"Life was easier without feeling. It wasn't life, he knew. But it was easier."
I was extremely excited to read Ghosts of the Shadow Market for two reasons: Jem Carstairs and the Shadow Market.
Unfortunately, most of the stories in Ghosts of the Shadow Market failed to hold my interest because they lack plot and substance and also because the characters feel distant and unlike themselves. I can barely remember most of the stories in Ghosts of the Shadow Market.
I also expected Ghost of the Shadow Market to be about Jem. I wanted to find out more about his life as a Silent Brother and see things from his PoV. However, Jem isn't even the main character in most of the stories in Ghosts of the Shadow Market.
However, there are some aspects that make this anthology enjoyable. I always enjoy reading about the characters from TDA, TLH and TDA and although I didn't enjoy Matthew Fairchild's story, Cast Long Shadows, I'm excited about The Last Hours series. I also love Anna Lightwood who is introduced in Every Exquisite Thing, a story which also made me remember why Cecily and Gabriel are one of my OTPs. We also get to find out about Celine Montclaire and The Lost Herondale line in The Wicked Ones. The Land I Lost is one of my favourite stories in Ghosts of the Shadow Market mainly because of Alec, Magnus, Max, Rafael and Lily. Also, every single mention of Jem and Will and their parabatai bond made me feel something in my cold, dead heart. I also have to mention that Wilhelmina is a scene-stealer.
I'm surprised to say that I enjoyed the last two stories in Ghosts of the Shadow Market, The Lost World and Forever Fallen. These two stories take place after The Dark Artifices and set the tone for The Wicked Powers series. I wasn't that interested in The Wicked Powers before reading this anthology (mostly because it seems to focus on Jace and Clary, two characters that I don't want to read about), but The Lost World and Forever Fallen introduce interesting questions and scenarios related to Ty, Ty and Livvy's bond, Kit, Thule Jace and the Cohorts.
Ghosts of the Shadow Market doesn't add much to the Shadowhunter world, but it managed to get me excited about The Last Hours and The Wicked Powers.
"But we bear so much that seems unthinkable. The only truly unbearable burden is living without love."