Gr 9 Up-n these 10 coauthored stories (each about 100 minutes), Clare links characters from her "Mortal Instruments," "Infernal Devices," and "Dark Artifices" series, with the help of past collaborators and independent YA authors. Fans of Clare's arch humor, snarky banter among characters, handsome leading men, and whip-wielding heroines will not be disappointed. Simon Lewis is the mundane/vampire/Shadowhunter Academy student who carries the narrative thread from tale to tale. Readers familiar with Clare's earlier books will be privy to the inside jokes, but the stories are accessible to anyone. Simon and George Lovelace never take themselves too seriously and banter with just the right mix of sexiness and humility, bravery and self-doubt. Romantic sparks fly between popular couples from earlier books, as well as between some new interests, human and otherwise. Clary still kicks butt, Isabelle still commands attention when she enters a room, the Wild Hunt still rides, and Ascension is still a dangerous but worthy goal. Each entry has its own able narrator, who reads with a variety of accents. George Lovelace's Scottish burr is mastered better by some narrators than by others. The Shadowhunters all sound buff, beautiful, brave, and like someone you'd want in your corner when the going gets tough. VERDICT A must-have where Clare's books are popular (which probably means everywhere). A PDF of the illustrations at the start of each chapter is included with the audiobook.Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX

Those who have been following the Mortal Instruments series know that Simon Lewis, a teen from Brooklyn, has had his share of adventures: he has been a vampire, has helped save the world, and has gone out with Isabelle, one of the most revered and beautiful Shadowhunters. Now he is back to being human, a "mundane," and amnesia has rendered him a stranger to both his adventures and his friends. The only way he can see to once again become the person so important to Clary, Jace, and, yes, Isabelle is to train as a Shadowhunter and find the hero within.This hefty tome of short stories reads like well-written fan fiction, not only filling in the blanks on what happens to Simon after saving the world but also illuminating the past of other prominent characters in the series and detailing the history of Shadowhunters. Clare has assembled a group of ringers, three of the most talented authors writing supernatural fiction for teens, to assist with this collection, which will no doubt please fans of Clare's series.Sean Rapacki.

Ten previously published short stories take Simon from amnesia to Ascension.After losing both his memory and his vampirism at the climax of City of Heavenly Fire (2014), Simon Lewis can't bear to be around the nigh-strangers who were once his best friend, his Shadowhunter allies, and his girlfriend, Isabelle. What better way for Simon to regain his lost life than to attend demon-fighting school, prepare to drink from the Mortal Cup, and hope Ascension grants him both phenomenal cosmic powers and his lost memories? Over the course of two years, the white, Jewish Simon goes from being a gangly nerd to someone who fits in among the "near perfect specimen[s] of humanity" who are his classmates. Though Simon builds a social network among both Shadowhunter and mundane students, the institution itself never becomes any less stunningly discriminatory (the mundanes, as "dregs," live in the slime- and rat-infested basements, for instance), making Simon's efforts feel futile. Simon himself measures his own improvement by gaining enough bulk to "trade in his ladies'-sized gear for a men's size." With chapters originally published as individual e-books over the course of 2015, this compilation shows its seams; the characters and setting are reintroduced every 60-odd pages. Stuffed with cameos from nearly every character of note from the Shadowhunter universe, there's not even enough room here for fan service. (Fantasy. 12-15)

Simon helped save the world in the Mortal Instruments series, but he lost his memories. Ten stories chronicle his time at Shadowhunter Academy, re-learning how to be a hero (and Isabelle's boyfriend); recurring characters appear as "guest lecturers," filling holes in the mythos and dropping hints about future series. Despite the underwhelming plots, some characters do undergo real development, and the school setting offers familiarity.

Simon Lewis can't stay home, not when he's lost his memories but not the emotions connected to them. He knows he loves his friends, but for him, their shared history has been erased. All he can do is head to the Shadowhunter Academy and hope that as he trains, his memories will return. At the academy, he has to deal not only with the grueling training sessions and often boring lessons but also the always-simmering tension between mundanes like him and the kids born to be Shadowhunters. Originally published as individual e-books, each story in this collection follows Simon's journey and is filled with a light wit that balances the high stakes of his magical school. While the emotional connection might not immediately be there for those unfamiliar with the Mortal Instruments series, the characters are well drawn and quickly pull readers in. A black-and-white comics spread before each story adds further appeal, resulting in a great read for fantasy fans who want to be completely immersed in a different world. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The best-selling Mortal Instruments series isn't losing any steam. Expect plenty of interest from both readers and fans of the movies and the Shadowhunters TV series.