Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Brooding tales for those steeped in the Shadowhunter-verse.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In GHOSTS OF THE SHADOW MARKET, Jem Carstairs, or Brother Zachariah as he's known among the immortal Silent Brothers, is on a mission to find a lost member of the Herondale family line. It's rumored that a Shadowhunter was raised in secret after his parents were punished and killed by the Clave and that this boy and all others in the lost Herondale line are being hunted by some bloodthirsty faeries. Jem/Brother Zachariah looks for clues and sources of information in the Downworlder shadow markets around the world and through time. In the process, he encounters other Shadowhunters in need. In London in 1901, Jem helps his nephew, Matthew, after he makes a horrible mistake that endangers his mother. Jem helps his cousin Anna fight off demons and impress her new girlfriend. In Tennessee in 1936, Jem saves a town from a greater demon and nearly catches up with his quarry. At a shadow market in London in 1940, Jem is stabbed and poisoned by a faerie during the Blitz and must find Tessa, his old love, in order to survive. He's in Paris in 1989, then New York City in 2000 when the orphaned Jace comes to live at the Institute with the Lightwoods. No longer a Silent Brother, Jem is in Buenos Aires in 2012, where he helps Alec fight against a corrupt Shadowhunter Institute with his wife Tessa. When he finally hears from the lost Herondale, he's in Provence with Tessa. This time his help may come too late.
Is It Any Good?
For avid readers of the Shadowhunter-verse, this collection offers connective tissue between the three main series and more quality time with brooding hottie Jem Carstairs. For all others who don't know every single character, their extended family tree, and their sometimes dangerous affiliation with Downworlders, expect only a few of the stories to draw you in. "Every Exquisite Thing" (with the wonderful Maureen Johnson) is one of them, because it does develop new characters and deals with the impossible situation of girls cross-dressing and falling in love in 1901 London. "The Land I Lost" (with Sarah Rees Brennan) introduces Alec's second adoptive son, Rafa, and shows the heartbreaking situation he's found in.
Jem's search for a lost Herondale does tie all the stories together nicely. But it also pulls the reader far into his loneliness and sad memories and musings about love and loss and what it means to be human. It feels poignant and meaningful for a few pages, until it's just too much brooding for short stories to hold.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Jem Carstairs in Ghosts of the Shadow Market. Why do you think this character links the stories together? What does he represent? How does he change?
What hooks you more in this Shadowhunter world, the relationships or the fantasy stuff? What does author Cassandra Clare focus on more?
Will you keep reading about this world created by Cassandra Clare? What characters do you still want to know more about?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Illustrator : Davood Diba
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : McElderry Books
- Publication date : June 4, 2019
- Number of pages : 624
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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