Spoiler Warning: Light spoilers for each story (as I’m going to talk about what happens in each story but I’ve avoid the endings). No spoilers for TMI, TID, TLH, or TDA.
When to Read: This is a collection of short stories from the Shadowhunter world that follow the warlock Magnus Bane through two centuries. You can read them all before City of Heavenly Fire or right after– OR, how I recommend, is splitting them up: if you want to know when I think you should read each of these, or if you are reading TSC for the first time, check out my Shadowhunters Guide & Reading Order under the “more” tab.
What Really Happened In Peru: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
It’s a cute story, (I liked 1890 the best). I really liked seeing more of Magnus, Catarina, and Ragnar as friends. The ending made me a bit mad.
The Runaway Queen: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
It’s fun, but not a favorite. I like the love interest for Magnus and wish we got to see more but it does say a lot about the differences in Magnus’s love life.
*I am confused about the timeline of these first 2 stories: one says he’s been in London for 6 years but the other says he hasn’t settled in the years since he lost his last love despite them both happening in 1791. Help me out?
Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I really liked this insight into Edmund and the beginning of the Accords. Magnus and Camille’s meeting not what I expected.
The Midnight Heir: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This is one of my favorites – though it was an interesting first look (at least for how I read it) into James which I now know is very unlike him. Makes me curious for TLH.
The Rise Of Hotel Dumort: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I love Magnus owning a speakeasy – those scenes were so fun. The rest is a bit forgettable and the ending is a lot with little explanation.
Saving Raphael Santiago: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I was never a Rafael fan but this made me like him way more. The scenes with Rafael and Ragnar made me laugh (especially the first thing Ragnar says when he sees Raphael).
The Fall Of The Hotel Dumort: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This one is a lot to unpack, and left me feeling stunned. I don’t like the ending and can’t help but wonder if this is because the story contradicts some thing else Magnus said in the books at some point.
What To Buy A Shadowhunter Who Has Everything: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Love Elyaas and how he’s become a running joke. Love to hear about the beginning of Malec’s relationship. I want to know if Alec ever finds out what Magnus did.
The Last Stand of the New York Institute: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This short story had to most impact on me in showing me how truly terrible Valentine is. Most of the awful things Valentine and his Circle did, we got secondhand in TMI, this shows them right at their height. It makes what the Circle did more real and more cruel, and shows you how far they were willing to go. – This one hit hard. I love Tessa standing up and speaking her truth.
The Course Of True Love: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 YESYESYESYES😍😍😍 (enough said) but really, it had me laughing and feeling awkward and then smiling. We get probably the first really good look (if read after COB) into Alec’s personality.
The Voicemail of Magnus Bane: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 😭😭😭 I feel so bad for Alec but I also understand Magnus. Isabelle and the last line are funny.
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
These are very different than TftSA or GotSM as they really don’t have a story that travels through all of them. These are just fun, individual moments in Magnus‘s life. Though, I will say if there is one thing that connects them it is that Magnus‘s life has been both fun and exciting, and heartbreaking. You see this in each story, and it captures reality of the life of a immortal.
I enjoyed getting a bit of a history lesson – I looked up all the events in history as I read about them and learned a lot I didn’t know!
I love Magnus so I very much enjoyed them and I want more! What was his life like in the London punk scene in the 1970s (I’m mad it was mentioned but we saw none of it!)? Did he fight in any wars? What was meeting Alec’s parents like?
What would you want to see from Magnus’s life? Post your response on my instagram or tumblr!
If you are a Shadowhunters fan, also check out my Shadowhunters Stories Chronological Timeline!
Life Is Just A Blur 