I'm honestly really glad that I finally got around to finishing this book. I remember loving Magnus as a character when I initially read The Mortal Instruments series, and I was so excited to see that there was a collection of short stories centered around him. His life is too interesting to be left a total mystery. Some of the stories were definitely better than others. Regardless, I still enjoyed reading all of them. I enjoyed seeing him as his own individual character, rather than just playing the role I was used to in the main series. Honestly, I was just happy to see more of his past after how mysterious he was in the series. It's one thing to know that he's lived a long and exciting life, but it's another thing to read it (and have it in his POV). I also actually really enjoyed seeing all of his past relationships he's had throughout his life, and how each and every person was important to him in some way. Even his non-romantic relationships were fun and interesting. I especially love his friendships with both Ragnor and Catarina, and how they were with him throughout everything. It's nice to see how this wide variety of characters has shaped him over the years. All in all, this was a really enjoyable read, and I think it succeeded in pulling me out of my reading slump (which is quite the task). I would definitely recommend it to people who liked Magnus as a character, or even if you're simply curious about his backstory. I definitely wasn't disappointed.

 

This review was taken from my Goodreads.

Of the characters in The Mortal Instruments series and The Infernal Devices series, it's fair to say that Magnus Bane is the most interesting.  When I discovered these short stories, I chose to read them to learn more about his life before his entanglements with the shadowhunters. Being immortal, it suggests that Magnus must have had adventures we can only dream about

As the title of the story suggests, it's all about finding out exactly what Magunus did to be banned from Peru.  After each mini memory, we are told that this is not the cause of Magnus's banishment. It leads one to believe that Clare and Brennan are leading up to some sort of spectacular  debaucherous tale of excitement and adventure, only to have the short story end with no answer as to why Magnus got banned.  Did these two authors just run out of ideas?  Did they just decide at the 65 page mark that they had written enough to legitimize a sale and therefore no longer felt duty bound to at least answer the basic question of What Really Happened in Peru? Someone needs to tell Clare and Brennan that when you ask a question, writing an ending like the following is a cop out.

"The High Council of Peruvian warlocks met in secret, and a letter was sent to Magnus several months later announcing that he had been banned from Peru, on pain of death, for “crimes unspeakable.” Despite his inquiries, he never received an answer to the question of what he had been banned for. To this day, whatever it is that actually got him banned from Peru is—and perhaps must always remain—a mystery."

The upside to What Really Happened in Peru, is that we got to find out a little bit more about the childhood of typical warlocks. It seems that warlocks largely come into being when a demon rapes a human female.  A lot of the time, Demons use rape by deception to accomplish their reproduction. The Warlocks who make it to adulthood do so because there mothers love them unconditionally despite the circumstances of their conception or the markers of what they really are, like Ragnor Fell's green skin for example.  "Our fathers were demons," said Catarina. Our mothers were heroes".

Magnus it seems is the exception to the rule.

Magnus's warlock's mark was his eyes, the pupils slit, the color lucent and green-gold at the wrong angles, but these features had not developed immediately.  He had not been born with Catarina's blue or Ragnor's green skin, had been born a seemingly human baby with unusual amber eyes. Magnus’s mother had not realized his father was a demon for some time, not until she had gone to the cradle one morning and seen her child staring back at her with the eyes of a cat.

She knew, then, what had happened, that whatever had come to her in the night in the shape of her husband had not been her husband. When she had realized that, she had not wanted to go on living.

And she hadn’t.

Magnus did not know if she had been a hero or not. He had not been old enough to know about her life, or fully comprehend her pain. He could not be sure in the way Ragnor and Catarina looked sure. He did not know if, when his mother knew the truth, she had still loved him or if all love had been blotted out by darkness. A darkness greater than the one known by his friends’ mothers, for Magnus’s father was no ordinary demon. (pg 34-35)

I like that there's absolutely no shame for the victim or denial of what they went through to raise their children to adulthood. By talking about the reaction of Magnus's mother, it makes it clear that rape is a violation and some people never ever get over it. It also explains why Magnus is as powerful as he is and why he is so ready to accept the love of those who are mortal.


What Really Happened in Peru, confirms Magnus's bisexuality because he is paired with both a man and a woman.  When he seeks out a new lover, Magnus will stop at nothing, including torturing his flatmates with his music playing.  Unfortunately, because of what Magnus is, he can never really truly be honest with his lovers about who and what he is.  This is actually more of a problem for Magnus than being openly bisexual.  Clare has a bad history of not following through with homophobia in this world.  I find it hard to believe that from 1791 - 1962 Magnus actually faces zero homophobia.  

 

 

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A full 4 stars; possible spoilers ahead:

Okay, so I read the first three in the Mortal Instruments series and Magnus Bane very quickly became my favorite character. (Along with Simon and Luke).

I had my own hesitations about continuing the series and after reading some truly scathing reviews of the next book in the series, I decided to skip it.

But having a chance to read about the exploits of Magnus Bane....I just couldn't resist. I saw some bad reviews of this book and I don't really understand why. Magnus is hilarious and always getting himself into some kind of situation. And unlike Clary and crew, his situations make me laugh. I've yet to want to strangle Magus and I ALWAYS want to do bodily harm to someone in that group of teeneaged Shadowhunters.

The bonus story made me very sad. I've had enough spoilers to know that Magnus and Alec have a bad break-up, and eventually get closure and become friends. And apparently they manage to find their way back to romance, which makes me very happy. Not just for Magnus, but for Alec as well. I feel like he really needs his relationship with Magus, otherwise what else does he have--other than being a demon hunter?! It seems like his whole life revolves around looking after his sister and Jace in battle, and pining after Jace. With Magus in his lofe, he seemed to have broken out of his shell a bit.

Anyway, after hearing all of those voicemails begging and threatening Magnus to forgive Alec, I felt so sad. And Alec calling and finally giving up, saying that he wouldn't call or text anymore...well my little ice cold heart melted! Now I want to finish the series just to find out the full story behind the break-up, but more importantly to see them reconcile.

I very much enjoyed this. I read half and then listened to the enitre audiobook. If you haven't listened to it, it's worth it to hear some of your favorite people voicing Magnus and his shenanigans--particularly Gareth David-Lloyd!

What Really Happened In Peru: 3/5
The Runaway Queen: 4/5
Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale: 4.25/5
The Midnight Heir: 5/5
The Rise of the Hotel Dumort: 4.5/5
Saving Raphael Santiago: 4/5
The Fall of the Hotel Dumort: 5/5
What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything (And Who You're Not Officially Dating Anyway): 5/5
The Last Stand of the New York Institute: 3.75/5
The Course of True Love (And First Dates): 5/5
The Voicemail of Magnus Bane: 5/5 (My favorite one)

Final Rating: 4.4/5 stars

I finished The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare a month and a half ago or so and I have to say i fell in love with the characters. The books had the right amount of romance for my taste. I am a sci-fi book addict, to tell you the truth, and I could not stop reading the books. During my exam period. I finished the last book of the series (The City of Heavenly Fire). It was a little tiring but just in the beginning :)

I also read the Bane Chronicles, associated with TMI, as well as TID. 

Currently I am reading Clockwork Angel, the first book of the Infernal Devices Series.