Book Review: Ghosts of the Shadow Market by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, Kelly Link, & Robin Wasserman

I realize it’s been literal months, just about six, to be exact. I could go into a whole spiel explaining why, but I’d rather not. I know these are trying times, but I’m going to try and have one book review out per month, so here’s hoping this works! This review is for September. I finished this book in early 2020, but of course, it took me eons to review it. But I’m so glad I get the chance to review it now! ♡ (As usual, if you’re only interested in my overall thoughts, scroll to the bottom.)

He and Tessa had been alive too long to deceive themselves, and he thought about what might happen to a child born at the eye of such a storm. He thought about Tessa, her will and her strength, her refusal to let loss after loss harden her against love, her refusal to hide any longer from the brutality of the mortal world, her determination to fight, to hold on.
She too had been a child born of storms, he thought, as had he, as had Will. All three had risen in love through their struggles to find happiness—and without the struggle, would the happiness have been so great?

— i.

Every community needs a heart. There had to be a common area where everyone could gather, to trade for goods and secrets, to find love and riches.

Well, this review was long overdue, but I am so happy to get it done finally! Ghosts of the Shadow Market was nothing short of Shadowhunter excellency. It’s probably my favorite Shadowhunter anthology to date because Cassandra Clare may as well have titled it The Herongraystairs Tales. The book was a love letter to them with a heaping side serving of Arianna and Malec. All our favorite recurring Shadowhunter characters were back, plus excellent introductions to new favorite characters! There was so much to love and digest here. Anyway, I will not review each story individually because that would require splitting this review into ten sections, so I’ll break it down by chronological highlights. Let’s get to it!

— ii.

They said your uncle Will could not be with your aunt Tessa, that your aunt Sophie and uncle Gideon could not be together. And yet, I think you will find that they were wrong, and they would have been wrong even if marriage had been forbidden. Even when laws are unjust, hearts can find a way to be together. If you love someone, I have no doubt you will find a way to spend your life with them, Anna. You are the most determined child I know.

The first thing I’d like to touch upon is the glance we got into The Last Hours characters, specifically my adopted child, Matthew Fairchild, and my lesbian warriors, Anna Lightwood and Ariadne Bridgestock. Their stories were beautiful and heartbreaking character introductions that helped us going into Chain of Gold. Heck, before even starting TLH, they’re already complex, well-rounded, developed characters. I fell in love with the three of them in GOTSM. Cassandra Clare was always brilliant at bringing characters to life, and Matthew, Anna, and Ariadne are no exception. My heart broke for Matthew in “Cast Long Shadows,” and I rooted for Anna and Ariadne, as individuals and as a relationship, in “Every Exquisite Thing.” Their stories prove that side content Cassandra Clare writes for the Shadow World does not hurt her characters, unlike other books or series.

— iii.

After all, the very fact of his presence here was evidence of his still-human heart. He’d been hunting for decades—because of Will, because of Tessa, because a part of him was still Jem, the Shadowhunter boy who had loved them both.

Of course, this review would not be complete without talking about the beautiful Herongraystairs, a.k.a. Will/Tessa/Jem. I’m about to disclose an unpopular opinion, so here I go. While most people prefer either Will/Tessa or Jem/Tessa, I love the trio as a complete poly relationship, rather than a poly-v relationship (which is what they are). I know it (probably) wasn’t intentional, but there were so many undertones throughout The Infernal Devices that made it quite impossible for me to believe Will/Jem was purely platonic love. They’re nothing like Clary/Simon or Emma/Cristina (yes, I know they weren’t parabatai, but they did wish it), purely platonic relationships. Will/Jem had magical elements that reminded me of how Emma/Julian first started showing signs of feelings (the effects of the parabatai bond). I don’t think Will/Jem were in love or are in love, but I think their relationship passed the friendship boundaries a long time ago, even without Tessa. Tessa just happened to complete them. Seriously, whenever CC discussed Alec/Jace in the context of Will/Jem, just felt so wrong because Alec/Jace is purely platonic, and they’re also brothers. I know CC does not see anything past a deep platonic relationship for Will/Jem, but I interpreted it quite differently. I often say Herongraystairs is not a love triangle, but a love circle, because they’re all just in love with each other.

Whew, did not mean to go off on a tangent there, but I just wanted to disclose that before I talk about the Herongraystairs dynamic in this anthology, which I loved. I meant what I said earlier in this review; every story in GOTSM alluded to Will, Tessa, and Jem and the sacred, epic love they share (even in stories where none of their characters had any real spotlight). Their dynamic was by far my favorite aspect of Ghosts of the Shadow Market, and the anthology provided even more never before seen Herongraystairs content, which I didn’t even think was possible. Seriously, I could write an entire essay on why their dynamic is the best of all dynamics in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. I probably will one day. Time to jot that idea down for a future blog post.

— iv.

You choose to be yourself, your best self. You can be descended from gods and monsters. You can take the light they left you and be a lamp shining out all their light made new. You can battle the darkness. You can choose always to fight and hope. That is what it means to have a great heart. Don’t be afraid of being yourself.

One last highlight I’d like to discuss is the last two stories because of all the allusions to The Wicked Powers. I realize these allusions only happened in “Forever Fallen,” but they made me even more excited for the series. I walked away from Ghosts of the Shadow Market with so many new ideas and theories about TWP. Every word Cassandra Clare (and her co-authors) write on the page has a purpose, and in this case, it was to hint at what is coming. Part of what makes someone a good writer is if every word they write is meaningful somehow. CC truly has a unique way with words, and the allusions to TWP clearly show that. I am beyond excited for the beginning of the end! (I say, low key crying.)

— v.

There are more kinds of love than stars, said Brother Zachariah. If you do not feel one, there are many others. You know what it is to care for family and friends. What we keep sacred keeps us safe. Consider that by trying to cut yourself off from the possibility of being hurt, you shut the door on love and live in darkness.

Finally, just some general stuff regarding Ghosts of the Shadow Market as a whole, like pacing, character arcs, writing quality, etc. As usual, Cassandra Clare (and her co-writers in this case) write beautifully and know how to capture emotions, setting, and dialogue. I also think it was smart to put the stories in chronological order. They did not do that for The Bane Chronicles, and when we went back and forth toward the end, it threw off the entire anthology and gave me whiplash. The only thing I wasn’t impressed with was that by the end of GOTSM, I felt that some of the passages were a little repetitive. I love these characters with all my heart, but there are only so many ways you can talk about loss and pain and enduring life until it becomes redundant. Otherwise, everything else was great!

— vi.

Alec recalled a story about a magician with Shadowhunter blood, known as Roland the Astonishing, who had lived a long, happy life with his best beloved. He thought of the Market and the Institute mingling in the streets of Buenos Aires, of Jem and Tessa, of love and trust in a changing world, and showing his sons they could be anything they wanted, including happy.

Overall, Ghosts of the Shadow Market is the best Shadowhunter anthology yet. The book reaffirms your love for familiar characters while making room in your heart for new characters. I am so excited for The Last Hours and The Wicked Powers now. Plus, you can never have too much Herongraystairs content. If you read the Shadowhunter books, please consider picking up this GOTSM, even if companion stories are not your thing. You won’t regret it, I promise.

GOTSM has officially become my new favorite Shadowhunter anthology, and my favorite story from the collection is “Forever Fallen,” despite genuinely loving all of them. But I want to hear from you guys! Of all the Shadowhunter short story collections, which one was your favorite? What was your favorite story from Ghosts of the Shadow Market? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Don’t forget to check out my latest reviews and editorials on TV Fanatic, and here is my review of The Red Scrolls of Magic in case you haven’t read it yet!

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Rating: ★★★★☆ | GoodReads