Happy release day to ‘Better in Black’ 🥳

Happy release day to Cassandra Clare and her collection of Shadowhunters love stories, Better in Black!
You might think I am two days late, and I am for the US release, but readers from the UK are getting their copies today so I am (technically) right on time. 😉

So what is Better in Black all about? It started out as a book from Cassie’s Kickstarter project Seasons of Shadowhunters, and has since been picked up by publishers. In the USA, the book is published by Knopf Books for Young Readers (Penguin Random House) and in the UK, Walker Books publish the compilation. Mondadori have the Italian rights and published their edition in October.
The book is described to contain “Ten Stories of Shadowhunter Romance“, so let’s have a look at the pairings that are featured:

1. The Good Storm: Will and Tessa. “While on his honeymoon with Tessa, Will makes a dangerous wish.“
2. The Beautiful Ajatara: James and Cordelia. “James and Cordelia find themselves in the world of The Beautiful Cordelia, and have to answer the question, “what happens after happily ever after?”“
3. Who the Wolf Loves: Jocelyn and Luke. “All the things Luke wanted to say to Jocelyn while she was in the hospital.“
4. Zachary’s Day Out: Thomas and Alastair. “Thomas and Alastair babysit for Zachary, but magic totally ruins their day.“
5. The Judgement of King Kieran: Kieran, Mark, and Cristina. “Kieran has tried to keep his lovers away from Court intrigue. But then a mysterious message summons them to the Unseelie Tower…“
6. A Surfeit of Annas: Anna and Ari. “Anna Lightwood always expected to be imitated… but never duplicated!“
7. Bred In The Bone: Emma and Julian. “Emma is living her best life in LA when Diana arrives to tell her that she saw Julian with another girl…“
8. City of Broken Hearts: Simon and Isabelle. “A demonic spell sets couples against each other in NYC. Can Simon and Isabelle rescue love?“
9. The Time of Two: Jace and Clary. “Jace and Clary set out to find Maryse’s long lost brother, and get more than they bargained for.“
10. Too Wise To Love: Sebastian and the Seelie Queen. “Sebastian and the Seelie Queen cannot love. So what happens to their baby? Can a child be raised without love?

You can read an excerpt from The Time of Two right here.

While in London in October, Cassie also shared the UK cover. I simply love seeing Tessa and Will on it.

There is also going to be “a sneak peek at The Wicked Powers, the majestic trilogy that will be the grand finale of the entire series!”
In her most recent newsletters, Cassie also shared artwork from Better in Black.

Cassandra Jean has, being a darling, illustrated nine of the ten stories from Better in Black (we left out Mark, Kieran, and Cristina because they’re on the endpapers.) Here’s Simon and Izzy on the Brooklyn Bridge. The toad demon is named Krog. Yes, they do know he’s standing right there.

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Another lovely piece of Better in Black art from Cassandra Jean, this one featuring Nene and baby Ash from “Too Wise to Love.”

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I cannot wait to receive my Waterstones edition to see the other art and of course dive into these very different love stories! I guess no one is surprised that I am particularly looking forward to stories #1 and #8. 😀
Make sure to pick up your copy of Better in Black, no matter if it’s a US or UK one.
Happy reading and have a lovely holiday season! ♥
I am sure 2026 is going to be a lot busier due to The Last King of Faerie finally being published! Expect a post about snippets from the first The Wicked Powers book before the end of the year, though! I know I’ve missed sharing a few.