Fact 1: Austria canonically was in a wheelchair at one point

Fact 2: the wheelchair was invented in the late 1500s

Fact 3: why the hell didn’t Hima tell us when

I’ve talked about this quite a bit with some of my friends and various family members who probably looked like I was crazy. *Following gifs are not mine*

No one, and I mean no one deserves Wanda Maximoff. For four movies we see her struggle and fight with everything she has to make a place for herself, to achieve and gain something that has eluded her for years: peace. She and her brother volunteer for Strucker’s experiments, and maybe they do it for revenge on any and all people that hurt them, but (and no one can fight me on this) their endgame, their deep-under-the-surface reason is for peace. They’re not after world piece or maybe not even peace within Sokovia, but peace within themselves. Where they don’t have fight like hell every day just to barely survive and have to do it all over again the next day. 

Her powers are unparalleled. No one has powers like hers, especially to her knowledge, and she has to learn to control them all on her own, with her only source of “encouragement” being HYDRA and Strucker. She is trained and raised to be a weapon without anyone telling her that that’s wrong, and I speculate that she doesn’t even know it. When the Avengers show up and attack the base, she’s fueled not only for her hatred for them (primarily because of Tony) but also because of whatever anti-Avengers propaganda was most likely drilled into her head by Strucker and other HYDRA operatives. 

She and her brother side with Ultron because he promises them the peace that they seek. He assures them that he’s meant to save humanity and the world by getting rid of terrorists, like the Avengers. Wanda’s skeptical (of course she is, she’s heard that promise before) and not being able to see into Ultron’s head doesn’t help, but she forces down her worries, maybe even her fears, because this is what she wants more than anything. It won’t fix what happened, it won’t bring back her parents, but she won’t have to lose anyone else. 

Or so she thinks.

Wanda is not evil. She was a misguided, angry little girl in pain. She lost her parents at the tender age of ten to a bomb manufactured under the name of a man who flies around trying to help people and save the world. Imagine the hypocrisy of that. Ultron destroys her home and kills her brother, her protector, her friend, the only blood family she has left on this earth, and once again she loses everything she loves to the hands of Tony Stark.

She’s only a secondary character, so we barely see into the inner workings of her mind, but--and this is just my speculation--it seems to me, that is nearly impossible for Wanda to walk away from the events at the end of Age of Ultron with no mental issues whatsoever. I speculate that at the very least she has depression (from the loss of her brother, but also the loss of her parents) and maybe PTSD (again, from the bomb that killed her parents, and the fight in Sokovia against Ultron). Since we don’t see her get help (if she does) or deal with any mental disorders (including anyone, except for Tony’s disorders are addressed), it’s hard to say exactly what she has, if anything, and how she’s doing. The most I can do is assume that all and all, she’s not doing great, or at least not as great as she looks. 

In Civil War, Wanda looks fine. She’s learning how to be an Avenger, learning from Steve and Natasha, she looks like she’s gaining some confidence, which is a big step considering that she seemed to lose some during the fight with Ultron probably a year prior. We don’t know if she’s been on any missions before Lagos, but given that Steve and Natasha keep drilling her on what to look out for and testing her, she probably hasn’t been on many. 

Then Rumlow’s bomb goes off and Steve is stuck in the blast zone, surrounded by a crowd of people. Wanda acts on instinct, doing what she was taught to do, which is to protect civilians at all cost (that’s their job, right?), and she lifts the bomb (and Rumlow) with her powers away from the civilians. It’s easy to see how difficult it is for her to try to contain the blast, doing so is probably painful for her, and she accidentally slips, and the bomb goes off in a building killing eleven people. 

Now, while eleven people killed is a lot, it’s not as bad as a whole marketplace full of them. She feels like she did bad, that she’s a murderer, and while she was responsible for those eleven people killed, Wanda saved more people than she killed, her friend and teammate included. The confidence she was starting to gain? Once again, she’s lost it. Her name is plastered on every news station, some people calling her a monster, some calling her a terrorist, some are calling her arrest, and she’s agreeing with each and every one of them. She has lost all faith in herself and her abilities and the only person to make her feel better is Steve, who tells her that it’s okay to make mistakes that it’s impossible to save everyone. 

He doesn’t let her beat herself up about this because Steve fought in a war--WWII. He’s speaking from personal experience, from the point of view of a soldier. Steve would love to be able to save everyone, but it’s not practical. He wanted to save Bucky on the train, but if he had, his whole team could’ve been put at risk, not to mention so many other innocent people that would’ve been affected had they not done their job. To save millions of people, he sacrificed himself and crashed that plane into the ice. Steve knows what she’s going through and he sympathizes with her, and she maybe is even starting to feel better. Until Secretary Ross shows up with the Accord.

The Accords that seem to primarily be targeted at someone like her, an enhanced individual. Ross--without tact or sympathy--addresses Wanda’s failings and nightmares, showing video footage of both Sokovia and Lagos, and then stands in front of her, comparing--mostly Bruce Thor--powered people to “a couple of 30 megaton nukes” (even Tony compares her to something dangerous, rather than a person, calling her “a weapon of mass destruction”.) She’s faced with an impossible decision: either sign away her rights or retire. She doesn’t know what will happen to her if she retires. She’s scared and she’s hurting, and the arguing between her friends, her family, is damaging her already damaged mental health. 

She looks up at them and says “You’re saying they’ll come for me.” It’s not a question, it’s a statement. She already knows how she’s looked at in the eyes of this country. Vision promises that they’d protect her, but can he really promise that? I don’t think she believes that. She’s conflicted and sad, and doesn’t put up much of a fight when Tony puts her on house arrest (without her knowledge). When Vision explains that she can’t leave the compound because of other people’s safety instead of her own, she doesn’t fight him. She just looks defeated, and she remains so until Clint comes to get her out. 

At first she turns away from him and hides herself. She listening to what they’re saying about her on the news, what maybe some of her teammates are saying and reflects it back at Clint saying “I’ve caused enough problems.” She looks at herself and sees a troublemaker, a nuisance, a terrorist, rather than a kid trying her best to be and do good. And Clint--loveable, papa Clint--refuses to listen to her self-deprecating sorry attempt at a refusal. He sees her for who she is, and makes her see it too, albeit kind of harshly, and reignites some of her lost confidence. 

For the first time in a while she stands up for herself, pushing Vision into the floor gritting out perhaps one of the greatest lines of dialogue to come out of these movies, “I can’t control their fear, only my own.” Wanda stops being afraid of herself and chooses to fight for her rights and herself with Steve in Germany. Even when it’s incredibly clear that she will be reprimanded harshly for what she chose to partake in, she doesn’t care. 

In return, she is treated inhumanely. She is targeted by Ross and those in the Raft, fitted with a straight jacket and shock collar. She is seen and treated as a monster, and when the shot cuts to her and once more she looks defeated. In fact, she looks hollow. Like a shell and she’s not even there. She’s alone and her worst fears have been realized. 

 We don’t see what her life is like after she’s rescued by Steve until Infinity War. She is in Edinburgh with Vision, and for the first time ever, we see her happy. Genuinely happy. She’s smiling, she’s without a care in the world, and she’s allowing herself to be happy with Vision. Until the Black Order show up. Vision is injured, we see her stand to fight them, placing herself between Vision and Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive.

Arriving at the compound and meeting up with Rhodey and Bruce, they all learn of Thanos and his quest for the stones, suddenly, just like the rest of her life, she’s forced to lose something she loves. Choosing not to sacrifice Vision may be selfish, but she’s allowed to be selfish. Vision is all she has left in this world that loves her for who she is. He isn’t afraid of her or her powers, and sees the beauty in it. Vision has always seen the good in her and he’s the one thing that makes her happy, so she holds on to him for as long as she can. 

They look for another way, head to Wakanda and try to take the stone out before destroying it. The battle breaks out and she’s kept away from it, protecting Vision and keeping ready to destroy the stone the second it’s out. She’s something we haven’t really seen and it’s determined. When she enters the battle, defending Natasha and Okoye, she’s sure of herself and her abilities, and doesn’t falter. She’s not timid and scared like in Civil War. 

But all that comes crashing down again once Thanos arrives and she’s forced to do the one thing that will destroy her. She doesn’t want to, she keeps refusing him, but there’s no time and no more options. Looking at Vision, with tears rolling down her cheeks and her bottom lip trembling, she turns her powers onto Vision.

The powers that took so long for her to love. The powers that made her do horrible things. The powers that made everyone including herself see her as a monster. The powers born from hate, that seem to destroy more than build. The powers that only one person saw beauty in, were now being used to kill the last bit of love in her life. 

And when it’s done, when she’s destroyed the stone, when she’s doubled over in grief and hatred for herself, she is forced to witness the love of her life come back to her, only to be killed again in front of her, his lifeless gray body thrown to the ground like he was nothing. 

She doesn’t fight anymore. Everything was drained out of her, and when Thanos snaps, and she starts turning to dust, when everyone around is looking in confusion, fear, or pain, she looks up from Vision’s body with relief.

When her death comes, she’s grateful because anything, even death, is better than being alone. She’ll be reunited with her family, her parents, her brother, and she won’t have to be alone anymore. 

Now Endgame, I think we can agree, was a huge mess. But when Bruce brings everyone back, and they all come through the portals, ready to take on Thanos, I think that scene was just *chef kiss*

Wanda’s coming back from the snap with the events of Infinity War still feeling pretty fresh. It didn’t feel like five years to her, and in fact, to her, it probably feels as though she lost Vision only hours ago. So when she faces off 2014 Thanos, she’s angry.

Not only is she feeling the loss of Vision, but she also comes to learn that she lost Natasha as well. Natasha, a person who probably meant a great deal to her, maybe a considered part of her family, someone who always tried to protect her and taught her how to survive in this world. She’s gone, having sacrificed herself to bring Wanda (and the rest of the fallen) back, and Wanda never got to say goodbye. Then, in an act that completely went against his entire character, Steve disappears into the past when returning the stones to live his life with Peggy, and she loses Steve as well, someone who always believed in her and believed the best in her from the beginning, even in Ultron. They leave her to deal with her grief ALONE.

And now I come to WandaVision, her show premiering on Disney+ at some point. And while I can’t say for certain how it will end up, going based on how Marvel has treated this particular character and with how the premise of the show looks, I can only guess that whatever is left of Wanda’s crumbled and incredibly damaged mental health is going to be blown to smithereens, sending her into a downward spiral of madness. 

I (and many others, too many to name and give credit to, but I’m giving it) speculate that in the show, Wanda creates her own happiness, giving her the life she wants and wishes she had with Vision (marriage, kids, etc.) and eventually loses touch with reality, thus, it's them fucking with her already damaged and shitty mental state even more when something snaps her back to reality. Again, can’t say for sure that that’s what will happen, but one can guess. I sincerely hope that Wanda’s mental health will stop getting kicked around like a hacky sack, but I really doubt that she’ll be shown mercy. Since her first moment on screen when she was included in the MCU, Marvel has taken every opportunity to tear her down in every way. They make her lose everything and everyone she’s ever loved, while simultaneously creating situations that cause her character to be torn down, leaving her to question everything about her and what she does. 

Ghosts of the Shadow Market by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, Kelly Link and Robin Wasserman

The Shadow Market is a place that has been around for centuries. An odd community where faeries, warlocks, werewolves, shadowhunters and the like have come to trade secrets and goods, information and magic. Over its many years, in multiple cities, it has had a visitor who keeps coming back for one reason or another. Brother Zachariah, James Carstairs, Jem, or however you know him, has been attending various Shadow Markets for the majority of his existence. Follow Jem’s journeys through the Shadow Markets of the past and present as he meets friends and family, fights evil and finds love in this wonderful collection of stories bound to entrance you.

–SPOILERS–

Okay, let me just say that overall this book was a blessing and I couldn’t have anticipated (and trust me I was greedily awaiting this book) a better collection of stories. I think the best way to go about a book such as this one is to go story by story, give each one’s pros and cons, however imbalanced the two may be (many pros, not so many cons). So without further ado, in order (with some slight overlaps), is my review for Ghosts of the Shadow Market.

Cast Long Shadows: Let me just say that Matthew Fairchild is a blessing of a boy, James honestly could not have asked for a better parabatai, I just love my fashionable little drama queen. First off I love that he likes to have a good time and get into mischief (reminds me of Will), I also loved the way he greeted Jem when he saw him in the Shadow Market. His personality is infectious and I really hope we get to see more of him in the future especially with how the story left off. I felt so awful that that old lady tricked him, he was totally manipulated and he thought it was his fault and it made him so upset and then you find out centuries later that that awful woman knew what she was doing? And I was so worried for Charlotte but it was so nice to see her and Henry despite the circumstances. I love Charlotte so much she’s such an amazing person, she has endured so much as was so looked down upon but remained strong in the face of adversity, with the support of her wonderful family of course. But this story really made me feel for Matthew, I was so sad I just wanted to reach in and hug him. And when James tried to comfort him in the best way he could, it was so sweet, I really love them.

Every Exquisite Thing: Okay, first things first, the art in this book was spectacular and I just can’t even describe it, the picture of Anna was so beautiful. And the story, ugh, I loved it so much! Probably in my top three out of this book, for a couple of reasons. One: Anna is so amazing and I love her so much, her personality, the way she interacts with others, she’s just so sure of herself, just an all around beautiful human being. Two: She’s a major piece of (accurate) queer representation during a time period when being queer wasn’t super acceptable, especially for women. She was just so confident and accepting of herself and her sexuality, it’s inspiring. Three: Her parents are literally so cool. Her mother and father were so supportive and accepting! I loved the part where they were arguing over the color of the suit and not the fact that they got a suit for their daughter in the first place. It’s such a great message and it just made my heart absolutely melt. Yes, this story was sad at some parts, I mean she finally had her first love and then this girl told her they couldn’t be together because she was obligated to marry a man? Gross but accurate. I just really can’t get over how much I loved this story. I hope to see so much more of Anna in future pieces, she’s such an amazingly mysterious character. I also see where Alec gets it from *wink wink*

Learn About Loss: Yay, now we’re in America. And we get to hang out with Jem, not that he’s not already in every story in this book. Also yay, a new character, nice to meet you Iron Sister Emilia. Right off the bat I was super intrigued, it is not the usual spot for Jem to be, it’s unusual company and Shadow Markets shouldn’t exist in the middle of nowhere, neither should a full-fledged, free carnival during the sloughs of the Great Depression. But here we are, two immortal beings trying to figure out this madness. I don’t have a whole lot to say about this story except for its ending. Emilia is probably one of my new favorite people after what she did for Jem. Even though she didn’t want to make that deal with that demon she did it so that Jem and Will could go back to how things used to be before Will moved on from this world to the next and Jem stayed stuck in time having to live through the death of his parabatai. Also, the scene at the end where Will and Jem are together and they’re trying to figure out what’s happening and the first thing Jem thinks of is food, that’s a mood, to be honest. I also love that he suggested duck dumplings, and Will’s response was pure gold. I love the Herondale hatred towards ducks, it’s so random and probably one of my favorite quirky details in these books.

A Deeper Love: I love Tessa Gray. I love Tessa Gray! I honestly can’t express to you how much I love her but I’ll try. This story made me sad, probably the most out of any of these. Not only because it was taking place in such an awful time period, WWII is no joke. It was also sad because you just feel the way the grief was weighing on her. She loved Will so much, I can’t even imagine the pain. But Tessa had an amazing support system that she could turn to, it’s great to see the beginning of what will become a life long friendship. Then you add in Jem on his super secret mission, and he gets all messed up and I’m like *dead*, so he goes to Tessa because he can’t die without seeing her one last time and then she ends up saving his life in-between trying not to get blown up or set on fire. What a badass woman. Their relationship is so amazing, it has transcended time and it’s just really cool getting to see that background of their life together especially later in this book. It’s just super amazing to see that kind of love blossom over a century.

The Wicked Ones: This story had me messed up. It was so weird seeing Celine as a teenager when all we really know about her is that she’s Jace’s mom and that she was Stephen’s second wife after Valentine made him divorce Amatis. Also, the age difference is a bit much if you ask me. But it was interesting getting to learn more about her past especially since it’s something Jace ponders so often. It was also interesting getting to see the dynamics of the circle and how Valentine really got what he wanted, how he started this whole debacle. The way he manipulated Celine and took advantage of her childhood abuse was just revolting. It was so sad to see that she was willing to give up everything just to get Stephen to love her back even if it wasn’t real. It was so awful to read this and know everything that happens because of this, it was almost painful but it was so intriguing.

Son of the Dawn: Baby Jace do do do do. I was so happy I got to witness the moment of Jace’s beginnings in New York. We all kind of know the story, his “dad” died to he went to live with the Lightwoods and they took him in because Michael was Robert’s parabatai. Speaking of parabatai, it hit me hard when Jace, even though I know he changes his mind, said towards the end that parabatai are a weakness. It was so sad to see just how broken he was knowing that he’s happy now. This looking into the past stuff can be really upsetting. But it was intriguing to see all these characters that I know and love at the beginning of their stories. I loved that we got to see the beginning of Alec and Raphael’s “I distinctly remember you being twelve” thing, also I loved getting to see into little Izzy’s mind and what she was thinking when this strange boy arrived. It was so weird seeing Maryse and Robert, knowing what happens to them in the future and how much they evolve. But it was also nice knowing that all of these characters have so much development in the other books, it warmed my heart.

The Land I Lost: This story was by far my favorite story. I just love Malec so much I just can’t even begin to describe how incredibly happy they make me. I love Max, he’s such a cute little guy, wants to be just like Alec which I think is adorable (rolled his sweater in cat litter, ha! classic). Magnus and Alec are such good parents, it just melts my little heart! And then Alec has to leave and Max gets upset which is funny, he’s such a cute kid I seriously can’t get over it. I also think it’s funny that all he wants is a brother or a sister (and a dinosaur). I love love love Alec’s relationship with Lily, they’re the best of buds. On the topic of Lily Chen, her obsession with Jem is so funny, her nicknames for him are pure gold, peak comedy. I also love Elliot, despite his being a fairly minor character he always seems to pop up and he’s just a great source of comic relief (It’s hilarious that he likes Robert, I can’t get over it). But I was so incredibly appalled when they got to institute in Buenos Aires, that guy was a complete asshole. I can’t believe that he addressed Lily that way, she’s a blessing, he had no right. And then they go to the Shadow Market and it’s filled with children. That’s probably the saddest thing, all of the books talk about how much the Endarkened affected the Shadowhunters and how it now affects the Fey but nobody really talks about the other downworlders and how it’s affecting them and the Downworld as a whole. That’s one thing I love about Alec so much, he really cares for all people, he wants to change the world for the better. He’s such a great person. And then he meets Rafe. Ugh what a sweet, introverted, sassy little boy. I fell in love with him the moment he appeared on the page. It was so sad that the institute had been so corrupted that they wouldn’t even help a child of their own kind, although in this case I'm kind of glad that they didn’t. It was great that the Queen of the Shadow Market was the werewolf that Alec saved on the Orient Express, that was one of my favorite scenes in The Red Scrolls of Magic (go read it if you haven’t yet!) It was great getting to see Alec take charge of everything, he really is a hero to those people, he’s gonna do so many great things, I can’t wait to see what happens next. I loved that Rafe immediately liked Magnus too, even if it was just through pictures. It’s also great that Alec was sent those pictures in the first place, that is such a parent thing to do. The fact that Rafe was practically adopted by Alec the first time he laid eyes on the kid was such a great show of Alec’s character and how much he’s developed since the beginning of the series. And it was so amazing that Magnus was like duh, of course, we’re keeping him, are you stupid? I just love them so much. Okay, this review is getting long so I’m gonna stop ranting about my favorite fam for now.

Through Blood, Through Fire: I had mixed feelings about this story. At first, I was like yay! Jem and Tessa are happy and they’re trying to find the lost Herondale (Kit, my baby boy), but then Rosemary gets killed when she calls for help and I was so sad, I knew that Johnny Rook died since that was in the Dark Artifices but then to know that Rosemary was so close to them and all she wanted to do was find them and be with them but she knew she couldn’t because she didn’t want her son to be in danger, ugh, a true tragedy. I felt so bad for Jem too, he cared so much for her and wanted to protect her so badly and he felt so guilty when she died, it was so upsetting. But I’m so glad that they got to Kit in time, he’s such a great character I want to read about him all the time. But that problem Tessa had with the transformation was so scary, I was so worried for her. I can’t imagine having to live through that for what must’ve seemed like a lifetime. But then she found out she was pregnant because of it and they were so happy, although I can’t imagine what Tessa must feel knowing that she will outlive her *second* true love and their child, she went through it once already, I can’t imagine twice. But I’m looking on the happy side! I have to or else I would start crying. So yeah, mixed feelings…

The Lost World: Yay! Ty, my son, my boy. I love him so much. And Livvy, although I’m still pissed that she died, and obviously so is she, but I’m glad she’s around. I have mixed feelings about Ty going to the Scholomance. It was a dream that he had, one that he wanted to share with Livvy and he kind of is but not really. I’m also upset that he’s writing to everyone except for Kit and that is not okay, at all. You can’t just separate yourself from your problems Ty! (I’m looking at you too Kit, run away to another country just because you're in love. What an overly dramatic thing to do, I wonder where he gets it from?) But I liked this story for a couple of reasons, One: it was Livvy POV! I was so worried we wouldn’t get to see her again. I also love that Ty adopted that lynx, like what a mad lad he is, I love him. It was also super interesting to learn about Livvy’s ghostliness along with her and Ty, it was very intriguing. I also was so happy that she got to see Kit, and that she scared him. (He deserves it for running away from his feelings). It must get lonely when only three people can see you. I also can’t imagine what that must’ve felt like for Livvy when she started causing all that scary stuff, and when she went too far from Ty I was already worried. Also, Zara. Just imagining her say even one word makes me so angry. I hate her with my entire being, but then Livvy was called back so we didn’t have to deal with Zara anymore which made me happy. I was so incredibly concerned when she was thinking about replacing Jem and Tessa’s baby. As much as I love Livvy, I would protect that baby with my life. But overall this was just an intriguing little story and I hope we get to see Kit, Ty, and Livvy get the gang back together in the future.

Forever Fallen: AAAAAHHHHH! This story gave me whiplash! I’m serious! One moment I’m like yes! Jessa had their baby and I want to give her the world and Jem is such a good dad, not only to Mina but also to Kit, they’re such a perfect little family (also Jem has a castle? Badass.) And then it’s like “Hey I’m Thule Jace, aka Janus. I want to kill everyone except for Clary because I love her in every universe” and I’m like “hold up, what?!” I was so incredibly worried when Max found Janus, I thought he was going to kill little Max and my heart was so afraid for my little blueberry boy. I was also really upset that Janus killed that werewolf girl and faerie boy, it was so sad and unnecessary. And then we were back to Kit and Jem and Tessa and little baby Mina being the perfectness that they are. Jem is such an incredible dad, I love that he said that waking up in the middle of the night and caring for Mina was a privilege like what a mans. And then Kit was there because he didn’t want her to wake up Jem and Tessa, like!!! He’s such a good big brother and Mina knows it. Then Jem referred to Kit as his son and I almost cried because it was just so adorably beautiful I could barely handle it. Then we’re back to NYC where Janus is being a creep and following people around. And then he saw Clary in that alley I was so afraid for her, I thought he might kill her, I don’t know why since he still loves her, but he’s creepy, bad vibes dude. This story just had my emotions all over the place. But I’m going to try and focus on one of the most wonderful families in the world instead of evil Jace.

Okay, guys! That’s it, I’m sorry this review was so long but, what’s a girl to do when she really loves a book? I sincerely hope that everyone who is a fan of Cassandra’s books will read this collection because it’s truly amazing.

-maren

Ghosts of the Shadow Market by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, Kelly Link and Robin Wasserman

The Shadow Market is a place that has been around for centuries. An odd community where faeries, warlocks, werewolves, shadowhunters and the like have come to trade secrets and goods, information and magic. Over its many years, in multiple cities, it has had a visitor who keeps coming back for one reason or another. Brother Zachariah, James Carstairs, Jem, or however you know him, has been attending various Shadow Markets for the majority of his existence. Follow Jem’s journeys through the Shadow Markets of the past and present as he meets friends and family, fights evil and finds love in this wonderful collection of stories bound to entrance you.

–SPOILERS–

Okay, let me just say that overall this book was a blessing and I couldn’t have anticipated (and trust me I was greedily awaiting this book) a better collection of stories. I think the best way to go about a book such as this one is to go story by story, give each one’s pros and cons, however imbalanced the two may be (many pros, not so many cons). So without further ado, in order (with some slight overlaps), is my review for Ghosts of the Shadow Market.

Cast Long Shadows: Let me just say that Matthew Fairchild is a blessing of a boy, James honestly could not have asked for a better parabatai, I just love my fashionable little drama queen. First off I love that he likes to have a good time and get into mischief (reminds me of Will), I also loved the way he greeted Jem when he saw him in the Shadow Market. His personality is infectious and I really hope we get to see more of him in the future especially with how the story left off. I felt so awful that that old lady tricked him, he was totally manipulated and he thought it was his fault and it made him so upset and then you find out centuries later that that awful woman knew what she was doing? And I was so worried for Charlotte but it was so nice to see her and Henry despite the circumstances. I love Charlotte so much she’s such an amazing person, she has endured so much as was so looked down upon but remained strong in the face of adversity, with the support of her wonderful family of course. But this story really made me feel for Matthew, I was so sad I just wanted to reach in and hug him. And when James tried to comfort him in the best way he could, it was so sweet, I really love them.

Every Exquisite Thing: Okay, first things first, the art in this book was spectacular and I just can’t even describe it, the picture of Anna was so beautiful. And the story, ugh, I loved it so much! Probably in my top three out of this book, for a couple of reasons. One: Anna is so amazing and I love her so much, her personality, the way she interacts with others, she’s just so sure of herself, just an all around beautiful human being. Two: She’s a major piece of (accurate) queer representation during a time period when being queer wasn’t super acceptable, especially for women. She was just so confident and accepting of herself and her sexuality, it’s inspiring. Three: Her parents are literally so cool. Her mother and father were so supportive and accepting! I loved the part where they were arguing over the color of the suit and not the fact that they got a suit for their daughter in the first place. It’s such a great message and it just made my heart absolutely melt. Yes, this story was sad at some parts, I mean she finally had her first love and then this girl told her they couldn’t be together because she was obligated to marry a man? Gross but accurate. I just really can’t get over how much I loved this story. I hope to see so much more of Anna in future pieces, she’s such an amazingly mysterious character. I also see where Alec gets it from *wink wink*

Learn About Loss: Yay, now we’re in America. And we get to hang out with Jem, not that he’s not already in every story in this book. Also yay, a new character, nice to meet you Iron Sister Emilia. Right off the bat I was super intrigued, it is not the usual spot for Jem to be, it’s unusual company and Shadow Markets shouldn’t exist in the middle of nowhere, neither should a full-fledged, free carnival during the sloughs of the Great Depression. But here we are, two immortal beings trying to figure out this madness. I don’t have a whole lot to say about this story except for its ending. Emilia is probably one of my new favorite people after what she did for Jem. Even though she didn’t want to make that deal with that demon she did it so that Jem and Will could go back to how things used to be before Will moved on from this world to the next and Jem stayed stuck in time having to live through the death of his parabatai. Also, the scene at the end where Will and Jem are together and they’re trying to figure out what’s happening and the first thing Jem thinks of is food, that’s a mood, to be honest. I also love that he suggested duck dumplings, and Will’s response was pure gold. I love the Herondale hatred towards ducks, it’s so random and probably one of my favorite quirky details in these books.

A Deeper Love: I love Tessa Gray. I love Tessa Gray! I honestly can’t express to you how much I love her but I’ll try. This story made me sad, probably the most out of any of these. Not only because it was taking place in such an awful time period, WWII is no joke. It was also sad because you just feel the way the grief was weighing on her. She loved Will so much, I can’t even imagine the pain. But Tessa had an amazing support system that she could turn to, it’s great to see the beginning of what will become a life long friendship. Then you add in Jem on his super secret mission, and he gets all messed up and I’m like *dead*, so he goes to Tessa because he can’t die without seeing her one last time and then she ends up saving his life in-between trying not to get blown up or set on fire. What a badass woman. Their relationship is so amazing, it has transcended time and it’s just really cool getting to see that background of their life together especially later in this book. It’s just super amazing to see that kind of love blossom over a century.

The Wicked Ones: This story had me messed up. It was so weird seeing Celine as a teenager when all we really know about her is that she’s Jace’s mom and that she was Stephen’s second wife after Valentine made him divorce Amatis. Also, the age difference is a bit much if you ask me. But it was interesting getting to learn more about her past especially since it’s something Jace ponders so often. It was also interesting getting to see the dynamics of the circle and how Valentine really got what he wanted, how he started this whole debacle. The way he manipulated Celine and took advantage of her childhood abuse was just revolting. It was so sad to see that she was willing to give up everything just to get Stephen to love her back even if it wasn’t real. It was so awful to read this and know everything that happens because of this, it was almost painful but it was so intriguing.

Son of the Dawn: Baby Jace do do do do. I was so happy I got to witness the moment of Jace’s beginnings in New York. We all kind of know the story, his “dad” died to he went to live with the Lightwoods and they took him in because Michael was Robert’s parabatai. Speaking of parabatai, it hit me hard when Jace, even though I know he changes his mind, said towards the end that parabatai are a weakness. It was so sad to see just how broken he was knowing that he’s happy now. This looking into the past stuff can be really upsetting. But it was intriguing to see all these characters that I know and love at the beginning of their stories. I loved that we got to see the beginning of Alec and Raphael’s “I distinctly remember you being twelve” thing, also I loved getting to see into little Izzy’s mind and what she was thinking when this strange boy arrived. It was so weird seeing Maryse and Robert, knowing what happens to them in the future and how much they evolve. But it was also nice knowing that all of these characters have so much development in the other books, it warmed my heart.

The Land I Lost: This story was by far my favorite story. I just love Malec so much I just can’t even begin to describe how incredibly happy they make me. I love Max, he’s such a cute little guy, wants to be just like Alec which I think is adorable (rolled his sweater in cat litter, ha! classic). Magnus and Alec are such good parents, it just melts my little heart! And then Alec has to leave and Max gets upset which is funny, he’s such a cute kid I seriously can’t get over it. I also think it’s funny that all he wants is a brother or a sister (and a dinosaur). I love love love Alec’s relationship with Lily, they’re the best of buds. On the topic of Lily Chen, her obsession with Jem is so funny, her nicknames for him are pure gold, peak comedy. I also love Elliot, despite his being a fairly minor character he always seems to pop up and he’s just a great source of comic relief (It’s hilarious that he likes Robert, I can’t get over it). But I was so incredibly appalled when they got to institute in Buenos Aires, that guy was a complete asshole. I can’t believe that he addressed Lily that way, she’s a blessing, he had no right. And then they go to the Shadow Market and it’s filled with children. That’s probably the saddest thing, all of the books talk about how much the Endarkened affected the Shadowhunters and how it now affects the Fey but nobody really talks about the other downworlders and how it’s affecting them and the Downworld as a whole. That’s one thing I love about Alec so much, he really cares for all people, he wants to change the world for the better. He’s such a great person. And then he meets Rafe. Ugh what a sweet, introverted, sassy little boy. I fell in love with him the moment he appeared on the page. It was so sad that the institute had been so corrupted that they wouldn’t even help a child of their own kind, although in this case I’m kind of glad that they didn’t. It was great that the Queen of the Shadow Market was the werewolf that Alec saved on the Orient Express, that was one of my favorite scenes in The Red Scrolls of Magic (go read it if you haven’t yet!) It was great getting to see Alec take charge of everything, he really is a hero to those people, he’s gonna do so many great things, I can’t wait to see what happens next. I loved that Rafe immediately liked Magnus too, even if it was just through pictures. It’s also great that Alec was sent those pictures in the first place, that is such a parent thing to do. The fact that Rafe was practically adopted by Alec the first time he laid eyes on the kid was such a great show of Alec’s character and how much he’s developed since the beginning of the series. And it was so amazing that Magnus was like duh, of course, we’re keeping him, are you stupid? I just love them so much. Okay, this review is getting long so I’m gonna stop ranting about my favorite fam for now.

Through Blood, Through Fire: I had mixed feelings about this story. At first, I was like yay! Jem and Tessa are happy and they’re trying to find the lost Herondale (Kit, my baby boy), but then Rosemary gets killed when she calls for help and I was so sad, I knew that Johnny Rook died since that was in the Dark Artifices but then to know that Rosemary was so close to them and all she wanted to do was find them and be with them but she knew she couldn’t because she didn’t want her son to be in danger, ugh, a true tragedy. I felt so bad for Jem too, he cared so much for her and wanted to protect her so badly and he felt so guilty when she died, it was so upsetting. But I’m so glad that they got to Kit in time, he’s such a great character I want to read about him all the time. But that problem Tessa had with the transformation was so scary, I was so worried for her. I can’t imagine having to live through that for what must’ve seemed like a lifetime. But then she found out she was pregnant because of it and they were so happy, although I can’t imagine what Tessa must feel knowing that she will outlive her *second* true love and their child, she went through it once already, I can’t imagine twice. But I’m looking on the happy side! I have to or else I would start crying. So yeah, mixed feelings…

The Lost World: Yay! Ty, my son, my boy. I love him so much. And Livvy, although I’m still pissed that she died, and obviously so is she, but I’m glad she’s around. I have mixed feelings about Ty going to the Scholomance. It was a dream that he had, one that he wanted to share with Livvy and he kind of is but not really. I’m also upset that he’s writing to everyone except for Kit and that is not okay, at all. You can’t just separate yourself from your problems Ty! (I’m looking at you too Kit, run away to another country just because you’re in love. What an overly dramatic thing to do, I wonder where he gets it from?) But I liked this story for a couple of reasons, One: it was Livvy POV! I was so worried we wouldn’t get to see her again. I also love that Ty adopted that lynx, like what a mad lad he is, I love him. It was also super interesting to learn about Livvy’s ghostliness along with her and Ty, it was very intriguing. I also was so happy that she got to see Kit, and that she scared him. (He deserves it for running away from his feelings). It must get lonely when only three people can see you. I also can’t imagine what that must’ve felt like for Livvy when she started causing all that scary stuff, and when she went too far from Ty I was already worried. Also, Zara. Just imagining her say even one word makes me so angry. I hate her with my entire being, but then Livvy was called back so we didn’t have to deal with Zara anymore which made me happy. I was so incredibly concerned when she was thinking about replacing Jem and Tessa’s baby. As much as I love Livvy, I would protect that baby with my life. But overall this was just an intriguing little story and I hope we get to see Kit, Ty, and Livvy get the gang back together in the future.

Forever Fallen: AAAAAHHHHH! This story gave me whiplash! I’m serious! One moment I’m like yes! Jessa had their baby and I want to give her the world and Jem is such a good dad, not only to Mina but also to Kit, they’re such a perfect little family (also Jem has a castle? Badass.) And then it’s like “Hey I’m Thule Jace, aka Janus. I want to kill everyone except for Clary because I love her in every universe” and I’m like “hold up, what?!” I was so incredibly worried when Max found Janus, I thought he was going to kill little Max and my heart was so afraid for my little blueberry boy. I was also really upset that Janus killed that werewolf girl and faerie boy, it was so sad and unnecessary. And then we were back to Kit and Jem and Tessa and little baby Mina being the perfectness that they are. Jem is such an incredible dad, I love that he said that waking up in the middle of the night and caring for Mina was a privilege like what a mans. And then Kit was there because he didn’t want her to wake up Jem and Tessa, like!!! He’s such a good big brother and Mina knows it. Then Jem referred to Kit as his son and I almost cried because it was just so adorably beautiful I could barely handle it. Then we’re back to NYC where Janus is being a creep and following people around. And then he saw Clary in that alley I was so afraid for her, I thought he might kill her, I don’t know why since he still loves her, but he’s creepy, bad vibes dude. This story just had my emotions all over the place. But I’m going to try and focus on one of the most wonderful families in the world instead of evil Jace.

Okay, guys! That’s it, I’m sorry this review was so long but, what’s a girl to do when she really loves a book? I sincerely hope that everyone who is a fan of Cassandra’s books will read this collection because it’s truly amazing.

-maren