Series Endings
Updated: Dec 16, 2020
By: Nanananana9 (edited by: Bookperson876)
Acronym Guide:
Series:
TMI = The Mortal Instruments
TID = The Infernal Devices
TDA = The Dark Artifices
TLH = The Last Hours
TWP = The Wicked Powers
Endings:
CP2 = Clockwork Princess
CoG = City of Glass
CoHF = City of Heavenly Fire
QoAaD = Queen of Air and Darkness
GotSM = Ghosts of the Shadow Market
"People are made up of all sorts of bits," Dru thought. "Funny bits and romantic bits and selfish bits and brave bits. Sometimes you only saw a few of them. Maybe it was when you saw them all that you realized you knew someone really well." — Cassandra Clare, Queen of Air and Darkness
Dru is a mastermind and I think that the same logic can be applied to books too. Before you start a book, you would have surely made some assumptions about it, based on the cover, the reviews, what you heard about it, the writer's personality impact, and maybe a lot of other things. But we only know what the book meant after we've read the full story, to understand what the writer was trying to say. You'd be amazed to see the difference in your initial reaction to the book and your reaction after reading it. In this article, I'm going to be comparing and giving general thoughts on all of the series endings we've had in The Shadowhunter Chronicles.
Every book ending that I've read in this universe has given me a feeling of happiness, and a sense of rushing through the pages so that I could get to know it all, while also reading the words with very thoroughly so that I don't miss out on what they are trying to say. It's needless to say how we love these endings either when we see the characters eagerly waiting for the fireworks at Alicante, or cheering and whooping for Malec's wedding. But also, somehow some of these endings were unfair to the readers.
Each of these endings came with a lot of answers, explanations, revelations, puns and jokes but they also come with unanswered plot lines, sometimes a hint in what the characters talk about that leaves us wondering where did that come from?. There are some exceptions when the questions that we look for are meant to be kept for another ending or another story but I feel bad for those who hope to read the series' as standalones. Of course, I don't blame Cassie for trying to leave readers wondering to check out the other marvelous writings in the universe but sometimes, some more answers were expected in the series endings than were given.
As for CP2, most think that it's the best ending this universe has ever had. We get the explanation to see how the trio belonged together albeit poles apart but yet inspired from A Tale Of Two Cities where Sydney and Charles were opposite personalities while in CP2 Will and Jem were different in a manner inexplicable, but yet parabatai. The main reason why this seems to be is that there were a lot less unanswered questions. In fact, there was only one major question, How did Jem turn into a young guy after becoming a Silent Brother? That question alone can be ignored due to it's connection with TMI, but a reader reading TID as a standalone would not understand the complicated-ness of it all even if it were somehow twisted and provided in the book. Returning back to the topic, it really explained how the trio made their way through even if it was very brief. We do have GotSM, various snippets and the upcoming TLH to explain how this all worked out. It's just really amazing to think how such a new idea could be bred in those ages and also accepted.
In my personal opinion, TMI and CoG could stand next to CP2 as good endings but to think of CoG as an ending would have been hard as the three other books that were launched felt necessary. It's good that things took a turn when in March 2010 it was announced that another trilogy would be added to the series. Initially, Clare planned to focus more on Simon's story in a graphic novel and in it, explain the big questions - What was the favor/threat the Seelie Queen was talking about? Where was Sebastian’s body?
But realizing the other main characters were not done with yet and that the few questions left out can be answered with connection made from her then ongoing TID, she decided there were three more books needed than just one. Now, the ending in CoHF was great, but some things were still a bit out of the equation - Will Simon ever be able to recover his memory properly? What about the cold peace and Magnus's warning? What will happen to the Blackthorns? Who is James?
Well, despite leaving some plot-holes, TMI was a good ending as things did not always end happily, so it makes it a bit more realistic - the balance of good and bad made a great ending - so the readers do have an option to whether or not they want to continue.
The only major thing that leaves people hanging is how hollow it feels at Simon to have a life that was edited, one that didn’t include the adventures of his actual life; though, if we consider this with the aspect of whether or not this inspires the readers to read on the other books in the universe : yes, mostly, it does.
Now, we come to the final ending so far, Queen of Air and Darkness. This really was something that gave an atomic bomb effect to the universe. But this is the ending that disappointed the most of us. What exactly did Malcolm do to find out the Unseelie King's name? What will happen with the Clave in Exile? Will they be able to achieve success and manage things? Will Diego be good as the Inquisitor and be able to handle problems? Will Cristina and Mark be able to to go to NYC and help in the Downworlder-Shadowhunter alliance? Will Kieraktina be able to have their meetings and love each other without any conflict? What's the case with the Seelie Queen and Adaon in depth? What about the consequences of raising Livvy? Kit's future? Janus? Thule and what is going to happen there? How come the Seelie Queen died in the Dark War in Thule? What's with The Cohort? What will they do trapped up in Idris? Also, what's with the whole new complicated matter with Dru, Jaime and Ash?
Clearly there are a lot of things that need an answer. And yes, literally most of these questions are going be solved in the upcoming series, The Wicked Powers. But QoAaD seemed to ramble on and on while giving few answers - more on Ty and Kit's relationship; more explanation to what Malcolm and Annabel did. We also don't know what the Seelie Queen was doing in hiding all this while until she met Julian and the group, which is five years later. What was she up to all this time? What more do we need to know about the Nephilim?
As all these numerous explanations were not given in QoAaD, we now expect them from the upcoming trilogy, but we fear that TWP will be too rushed, as it has the burden to complete the entirety of the Shadowhunters series. A major point to be considered, QoAaD did answer many big questions - Jemma no longer forbidden, Livia coming back in ghost form, Kieraktina's formation, the 'final battle' with The Cohort. It really added more content and questions rather than more explanation. The Cohort didn't exactly lose though and the Clave in Exile didn't exactly win. There is quite a lot of information overload just from this. This really signifies that you have to read TWP along with TDA, which does not make it a good standalone.
Also, to moderate everything and give it a good ending, Malec's wedding was necessitated. Of course, it was one of the most intimate and beautiful scenes of the whole book, but for people who have not read the rest of TSC, Magnus and Alec weren't even characters that were the mains in the whole series. Yes, being in TSC means that you would never be able to escape Malec, but this wedding would have actually been out of nowhere had the Clave in Exile not evolved just that day.
Malec's wedding is appreciated and is a very marvelous canon scene, but it was not what the series readers would have thought would replace their wishes. For one, readers by now would have definitely connected with the trio a lot. The ending that was provided for them was rather a very bad one for this series. Of course, hardcore fans who are attached (who are most of us) will stay attached and keep reading on but it was expected to be a bit more smooth, even if we were going to read on.
In an honest view, the party is really not the most best celebration. It was rather something that was given to entitle these three books as a series. As yet, the series ended with Julian and Emma envisaging a dawn and symbolically, this is the dawn to the day they will yet have to go on and facet he battle that will be the most grand one to come yet - the one that will finally give all the answers and happiness to everyone, and all the small processes to lead to this battle will be there only in TWP.
So, this is why there was so much disappointment with QoAaD. Now, this is where I stop listing all the presumably bad things that could happen and all the inconveniences we faced. Clare is an amazing writer and it's inconceivable how three poems by Edgar Allen Poe (Plus a few more by other writers that were included) could form the basis of a plot. How I love TID but can't seem to make it past a 100 pages in a Tale of Two Cities. How so much work can evolve from just inspirations - it's radical ingenuity.
In realization; this article was more about expectations from fans, comparison and some complaints, but in the end, it's her story. She's the captain of the cruise that leads it way though the waves. She chose to tell us some marvelous things and that's the only reason why we ended up giving our thoughts on all of these endings. We may not have liked how some of it went along, but we'll always be eager to check out the beautiful things she writes. It's amazing how a single brain can come up with such a stunning universe.
Note - I felt that it was important to mention that these ideas were built by a few people and not a mass. Many lines saying things the fans in general wanted were based on what we thought and what we assumed other fans thought.
Credits for this article idea go to CJFritos, along with a huge contribution of views for the QoAaD comparison and for giving the most minute details about TSC.
Also, credits go to my fellas on the Shadowhunters Wiki: Aplentyofsenseinnonsense, Seraphandstele101, EmmaJulesForever and friends who also helped to build up ideas on the subject and give views.
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