Review: Monsters and Men (Five Ghosts Vol. 3) by Frank J. Barbiere

Title: Monsters and Men

Series: Five Ghosts Vol. 3

Previous book in this series: The Haunting of Fabian Gray (#1) | Lost Coastlines (#2)

Author: Frank J. Barbiere

Illustrator: Chris Mooneyham

Genre: Adult, comic book, fantasy

Publication date: August 2015

Published by: Image Comics

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: The critically acclaimed literary pulp adventure continues! Fabian Gray journeys to Eastern Europe on a quest to save his closest ally while battling his own inner-demons.

My rating: ★★★★☆

This volume was so stressful! So many bad things happened to both Fabian and Sebastian, and I was not okay 😭 And on top of it all, they still haven't gotten Silvia back.

Review: Lost Coastlines (Five Ghosts Vol. 2) by Frank J. Barbiere

Title: Lost Coastlines

Series: Five Ghosts Vol. 2

Previous book in this series: The Haunting of Fabian Gray

Author: Frank J. Barbiere

Illustrator: Chris Mooneyham

Genre: Adult, comic book, fantasy

Publication date: July 2014

Published by: Image Comics

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: In 'Lost Coastlines', Fabian joins his old flame Jezebel on a trip across the sea to Japan and the mythical Island of Dreams. On their perilous journey they'll encounter pirates and a dark shadow from Fabian's past.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

In this volume, Fabian and Sebastian continue trying to find a way to bring back Silvia. Specifically, they head to an island in search of dreamstone, because that might be the key to bringing her back.

Review: The Haunting of Fabian Gray (Five Ghosts Vol. 1) by Frank J. Barbiere

Title: The Haunting of Fabian Gray

Series: Five Ghosts Vol. 1

Author: Frank J. Barbiere

Illustrator: Chris Mooneyham

Genre: Adult, comic book, fantasy

Publication date: September 2013

Published by: Image Comics

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: After a tragic encounter with an artifact known as "The Dreamstone," infamous treasure hunter Fabian Gray was possessed by five literary ghosts and has been granted access to their unique abilities.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I have had this comic book on my TBR for YEARS, but I'm glad that I finally got around to it because I really enjoyed it!

Review: Mere Mortals by Erin Jade Lange

Title: Mere Mortals

Author: Erin Jade Lange

Genre: YA, urban fantasy, romance

Publication date: September 2022

Published by: Harper Teen

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: This hilarious, fresh take on a classic vampire tale follows a pair of hundred-year-old teenage vampires who are turned mortal and must face the greatest nightmare of all—high school.

Charlie and her brother, Reg, have been vampires for…a very long time. For a century, they enjoyed the glitz and glamour of life as members of the wealthiest vampire clan. But now, after one careless mistake, they’ve been expelled from the vampire community and dumped in the middle of Nowhere, Iowa, to live as mortals.

Suddenly Charlie has to deal with zits, tears, and—worst of all—high school. But things start to change when she and Reg find a group of friends, including the deliciously good-looking Dexter. And though Charlie would give anything to be vampire again, she begins to appreciate some of the new experiences that humanity brings too.

But nothing could make them forget the life they’ve left behind. When they’re offered a second shot at immortality, Charlie is desperate to seize it. It’ll just mean a total betrayal of all her new friends, who will have their minds wiped of their memories of her. She can handle that if it means she can live forever…right?

My rating: ★★★★☆

If you’re like me, you’ve read your fair share of books about just-turned vampires trying to navigate their new undead life. But have you ever read a book about a vampire being punished by turning them back into a human?? Because that’s what this book was!

Review: How to Survive a Horror Movie by Seth Grahame-Smith

Title: How to Survive a Horror Movie

Author: Seth Grahame-Smith

Genre: Nonfiction, adult, horror, satire

Publication date: May 2011

Published by: Quirk Books

Source: Purchased ebook

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Synopsis: Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.

From ghosts, vampires, and zombies to serial killers, cannibalistic hillbillies, and haunted Japanese videocassettes, How to Survive a Horror Movie shows how to defeat every obstacle found in scary films. Readers will discover:

-How to Perform an Exorcism
-What to Do If You Did Something Last Summer
-How to Persuade the Skeptical Local Sheriff
-How to Vanquish a Murderous Doll
-How to Survive an Alien Invasion
-How to Tell If You've Been Dead Since the Beginning of the Movie

and much, much more. Complete with useful instructions, insane illustrations, and a list of 100 important films to study, How to Survive a Horror Movie is essential reading for prom queens, jocks, teenage babysitters, and anyone employed by a summer camp.

My rating: ★★★★★

I’m a huge horror movie fan so when I discovered this book I knew that I needed it in my brain immediately! The thing about me though is that, honestly, I would probably be that person who dies in the first 5 minutes of a Supernatural episode 😆

Review: Chain of Thorns (The Last Hours #3) by Cassandra Clare

Title: Chain of Thorns

Series: The Last Hours #3

Previous books in this series: Chain of Gold (#1) | Chain of Iron (#2)

Prequel short stories: The Penultimate Hours

Other series in the Shadowhunter Chronicles: The Infernal Devices | The Mortal Instruments | The Dark Artifices

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: YA, urban fantasy, historical

Publication date: January 31st 2023

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry

Source: Purchased hardcover

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Synopsis: James and Cordelia must save London—and their marriage—in this conclusion to the Last Hours series from author Cassandra Clare.

Cordelia Carstairs has lost everything that matters to her. In only a few short weeks, she has seen her father murdered, her plans to become parabatai with her best friend, Lucie, destroyed, and her marriage to James Herondale crumble before her eyes. Even worse, she is now bound to an ancient demon, Lilith, stripping her of her power as a Shadowhunter.

After fleeing to Paris with Matthew Fairchild, Cordelia hopes to forget her sorrows in the city’s glittering nightlife. But reality intrudes when shocking news comes from home: Tatiana Blackthorn has escaped the Adamant Citadel, and London is under new threat by the Prince of Hell, Belial.

Cordelia returns to a London riven by chaos and dissent. The long-kept secret that Belial is James and Lucie’s grandfather has been revealed by an unexpected enemy, and the Herondales find themselves under suspicion of dealings with demons. Cordelia longs to protect James but is torn between a love for James she has long believed hopeless, and the possibility of a new life with Matthew. Nor can her friends help—ripped apart by their own secrets, they seem destined to face what is coming alone.

For time is short, and Belial’s plan is about to crash into the Shadowhunters of London like a deadly wave, one that will separate Cordelia, Lucie, and the Merry Thieves from help of any kind. Left alone in a shadowy London, they must face Belial’s deadly army. If Cordelia and her friends are going to save their city—and their families—they will have to muster their courage, swallow their pride, and trust one another again. For if they fail, they may lose everything—even their souls.

My rating: ★★★★★

We all carry a light inside ourselves. It burns with the flame of our souls. But there are other people in our lives who add their own flames to ours, creating a brighter conflagration.

Review: We Jace you a Clary Xmas by Cassandra Clare

Title: We Jace you a Clary Xmas

Series: The Mortal Instruments | The Dark Artifices

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publication date: December 2020

Published by: Cassandra Clare

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Source: Newsletter freebie

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Synopsis: "A Holiday Compendium of Clace Extras"

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Awake
Jace's first meeting with Clary in City of Bones, from Isabelle's point of view

2. When Midnight Comes
Jace's view of his first kiss with Clary

3. Because It Is Bitter
The scene that takes place during pages 170-174 of City of Ashes, in the chapter ​The Seelie Court​, here from Jace’s point of view. Boy, is Jace bitter here.

4. Jace POV Manor Scene
Over the years, many people have asked for this — Jace’s point of view of the “hot and heavy” scene in THIS GUILTY BLOOD, Chapter Nine of City of Glass. I’ve taken a few liberties here — the scene goes on a few moments past what happens in the printed version of CoG — but then so did the original draft!

5. The Act of Falling
Jace’s perspective on the alleyway kiss in City of Fallen Angels

6. Our Waking Souls
Jace and Clary connect during a trip to Faerie, takes place during Lord of Shadows

7. A Long Conversation
Jace and Clary marriage proposal, take one.

8. A Love That Never Tires
Jace and Clary marriage proposal, take two.

My rating: ★★★★★

A collection of short stories just about Clary and Jace? Yes please!

Review: Heart Stings (Elemental Assassin #19.5) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Heart Stings

Series: Elemental Assassin #19.5

Previous books in this series: Spider's Bite (#1) | Web of Lies (#2) | Venom (#3) | Tangled Threads (#4) | Spider's Revenge (#5) | By A Thread (#6) | Widow's Web (#7) | Deadly Sting (#8) | Heart of Venom (#9) | The Spider (#10) | Poison Promise (#11) | Black Widow (#12) | Spider's Trap (#13) | Bitter Bite (#14) | Unraveled (#15) | Snared (#16) | Venom in the Veins (#17) | Sharpest Sting (#18) | Last Strand (#19)

Short stories in this series: Poison (#0.1) | Web of Deceit (#0.2) | Spider's Bargain (#0.5) | Web of Death (#1.5) | Wasted (#2.7) | Tangled Dreams (#3.5) | Tangled Schemes (#3.7) | Spider’s Nemesis (#4.5) | Thread of Death (#5.5) | Carniepunk: Parlor Tricks (#8.1) | Kiss of Venom (#8.5) | Unwanted (#14.5) | Nice Guys Bite (#15.5) | Winter's Web (#17.5)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Adult, urban fantasy

Publication date: May 9th 2023

Published by: Jennifer Estep

Source: eARC from author for review

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Synopsis: Heart stings can be the most dangerous wounds of all...

Lorelei Parker has had plenty of “heart stings” in her life—moments that are both happy and sad. With her grandmother’s recent marriage, Lorelei has had far more good times than bad lately.

That all changes when a ruthless Ashland underworld boss starts threatening her, but Lorelei is determined to figure out why the other crime boss is so interested in her thriving business. She vows to use her elemental Ice and metal magic to do whatever it takes to defend herself and her family.

Also in the mix is the mercurial Hugh Tucker. Lorelei doesn’t know what the vampire is up to, or if he’s a friend or an enemy. Tucker might even be something else, something more—if Lorelei can stay alive long enough to figure out whose side he’s really on...

Note: Heart Stings is a 38,000-word novella from the point of view of Lorelei Parker. It takes place after the events of Last Strand, book 19 in the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. Heart Stings first appeared in the Dirty Deeds 2 anthology in 2022.

My rating: ★★★★★

We haven't had anything new in the Elemental Assassin world in a little while, so this novella was such a nice treat! And yes, I did just finish re-reading this series last month, but I still missed it, okay? 😆

Review: The Penultimate Hours (The Last Hours #0.5) by Cassandra Clare

Title: The Penultimate Hours

Series: The Last Hours #0.5

Other series in the Shadowhunter Chronicles: The Infernal Devices | The Mortal Instruments | The Dark Artifices

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: YA, urban fantasy, historical

Publication date: January 2021

Published by: Cassandra Clare

Source: Author's newsletter

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Synopsis: Welcome to The Penultimate Hours! A collection of short stories covering the various characters in The Last Hours, originally released monthly in the leadup to Chain of Gold. The Penultimate Hours also contains two special extras: a letter from Lucie to Cordelia and a letter from Ragnor to Magnus. All collected here for your reading delight!

My rating: ★★★★★

We start off this fun novella with a letter to Magnus from Ragnor! I love that grumpy warlock. Lol. He’s telling Magnus about how Wills' children are running wild around London and how the city is overly blessed with Lightwoods.

Review: The Red Scrolls of Magic (The Eldest Curses #1) by Cassandra Clare & Wesley Chu

Title: The Red Scrolls of Magic

Series: The Eldest Curses #1

Other series in the Shadowhunter Chronicles: The Infernal Devices | The Mortal Instruments | The Dark Artifices

Authors: Cassandra Clare & Wesley Chu

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: April 2019

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: All Magnus Bane wanted was a vacation.

A lavish trip across Europe with Alec Lightwood, the Shadowhunter who, against all odds, is finally his boyfriend. It doesn’t seem like too much for the centuries-old High Warlock to ask for. But no sooner have they settled in Paris than an old friend arrives with news about a demon-worshipping cult called the Crimson Hand that is bent on causing chaos around the world. A cult that was apparently founded by Magnus himself. Years ago. As a joke.

Now Magnus and Alec must race across Europe to track down the Crimson Hand and its elusive new leader before the cult can cause any more damage. As if it wasn’t bad enough that their romantic getaway has been sidetracked, demons are now dogging their every step, and it is becoming harder to tell friend from foe. As their quest for answers becomes increasingly dire, Magnus and Alec have to trust each other more than ever—even if it means revealing the secrets they’ve both been keeping.

The first book in the Eldest Curses series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Cassandra Clare and award-winning science fiction author Wesley Chu, The Red Scrolls of Magic is a fast-paced adventure bursting with magic, humor, and (if demons stop getting in the way) romance that offers a fresh look at the world of the Shadowhunters.

My rating: ★★★★★

A warrior chosen by angels and a well-dressed demon's child, in love and intent on adventure through Europe. What could go wrong?

I was gonna say that this is a book I didn’t know I needed in my life, but that is a complete lie because I have loved Malec since City of Bones 😆 And this book was everything I could’ve ever wanted, and more! Right from page one I knew I was going to love this!

Giveaway: It's National Blood Donor Month, So I'm Giving Away Some Vampire Books

It has been a minute since I last had a giveaway, and you know what? I need have a ton of books that need a new home, so this year I'm going to try and give a few books away every month. For January I decided on a couple of vampire books because it's National Blood Donor Month 😆

Review: Queen of Air and Darkness (The Dark Artifices #3) by Cassandra Clare

Title: Queen of Air and Darkness

Series: The Dark Artifices #3

Previous books in this series: Lady Midnight (#1) | Lord of Shadows (#2)

Other series in the Shadowhunter Chronicles: The Infernal Devices | The Mortal Instruments

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: December 2018

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry

Source: Purchased hardcover

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Synopsis: What if damnation is the price of true love?

Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the disease that is destroying the race of warlocks.

Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined.

Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love.

My rating: ★★★★★

This book was a rollercoaster ride. If I had to pick one gif to describe my experience reading this book, it would definitely be this one:

Review: Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2) by Cassandra Clare

Title: Lord of Shadows

Series: The Dark Artifices #2

Previous books in this series: Lady Midnight (#1)

Other series in the Shadowhunter Chronicles: The Infernal Devices | The Mortal Instruments

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: May 2017

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry

Source: Purchased hardcover

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Synopsis: Would you trade your soul mate for your soul?

A Shadowhunter’s life is bound by duty. Constrained by honor. The word of a Shadowhunter is a solemn pledge, and no vow is more sacred than the vow that binds parabatai, warrior partners—sworn to fight together, die together, but never to fall in love.

Emma Carstairs has learned that the love she shares with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, isn’t just forbidden—it could destroy them both. She knows she should run from Julian. But how can she when the Blackthorns are threatened by enemies on all sides?

Their only hope is the Black Volume of the Dead, a spell book of terrible power. Everyone wants it. Only the Blackthorns can find it. Spurred on by a dark bargain with the Seelie Queen, Emma; her best friend, Cristina; and Mark and Julian Blackthorn journey into the Courts of Faerie, where glittering revels hide bloody danger and no promise can be trusted. Meanwhile, rising tension between Shadowhunters and Downworlders has produced the Cohort, an extremist group of Shadowhunters dedicated to registering Downworlders and “unsuitable” Nephilim. They’ll do anything in their power to expose Julian’s secrets and take the Los Angeles Institute for their own.

When Downworlders turn against the Clave, a new threat rises in the form of the Lord of Shadows—the Unseelie King, who sends his greatest warriors to slaughter those with Blackthorn blood and seize the Black Volume. As dangers close in, Julian devises a risky scheme that depends on the cooperation of an unpredictable enemy. But success may come with a price he and Emma cannot even imagine, one that will bring with it a reckoning of blood that could have repercussions for everyone and everything they hold dear.

My rating: ★★★★★

Let me just say that the fact that this book started off with a Jace cameo made me extremely happy 🥰

Review: Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1) by Cassandra Clare

Title: Lady Midnight

Series: The Dark Artifices #1)

Other series in the Shadowhunter Chronicles: The Infernal Devices | The Mortal Instruments

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: March 2016

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry

Source: Purchased hardcover

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Synopsis: The Shadowhunters of Los Angeles star in the first novel in Cassandra Clare’s newest series, The Dark Artifices, a sequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.

Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…

Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?

My rating: ★★★★★

Lady Midnight takes place 5 years after the end of The Mortal Instruments, and about 3 years after the end of Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy. In this series we follow the new characters we met in those last two books of TMI, the Blackthorn kids and Emma Carstairs, who is a distant relative of Jem! There are some sketchy murders going on in LA. that Emma thinks might be connected to the murder of her parents, who were killed all those years ago during Sebastian's attack on the institutes.

Review: Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare

Title: Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy

Stories in this collection: Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy (#1) | The Lost Herondale (#2) | The Whitechapel Fiend (#3) | Nothing but Shadows (#4) | The Evil We Love (#5) | Pale Kings and Princes (#6) | Bitter of Tongue (#7) | The Fiery Trial (#8) | Born to Endless Night (#9) | Angels Twice Descending (#10)

Previous series: The Mortal Instruments

Authors: Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, Robin Wasserman

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: November 2016

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Own hardcover

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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.

Join Simon on his journey to become a Shadowhunter, and learn about the Academy’s illustrious history along the way, through guest lecturers such as Jace Herondale, Tessa Gray, and Magnus Bane. These ten short stories give an epilogue to The Mortal Instruments series and provide glimpses of what’s in store in The Dark Artifices.

My rating: ★★★★★

When I first got this book I had still only read the first 3 books in The Mortal Instruments and probably The Infernal Devices, so I was not the biggest fan of Simon. But then I finally read the remaining of TMI and I fell in love with the guy! The way he sacrificed himself City of Heavenly Fire and lost his memory to save everyone from the demon realm... he’s such a stand up guy. How could I dislike someone like that? It made me so sad that this happened to him, but I am so happy we got more of his story here! It was such a great journey and I loved following him through his 2 years at the academy!

Review: Born to Endless Night (Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy #9) by Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: Born to Endless Night

Series: Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy #9

Previous novellas in this series: Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy (#1) | The Lost Herondale (#2) | The Whitechapel Fiend (#3) | Nothing but Shadows (#4) | The Evil We Love (#5) | Pale Kings and Princes (#6) | Bitter of Tongue (#7) | The Fiery Trial (#8)

Previous series: The Mortal Instruments

Authors: Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: October 2015

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Own hardcover

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Synopsis: What happens when Magnus Bane brings a baby home to his boyfriend Alec Lightwood? One of ten adventures in Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy.

After a warlock baby is abandoned on the steps of the Academy, Magnus Bane rescues the child—and brings him home to his boyfriend, Alec.

My rating: ★★★★★

Guess who’s a guest teacher in this story? Magnus freaking Bane! Yes please, and thank you! Lol. We actually got a lot of him and Alec in this one, which I always appreciate.

Review: The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, & Maureen Johnson

Title: The Bane Chronicles

Stories in this collection: What Really Happened in Peru (#1) | The Runaway Queen (#2) | Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale (#3) | The Midnight Heir (#4) | The Rise of the Hotel Dumort (#5) | Saving Raphael Santiago (#6) | The Fall of the Hotel Dumort (#7) | What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything (#8) | The Last Stand of the New York Institute (#9) | The Course of True Love [and First Dates] (#10) | The Voicemail of Magnus Bane (#11)

Authors: Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, & Maureen Johnson

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: November 2014

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: Fans of The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices can get to know warlock Magnus Bane like never before in this collection of New York Times bestselling tales, in print for the first time with an exclusive new story and illustrated material.

This collection of eleven short stories illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality, flamboyant style, and sharp wit populate the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices.

Originally released one-by-one as e-only short stories by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan, this compilation presents all ten together in print for the first time and includes a never-before-seen eleventh tale, as well as new illustrated material.

My rating: ★★★★★

This book is all about Magnus Bane, which, yes, please! I adore my Jace and my Will and my sweet Jem, but out of all characters in this world, my absolute favorite has got to be Magnus freaking Bane. So I was extremely happy that he got his own book! Which was awesome! It spans a couple of hundred years, starting from about the 1700s to the present day. Magnus had a lot of fun adventures, but these were my top three favorite short stories in the book:

Review: The Voicemail of Magnus Bane (The Bane Chronicles #11) by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, & Maureen Johnson

Title: The Voicemail of Magnus Bane

Series: The Bane Chronicles #11

Authors: Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, & Maureen Johnson

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: November 2014

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Purchased hardcover

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Synopsis: The voice mail of Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn, in the days following a certain incident in City of Lost Souls.

My rating: ★★★★★

So here is your spoiler warning for things that happened in City of Lost Souls. If you have not read that book yet, avert your eyes!

Review: The Fall of the Hotel Dumort (The Bane Chronicles #7) by Cassandra Clare & Maureen Johnson

Title: The Fall of the Hotel Dumort

Series: The Bane Chronicles #7

Authors: Cassandra Clare & Maureen Johnson

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: October 2013

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Purchased hardcover

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Synopsis: Magnus Bane watches the once-glamorous Hotel Dumort become something else altogether in 1970s New York City.

Fifty years after the Jazz Age rise of the Hotel Dumort, immortal warlock Magnus Bane knows the Manhattan landmark is on the decline. The once-beautiful Hotel Dumort has fallen into a decayed thing, a ruin, as dead as a place can be. But the vampires don't mind...

My rating: ★★★★☆

This short story takes place in the 70s and things are crazy! Vampires being reckless and just awful. There’s a vampire killer out there and the werewolves are worried that they might be found out by mundanes and that they (the werewolves) would get in trouble too by extension. So in order to avoid this, the werewolves were covering for those assholes! It was a mess! And Camille was awful in this. While I can see (from the Edmund Herondale short story) why Magnus would like her, in this one? No. She sucks. Lol.

Review: Saving Raphael Santiago (The Bane Chronicles #6) by Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: Saving Raphael Santiago

Series: The Bane Chronicles #6

Authors: Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: September 2013

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Purchased hardcover

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Synopsis: A Manhattan teen—Raphael Santiago—is missing, and Magnus Bane must track him down before it’s too late.

In 1950s New York City, a distraught mother hires Magnus Bane to find her missing son, Raphael. But even if he can be found, is Raphael beyond saving?

My rating: ★★★★★

So this short story takes place in the 50s, when Magnus was apparently a PI. Lol. Raphael’s mother comes to Magnus for help in getting her son back from los vampiros. So Magnus agrees to help and goes to the Hotel Dumort to find Raphael, the hotel which Camille has laid claim to.