Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy, by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan

Book 15 of 2015

I rarely read novellas, but when I’m as familiar with characters as I am with the ones featured in the Mortal Instruments series, I tend to bend the rules for myself.

Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy is the first in a series of novellas to be released monthly. These novellas follow ex-vampire Simon as he embarks on a new journey: becoming a Shadowhunter.

Simon is eager to begin the next stage in his life away from Jace, Clary, and Isabelle, since he doesn’t remember almost anything from his human or vampire life. A guilt-ridden Simon leaves New York for his training in Alicante, Spain. He soon finds himself uncomfortable with Shadowhunter training, yet he is praised by his fellow students for being a badass vampire. Simon worries: if he doesn’t fit in here, will he ever fit in anywhere?

I wasn’t thrilled with the caliber of the writing, but at the same time, Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy is one of those mindless, enjoyable, quick tales. I’ll continue reading these novellas because of my love for the characters, if not for anything else.

This journey will prove to be a long one for Simon: with no memory and only one friend at Shadowhunter Academy, he will have to work to find out who he is, and who he is meant to be.