I’ve been looking forward to reading Navigating the Shadow World since I first got an email from author Liv Spencer asking if I’d like to answer some questions for the fan segment of the book. Finally getting my hands on an advanced copy at BEA (thank you ECW Press) made me an even more excited to delve into the Shadow World companion. And it certainly didn’t disappoint.

ECW Press has been kind enough to also give us a copy to give away to one lucky fan (giveaway is below the review).

Check out my review of Navigating the Shadow World below:

REVIEW

As a passionate fan of five years of Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter Chronicles, I consider myself to be very familiar with the story, the characters and the world Cassie has created. But that doesn’t mean that a die-hard like me didn’t enjoy Navigating the Shadow World by Liv Spencer. In fact, being a fan of the Shadowhunter Chronicles made it even more captivating.

This companion went in depth into Cassandra Clare, The Mortal Instruments, the City of Bones movie, The Infernal Devices and the phenomenal fandom that keeps growing with each passing day.

In The Cassandra Clare story, we get an overview of Cassie’s life from her days as a little girl with her father telling her stories to her journey to journalist and the fan fiction writer to becoming the international bestselling author she is today. This chapter takes the reader through the process of getting City of Bones published, from Cassie starting chapter 1 to the book hitting bookshelves in 2007. It touches on Cassie working on The Mortal Instruments, as well as her pitching The Infernal Devices, which publishers didn’t believe would sell. Three bestselling books and 12 milion copies later, obviously she proved them wrong. We also hear more about the other installments of The Shadowhunter Chronicles, including The Dark Artifices (the first of which is slated for a 2015 release), as well as The Bane Chronicles, and working on The Shadowhunter’s Codex (out Oct. 29), as well as her middle grade Magisterium series with Holly Black (coming in 2014).

In The Mortal Instruments, the companion goes in depth into each of the current five books (the sixth and final book City of Heavenly Fire comes out in Spring 2014). Next to a summary and analysis of each book and characters, there are fun breakdowns of the series, including all of Simon’s band name changes fro Vity of Bones through City of Lost Souls, a breakdown of the Shadow World and the mundane world among others, as well a look into Clary’s New York.

In Building a City of Bones, the companion takes a look at the long and arduous process that City of Bones underwent to the big screen. From the film going from big-studio movie (Warner Brothers) to small studio film (Constantin Film), to the casting process that lasted a combined two years to the movie finally starting to film in August 2012, it’s been a long ride for fans to finally see this adaptation on the big screen in August 2013. The chapter wraps up with the encouraging news that fans were treated to a couple of months ago: the sequel, City of Ashes, will begin filming in the fall.

In Meet the Cast, we get biographies of the brilliant (and incredibly attractive) cast bringing our favorite characters to life on the big screen. From their early beginnings to getting cast in City of Bones, we get insight from the actors and Cassie herself about the actors as their characters.

In The Infernal Devices, the companion goes in depth into the prequel series that has captured the hearts of Shadowhunters everywhere. With Clockwork Princess, the final book in the series, still fresh in the minds of fans, this look at The Infernal Devices is both exciting and bittersweet for fans. Each of the three books in the trilogy are broken down and analyzed, from the setting to the characters to the themes to the books that Tessa and Will had read, including the infamous A Tale of Two Cities. It’s a nice reflection on a series that has touched millions of readers and a reminder of how this is a story they’ll never forget.

In We Are Shadowhunters, the companion shifts to the incredible fandom that exists all around the world and discusses how much Cassie has interacted with her fans through social media. This is also the chapter where Katie from Mundie Moms and I were interviewed about Cassie, her books and her interaction with the fandom. With The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones set to hit theaters in August, the fandom has grown immensely as new fans are introduced to the series, which is also addressed.

I thoroughly enjoyed Navigating the Shadow World. It was more than just a book just summarizing the books we’ve already read, it went deeper into the Shadow World and analyzed characters, relationships and references in the series.

Navigating the Shadow World is a must-read for fans of Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter Chronicles. It delves deep into the world that we know and love while providing commentary on the rich mythology that constitutes the books and the world, as well as taking fans step-by-step through the process of the film adaptation of City of Bones. Navigating the Shadow World is anything but mundane.

You can now order Navigating the Shadow World from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Books-A-Million.

GIVEAWAY

Win a copy of ‘Navigating the Shadow World’ by Liv Spencer

Giveaway is international. GIVEAWAY CLOSED.

Winner will be contacted by the email provided on form within a few days. Thank you everyone for entering!