Pale Kings and Princes by Cassandra Clare and Robin Wasserman

Published: July 2015

Publisher: Margaret K McElderry

Pages: 40

Copy Provided by: Bought

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

Simon has an encounter with Downworlders and is reprimanded for not following the rules for Academy students interacting with Downworlders. A story within a story: Andrew Blackthorn, while a student at the Academy, becomes enthralled by a faerie and has two children with her: Mark and Helen.

Review:

Here we learn about Mark and Helen.  It didn't have much to do with Simon at the Academy but we are slowly starting to form our background story to the next series.  Helen, half Shadowhunter and half fae is made to be a display amongst the students.  She is paraded around like some kind of animal on a leash because of a heritage that she had nothing to do with.  We learn about how her father was seduced by a fairy queen and made to fall in love with her.  She bore him two children - Mark and Helen and unfortunately, their entire family fell into a sort of plague with other Shadowhunters.  It would be comparable to racial intolerance in the past (and sometimes the current day society).  

Simon really comes to have compassion for Helen and her predicament. Not only is she a lesbian and she wants to marry a full Shadowhunter, but she is only half and since the accords do not welcome fairy blood, she is shunned by most of society to some degree.  It might not be overt but it is definitely underhanded.  This might be a great short story to comment about when it comes to cultural differences and superiority complexes.  I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy it but I did take away a lot from this novella.  Cassandra Clare has a great way of layering in themes of today's society with the Shadowhunter world.