This is a collection of short stories from the world of the Shadowhunters. I would not suggest reading this anthology if you have not read The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare because certain stories won't make as much sense unless you have the background information to the tales.
Clare has several series in The Shadowhunter world. Its best to read them in this order: The Infernal Devices which starts with Clockwork Angel. The Mortal Instruments: starts with City of Bones, and the newest, The Dark Artifices: starts with Lady Midnight.
I usually like series based anthologies but the way this one went it should have been a novella, or even a connective bridge novel between The Mortal Instruments and The Dark Artifices. Its not really a collection of short stories in the sense of an anthology.
All the stories connect to Simon's time at The Shadowhunter academy or to what is going on at the academy at this time. It would have read better as one tale. The stories aren't bad, but they could have been so much more.
The opportunity to enrich the Shadowhunter world was sadly wasted. All the reader gets is some glimpses of academy life and some of that is no surprise. Even the other tales not related to the academy life, could have been so much more.
For example, Jack the Ripper could have been much better, and make a little more sense in why the murders were done. At least Simon's story gets completed enough to satisfy fans of the Mortal Instruments. Some of the tales even connect into The Dark Artifices series.
Yes, I would suggest this gets read before the Dark Artifices series, but don't expect a really great and entertaining read.
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