" One can give up many things for love, but one should note give up oneself."
― Magnus Bane ―

 

Hello readers! Welcome back to another "Is It Worth Reading?" series, who knows that we already reach chapter fourteen for this series! who knows that i read a lot of novellas and companion books? Anyway, if you are new, this is a series of short review for novellas or companion books to judge whether you should skip it, or read it, depends of if it really altered the story in the main series or just waste your time by reading it. Since i did it, you don't have to. Without further ado, let's go!

 

Reading Order

This book actually consist of lots of short stories set before TID, after TID and in between of TMI. Here's some note of reading order for you

1. For the first 3 chapter, you didn't have to read any series yet. What really happened in Peru might intrigue you a lot if you have read TID and TMI because Mangus was mentioned a lot of time he was banned to visit Peru, but spoilers ahead, you still will not find the answer even by the time you finish this chapter.

2. You have to read  TID first if you don't want to get spoiled for the story, before you start reading chapter four : The Midnight Heir. 

3. In chapter eight  : What to buy the Shadowhunter who has everything (And who are not officially dating anyway)  i highly suggest you to read at least the first book of the TMI series.

4. You should at least read the City of lost soul in order to read the last chapter : The Voicemail of Magnus Bane

In conclusion, i highly recommend you read this book after TID and TMI, and it's okay if you haven't read the TDA for it since the timeline is not into that series yet. And since i haven't read the Last Hours series, i can't really tell if it is important to read them first, but since it published before the last hours, let's say it save to read this one first. 

 

What is it All About?

 The book is solely based on Magnus Bane's point of view as a Warlock who's living side by side with Downworlders and Shadowhunters. The book start from 1791 to the preset time when the book release which i believe to be around 2007. We got to see Magnus Bane's life while he was younger, easily falling in love, and also broken-hearted which lead to who he is now and by the end kind of explaining his attitude to Alec Lightwood. 

Of course we got to see his point of view in each event that happened in the Shadowhunter worlds. And with different point of view, not only the only the point of view from shadowhunter characters, but also from a downworlders who always rank lower to shadowhunters in most of times. 

 

Is It Worth Reading?

At first, it took me by surprise to see the younger side of Magnus Bane. He was like in adventure to fall in love. Easily falling in love, and heartbroken-ed, either by the couple that leave him because of the death, or just break up. I found the first two chapter shocking by how less charming he is in comparison with his appearance in the series. 

But by the next few chapter, i found him as a caring man even with the cool way to others, like the story Raphael. He also change my impression to Alec, who in Clary's POV just a jealousy man. We got the side of Alec which always taking care of his family. 

if Jace was gold, catching the light and the attention, Alec was silver: so used to everyone else looking at Jace that that was where he looked too, so used to living in Jace’s shadow that he didn’t expect to be seen. [...].And silver, though few people knew it, was a rarer metal than gold.

I was not really into their love interest in TMI, but surely i love Magnus' perspective that made me support their love more after reading this book. Like i said before, i think Magnus was too good for Alec that want selfishly to turn Magnus into mortal just for growing old with him.