By Cassandra Clare & Joshua Lewis
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Review: I usually write a summary to go along with every review, but The Shadowhunter’s Codex is a bit unique to describe, so I figured I’d include a quick synopsis here instead. It’s basically a reference book for Shadowhunters, the demon fighting warriors from Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series. The Codex covers a range of topics about the Nephilim: their origin and some key moments in their history, their laws, types of demons they might encounter, and just about every other Shadowhunter-related topic you can think of.
I had this book lying around on my shelves since its release, and my motivation for buying it at the time was its pretty sweet price. Had it not been discounted, I probably would have eventually sought out a copy at the library. I admit to being a tad skeptical about whether or not this was essential reading. With the exception of Tahereh Mafi’s Destroy Me, series novellas don’t exactly set my pulse racing in anticipation, so what could I expect from a book that’s . . . a fictional guide to the world of two fictional series?
Two factors really worked to the benefit of The Shadowhunter’s Codex. One, I absolutely love the world. Two, I’d just finished reading City of Heavenly Fire and needed to read more, more, more about the Shadowhunters. Anything. Everything. So here was the perfect time to dust off my copy of this book!
The Shadowhunter’s Codex is supposed to read like a textbook of sorts, and indeed, it even sports discussion questions at the end of each chapter. It manages to simultaneously sound like a serious academic work yet not take itself too seriously. There are some tongue-in-cheek moments, like when the Codex encourages you to try introducing yourself to a Silent Brother. Adding to the lighter side are annotations in the margins by TMI’s Clary, Simon, and Jace. You’re actually supposed to be reading Clary’s copy of the Codex, which Simon and Jace keep seizing so they can contribute their “expertise” to it.
Besides the surprise humor, I enjoyed learning more about Jonathan, the legendary first Shadowhunter created by the angel Raziel. The section on parabatai was short, but I still found it really interesting. Some parts did drag; those were the ones that read most like a textbook. On the whole, I liked this more than I thought I would, although if you’re only a casual TMI/TID fan, you can probably pass on this.
All in All: Recommended for diehard Shadowhunter fans, not as much for everybody else.
