Mundie Moms

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Cassie Clare Shares 'Exclusive Sneak Peek from Son of the Dawn' #Shadowhunters #SonoftheDawn



Shadowhunter fans, if you're a subscriber to Cassie's newsletter, than check your inboxes! Yesterday's newsletter was full of fabulous goodies from book news, to more on the recent cover reveals, including Son of the Dawn, this exclusive sneak peak, and more!


One of the things Cassie shared is the Son of the Dawn cover without the wording, so you can see all the details. The SON OF THE DAWN cover reveal was part of a reveal of the 1st three books in the Ghosts of the Shadow Market. You can read more about those cover reveals here. I am loving the details on this cover. 

Next, Cassie also shared another exciting sneak peak from SON OF THE DAWN. Incase you've missed any of the previous one, you can also read those here

Exclusive Sneak Peek from Son of the Dawn

“What do the initials mean? On your staff. Do all Silent Brothers have them?”

They looked together at the staff. The letters were worn by time and Zachariah’s own flesh, but they had been struck deep into the wood in the precise places where Zachariah would put his hands on them when he fought. So, in a way, they would always be fighting together.

The letters were W and H.

No, said Brother Zachariah. I am the only one. I carved them into the staff on my first night in the City of Bones.

“Were they your initials?” the boy asked, his voice low and a little timid. “Back when you were a Shadowhunter, like me?”

Brother Zachariah still considered himself a Shadowhunter, but Jonathan clearly did not mean any offense.

No, said Jem, because he was always James Carstairs when he spoke of what was dearest to him. Not mine.

Pre-Order Son of the Dawn, which will be available as an ebook & on audio on 4/10/18! Ebook from: Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Barnes & Noble
AudioAudible | Kobo


Cassie also shared more information about Ghosts of the Shadow Market, including the first book from it, SON OF THE DAWN. Here's what she said:
Of course the thing I’m most excited about at the moment is Ghosts of the Shadow Market, which if you missed hearing about it is a linked series of stories (like the Bane Chronicles and Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy) about Jem Carstairs after he became a Silent Brother. It’s also the story of the Shadow Market throughout the centuries, and how Jem pursues a mystery there that will effect him, his family, and eventually the whole Shadow World. I’m excited to share these stories of new corners of the Shadow World, and hopefully they will lessen the pain of waiting for Queen of Air and Darkness to come out. 
The first story, Son of the Dawn, debuts online and on audio April 10th. It’s the tale of ten-year-old Jace Wayland arriving in New York City to meet his new family, and how he becomes friends with Alec and Isabelle Lightwood. It’s also the story of how he is watched over by Brother Zachariah, also known to us as Jem Carstairs.
We can't wait to read the entire collection of stories. Catch up with all of the previous SON OF THE DAWN excerpts, cover reveals, and more, here.

Friday, March 30, 2018

OBSIDIO by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff / Blog Tour: Book Review #OBSIDIO


Welcome to the last stop in the OBSIDIO blog tour! I'm so thrilled to share my review for Amie and Jay's newest release. Though if I were smarter, I would have done a review in a gifs, would have looked something like this: 


Instead, I wrote a review, which I shared below. There is also a giveaway you'll definitely want to check out! First, a little bit about ObSIDIO, which was released on Tuesday! 


ABOUT THE BOOK



By: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Published: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Released on: March 13, 2018
Series: The Illuminae Files Book 3
Purchase from: Amazon |  B&N
Add it to Goodreads

Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they'll find seven months after the invasion? 

Meanwhile, Kady's cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza's ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha's past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. 

With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken.


MY REVIEW

"LIVE A LIFE WORTH DYING FOR."

What a fantastic ending! This book is full of shocking twists, plenty of action, a large cast of characters I have come to love, and a perfect ending for this series. I don't think Kaufman and Kristoff could have wrapped up the character storylines any better than they did with this book. That doesn't mean they didn't try to rip out their readers' hearts in the mean time..... I feel like I stepped off an emotional rollercoaster when I finished this book.

My favorite sci-fi characters are back, as are a few new ones. I really liked how the new characters were introduced into this story. It made sense, and worked perfectly with all that goes down in this book. It was interesting seeing the mix of characters, not to mention the shocking revival of another one! Oooh that was something I didn't see coming, and it was oh so good. It's hard picking a favorite character, because they each play important roles in the story both individually and together. The banter in this book is my favorite! It definitely provides the laughs in the midst of the darker themes. 

Talk about shocking twists. I'm pretty sure Kaufman and Kristoff were just playing with their readers emotions through out this entire book. I swear I can hear their evil author laughs now. My word, I was not excepting to become so emotionally involved with this story, though I should have known better. Despite trying not, some of the scenes forced me to shed a tear or two, okay more than a couple. I couldn't help, especially during this scene..... "You know better than anyone what I am. Every story needs it's monster -. But this story will end soon......". I edited this to keep out names, so there are no spoilers in this quote. 

Writing wise, Kaufman and Kristoff made me a sci-fi fan with this series. I love the way their series is written. Despite the page count of each book in the series, each one is an unique blend of story telling that worked perfectly. Using graphic novel techniques, classified files, illustrations, court records, video transcripts and more to tell the story, readers are easily in engaged with all that's going on. There's no confusion over which parts of the story are being told by who. 

This is a story that keeps you hooked, but doesn't quite prepare you for the book feelings that are going to ensue. Just know it will be too late to emotionally brace yourself when you start reading a certain scene or scenes and realize what's about to happen. It will be too late to stop reading. Just embrace the fact you will feel gutted and betrayed by Kaufman and Kristoff for what they will make you feel, and the ugly tears that may come. 

Obsidio is the ending I had excepted, and hoped for all at the same time. Yet, it was still full of the unexpected. This story revealed truths and shocking secrets, saw characters pushed to their max and rewarded for it, and ends with a closure for some, and a new beginning for others. It's the perfect ending given all that has happened, and all that the characters have endured through out this series. Trust me, you'll definitely want to pick OBSIDIO if you've read the other two books in this series! 

If you haven't yet checked out Illuminae or Gemina, do so now! You can check out my reviews for both these books, here

*Thank you to the publisher for proving me a copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest review.


ABOUT THE SERIES


The Illuminae Files_01



ByAmie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Published byAlfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers 
Released on: October 20th, 2015
SeriesThe Illuminae Files #1
Purchase from: Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.
 

The Illuminae Files_02


By: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Released: October 18, 2016
Series: The Illuminae Files #2
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | iBooks
Add it to Goodreads 

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik is the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this . . . they hope.

Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, GEMINA raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.



ABOUT THE AUTHORS




Amie Kaufman is the New York Times bestselling co-author of These Broken Stars and This Shattered World, and Illuminae, the first in a new series starting in 2015. She writes science fiction and fantasy for teens, and her favourite procrastination techniques involve chocolate, baking, sailing, excellent books and TV, plotting and executing overseas travel, and napping.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband, their rescue dog, and her considerable library. She is represented by Tracey Adams of Adams Literary.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads


Jay Kristoff  is the award-winning author of THE LOTUS WAR trilogy, a Japanese-inspired steampunk fantasy. Part 3, ENDSINGER, is out now. He’s also co-author of the upcoming ILLUMINAE (with Amie Kaufman), a YA Sci-Fi… thing, to be released by Knopf/Random House in 2015, and NEVERNIGHT, the first part of a new fantasy trilogy kicking off in 2016.

Jay is 6’7 and has approximately 13380 days to live. He abides in Melbourne with his secret agent kung-fu assassin wife, and the world’s laziest Jack Russell.


He does not believe in happy endings.
ENTER TO WIN!
3 winners will receive a finished copy of OBSIDIO, US Only.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

ARU SHAH and the END OF TIME by Roshani Chokshi / Book Review #AruShah #AruShahandtheEndofTime


By: Roshani Chokshi
Published by: Disney Hyperion / Rick Rioridan Presents
Released on: March 27th, 2018 - TODAY!
Series: A Pandava Novel #1
Ages: 8 & up
Add it to Goodreads
Rating: 5 Owlets
Thank you to Disney Hyperion for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review

Best-selling author Rick Riordan introduces this adventure by Roshani Chokshi about twelve-year-old Aru Shah, who has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school.

While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she’ll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur?

One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru’s doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don’t believe her claim that the museum’s Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again.

But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it’s up to Aru to save them.

The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?


An enchanting debut! Roshani's middle grade debut is a clever, beautifully written book. Rich in Hindu mythology, humor, and characters you'll easily find yourself falling in love with, this is a middle grade book I highly recommend picking up!

I have long been a fan of Roshani's beautifully writing. It's so detail orienatated  making it easily spring to life and feel as though you stepped into a whole new world. Much like her YA books, her debut MG book has all of her trademark elements. Rich world building, easy to connect with in-depth characters, and a richly detailed mythology that feels incredibly real. I loved the Hindu mythology this book is centered on. It's one that I can see Rick Riordan fans enjoying. 

At the heart of this story is a heroine I loved getting to know. Aru is the kind of heroine I can both easily cheer one, and find myself identifying with one some level. As a middle schooler, who doesn't want to feel like they fit in. Aru wants to fit in, but she soon realizes, is there is power in her uniqueness. Not only does this girl conquer her fears, her journey into the mythology world she finds herself in teaches her a lot about the inner strengths she never knew she had. I loved how fun, and fearless she becomes. 

I quickly fell in love with this book. It's such a beautifully crafted story. I loved the world in which Roshani created. She made this story's mythology feel as though it was real. From the stories that Aru is told, to the things she has to learn, and defeat, all of it felt so realistic. Mixed into a this exciting storyline is plenty of humor, great characters, and an ending that has me really looking forward to the next book in this series! 

If the cover, and synopsis of this book doesn't hook you, hopefully knowing that this the first book in Rick Riordan's new line, will! It's incredibly easy to see why he picked this book to be his debut book. It's one I'd recommend picking up!

OUT TODAY! 3/27/18 New YA Releases + 2 New MG Releases


 Happy Book Birthday to today's newest YA releases! There are some fantastic new YA books out today. Here's what you'll find on bookstore shelves:




ALSO OUT TODAY, these two new MG (middle grade) releases from beloved YA authors, Roshani Chokshi & Amie Kaufman. Trust us, these books are worth checking out!



Which new releases are you looking forward to reading? If you know of a new releases out today not on the list, please leave me a comment so I can add it. Happy Reading! 

Monday, March 26, 2018

'Fairytale of London' Will & Tessa Wedding Scene / #Shadowhunters #MundaneMonday


Happy Mundane Monday! I love this post Cassie shared last week, here, featuring Will and Tessa. Oh be still my Will & Tessa fangirl heart. It's a Will & Tessa wedding scene, and I'm looking forward reading more of Cassie's Fairytale of London posts. Here's what Cassie shared: 

I decided a while ago to pen a little tale of Will and Tessa’s wedding and wedding night. It wound up being a riff on Sleeping Beauty, and taking me quite a while (since I’m writing…four…books at the same time) but I thought I’d share the beginning and post the rest in installments. Warnings for romancey business and not knowing how often I’ll update.
Part One:
Today will be the happiest day the two of you will ever have together.  
Will Herondale sat in the window of his new bedroom and looked out at a London frozen under a chilly winter sky. Snow dusted the tops of houses reaching away toward the pale ribbon of the Thames, giving the view the feeling of a fairytale.
Though at the moment, Will was not feeling very friendly toward fairytales.
He ought to be happy, he knew that much — after all, it was his wedding day. And he had been happy, since the moment he’d woken up, even through having Henry, Gabriel and Gideon troop into his room and bother him with advice and jokes while he was getting dressed, all the way up to the end of the ceremony. That was when it had happened. That was why he was sitting on a window seat staring at winter-bitten London instead of downstairs by the fire kissing his wife. His brand new wife. 
Tessa.
Everything had started out perfectly well. It wasn’t strictly a Shadowhunter wedding, because Tessa wasn’t strictly a Shadowhunter. But Will had decided to wear wedding gear anyway, because he was going to be the head of the London Institute, and his children would be Shadowhunters, and Tessa would run the Institute by his side and be part of all of his Shadowhunter life and they should begin as they meant to go on, in his opinion.
Henry, wielding a stele from his Bath chair, helped Will with the runes of love and luck he’d decorated his hands and arms with before he put his shirt and gear jacket on. Gideon and Gabriel joked about what a terrible bargain Tessa was getting in Will, and how they would happily take his place, though the Lightwood brothers were both engaged, and Henry was delightedly married with a small and loudly screaming son, Charles Buford, currently taking up much of his parents’ time and attention.
And Will smiled and laughed, and looked in the mirror to make sure his hair didn’t look disgraceful and he thought of Jem, and his heart ached.
It was tradition for Shadowhunters to have a suggenes, someone who walked alongside them up the aisle to the marriage ceremony. Usually a sibling or a close friend — and if you had a parabatai, the choice for suggenes was made for you. But Will’s parabatai was a Silent Brother now, and Silent Brothers could not be suggenes. So that place beside Will would remain empty as he walked the floor of the cathedral. 
Or at least it would look empty to everyone else. To Will, it would be filled with the memory of Jem: Jem’s smile, Jem’s hand on his arm, Jem’s unwavering loyalty.
In the mirror, he saw a Will Herondale, nineteen years old, who looked composed and calm: inside his soul breathed grief and love. Until this last year, he had never thought that the heart could hold a full measure of sorrow and happiness at the same time, and yet as he grieved Jem and loved Tessa he felt both in equal parts. He knew she did, too, and it was a comfort to the two of them to be together and share what few others had ever felt, for though Will believed profound grief and profound joy could happen at the same time, as equal love did, he could not believe it was common.
“Don’t forget the cane, Will,” said Henry, snapping Will out of his reverie, and he handed Will the dragon-headed cane that had been Jem’s. Will carried it, the jade head smooth under his fingers, as they made their way downstairs and into the heart of the church.
Will came in through the back and moved swiftly to the altar, decorated with heaps of white flowers that had come from Idris. They filled the room with a scent that reminded him of Herondale Manor in the Idris countryside, a great pile of golden stone where he and Tessa would now spend summer months. His heart lifted at the thought. 
It lifted further as he leaned Jem’s cane against the altar and turned to face the room: he had been afraid that the Enclave of London, in their prejudice and bigotry, would avoid the wedding: feelings about the fact that Tessa was half-warlock ranged from indifference to outright coldness. But the pews were filled, and he saw beaming faces throughout: Henry beside Charlotte, who had left baby Charles in the care of Bridget, her hat trembling with a mass of flowers; the recently married Baybrooks, the Highsmiths and Bridgestocks, Sophie moving to make room for Gideon and Gabriel, and even Tatiana Blackthorn, holding the blanket-wrapped bundle of her son, Jesse, and wearing an oddly familiar pink dress.
Will glanced toward the back of the church …
tbc

Sunday, March 25, 2018

THE CRUEL PRINCE by Holly Black / Book Review #TheCruelPrince #TheFolkoftheAir


By: Holly Black
Published by: Little Brown 
Released on: January 2, 2018
SeriesThe Folk of the Air Series #1
Purchase from: Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads
Rating: 5 Stars - though it definitely deserves 10
Source: Purchased books

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.


Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.


If you didn't believe in the fae world before you read a Holly Black faerie story, you will after you read this book. Her characters and the beautifully deceptive faerie world make you feel as though you've stepped into a world of real make believe. The Queen of the Fae doesn't need faerie fruit to enchant you. Black lores you in with her enchanting writing, mesmerizes you with story, and makes you wish you could make a bargain with the fae just so you could get the next book in this series.

Oh this book, and all it's book feels. I absolutely LOVED this book. It's a delightfully intriguing, sinister at times, and down right wicked at other times, story full of cunning characters, Faerie Princes, and human sister's who have been raised among the Fae in their brutal world. In essence, it's a Holly Black masterpiece!  

This story doesn't lack in family and friendship dynamics, faerie politics and their court dynamics, surprising political alliances, deception, betrayal, and unpredicted plot twists. Not to mention well written characters whom who love, love to hate, and are completely shocked by. Black's faerie characters and their world are just as I would except them to be. Jude is definitely my favorite character of this story. 

Jude is one of those lead characters who's will and strength I wish I emulated. It's unbreakable. What makes Jude so easy to connect with, is her vulnerability in the Fae world. Humans never fair well there, but she and her sister have. Jude is as fierce as she is vulnerable. I love that about her character. Her vulnerability is turned into an unbreakable will power, and inner strength no one can trump. Not even her "adoptive" family, or the crazy hell bent Faerie Prince who despises her. I love how everything she's forced to endure, molds her into a  cunning, calculated character that should not be underestimated. It wasn't hard for me to root for her from the get go. 

I'm at a loss for words when it comes to Jude to and the faerie Prince Cardan. Oh are their scenes interesting. I wasn't excepting that turn of events that made me realize that maybe the two of them have more in common than I thought. The surprising turn of events also made be realize that while the Fae may be bound to do or not do something, Jude is cunning enough to out smart even them, and their centuries old, unbreakable customs, to put her plan into action. It is seriously AWESOME, though I'm a bit worried about what's to come in the next book. There's always a price when it comes with the faeries. 

OH MY WORD, THAT ENDING! Yes this deserves all caps, because THAT ENDING. *Insert incoherent words* Holly Black proves once again why she's the Queen of the Fae. She is the queen of storytelling, character development, world building, deception, and making readers weep. Oh this book is all the book feels wrapped up in a beautiful cover, and an addicting storyline that will leave you wanting so much. 


While I may be weeping over having to wait another year to read this sequel, I am drooling over this stunning cover! I absolutely LOVE IT!

Saturday, March 24, 2018

New #Shadowhunters Fairytale Mashup Featuring Kit & Ty



Last week Cassie treated fans to a Ty and Kit Shadowhunters fairytale mashup. I love the Sherlock Holmes theme. Originally shared here, Cassie had said this about the image: 

Ok so not technically a fairytale but something fun for today – Kit and Ty as part of my Shadowhunter/fairytale mashup with Cassandra Jean. Can you spot the Shadowhunter clues on Ty’s table – clockwork angel anyone? #tsc #kitty

Friday, March 23, 2018

. @CassieClare Shares New 'Queen of Air and Darkness Snippet' #QoAAD #Shadowhunters


Cassie's latest Queen of Air and Darkness snippet, which she shared here, may have had us snickering a little bit at the end. Though mostly we are trying to figure out what the heck just happened to Catarina. 

QoAAD Snippet 


“Please. I’ve taught at Shadowhunter Academy. I —” Catarina began to cough, her shoulders shaking. Her eyes widened in alarm.
Cristina slid out of bed, alarmed. “Are you all right —?”
But Catarina had vanished. There wasn’t even a swirl of air to show where her Projection had been.
Cristina hastily threw on her clothes: jeans, an old t-shirt. She wished with all her heart that Emma was here, that they could talk about last night, that Emma could give her advice and a shoulder to cry on.
But she wasn’t. Cristina touched her necklace, whispered a quick prayer to the Angel, and headed down the hall to Mark’s room.
He’d been up as late as she was, so there was a high possibility he was still sleeping. She knocked on the door hesitantly and then harder; finally Mark threw it open, yawning and stark naked.
“Híjole!” Cristina shrieked, and pulled her t-shirt collar up over her face.”Put your pants on!”
“Sorry,” he called, ducking behind the door. “At least you’ve already seen it all.”

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Read An Excerpt from Son The Dawn by Cassie Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan / #SonOfTheDawn #GhostsofShadowMarket #Shadowhunters


Along with today's cover reveals for the first three books in Ghosts of the Shadow Market, which you can see here, HEA also shared an excerpt for Son of the Dawn! It's a great excerpt too! Read it below; 
EXCERPT from Son of the Dawn
Every world contains other worlds within it. People wander through all the worlds they can find, searching for their homes.
Some humans thought their world was the only world there was. Little did they know of other worlds as close to their own as a room, or the demons trying to find a door through to them, and the Shadowhunters who barred those doors. Still less did they know of the Downworld, the community of magical creatures who shared their world and carved out their own little space therein.
Every community needs a heart. There had to be a common area where everyone could gather, to trade for goods and secrets, to find love and riches. There were Shadow Markets, where Downworlders and those with the Sight met, all over the world. Usually they were held outside.
Even magic was a little different in New York.
The abandoned theater on Canal Street had stood since the 1920s, silent witness to but not part of the blaze of activity that was the city. Humans who did not have the Sight passed by its terra-cotta façade in a hurry about their own affairs. If they spared the theater a look, they thought it as dark and still as ever.
They could not see the haze of faerie light that turned the gutted amphitheater and bare concrete halls to gold. Brother Zachariah could.
He walked, a creature of silence and darkness, through halls with sunshine yellow tiles, panels of gold and red blazing on the ceiling above him. There were busts grimy with age set in alcoves along the walls, but for tonight faeries had coaxed flowers and ivy to twine around them. Werewolves had set little twinkling charms depicting the moon and stars in the boarded windows, lending brightness to the decayed red curtains still hanging in the arched frames. There were lamps with casements that reminded Brother Zachariah of a time long ago, when he and all the world had been different. In one vast echoing theater room there hung a chandelier that had not worked in years, but tonight warlock magic had encompassed each bulb with a different-colored flame. Like burning jewels, amethyst and ruby, sapphire and opal, their light created a private world that seemed both new and old, and restored the theater to all its former glory. Some worlds only lasted one night.
If the Market had the power to lend him warmth and illumination for only a night, Brother Zachariah would have taken it.
A persistent faerie woman had tried to sell him a love charm four times. Zachariah wished such a charm would work on him. Creatures as inhuman as he did not sleep, but sometimes he lay down and rested, hoping for something like peace. It never came. He spent his long nights feeling love slip through his fingers, more a memory by now than a feeling.
Brother Zachariah did not belong to the Downworld. He was a Shadowhunter, and not only a Shadowhunter but one of the cloaked and hooded brotherhood dedicated to arcane secrets and the dead, sworn and runed to silence and withdrawal from any world. Even his own kind often feared the Silent Brothers, and Downworlders usually avoided any Shadowhunter, but the Downworlders were used to the presence of this particular Shadowhunter at Markets now. Brother Zachariah had been coming to Shadow Markets for a hundred years, on a long quest that even he had begun to believe would be fruitless. Yet he continued searching. Brother Zachariah had little enough, but one thing he did have was time, and he had always tried to be patient.
Tonight, though, he had already been disappointed. The warlock Ragnor Fell had no word for him. None of his few other contacts, painstakingly gathered over the decades, had attended this Market. He was lingering not because he was enjoying this Shadow Market, but because he remembered enjoying Markets once.
They had felt like an escape, but Brother Zachariah hardly remembered the wish to escape from the City of Bones, where he belonged. Always in the back of his mind, cold as a tide waiting to wash all other things away, were the voices of his brothers.
They were urging him home.
Brother Zachariah turned under the glitter of diamond-paned windows. He was leaving the Market, making his way through the laughing, bargaining crowd, when he heard a woman’s voice saying his name.
“Tell me again why we want this Brother Zachariah. The normal Nephilim are bad enough. Angel in the veins, stick up the butts, and I bet with Silent Brothers it’s a whole staff. We definitely can’t take him out for karaoke.”
The woman was speaking in English, but a boy’s voice replied to her in Spanish: “Quiet. I see him.”
It was a pair of vampires, and as he turned, the boy lifted a hand to attract Zachariah’s attention. The vampire with his hand up looked fifteen years old at most, and the other like a young woman about nineteen, but that told Zachariah nothing. Zachariah still looked young too.
It was unusual for a strange Downworlder to want his attention.
“Brother Zachariah?” asked the boy. “I came here to meet you.”
The woman whistled. “Now I see why we might want him. Helloooo, Brother Mackariah.”
Did you? Brother Zachariah asked the boy. He felt what would once have been surprise, and now was at least intrigue. Can I be of any use to you?
“I certainly hope so,” said the vampire. “I am Raphael Santiago, second in command of the New York clan, and I dislike useless people.”
* * * * * * 
I can not wait to read this book! Son of the Dawn is written by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan. It's the first book in the Ghost of The Shadow Market, and is set to be released on April 10th, 2018.

Labels