Thank you NetGalley and Daphne Press for the opportunity of reading this ARC! All opinions are my own.

An exquisite and captivating short story of one of my favourite charismatic Shadowhunters, Matthew Fairchild. (I am, admittedly, extremely biased towards him, but that is all Cassie's fault, for writing such a lovely character.)

The short story is relatively simple and quick to read, the plot being quite straightforward and with no nonsense. Which is definitely appreciated considering the length of the story. The murder mystery is engaging enough to keep one curious, and while the outcome is somewhat predictable, it's not unsatisfactory. In the end, the length of it would not allow for more. It is, however, reminiscent of Agatha Christie's works' atmosphere and I appreciated that very much.

The meeting between Matthew and Sylvain was delightful and funny, and you could feel their chemistry from the very first scene they're in together. I particularly liked that Sylvain enjoys Matthew's sense of humour very much. Their relationship progresses relatively quickly, but they're so compatible with one another and have a lot in common, so it's not unnatural in any way whatsoever. Once they go into more depth, their process of mutual healing is very endearing and delicate in a very gentle and sweet manner.

"When you care for someone, the idea that they’d share their burdens with you is not something you dread. It is a gift."

The prose is well-adjusted for a short story; short sentences, to the point, and the descriptions are detailed enough for one to understand the atmosphere and visualise everything else. I will always be a fan of the manner in which Cassie writes the more passionate scenes, and she definitely did not disappoint this time around either. You can feel the fervour. Furthermore, I have especially enjoyed the fact that through the prose I could very clearly see Cassie had fun writing this short story. It is always a detail to notice when reading, if the author enjoyed writing this or not, and the fact that you can easily tell from the way it is written — it just adds so much more to the overall experience.

A little treat for me, I am deeply enjoying the introduction of a Verlac so close to a major character of one of the main families. Iykyk.

Overall, a very fun read, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed not only The Last Hours, but The Mortal Instruments as well. (Again, iykyk.)

Last, but definitely not least, a special shout out for our precious Cupid, Oscar Wilde.

This book was a true treat! A Shadowhunter murder mystery vibe, on a ship with some epic characters? Yes please. Sign me up and throw away the key! It felt different from the other books but yet just the same with its central themes and characters we’ve come to know from other books.

I always relish a chance to venture back into the Shadowhunter world as it’s always so welcoming and exciting with its well woven stories. I loved the feel of this one and read it in pretty much one sitting! I will have fond memories of whipping this book out whilst I waited for an ophthalmology appointment - as I was dropped full of dyes, dilators and other likewise fun stuff and it certainly made the whole experience more enjoyable than having random goop shoved in your eyes ultimately would be. Thank you Cassie :)!

Little accompanying novellas like these I will always love and enjoy because they add more depth to other books and provide new opportunities to get to know certain characters as they get the spotlight. In this one, we follow Matthew on his travels and he finds himself in amidst a vampire theatre troop - surely nothing could go wrong right?

Absolutely loved and I enjoyed every page!

This is a delightful novella!
Such a beautiful exploration of grief, guilt and moving forward. Mathew is one of my favourites from the shadowhunter books and I thoroughly enjoyed a story following him, and Oscar of course.

Perfectly paced short story that had so much heart.

The scream I scrumpt when this was approved probably rattled my windows. If you know me even in passing, you know how much of a Cassandra Clare fan I am. The bookshelf space I’ve taken over from my girlfriend to house all my collectors items is proof of this claim. So when I saw this was up for grabs as an arc, it was a no brainer to throw my metaphorical hat into the ring.

I actually read this as part of the Kickstarter campaign for Seasons of Shadowhunters, and I’m so thrilled it’s now being made widely available for people who couldn’t access it via the Kickstarter. It’s a fantastic story and it deserves a wider audience.

Matthew’s story has always been one I found intriguing. His guilt has weighed so heavily on him for so long, and alcoholism seemed half coping mechanism and half self-punishment. It’s so lovely to see him now - sober, unburdened by secrets, and forging his own path - when compared to the boy we first meet. Matthew is up there with Alec in characters who have gone through the most transformative of changes, and it’s a genuine pleasure as a reader to see a writer capture growth and healing like this.

But onto Sylvain. What a babe. From the second he was introduced, I was immediately devastated we wouldn’t get to see more of him in a main series book. He is a perfect romantic foil to Matthew, in the same way James is a perfect platonic one. Sylvain smoothes the sharp edges of Matthew, balancing him - and with just enough of the dashing Wildean hero Matthew needs. They’re a perfect pair, and seeing their relationship develop over the novella is charming.

This is a story that packs a punch and wastes absolutely none of its word count. Despite its brevity, it doesn’t feel rushed and takes the time to unravel the characters in the way readers have grown accustomed to from Cassie. Having the familiarity of Matthew helps to bring us along for the journey as we meet (and fall for) Sylvain right alongside our favourite blond Fairchild. Both this pair, and this book and I, are matches made in heaven (or, at least, at sea).