Review: The Evil We Love (Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy #5) by Cassandra Clare & Robin Wasserman

Title: The Evil We Love

Series: Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy #5

Previous novellas in this series: Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy (#1) | The Lost Herondale (#2) | The Whitechapel Fiend (#3) | Nothing but Shadows (#4)

Previous series: The Mortal Instruments

Authors: Cassandra Clare & Robin Wasserman

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: June 2015

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Own hardcover

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Synopsis: All evil starts somewhere, and Simon Lewis learns how The Circle—led by Valentine Morgenstern—began.

The Shadowhunter Academy has only just reopened following the disastrous rise of the Circle. Now the faculty can finally admit to what happened when Valentine was a student.

My rating: ★★★★★

In this story we have another guest lecturer, Robert Lightwood aka Isabelle and Alec’s dad aka the Inquisitor! His story takes place in the 1980s and is about the Circle 😬 Valentine was so terrible, but we already knew that. We also got a little insight into Robert’s relationship with his parabatai Michael Wayland, Jace’s supposed dad before we found out who he was actually a Herondale. It was a very interesting, sad story. Robert said some terrible things and, just, ugh! I really liked Michael! I felt so bad for him 😢

Isabelle also tags along and causes a little chaos. I really liked this story because there were strong parallels between what Isabelle was doing and the story Robert told about the Circle and Valentine, and how it all relates to the dangers of charisma.

One difficult thing about reading Tales of from the Shadowhunter Academy is how all his old friends are having such a hard time, wanting the old Simon back. But Simon has it hard too, trying to live up to that old, heroic Simon. Trying to remember his old life. I felt so bad for him. Poor amnesic Simon 😔 However, I don’t know how, but it seems like more and more of Simon’s memories are coming back to him, which is exciting!

This was another enjoyable story! It had fun appearances, sad things happened, scary things happened, sassy George was sassy... it was just a great read!

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below! 😊