The ultimate fan service for Shadowhunter loyalists.
Ten short love stories starring Shadowhunter couples (and one throuple).
Clare starts off strong with “The Good Storm,” which brings back the beloved Will and Tessa Herondale of the controversial Infernal Devices love triangle. Their Parisian honeymoon is interrupted when a spell cast upon Will makes him lose all his painful memories but also forget his love for Tessa. Meanwhile, Luke Garroway’s letter to Jocelyn Fairchild in “Who the Wolf Loves” is filled with an incredible yearning that will devastate readers. But there are some fun, action-packed romps, too. “Zachary’s Day Out” follows Thomas Lightwood and Alastair Carstairs as they chase down the latter’s baby brother, who then magically transforms into a middle-aged man, and “City of Broken Hearts” centers on Simon Lewis and Izzy Lightwood, whose bickering is caused by some sort of demonic influence. Clare, a romantasy legend, depicts a spectrum of love stories that are rich in diversity, including the beautiful Sapphic romance between Ari Bridgestock and Anna Lightwood and the iconic polyamorous relationship involving Mark, Cristina, and Kieran. The author even offers a glimpse into the unsettling relationship between the Seelie Queen and Sebastian Morgenstern. Readers who are deeply familiar with the Shadowhunters universe will enjoy reuniting with many of their favorite characters, who vary in hair, skin, and eye colors.
The ultimate fan service for Shadowhunter loyalists. (Fantasy short stories. 14-adult)Pub Date: Dec. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9798217225705
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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