Review: Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare

Title: Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy Bind-up
Genre: Urban Fantasy/YA/Novellas
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: November 15th, 2016
Edition: Hardcover, 672 pages
Source: Purchased
Purchase/Pre-Order: Amazon US | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | iBooks | BAM

Synopsis:

   Simon Lewis has been a human and a vampire, and now he is becoming a Shadowhunter. But the events of City of Heavenly Fire left him stripped of his memories, and Simon isn’t sure who he is anymore. He knows he was friends with Clary, and that he convinced the total goddess Isabelle Lightwood to go out with him…but he doesn’t know how. And when Clary and Isabelle look at him, expecting him to be a man he doesn’t remember…Simon can’t take it.

   So when the Shadowhunter Academy reopens, Simon throws himself into this new world of demon-hunting, determined to find himself again. His new self. Whomever this new Simon might be.

   But the Academy is a Shadowhunter institution, which means it has some problems. Like the fact that non-Shadowhunter students have to live in the basement. And that differences—like being a former vampire—are greatly looked down upon. At least Simon is trained in weaponry—even if it’s only from hours of playing D&D.

I have been looking forward to this book since I first heard it was going to be written. Back when it was "Untitled Simon Lewis Project". Yet I didn't read it until about a year after it came out. Having a self-imposed limited book-buying budget sucks sometimes.

I read Lady Midnight before reading this, so I knew that Simon was going to ascend. Also, it would have been really lame and annoying had he not survived, there was never a question of whether he was going to or not. I knew he was there'd be no point in writing this book other than making fans angry otherwise.

I really loved reading Simons adventures at the academy, learning more of Shadowhunter history, watching him go against the "tradition" of things, making the Shadowhunter kids think about and question the tradition, shake things up.

I loved all the other characters in this book, the Mundane hopefuls, and the Shadowhunter kids, even if they all started off a little unlikeable in their own ways. I hope to see them in future books. Though I wish there had been a scene of Jon and Jace interacting, it would have been funny. If you've read this book, you'll know why.

There isn't much that I can critique about this book, Simon was always one of my favorite characters in the series. He's the character that I related to the most, and I really liked his humor. 

The end made me tear up, the why is a spoiler, so I can 't say. But I there were unshed tears.

I really like these Shadowhunter novella bind-ups. I think they have some of the best writing and stories. I hope more are written.