenal job portraying Maddie and Logan’s voices and the gravity of the situation they were in. Fans of Ally Carter’s novels will love Not If I Save You First. And if you haven’t read one her books before, this story will hook you! Read my full review and see my aesthetic here.