I would recommend this reader to fans who want to see The Mortal Instruments in a different light. There are quite a few in-depth explorations that are interesting and make for a nice read. ~ Under the Covers
I would consider myself a pretty big Mortal Instruments fan. I used to read a lot of YA before submerging myself into the Romance genre, but TMI still remains as one of my favorite YA series. It’s very well-written, very well-executed and has very lovable characters. Naturally, when I saw this reader, I wanted a little bit more of this awesome world. But it actually turned out to be much different than I initially anticipated.
This book is a compilation of various essays by some amazing authors such as Holly Black, Sarah Rees Breenan, Rachel Caine, Kami Garcia and more. I’ve also read and loved these authors too so I figured this would be right up my alley.
The major thing here is just my expectations going into this book and what how it differed from what this book really is. As I said earlier, it’s a bunch of essays that various authors have written about Clare’s world. I’m not exactly sure how I feel about this. It was enjoyable, but unless you’re a major fan who would like to see the world in a different light, through the lens of other authors and what the series means to them, then this might interest you. However, if you are expecting an insider’s guide so to speak, than this isn’t exactly it.
That being said, after my initial confusion, I found myself liking a lot of the essays. There’s also a nice introduction by Cassandra Clare herself as she talks about the genesis of the series.
I would recommend this reader to fans who want to see The Mortal Instruments in a different light. There are quite a few in-depth explorations that are interesting and make for a nice read. But do keep in mind that this isn’t like reading other authors writing blog posts on another author’s work. These are critical essays, not merely casual observations and raving about how awesome the series/author is.
*ARC provided by Netgalley
Did you like this review? If so, please tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
[about-author author=”Cassandra Clare”]
Thanks for the review – I was hoping for more of an “insiders guide” type book so I probably won’t be getting this one
Truth be told, I was hoping for that too. But still pretty unique idea.
Thanks for the review, I too thought this was going to be an insiders guide. Now that I know what it is, I will pass.
Definitely different than what I thought going in!
Like the other commenters, if this was an Insider’s Guide, most definitely it would go on my TBR list. I’m just not sure I want to read essays critiquing a world I’ve come to know & love.
Thanks for the honesty!
It just depends on what you’re into. I liked it, but for YA fans? Not sure how the critical essays would hold their interests.
Thanks for the heads up on this Ann!
No problem!
Thanks Ann for the review.