Title: Ghosts of the Shadow Market
Authors: Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, Kelly Link, and Robin Wasserman
Format: Hardback, library book, e-book on overdrive.
Published: 4 June 2019
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
The Shadow Market is a meeting point for faeries, werewolves, warlocks and vampires. There the Downworlders buy and sell magical objects, make dark bargains, and whisper secrets they do not want the Nephilim to know. Through two centuries, however, there has been a frequent visitor to the Shadow Market from the City of Bones, the very heart of the Shadowhunters. As a Silent Brother, Brother Zachariah is sworn keeper of the laws and lore of the Nephilim. But once he was a Shadowhunter called Jem Carstairs, and his love, then and always, is the warlock Tessa Gray.
Follow Brother Zachariah and see, against the backdrop of the Shadow Market’s dark dealings and festive celebrations, Anna Lightwood’s first romance, Matthew Fairchild’s great sin and Tessa Gray plunged into a world war. Valentine Morgenstern buys a soul at the Market and a young Jace Wayland’s soul finds safe harbor. In the Market is hidden a lost heir and a beloved ghost, and no one can save you once you have traded away your heart. Not even Brother Zachariah…
Son of the Dawn: I enjoyed this quick flashback of a story that mainly took place from Brother Zachariah and Isabelle’s perspectives. Truthfully, I would enjoy reading more from Izzy’s point of view. While it wasn’t the most exciting story, it was nice to have this glimpse of how Jace came to join the Lightwood family, and how he unknowingly impacted Brother Zachariah.
Also I love the art for this cover.
“I have found it always better to hope than despair”
Cast Long Shadows: Such a bittersweet read that brought together old and new friends. I don’t know much about Matthew Fairchild, but I think this story told me a great deal. It also really emphasized the difficult place Brother Zachariah is in, but how he manages to be there for his old friends and their children.
“We love all the same people, don’t we?”
Every Exquisite Thing: THE WORM REFERENCE HAS ME DECEASED. So far I think this story has the best writing. I enjoyed reading about Anna, though my heart broke for her, I love how her mother (Cecily) stepped in to provide Anna with what she needed – acceptance, love, and a new suit. Of course, Gabriel’s support was lovely to read as well. It was also oddly refreshing to read about a Shadowhunter that was not an avid bookworm. Anna really stands out, and I hope to read more about her.
“Women should value other women, even if society often did not”
Learn About Loss: I feel like this story gently tugged at my heart. What started as a seemingly simple mission with Brother Zachariah and Sister Emilia turned into so much more, and I really enjoyed reading it. Reading a little more about an Iron Sister was really great too, because I feel like they are the most vague characters in the series, despite the whole Annabelle Blackthorn/Iron Sister thing. I would definitely like to read more about them in the future. Overall, however, it was the last few paragraphs that stole the show. Oh, my heart.
“The face of the one you love is the best mirror of all. It shows you your own happiness and your own pain and it helps you to bear both, because to bear either alone is to be overwhelmed by the flood.”
A Deeper Love: First of all, this might be my favorite cover art, although it is heartbreaking in so many ways. Of course, the story itself is quite heartbreaking in a number of ways – to the very real war, to the suffering that comes with being immortal, and to Brother Zachariah’s seemingly endless struggle to be who he once was. I loved seeing Tessa, Catarina, and Brother Zachariah together. Ugh. All the feels.
“So many problems are caused by unnecessary secrets.”
The Wicked Ones: This short story was a great set up for The Dark Artifices. It helped explain a great deal of things, and I appreciated reading about a younger Stephen Herondale and Robert Lightwood, plus the important formal introduction to Celine. It took me a second to realize who she was. While I found that this story dragged a little bit, I definitely appreciated just how much information it provided, filling in some gaps that I didn’t realize I needed fill in.
“It would be unjust to blame the past for choices made in the present. Nor can we justify present choices by invoking the sins of the past.”
The Land I Lost: I wanted to love this story, but it just felt like it dragged on and was a bit too corny. I appreciated Alec having his own story and learning more about his own dreams and fears, but I wasn’t as invested as I feel like I should have been.
“Anyone who says women are weak is afraid they’re too strong.”
Through Blood, Through Fire: I really enjoyed this story. It was the perfect mix of providing more information about characters like Johnny Rook and telling more of Jem and Tessa’s story. It was the ultimate bitter-sweet story, filled with loss, love and hope.
“It was easier not to feel. It was safer not to love. It was possible to make oneself silent and still as stone, to wall oneself off from the world and its losses, to empty one’s heart. It was possible, but it was not human.”
The Lost World: Livvy is a hard character to let go of, so this story definitely tugged on my feels. There were small touches of joy, but also feelings of great frustration knowing that being a ghost can’t end well for Livvy, which means at some point Ty will have to suffer her loss all over again.
“I would tell them this. That the future isn’t fixed. If we see a path in front of us that we would not choose, then we can choose another path. Another future.”
Forever the Fallen: Quite honestly, I don’t care for/about Jace and Clary (they make the series a chore for me), but I felt oddly bad for Janus and his situation. The Jem side of the story was a nice break from the heavier things, and it was nice to see how he and Tessa helped to guide Kit toward knowing how loved he is.
“Memories were like love: wound and cure, both at once.”
Syl Reads 
Nice reviews 😀 Cassandra Clare is an author I havent read ^^ I have a friend who like books like that but she stopped liking Cassandra Clare because she felt like most her books are the same. But I know many who like her books 😀 Maybe I should try a book out just to see.
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Thank you! Haha, she is kind of like the James Patterson of YA. I have a love-hate relationship with her books. Her historical fiction is much more enjoyable than her present-day writing. I could barely get through The Mortal Instruments series, but her other stuff is mostly okay! 😀
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soo lovely!! this is a great review.
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Aw!! Thank you so much. That made my day!
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