Interesting enough: anytime I’ve ever mentioned the circle the topic of how Maryse & Robert’s punishment for there crimes wasn’t a good punishment always comes up because I think it’s quite interesting.
Objectively: no it’s not a good punishment. You’re still giving these bad people, who have committed bad acts- a position of power within your council and within shadowhunters as well.
However I think if you think deeper about it (aka think to much about), there are aspects of it that actually make it seem less bad!
I think something people don’t point out a lot when talking about is that they were never allowed to return home, to Idris. Idk- if someone told me I was never allowed to return home I’d be having a mental breakdown. Idris had been both Maryse and Robert’s home, it had been where they where raising there baby (shout out Alec). To be exiled from your home is quite a big punishment in itself.
Now onto the punishment of them being heads on the institute. In truth, I wouldn’t say being given a position of power is really any sort of punishment- especially one as highly regarded as an institute. However I do think there’s some deeper levels to it: Maryse & Robert are both decently young when given this position- not uncommon among shadowhunters but it’s still enough to stress two 22 year olds out - not to mention they have a 1-2 year old son.
NOT TO MENTION: having to run an institute means having to work with downworlders all the time. Which sure seems stupid because why are you putting these two downworlder haters in charge?? But the clave was definitely watching them to make sure they where on there best behaviour. I mean, Imogen was literally breathing down Maryse’s neck in city of ashes- I can imagine that happened a considerable amount of other times as well. Now they have to learn how to get along with these people who 100% hate them (rightfully so) and now they also need to learn how to actually work with them.
Now I think the punishment actually has one specific thing that makes it a “punishment” is what it did to Maryse and Robert’s relationship. This is a more indirect one, but the exile is literally what ruined there relationship. Robert blamed Maryse for everything that happened - they were both upset they weren’t able to return. There relationship before this was already rocky, and now they’ve also been separated from there friends and family.
So yeah, I agree with the overall sentiment: there should’ve been a harsher punishment taken. Idk maybe at least take some of the lightwoods family heirlooms- or repossess some of the family stuff (like they where lowkey doing to Benedict in clockwork princess).
I also think there punishment is meant to directly reflect how shadowhunter take very highly into familial status and how that also reflects in Hodges character but sigh that’s for another blog post.
It was expected from Chain of Thorns, being the last book of the series, to deal with mature themes and to feature one or more spicy scenes. Needless to say, since I'm going to talk about mature themes, don’t proceed if you aren't comfortable talking about s*xual themes. If you haven't read CoT, stay away because there will be spoilers. I'm warning you now before you proceed any further.
CoT featured several mild spicy scenes between different ships. When TID or TMI came out, the YA genre was different. There were spicy scenes, of course, but of the superficial kind. Spicy and mature themes was the NA genre’s specialty (featuring characters aged 18-25 mainly, more suitable to explore those themes). As the years went by, though, the genre changed along with its audience. The teens of the social media age are different from the generation before, therefore, YA books featured more mature scenes. We see how even TDA, which came out in 2016, had more spicy scenes and mature talk compared to TID. Naturally, even if TLH is more mature, it’s still a YA book so there are invisible editing boundaries that can't be crossed.
Desire and the TLH characters, rated
Before we talk about the main item of discussion, let’s talk about sex drive. The sex drive is the libido, that is, sexual desire. People have different libidos. There are people who experience sexual attraction and get physical with others, while others simply don’t experience either.
In TLH, the core characters experience different levels of desire:
We have characters with high libido who are very open about it (meaning that the other characters know that these characters like to have sexual partners/sex). They practice sex and use sex as an outlet not to create deeper emotional bonds (Matthew, Anna);
We have characters with ordinary libido who show the amount of desire one would expect from a random person of their age; (James, Cordelia, Thomas, Lucie, Ari, Jesse, Alastair).
We have characters with low to none libido, who don’t seem to care about physical desire at all and value mental attraction over physical (Grace, Christopher).
High libido: Anna and Matthew
Anna and Matthew are the characters with the highest libido. We know Anna has had a lot of partners, and Matthew is also described to have had several partners. They’re not afraid of being scandalous, but they’re afraid of love and especially Matthew, thinks he doesn't deserve the love he receives (everyone loves Matthew and Anna dearly). They clearly know how to charm people and if they love, they love big. At the same time, most of these types of characters are afraid of commitment, so they use sex as an outlet to delude themselves that they’re happy that way. Anna and Matthew responded to romance in different ways. Anna rejected Ari’s love until the end, while Matthew hopelessly embraced his love for Cordelia until the end. I think Matthew is still in love with Cordelia after CoT’s epilogue.
Ordinary libido: James, Cordelia, Thomas, Lucie, Ari, Jesse, Alastair
Nothing much to say about them. They’re the norm of how a random person from the audience could feel at their age. There’s more ordinary characters in TLH because editors and writers, alike, prefer to play it safe. They write characters who would experience the same thoughts and things as the characters of their novels, but this doesn't reflect reality, of course. As the genre changed, the audience changed too and the social media audience is very different and is tired of "the norm" most of the time. There are some of them that are probably hornier (like James, Cordelia, Thomas and Lucie) while some others (Ari, Jesse, Alastair) who are more subtle about it.
Low to none libido: Grace and Christopher
I probably said it once, but I think none of them cares about romance or sex. I think Grace is probably aro/ace and Christopher might have been as well. They don’t care about physical attraction. They care about each other’s minds more than the exterior. What they consider “sexy” is their brain, and that gives them serotonin, attracts them like magnets. If Kit hadn’t died, I’m sure we would’ve had Gracetopher being together and experimenting together. Perhaps they would’ve married, but also… not. I think they would’ve been happy just being mentally stimulated together.
Couples analysis: how desire, romance and physical interactions were handled in TLH
Jordelia: first desire, then romance
From the get go, the reader knows that James and Cordelia desire each other and also like each other because we are shown their interest a lot. Jordelia are often described as a carnal couple, and often, their romantic feelings are clouded by their desire and the lines are blurred. The miscommunication trope (and the bracelet) delayed their love declaration, and we were shown their desire more than romance. There are several occasions in which they are close to getting physical but don’t (the whispering room). When the spicy moments happen, the reader expects it and says “finally!”. We were mostly shown Jordelia’s desire first and then romantic interest much later. Their romantic tension needed to be resolved first to solve the sexual tension. And I don’t think CC wanted to repeat what she did with Wessa (they had sex before they were married and Will thought Tessa didn't love him until after).
Blackdale: first romance, then desire
Lucie and Jesse should be enemies because of their families, unlike Jordelia who are friends from childhood. They bicker a lot and Lucie sometimes makes Jesse angry (like when he discovers her writing about him), but they resolve their issues by communicating, which is something Jordelia does much, much, later. This is one of the things that makes them their beta couple. Lucie and Jesse are more open about their problems and feelings and they trust each other. The main obstacle to them being endgame was the fact that Jesse was dead. After that was solved, and Jesse regained his physical form, there was room for the next step in their relationship. I’ve read posts of people complaining that Blackdale turned horny and aren’t pure anymore (whatever that means!). Desire was the next natural step to their relationship. They both wanted to experience what it felt like to finally touch the one you love, after being deprived of that for the most part of their relationship that far. By this point, knowing how straight-forward Lucie is, it’s not surprising that she wanted to take her relationship to the next level. And this, the reader, doesn’t expect. There are many reasons why we don’t see Blackdale getting physical as spicy physical. One, is to oppose Jordelia’s development. Two, since Lucie is sixteen, CC can’t write her in explicit situations like the other characters who are older (bc of the YA limitations). Three, I think Jesse wants to be a good boi and he doesn’t want the Herondales to think he’s taking advantage of their daughter. I don’t think we will ever see them in such situations unless CC writes a novella about that, but it should be a post marriage novella.
To a minor degree, we can also say that Fairstairs could be a foil to Jordelia too, but only on the surface. Matthew tells Cordelia he loves her one chapter before James does. And I think their connection is mainly friendly. They are better as friends. Even though CC said that Matthew tends to fall in love with people he knows he can’t have and it’s more of a phase (as we’ve seen with Lucie), I don’t think he’s fallen out of love with Cordelia by the end of CoT.
Thomastair: romance and desire, balanced
Thomas and Alastair present another common trope, which is enemies (?) to lovers. I wouldn’t say they’re exactly enemies, but more like hot and cold. Thomas liked Alastair, and Alastair liked Thomas. We can assume that Thomas fell in love with Alastair in Paris or even before that. The main obstacle to their union was Charles and Alastair himself, and his self-doubt. Thomas was very open about his feelings in the sanctuary, but it was too early. It wasn’t until CoT for their romance to really kick off and for them to get physical with each other as lovers. I think Thomastair got even more spicy (though not super explicit) scenes compared to Jordelia. Like Jordelia, declaring their feelings and being on the same page was what moved their relationship further. They weren’t oblivious to the miscommunication (or more silent treatment) either, because after Tom finds out what Alastair did at the Academy, he doesn’t talk to him for a long time. Alastair also gives Tom the silent treatment at the beginning of CoT. In opposition, Charles/Alastair was the negative beta couple to Thomastair. They started off with sex and yeah, Charles may have loved Alastair to some degree, but it was more selfish and there was an imbalance in this relationship. Charles didn’t respect Alastair’s feelings at all, nor Alastair as a person.
Arianna: from physical desire to romantic love
When CoG started, we knew that the only couple who was already physical was Arianna. It is clearly alluded to on several occasions when they are at the Hell Ruelle, that is their preferred place to be intimate with each other. Anna never took Ari to her house to have sex, because her house was too personal and we knew Anna's main issue with being with Ari was allowing herself to be loved, to love and be vulnerable. One's house represents one’s inner world and while Anna allowed people in her house, I think that the first time Ari was allowed in Anna’s bedroom was when she let her stay after she ran away. Arianna is the only other couple where the characters seemed to communicate with each other. I say seem, because what they initially tell each other (especially Anna) are lies. Anna tells Ari she doesn’t want to fall in love with anyone, and Ari accepts this at first, lying to herself that she's fine with it, but then she decides she won’t accept any longer to be in a non-exclusive relationship. Throughout CoT, we see how Anna struggles to be around Ari, whom she clearly loves, and in the end she’s able to overcome this and finally let herself be happy.
For the reasons mentioned at the beginning of this post, I won't discuss Gracetopher. They never turned into a real couple, and if they did, their relationship would've been different from the others.
I might be going overboard with this, nevertheless, I still want to talk about it. The Blackthorn children are some of my favourite characters, and I’m a history nerd so...🤷♀️ I want to take the time to discuss the Blackthorn children, their names and how it relates to their characterisation.
I found this post from Cassie way back in 2012 when she first was developing the Blackthorns, there was meant to be 8 children, with Ariadne being the last. This is funny now as there is still a character that has a name of Ariadne in the Last Hours.
This is going to be very long post so I would recommend reading it in chunks if one wishes.
Helen
Helen is named after Helen of Troy. It is difficult to know whether Helen of Troy actually lived. We know that there was a Troy, we know it was destroyed. Were the Greeks so dramatic that they would go to war over a kidnapped woman? Probably, if she had enough status. She did considering the men she was associated with and was a daughter of Zeus. Helen was known for her beauty. The important thing to note is that a war supposedly started due to her kidnapping, but there was a lot of build up preceding it. This poor woman was tossed about from man to man. Aphrodite also really didn’t help. She was kinda the one that initiated the war because she wanted Paris and Helen together, despite Helen being married to Menelaus, the next in line to being the king of SPARTA of all things. What I find significant about this story in regard to Helen Blackthorn’s story is that she was exiled, wasn’t given a choice despite her innocence and in a round about way, led to the war that was carried out in TDA, but had also been caused by the Endarkened war in the first place.
I’m sorry I don’t have much to say about Helen in regard to her namesake because the Illiad is extremely male dominated, and women were not really... considered as people if we're being honest. I think the most influential woman in the story is Aphrodite who stirs up the shit in the first place and continues to be a pain in the ass because that’s gods and Aphrodite for you. Helen Blackthorn was subject to being torn from her family and from that she struggled to slip back into the role of sister, but also being the parental figure. Helen’s character is that she is a kind person who loves her family and has been through a lot of trauma. She’s also pretty clever and sly when her and Aline pretended to register all the Downworlders.
Mark
Cassie says that this isn’t Marcus Antonius and then literally explains Marcus Antonius… He’s just known as Mark Antony because it can easily confused with others of the same name. Anyway, so yes, Mark Antony was a close friend of Caesar’s, and wasn’t one that helped murder him. He was a Consul for some time and a cavalry commander, helping Caesar’s conquest of Gaul. He also became Quaetor which gave him the position of a financial administrator. During the civil war in 49 AD between Pompey and Caesar, Mark Antony fled Rome as he was in support of Caesar, he helped fight in the Italian Penisula. Caesar even left him in control of Italy during the Spanish campaign, later joining him in Greece to fight. He failed to keep order in Italy and was removed until 44 AD when became Consul and was beside Caesar again.
After Caesar’s death, Mark Antony gained possession of the treasury and Caesar’s papers. He had control of Southern Gaul and Northern Italy, but originally he was at odds with Octavian. Later Octavian made a 5 year pact with Mark Antony and Lepidus, forming a second Triumvirate. After the Battle of Philippi, the three divided up the Empire, Mark Antony took control the Eastern provinces where he first met with Cleopatra. In 40 AD Mark Antony’s wife, Fulvia, decided to rebel against Octavian with the backing of his brother, Lucius. Octavian quelled this rebellion but killed the rebels. Antony and Octavian reconciled, and Mark Antony married Octavian’s sister Octavia.
Mark Antony spent much of the rest of the Triumvir in Greece and soon was with Cleopatra permanently, he had also started giving his children the lands that he controlled. This was a sign of being “kingly” which is something Roman Society prevented and despised. Once Mark Antony officially divorced Octavia, Octavian waged war, but not against Mark Antony per se, as that would indicate a Civil War (something that was not favourable), this was against Cleopatra. They were cornered in Greece, but Mark Antony and Cleopatra managed to escape and retreat to Egypt. They were safe for a year until Octavian started making his way over. Mark Antony killed himself, Octavian was going to ask Cleopatra to be a fixture in Rome and create a triple Triumvir (possible ploy to imprison her), but she also killed herself. They suspected they would be captured and tortured.
Sorry, I found this stuff interesting, espcially when it came to Mark Antony and Caesar. I mostly think of how Julian in Lady Midnight asked Mark to look after the kids and Mark just completely failed, in that it didn’t meet Julian’s standards so it caused more of a rift between them, but they worked it out in the end. When it came to Octavian it was a little different. He was almost way too lax by that time which kind of fits Mark's character. To me there isn’t much about Mark Antony that I could truly think Oh! Mark. The fact that Mark Antony was loyal to Caesar though is clearly a statement for Mark’s loyalty to Julian and that they can rely on each other.
Julian
My god! There is so much to say about Julian.
Julius Caesar is a fascinating character, he was a strategist, corrupt in many ways but also a good general, and ultimately a decent ruler. I see a lot of similarities, so no wonder Julian is named after Caesar.
First I have to talk about pirates. This section of Caesar’s history is what made me think about how Julian was described as he would come away from hell, owing the devil himself a favour. So, Caesar was kidnapped by pirates who issued an exchange of 20 talents. Caesar, being Caesar was saying that he took offense to being valued as 20 talents, 50 talents was a more reasonable price (this roughly translates to £79m in modern money), to which the pirates humoured. Whilst holding Caesar and waiting for the exchange, Caesar told them stories and poems, joked with them etc- Caesar joked about when he gets out he would come back and crucify them all. All the pirates found this hilarious and guess what? That’s exactly what Caesar did. Not very long after Caesar was exchanged did Caesar turn ship, capture them all, put the pirates on an island and crucified them all. This also meant that he could take back the 50 talents and loot the ship. Honestly, aside from the invasion of Gaul and other parts of Europe, this the most deplorable thing Caesar did, just because they were stealing from Rome and offended what his monetary value was. I just can’t, I see so much of Julian in this act though, when he was emotionless, but also not.
He was also a fan of supporting a meritocracy, but then again Roman society was just like that. Yes, you had inherited excellence, but you had to prove that you were capable of that excellency. I’m getting off track. Despite Julius Caesar having some kind of excellence, his father was never Consul, which was the position he wanted. So he rose up through the ranks to get it mostly through political acumen. When he got there? Totally abused it for his personal gain, yet also made some decent reforms that helped the people of Rome. As Consul you couldn’t be prosecuted because you have Imperium, so some very illegal decisions could be made… I link this to literally all the decisions made throughout TDA. I mean, it was all circumstantial though, but man, Julian broke the law a lot.
There are some other things that I want to point out in Caesar’s history, such as creating the first Triumverat which divided the leadership of the Roman Empire and created a good governance. Caesar being legislative, Crassus being treasury, Pompey being military. I mean, again a little corruption here and there, but it worked. There was also a case of the last forces of Gaul tried to fight against Caesar in centre Gaul once Caesar had conquered all of Gaul. Vercengeterix rose an army to fight against Caesar, taking place atop Alesia which was a major city. When this army rose up he created a 24 mile wall to stop them! This stumped the Gaul forces for a while, but just as they were about to sneak attack Caesar set a cavalry to scare them, Gaul forces thought this was the first of a huge onslaught of Roman forces (It was not) and they booked it, therefore Caesar secured all of Gaul once again. It just shows how intimidating Caesar was, but also how perceptive he was. I would argue that he knew his enemy, which allowed him to effectively defeat them. Again, can’t help but think of Julian being strategic and extremely perceptive.
When it came to Caesar becoming Dictator, Pompey had betrayed him and he declared war against a fellow friend and Roman in Rome- something that Roman society was scared of as this was a declaration of Civil War. Pompey retreated and when Caesar reached him in Greece Pompey had already been captured and beheaded. Caesar did not want this, he wanted to pardon him, he did so with the rest of Pompey’s army. The thing that people don’t realise about Caesar is that he was big on granting Clemency (except for pirates apparently...). People who had fought against him, he would grant Clemency when it came to fellow Romans. Besides, going to the East encouraged him to go to Egypt where he met Cleopatra. They struck a deal with each other; he would help get rid of her brother, so she could become Pharaoh, and she would supply Rome with food. When he named himself Dictator for life, that’s when people grew increasingly suspicious of him, because it was too close to being a monarchy which was resented by Roman society. Then we have the infamous stabbing in the Senate where 60 odd senators, including some of his closest friends turned against him. His time as Dictator, Caesar made reforms for public welfare, government efficiency and general stability. He limited political and military power of provincial governors, to stop repeating history with him and Pompey (ahaha, that didn’t work though, but it did show that he tried to prevent another Civil war), he also reformed the Roman calendar, conducted a Census, carried out several building operations, unified provinces closer to Italy and was genuinely a good leader. I can’t not see Julian in any of this, I mean, Julian was the one who organised the rebellion against the Cohort. Julian is an effective leader, but I would argue that he has more of a compassionate heart than Caesar had, but that was due to Caesar being an Imperialist, he still looked after his fellow Romans as best he could. Julian is ruthless though, his actions all benefitted him in the end, all he cared about was making sure his friends and family were safe. Julian made allies with people, they weren’t necessarily friends, just like how Caesar had to make friends and prove his excellence to become Consul in the first place and also become Dictator. They both manipulate and perceive exceptionally well.
Julian’s section is obviously long already but I also wanted to talk briefly about his middle name of Atticus, because I think it also lends some insight. It’s not like Mark and Ty’s names where that was still the name of the person of their namesake. So Atticus was a popular name, but the two most famous people named Atticus do lend some insight to Julian. There was Herodes Atticus who was an intellectual and Orator. He was a teacher of philosphy, but also helped develop water-ways. He was severly disliked though, known for being tyrannical. He also killed his wife.
The other famous Atticus is Titus Pomponius Atticus. The only non-political contender here, but a businessman and philosopher of sorts. He was close friends with Cicero, often helping him create his writings. He was known for being suave and charismatic. Despite not being a part of politics, he made powerful relationships with people in the centre of major politics, such as Octavian. Cicero had claimed that Atticus was not someone who had goals... Cicero famously spoke out against Octavian, and was killed because of it. Atticus, however, remained friends with Octavian, later becoming friends with Agrippa, Octavian’s right hand of sorts. This I found interesting because it seemed to me that he never revealed his own intentions. He made friends with powerful people and no doubt had a heavy influence on their actions. The fact that Atticus was “suave” and “charming” definitely made me think of how Julian strikes deals with people, how suave he was when addressing Horace Dearborn after his emotions were taken away et cetera.
Speaking of Atticus, you also can’t not think of Atticus Finch who once again was a character of great intellect and strategy, remaining calm. You can’t not be when being a lawyer. What is important about the charactisation of Atticus Finch is the relationship with his kids. He teaches them about compassion, but would explain without qualms anything they were curious about, treating them like adults. Ironically, I feel that this is something that Julian struggles with doing to a certain extent. With Ty he can’t lie as easily to, the others though he struggles with letting them go because of his attachment. It’s not that he doesn’t allow them autonomy, it’s just he’s too overtly conscious of their well-being. For instance, he tells Dru that the reason he wants her to keep safe in Lord of Shadows and in Queen is because with good conscience he won’t perform best in battle because he would be constantly worrying about her. He 100% supports their individuality though.
Atticus Finch takes the trial of defending Tom Robinson because he wanted to prove to his children that what he does matters, individuals shouldn’t be judged, but also encourages them to understand him as he belief in the Justice system. Atticus knew that Tom Robinson was innocent, but he would be ruled as guilty as he was black- it teaches Jem and Scout that they should be considerate of people. Atticus is respected, having supported the poorer people of the community in court, but by supporting Tom Robinson, he was scorned. He knew this would happen. This is just food for thought, but I especially find this parallel the most intriguing in regards to how the Blackthorn children regard Julian. They all hold him in a bright light, Julian makes some choice decisions and the kids pay no mind to it because they already understand his intentions. It’s flipped for Jem and Scout. They gradually learn and understand their father, his values and the lessons he is trying to teach them and therefore grow to respect him. It’s fascinating really.
Anyway, lets move on…
Livia
This one is… hoooo. Her name is Livia Drusilla, she was indeed a Roman Empress and married to Tiberius Claudius Nero, but Cassie fails to specify how she is a Roman Empress as she was an Empress by being married to Octavian/Augustus, and was the mother of Tiberius Nero Claudius Drusus, the second Emperor of Rome. She is literally somehow associated to every younger Blackthorn child, and also technically Julian as in Augustus’ will, he adopted her into the Julius family where she is named Julia Augusta… I just can’t what the hell.
Livia Drusilla is an extremely interesting person. Her first husband was Tiberius Claudius Nero who was a Quaetor under Julius Caesar and later a Praetor. He was also in support of Julius Caesar, but after his murder, Tiberius was against Octavian and fled Rome with Livia for a few years with their son Tiberius. They returned to Rome but Octavian saw Livia and was like “damn, I want her” he forced a divorce on them and soon married Livia, despite her being pregnant with her second child, Drusus. She and Octavian tried having a child but it was a miscarriage. Their marriage though is SO INTERESTING. 1. They were married for 51 years (until Augustus’ death) 2. She was an advisor to Octavian/Augustus, helping to make decisions on his policies 3. Augustus gave her autonomy over her own finances! Yes, you read that right. That is completely unheard of for this time for women. She also administered copper mines in Gaul, entire estates of palm groves in Judea and dozens of papyrus marshes in Egypt 4. She also had her own circle of clients that she tutored into becoming political figures! Like damn!
Livia Drusilla was almost definitely the cause of the deaths of Augustus’ favoured nephews that he adopted and wanted to inherit the Empire. Though, this narrative in a story many centuries later included Tiberius… he wasn’t though. The impression that I got was he never wanted the Empire anyway and resented his mother to an extent. Livia wanted her son to take on the Imperium next. So when it came to Augustus’ death, he ended up leaving 2/3rds of the Empire to Tiberius, adopting him in his will and leaving 1/3rd of the Empire to Livia also adopting her as aforementioned. This tells me that she was either extremely charismatic or even manipulative, or Augustus genuinely valued her input and loved her. I mean considering how easily he broke off his marriages with his previous two wives and abruptly married Livia, it speaks volumes that he stayed with her, even though she produced no legitimate heir for him. My mind is reeling from this.
When it came to Tiberius’ rule, it is assumed that she remained an advisor as well to him until her death. I find this all really bittersweet. The kind of life this Livia had in comparison to how Livvy died prematurely. However, Livvy isn’t properly gone either… on the basis of what Livia Drusilla accomplished as a women in oppressive ancient Rome, who knows what Ghost Livvy can achieve. I have so much excitement with what destruction will come from Ghost Livvy, and knowing this it has enhanced it. She has always been an advisor to Ty, but also even to Julian at times, heck she had set his mind at ease sometime! She was arguably the one that Julian didn’t have to worry about as much, but unfortunately, she was the one who had her life cut short.
Tiberius
So this one… The Second Emperor of Rome, the son of Livia Drusilla. How Cassie explains him is really interesting, pointing out that he was tyrannical and vengeful(I’ll get to that). Why she felt the need to explain this compared to the thers idk. According the the written histories by Tacitus which is where the title of the Dark Artifices comes from... These writings of Tacitus were called the Annals of Imperial Rome but there is no terminology that I found that derives “Dark Artifices” but oh well. How Tacitus talks about Tiberius will definitely take a biased stance because no one liked Tiberius.
Tiberius was said to be quiet and awkward, often shy. This is one of the reasons why Augustus didn’t want Tiberius to rule after him because he didn’t think Tiberius fit the bill of Emperor (clearly Livia thought otherwise). They also couldn’t agree on anything. Tiberius was a proficient commander of the military, he enjoyed battle and often fought alongside Drusus, his brother, one of his only confidants aside from his wife, Vipsania. It is written that most likely these two kept Tiberius happy. Unfortunately though, Augustus forced Tiberius to divorce Vipsania to marry his daughter Julia, something that Tiberius was deeply upset about. Soon Drusus also dies on the Germanic front. So he ended up losing his two most dear people. Tiberius ended up staying in Rhodes, most likely in a life of frivolity, away from Julia. Augustus didn’t approve and banned him from showing his face in public. Julia had then been accused of adultery and was exiled by Augustus due to it. Tiberius was not political, so when he inherited the Empire he had no political acumen to refer to. So no wonder he was recorded to be “Tyrannical”- he wasn’t proficient in it! However, financially speaking he was great. He was another who appointed people based on merit to his administration which benefitted massively.
Tiberius didn’t like foreign religions, actors or gladiators, so literally the entertainment that every other Roman enjoyed, he disliked. As he couldn’t contend with making friends in the court, he was overshadowed, especially by his nephew Germanicus for his military feats. It is speculated that Tiberius may have ordered Piso to kill Germanicus after Piso fell out with Germanicus in Syria. When Piso was tried in the senate, he killed himself, this did not help the assumption that Tiberius ordered to have Germanicus killed. This was furthered by the fact he did not attend Germanicus’ funeral. After this Tiberius became even more reluctant to rule, and had Sejanus handle his affairs. Sejanus was disliked by many of Tiberius’ family members, especially those closests to Germanicus. Sejanus used flimsy treason laws as an excuse to have his political enemies arrested, banished or killed. Sejanus looked to have acted on Tiberius’ own paranoia, but it could’ve been a ploy to get rid of those closest to Tiberius who would inherit the Empire, so that he might inherit it. Tiberius spent a lot of his time on the Island of Capri, where he apparently engaged in drinking and promiscuous proclivities, he was 70 years old by this time. Supposedly, he had sexual relations with prepubescent boys whilst on the Island. This was according to Caligula who ends up inheriting the Imperium. Some speclate that this exposure is what lead to Caligula’s erratic behaviour. I also remember reading that he was depicted in the empire as turning into a monster whilst on the Island of Capri.
Back to Sejanus! As Tiberius was not in Rome, and therefore in centre politics, he put himself in an awkward situation- he practically put Sejanus in charge of the Empire. Sejanus was cruel but effective. He gave provincial military commands to his friends, killed many influential people through his network of “spies”, continuing what I mentioned previously, where he accused them of treason. There was a lot of death though… Sejanus had also positioned himself as head of the guard with strong military connections. If Tiberius was to take him out, he had to be careful. He lured Sejanus to the Senate, making him believe he was going to be awarded more honours, the Senate then announced him a traitor, had him imprisoned and killed. The people who followed Sejanus were also killed in a bloody retribution. After being betrayed once more, Tiberius lived in solace for the rest of his life and bestowed the Empire to Caligula in his will. By the time Tiberius died, he had stabilized Rome’s economy and reformed many of it’s institutions.
So I can’t be the only one reeling over the name of Sejanus? This could be completely coincidental. Sejanus comes from the name Sejus which basically means one who brings misfortune (This was only from one source though). However something else that is just too coincidental is the fact that the god Janus and his wife Caramae (a nymph) had a son called Tiberinus, connecting to the creation of the Tiber. This aside, I am not convinced that Janus will be closely intertwined with Ty. I’m sticking with the fact that Janus is most likely a TMI gang problem.
So, Tiberius in relation to Ty… The personality traits of being quiet and awkward roughly translate. Ty is more curious to be honest. Ty is a quiet person and is “awkward” to people who don’t know him, I would argue that he isn’t the “leader” type either. The ironic thing is that Ty doesn’t like being in the throng of battle, despite Kit commenting that Ty did exceptionally well (biased or no, Kit😂). Tiberius excelled and enjoyed battle, especially as it was alongside his his brother; besides Livvy, Ty was better. I find it very interesting how Tiberius was separated from Vipsania is similar to how Kit left without saying goodbye. However what followed was Drusus dying, whereas the death of Livvy happened before. Tiberius wallowed in his sorrow and did things that were morally wrong, Ty was in denial and tried to correct it by practicing necromancy, despite it being morally wrong. Tiberius must have been intelligent for securing the economy and making decent reforms to benefit the people of Rome, and we know how intelligent Ty is, though he is also technologically inclined.
Tiberius was known as tyrannical and vengeful probably due to Germanicus and the fact that he ran and drank away his problems, he didn’t engage in political acumen or enjoy the entertainment of his people. I do resent the things that may have occurred on the Island of Capri. He was forced into a role he didn’t want, was shunned often out of public life, Augustus had given him a lot of anguish, had relationships torn from him, he had been betrayed several times. To me he seemed really tragic. Despite all the tragedy in Ty’s life, we haven’t quite seen him react in the same way. This may be because to a degree he has Livvy back and is a bit more stable, but he never accepted the fact she was dead in the first place. Sure, he’s broody over Kit, but I would argue he is doing better than Kit in the department of carrying on.
Ty’s second name is Nero, but I think that’s because that was also Tiberius’ second name. Either way, Emperor Nero, if you are not familiar with him, not just killed but sacrificed people and fellow Romans. He was insane. If you want a tryant- that would be one of my first examples. What I also wanted to mention though is referring back to Julian. So Julian makes sense to be morally grey, especially as his counterpart is Julius Caesar, however Ty’s counterpart was known for being monster, tyrannical and a recluse, and if Nero is also a name that lends to why he is named “Tiberius Nero” then I’m thinking if Julian is morally grey, Ty is going to be morally charcoal grey. He’s already half raised Livvy from the dead without batting an eyelid. Sure, Julian would’ve raised Emma in a heartbeat and literally stopped her from dying even though she asked him not to. Ty also just doesn’t understand morals when people say “It’s wrong” or “because I love you” it’s not an explanation. Julian does acknowledge them, yet can still act in spite of them... Julian also says that Ty was even more intelligent (than him). Ty was the one in Lady Midnight who strategised with Livvy’s help for some of the major investigations. I think what I’m trying to say is that already Ty takes after Julian so much. Ty has also been secretive in the fear of not being allowed or being berated. I have always had this feeling that Ty will be more morally grey/complex than Julian. I know that all Shadowhunter mains so far knew the laws of the land and actively went against them (because the laws were stupid, and/or oppressive). It’s what’s going to be funny with Kit, who was briefly his moral compass. KIT HERONDALE. A moral compass? A boy who is extremely arbitrary and has been raised by two people who don’t abide by laws; one being a trickster and the other is a retired Silent brother and ex Shadowhunter who doesn’t abide himself by Shadowhunters laws. I suppose one of the reasons Ty isn't as law abiding as he's suggested to be is because Julian never really abided by them😂. I just find this fascinating. Julian acts for his own gain in extension to his family, and so does Ty but he can be even more self-invested at times due to his curiosity. Does that make sense? Anyways, long story short, I think Ty is and will become more morally grey than Julian and I am LIVING for it.
Drusilla
Ahaha, this one is interesting. Drusilla is the sister of Caligula, who inherits the Empire after Tiberius. I find it interesting that her name is a variation of Drusus as well leading off of Tiberius’ brother. Cassie explained what happened to Drusilla pretty well. Anyways, Drusilla and Caligula had an extremely close relationship. In public Caligula practically treated her like his “first wife”. Due to Caligula being insane, mixed with it being “strange” how close they were alongside Drusilla having a husband (which Caligula organised as it was a friend of his)- it was thought that they also had a sexual relationship. This can’t be confirmed though.
Caligula had a health scare at one point and he wrote in his will that Drusilla would be given the Imperium in his death, this would make her the first Empress of Rome. This is thought to be so that her husband would rule in her stead and in the hopes that they would produced male heirs to continue the Julian line to rule. Caligula survived though, instead Drusilla did have an untimely death. Caligula was distraught and did not leave her body for days, not wanting anyone to take her body away. At the funeral he fit the image as the widower. He deified her as Diva Drusilla as a symbol of the Julian genetrix remaining in the Public eye. In deifying her, he compared her to the goddess of Venus, the goddess of beauty. This little detail I find very interesting as Dru is often so self-conscious about her looks.
I know that in the books it blatantly has Dru question and worry that is replacing Livvy, and I don’t think she is, because she’s Dru. Ty gained some respect for her during the events of Queen, because he too, underestimated her. However, the fact that Livvy is named after Livia Drusilla, and Drusilla here had an untimely death which her brother was so distraught by, he DEIFIED HER. It’s like they interchange slightly. I mentioned under Livia that her status could translate to what hell will break loose by Livvy being a ghost, but also, what if it’s also about how badass Dru could be. THEY SHARE THE SAME NAME. Cassie did research, she is fully aware of this and still kept going with Dru being called Drusilla. There is no other notable Drusilla in Roman history and due to Drusilla dying quite young and being a woman, you have to scrape the barrel anyway.
Octavian
Oh man. I’ve already said so much about Octavian/Augustus under Julian, Mark and Tiberius that I just can’t be bothered to unload more. It’s not like we know too much about Tavvy as he’s still a small child and growing so I’ll just give you the important stuff.
Octavian is indeed named “Eigth child” even though way back in 2012 when Cassie was still brainstorming the kids, there were meant to be 8, Octavian was still going to be the 7th child. I personally like the little detail that someone pointed out that the fact that Octavian is 7th and he was born after Emma was immersed in the family means that Andrew and Eleanor already considered Emma as one of their children. It breaks my heart. The fact that Julian is affectively Tavvy’s father is also clever as Julius Caesar did help cultivate Octavian, he was his Uncle, but adopted him as his son. Caesar also coincidentally preceded all the others as well, with Mark Antony being at the same time and continuing on is just HILARIOUS to me. Julian really is the father. Helen is a little hard because 1. it’s most likely a myth 2. she’s from the Mycenean Greece 3. Homer didn’t write the Iliad until 8th century BC.
I can suspect that Tavvy may take after Julian, like what I’ve picked up about Augustus taking after Caesar when it comes to things like strategy. The fact that Caesar tried to put things in place to prevent what happened between him and Pompey from happening again, but then Octavian has the same experience like a decade later with Mark Antony. I mostly find this stuff insightful when it comes to Tavvy and Octavian in comparison to the rest. Octavian had his name changed by the senate in 27 BC giving him the honorific title of Augustus when first becoming Emperor; therefore making his name Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus.
In conclusion, most of the Blackthorn’s namesakes are pretty relevant to their charactisations. It also may give us insight into what may become of them in regards to the mains of the Wicked Powers.
Sorry, this is a lot to read 😅but I had to talk about it somewhere and I really want to start a discussion on it, so please comment! I want to hear people’s thoughts.
I also want to thank @lifeofbrybooks and @bookishjules of @kraigsretirementparty because they have inspired me to go down this rabbit hole again (first I did research after Lord of Shadows). I would especially love to hear your opinions on this and I hope to make more analysis in the future.
I can't believe I'm asking this,,, but do you think that the Lightwoods would be Republicans (specifically tmi but any timeline works). Also, would most shadowhunters be Republicans? Cause they seem to be the type idk
tsc x politics? probably the sexiest ask yet.
I had a think about this and here is my analysis. I don't think all shadowhunters are republicans.
Lightwoods - Republicanism
Gabriel, Gideon, Alec and Izzy were definitely republicans at early points of their storyline. I think their upbringing as a lot to do with it. I don't think they completely changed their views, but perhaps adopted either moderate or liberate republicanism as they grew.
Blackthorns - Anarchism
I do think blackthorns are hardcore anarchists what with their 'a bad law is no law' motto and literally running around and raising people from the dead.
Fairchilds - Democracy
Interestingly enough I don't think all of them are democrats. Charlotte, Matthew and Clary most definitely are and they believe in fair representation and civic participation. Charles and Jocelyn don't give me that vibe.
Herondales - Liberalism
I think Herondales are all about protecting the rights of the individual and advocate for agency and free enterprise. They are modern liberalists who engage in topics such as reproductive rights, same-sex marriage and voting rights.
Carstairs - Social democracy
For me, this is the most realistic political ideology and I do think the Carstairs family supports this because they are the most realistic family in my opinion. Think of AOC/Barnie Sanders - they totally give similar vibes. They focus on important issues like fixing healthcare and unemployment and strive to create a competitive economy.
Downworlders - Socialism
I didn't want to exclude them! I do think most downworlders are socialists - because it encourages cooperation rather than competition. I think they value a centralised government (like the Alliance!!).
TSC Analysis: Will and Tessa's behavior towards James and Lucie's partners
Tonight I'll talk about a topic that personally interests me a lot and that, I don't know, may interest other people? I hope. Parents and their relationship with their in-laws. It was inspired by a poll about who was Will's favorite kid, lol. It got me thinking about Will and Tessa's "kids", and specifically, about Cordelia and Jesse, who are part of their extended family by this point. This analysis is about how Will and Tessa view Cordelia and Jesse as their children's partners and how they interacted with them in TLH. Did they trust them instantly? Did they like them? Are they close? Things that I often asked myself and I thought I'd share with you hoping you're interested because this took me hours to write 😅
Will trusts his children's judgement when it comes to Cordelia and Jesse, but naturally, he also has opinions about them, and we saw them in the way he interacted with both. Cordelia (and James) lied about their marriage, but since he never knew about the sham, he never doubted her. Will was overjoyed with the news that James was going to marry a Carstairs, Jem's cousin no less, and gave her his blessing. To him, Cordelia was already family, and he loved her already and trusted her. Wessa trusted Cordelia but she was actually lying to them about her marriage to James.
Will was distrustful towards Jesse at first, because he had been possessed. He accepted him after he discovered what he did for James. Sacrificing his last breath for his son was enough 'proof' that Jesse didn't have ill intentions towards his family. In London, Jesse acted like a proper boyfriend towards Lucie, but he also was well-mannered with Wessa, he helped around the Institute; Will never once thought his trust had been misplaced. Unlike Cordelia, Jesse had to earn Will's trust. By the end of the story, Will considers Jesse like family, that's why he gave him the home mark and the stele which belonged to his father. This is very symbolic. Will officially welcomed Jesse in the family even though he's not married to Lucie yet (so this was sort of a blessing from Will to Lucie and Jesse) and probably a promise about Jesse's own future in the London Institute.
Will is very sentimental: he accepted Cordelia instantly because she was a Carstairs, unaware that Jordelia lied about their marriage at first. Will is also very practical: he accepted Jesse not because of his last name, but for the way he behaved, for his practical actions. Wessa considered Cordelia like a daughter, because of who she was. They loved her already, and she needn't do anything for them to like her, or to earn their trust (which she very much broke when she and James lied to them). Jesse was the son of the villain and won Wessa's heart over by showing them he was a person they could rely on. This also meant being a well-mannered guy around their daughter and be transparent, for the sake of the future he wants to have with her.
Tessa also trusts Lucie and James's judgement. It's very easy to win Tessa over. She is a great judge of character and very hopeful and tries to trust people even though they did bad things (she was the only one who believed there was still hope to save Tatiana, uhm). She knows how to read people, and I bet she is very good at figuring body language too and understand whether someone is uncomfortable, lying, needs advice, etc. Not that Will isn't, but he lets his emotions cloud his judgement at times, and he can be impulsive and act rashly, then later rationalize and change his mind if he needs to. Tessa is more rational than Will and more controlled in her reactions (if you think that when Will sees Jesse for the first time, he literally takes a blade to threaten him, duh!).
Tessa seems quieter than Will, but she's not. She pays attention a lot and seems to be very helpful in making people feel at ease or more positive and hopeful about a situation. She's very attentive. When talking about Cordelia and Jesse to Lucie and James, she first comments about their outward appearance. Soon, though, she gives insight about their inner world, what not many people bother to see when they interact with pretty people. Tessa understands the struggles Cordelia and Jesse are going through, and is ready to offer them support when she feels they need it.
Cordelia felt very uneasy during her engagement party with James, the moment when she was officially introduced to their society as James' future wife and the Herondale's future in law/family member. Tessa helped her feel more confident. She was able to understand Cordelia because she is also a woman who is often whispered-about by the people in the Clave, and her father is also someone very questionable. Before Jordelia's marriage, she also advised James that even though Cordelia was a strong woman, the matter with her father bothered her a lot because it was complicated. Hence, Will also advised James to be a good husband and support Cordelia.
Tessa's situation with Jesse is quite similar, but the conversation happens in private during a dinner, where Jesse is already inserted into the Herondale's family dynamics as if he was already one of them. Will had just received the call that Tatiana was in Cornwall. This whole situation upsets Jesse, because his relationship with his mother was complicated. Tessa sensed it, and tried to give him hope. Something any good mother would say, if they see their son looking lost and hopeless. Lucie wanted to go after Jesse to support him but Tessa advised against it and suggested she gave him time to be alone.
In both instances, it's James who notices Jesse's shocked reaction to the fatherly/motherly way in which Will and Tessa interact with him. He doesn't just recognize how Jesse grew up in a very different environment than he did (dead father, problematic mother), but also that his parents were and are good parents to him and Lucie. They were always supportive of him and his sister, and they received a lot of love. And Wessa's love and support is not limited to James and Lucie only, they also show love and support to their family and friends, and to even to people they barely know.
Closing remarks: I believe that Wessa like Cordelia and Jesse very much as James and Lucie's partners, of course, and they welcomed them with open arms in their family. Because of the circumstances, though, the end of TLH it seems to hint that Wessa (and especially Will's) relationship with Jesse is going to be tighter than the one with Cordelia. It's not a matter of preference between their in-laws, who I think they equally like, but a matter of proximity. James and Cordelia got married, and they now live in a separate house. They are in a new "cycle" in their life where, as a couple, they started their own life and they separated from their birth parent's house. This means they may spend less time around Wessa because they're going to have their life in their own house, and when they have children and they will get married, it will happen the same thing. They're just following a life cycle. Things are different for Lucie and Jesse. They still live under Wessa's roof, and Jesse helps Wessa doing things around the Institute, eats with them, does stuff with them most likely. If my theory about Jesse running the London Institute in the future turns real, it is highly likely and natural that Wessa and especially Will, will strengthen their relationship with Jesse.
Tw for s*icide mention, abuse mention, death mention
A few days ago, an anon sent me an ask talking about how it was a miracle that in spite of everything that happened to her, Grace didn't decide to end her life. And it got me thinking that she wouldn't think about this resolution for herself, because she had already experienced being lifeless. She knew what "death" as a real and irrational concept meant. Her biological parents had died, and with them, it was as if a part of her had died as well because T.B. also metaphorically k*lled Grace Cartwright to create Grace Blackthorn. Her non-biological brother had died as well, and she was there when he had. As someone who has witnessed someone I loved die before my eyes, believe me when I say that image of a person exhaling their last breath will haunt me forever. By that point, the Grace we see is not the real Grace, the innocent and orphaned child. She was another version of herself, a version she did not want to be, yet she had to be in order to satisfy her "mother", whom she only wanted affection from. A ghostly person, a person with little-to-none notion about feelings, that were being kept alive by her brother Jesse. Jesse was what kept her human and didn't make her completely lose her mind.
Like Jesse, a literal ghost with his conscience intact even in death, Grace was also a ghost, in the symbolic sense. Jesse couldn't use his body, his death was physical. Grace, on the other hand, had died a symbolic death: it had been her mind to have been corrupted to fit the greater scheme of things, while she could still use her body to perform her mother's will, thinking that it would make T.B. love her in return. Grace had been rendered a ghost in the mental sense, because Tatiana made her use mental powers - that she didn't want to use. She was compelled to use because her mom gaslighted her to do so. T.B. had threatened Grace's innocent conscience by using the love she had to offer on itself. She basically used Grace's need of affection after her bio-parents had died to bend Grace's will, so that she would comply with whatever she wanted. It was a vicious circle, because in her mind, Grace knew that T.B. would never love her, but at the same time, devoid of her consciousness, her body acted on his on will. While Jesse's mind and reasoning didn't seem to have been corrupted by Tatiana, Grace's had, but not completely, however.
One of the emphasis of The Last Hours series is consent, and how it works on different people. Belial possessed James, but James' conscience was strong enough to fight Belial's own conscience from taking complete rein in his mind. Jesse's conscience and soul wasn't in his body when Belial possessed his body, thus making his body perform killings without his consent and will. Perhaps, Jesse could've resisted Belial, had his conscience been in his body. Belial was also in Grace's mind, through her power, and sometimes she could resist using it, sometimes she didn't. But that's only fair, it is realistic, in a way. People aren't perfect, and Grace's mind and conscience, compared to Jesse's or James', had been damaged severely because of the years of abuse and mistreatment she had to endure with T.B. So it's only natural that it would take her time to "rebel" against her captors and standing up for herself.
One of Grace's saving graces (pardon me for this word game) is her smart mind and her ability to see solutions where others don't. She has a way to think that most of the others don't have: she isn't influenced by her feelings when she thinks, she's very rational. Jesse also helped her keep "human" and remind herself that there is someone who loves her, the world is not stale of feelings. And this is one of the reasons why she stayed strong and could think rationally about how to handle this situation, even if it took time and eventually, she needed to get rid of the mental power to finally open her mind and be free. And this is her revenge, her chance at living fully and properly. She finally discovered what she's interested into, and I envision a prolific scientific future for Grace in the Shadow world.
I’ve been rereading lbotw, and I realised something.
A lot of people had the same question after reading lbotw - why was Alec tested by the sword, and Magnus wasn’t?
Well, the answer is - it wasn’t a test at all.
Lemme explain.
First, there’s this part in the scene when they receive the Black and White Impermanences, when Magnus receives his sword -
Now, as we know, Magnus is pretty self aware. Magnus knows he’d rather spare Shinyun and Ragnor if it came to that. He has no need to question Mo Ye and Gan Jiang’s choice, and from the neutral expression he wears, he seems to have no qualms about wielding the sword representing Mercy.
Alec, on the other hand…
Alec questions this decision. Not out loud, of course, but he questions it nonetheless.
And then, this scene happens -
We all know that the vision was cause by the sword, of course, and the significance of the vision, but look at this paragraph in particular -
This paragraph is a direct answer to Alec’s question earlier. Why is Alec judgement? Because only he could make a judgement against Magnus, if it came to that. The sword answered any questions in Alec’s mind about why he had to be Judgement.
Yes, Mo Ye said that Alec might’ve been tested by the sword, BUT, she doesn’t know Alec’s thought processes, she doesn’t know that he was questioning being chosen for the sword representing Judgement, and she hasn’t seen the vision that Alec saw, either. She was simply assuming.
In conclusion, the vision was never a test. It was an answer.
So some people have been talking about the differences in all Magnus(es) throughout tsc sooo what’s your opinion on every Magnus (tid,tlh,tmi,tec,tda)
HMMMMMMM it’s been a hot minute since I last read TID so this is gonna be kinda tough.
For the most part, though, Magnus’s character remains the same - he’s old and wise and the friend you can always rely on, while on the other hand being the life of any party and the kind of person to live every day to its fullest. He tries his darnest best to save anyone from pain, even if they are sometimes beyond saving. But there are subtle differences in his character in every series, mostly regarding his feelings about shadowhunters and his relationship with them.
In TID, Magnus is very distant from the shadowhunters of the London institute. (And from all shadowhunters in general. Makes sense since this was the generation after the first accords were signed). The shadowhunter he was closest to in this era was Will, and even then he held Will at an arms distance and didn’t talk about his personal life with him. (Heck, in The Midnight Heir, he’s surprised to hear that Will considers him a friend). After Will, he was close to Tessa (though they would have a long time to develop a proper friendship) and Henry, but I highly doubt he had an emotional connection to Henry. In the later books, we even find out that seeing Will and Jem together was what had made him believe that Shadowhunters weren’t all arseholes.
In TLH… well we don’t see much of Magnus in TLH, atleast not so far, but from what we have seen, Magnus is clearly more open towards these Shadowhunters - he’s friends with Anna, maybe even with Matthew, he attends James and Cordelia’s wedding in the institute, and at this point he seems to be maintaining regular contact with Will, Tessa and Henry. But he also radiates regret and guilt. I’m guessing he feels a sort of responsibility for James and Lucie and their friends, having been friends/acquaintances with their parents, and at the end of Choi we see that he regrets having been away for most of the part of chog and choi. He clearly wishes to have been there for the TLH gang but because of circumstances/because he was away from London, he couldn’t be.
In TMI, he’s the stark opposite, almost apathetic to the shadowhunters and their problems. I’m guessing that this apathy comes from a) the circle, b) him spiralling into immortality related depression and c) something happens in chot, something that hurts him, possibly related to the guilt I discussed above, and it makes him distance himself from shadowhunter. (There’s clearly a gap between TLH and TMI during which Magnus clearly doesn’t engage with shadowhunters unless it’s for professional reasons). Of course, that slowly changes over the course of tmi as he begins helping them out, mainly because he’s in love with Alec, only to find himself a family among the shadowhunters. His experiences with Alec also helped him figure out a way to deal with said immortality related depression (note that it wasn’t around in the TID/TLH era).
In TDA, he’s more comfortable among the shadowhunters, and we also see a change in his lifestyle, going from a freewheeling persona to a more domestic one (which, obviously, is because he’s a parent now). His arcs from TLH and TMI come full circle in TDA (if I’m correct about his TLH arc, that is). Magnus is always there for the younger shadowhunters, helping them all to the best of his abilities (even if he’s sick, that dumbass) - something that the downworld doesn’t seem very happy about, but it is what it is. He even resides in Idris at one point, something that I highly doubt TID/TLH Magnus would be amenable to. But most importantly, his personal life is strong, he’s happy and content, having found the love he craved so badly. AND he gets married, to a shadowhunter nonetheless, which- GOOD FOR HIM!!!
In TEC, and TBC by extension, Magnus is very different from every other book we’ve seen him in before, mainly because these books are primarily told from his perspective, instead of someone else’s (these ‘someone else’s’ mainly being shadowhunters). In these books we see Magnus for what he really is, beyond his armour and all that glitter - a chaotic disaster bisexual. In tec and tbc, Magnus is more human, slipping up and making mistakes and doing dumb, chaotic shit, and most importantly, being someone we can relate to. In these books, his cool, calm facade slips away completely, and we see a complex man who has lived for centuries and yet retains a childish spirit, who feels emotions strongly, who is terrible at instruments and loves coffee and good food and is just an absolute softie who is starving for affection. In these books he isn’t the High Warlock of Brooklyn or a fashion icon or anything, he’s just… Magnus Bane.
