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mortal instruments magnus bane shadowhunter who has everything love magnus cassandra clare buy the shadowhunter infernal devices alec for his 18th birthday looking forward magnus and alec favorite characters instruments and the infernal birthday gift favorite couple bane chronicle love the series best of the bane alec relationship magnus feelings short story
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kahemingway
5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, Lighthearted and Cute
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2013
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The eighth entry in The Bane Chronicles brings the reader back to The Mortal Instruments timeline. We see more than a few familiar faces in this story, which was a lighthearted, fun entry that's tone is the polar opposite of the last one.

This time, we find Magnus in his familiar New York apartment dividing his time between dealing with an irritating client and trying to figure out what the best birthday gift would be for Alexander Lightwood. The story divides it's time between Magnus talking to different friends/contacts in an attempt to get the perfect gift for his not-yet-official boyfriend and reflecting on his feelings for said boy. In the end, Magnus realizes it's up to him to resolve the birthday dilemma on his own.

The best part about this story was the humor in it. Magnus was very in character regarding his thoughts about his rather unwanted client and I particularly enjoyed his lovesick conversations with other people regarding Alexander. The reactions of said people after hearing about it were pretty amusing. After the rather depressing subject matter of the last entry, it was nice to just have a fun story to read.

Now, admittedly, Magus and Alexander are my favorite couple in the series. I've been looking forward to seeing them together in The Bane Chronicles. Thus, it comes as no surprise that I enjoyed the little added bits of information we got regarding Magnus and Alexander's relationship at this point in time. The scenes between the two of them are sweet.

Otherwise, there isn't a whole lot to say about this entry. It was amusing, but it wasn't a very deep story. I think it's one of the better entries, but not as good as the third or sixth entries. I'd probably give it 4.5/5 stars.
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Stellalunna
3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2014
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When I picked this up I hadn’t realized that there was an actual series of novella’s called “The Bane Chronicles”. I was very excited because I loved “The Mortal Instruments” and “The Infernal Devices” series but I was sadly disappointed in this novella.

While Magnus Bane is one of my favorite characters there really wasn’t much content to this short. I already knew that he had feelings toward Alex so when it came to Bane wanting to get a birthday gift for him it didn’t seem like much of a surprise. But really there was nothing else offered. What he eventually ended up with (I won’t say as to not ruin the story) was in my opinion weak and an ineffectual gesture.

There is a demon summoned in the story and he has some banter with Bane but even this wasn’t enough to appease me in this novella. I could just as easily have been added to a novel in two pages.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Magnus Is Back and Better Than Ever!
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2013
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Finally...a worthy addition to the Bane Chronicles! Malec fans unite and prepare to squeal as you read this one. This one is set in the present day, after Magnus meets Alec, Clary, and gang. This book had me laughing with Magnus' humor, and there was some good old fashioned drama (but when isn't there some drama with Magnus!). This was honestly one of the best installments in this series, and not just because of Alec and Magnus. It was better because it felt like I was right back the TMI world, something that I feel has been lacking in some of the previous installments. This novella just felt different. Magnus is the Magnus we all know and love, and Alec is such a sweetie pie! There's one scene in particular at the end that just had me fangirling (and it will do the same to you). Definitely check out this addition to the Bane Chronicles. You won't be disappointed!

Happy reading :)
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Michele @ A Belle's Tales
5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite of The Bane Chronicles
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2014
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I’m simply mad for Magnus Bane. I cannot get enough of the High Warlock of Brooklyn – and yes, his colorful wardrobe and his fabulous, often theatrical soliloquies usually have me in stitches; but when Magnus hints at the heartache he has lived with for so many years as he reminisces over the loved ones he watched grow old and die while he remained ageless… my heart breaks for him, and I am reminded that being immortal is nothing to covet. Ragnor Fell, Raphael Santiago, the feisty Isabelle, and even the demon Elyaas all get honorable mentions for adding so much to this little book. A fast, at times funny, and most assuredly heartwarming short that fans of Cassandra Clare won’t want to miss!
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ShannonE
4.0 out of 5 stars Don't Buy it in This Format
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2018
Verified Purchase
This story was sweet and funny, but it was really short. My recommendation is to buy the Bane Chronicles in the hard copy version, so that you actually get your money's worth. I paid four dollars for ten pages.
No joke.
Ten Pages.
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KAT
4.0 out of 5 stars more malec!
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2014
Verified Purchase
Most of these were just extra background, but I did love this one too. In the books you do wonder just how important Alec is to Magnus in the grand scheme of things. Compared to all those he's been with over the years. You don't doubt he loves him, but he doesn't say a lot about his past or give details about how he feels about Alec. This explains a lot if that behind the scenes. I can't wait for the one about their first date. And I loved Isabelle in this one.
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VickyT
5.0 out of 5 stars Short but heavy
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2014
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Ok, Magnus is 900 something years but sometines act like a regular teenager, just see how he behaves with Catarina and Ragnor, some of the best moments. How you can not like him? He's just adorable, the doubts, the thoughts, the feelings the whole Magnus in this beautiful story and like a present, the desert if you want, the funny demon. For me, this is the best story of the Chronicles even better than The Midnight Heir.
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A. Kean
5.0 out of 5 stars I love Magnus...
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2013
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Magnus is one of my favorite characters from the Mortal Instruments and I am so excited to have this and the other shorts in his perspective! Definitely worth a read also for the insightful interaction between him and other Mortal Instruments characters. Now I am really looking forward to the next one -it is like getting a present with every new release!
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Top reviews from other countries

Bex
5.0 out of 5 stars A Light-Hearted, Fun Addition.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 21, 2015
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"He was besotted. He was officially revolted by himself".

It's really hard not to love Alec and Magnus isn't it? Their complicated, mostly secret, relationship keeps me reading into the early hours and I love them! So I couldn't be happier that Cassandra Clare has written us an entire novella about them; the MALEC fans of the world will be very pleased. Magnus is so erratic in this book as he desperately scrambles to find a gift for Alec.

This novella focuses on Alec's birthday, his never-ending supply of "ugly sweaters", and Magnus' usual naughtiness of summoning demons and cleaning up other peoples mess! I really enjoyed Magnus' panicked conversations over birthday presents with Ragnor Fell and Catarina (two of my favourite minor characters); his friendships with both are hilarious!

A really fun, witty addition to what's been a lovely bunch of novellas so far. I was starting to worry they were becoming a little bit too serious for what I think should be a light-hearted novella collection but this one has proved me wrong. Definitely worth a read for fans of Magnus and Alec.
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Karen A. Brown
3.0 out of 5 stars I love it, even though it's mostly repetitive, derivative nonsense.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 21, 2014
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A little bit too much exposition of the telling-not-showing kind. Clare's juvenile writing frustrates me to no end; and still I can't stop reading her stories. So she must be doing something right. Magnus Bane is a triumph in characterisation and I think Clare is very brave to write about a gay couple so I take my hat off to her for this. I give it a 3 for the self-obsessed over-exposition and annoying repetitiveness, but a 4 for her positive contribution to the genre.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars I've been waiting for this one and loved it !
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 19, 2013
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I so hope these two get their act together in the final book as they belong with each other. Hearing about their relationship from Magnus`s perspective was sweet and very funny. I've enjoyed all these little bites of his life and looking forward to the final two.
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Toni Westall
5.0 out of 5 stars Wish they were longer as I love seeing the world through the eyes of Magnus
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 18, 2015
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Wish they were longer as I love seeing the world through the eyes of Magnus. Someone needs to write a full book about Magnus and Alec from the Warlocks point of view!!
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sharona27
5.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Accompaniment
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 19, 2014
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This is a nice accompaniment to the events of The City of Bones and develops many of the core characters a little further. Truthfully it's not the most important and not my fave but certainly it's funny and interesting.
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