See book 3 in the series.

This is a collection of three short stories that take place prior to the author's House of Shattered Wings. Readers should definitely read the novel first, I think, because it gives vital context to these stories which I fear don't stand alone.

Story 1: "The Face of Heaven"
This takes place very soon after the Great Houses War, and features Elisabeth, a human who joined Silverspires. She remembers her children, dead in the War, and looks to the heavens searching for newly Fallen. This is the weakest of the three stories. It doesn't really add much to the world and is more a character study than anything else. It does show some of the horrors that occurred during the War, but then that was already implied in the novel. Most interestingly, you get to see Morningstar as a character when he was still head of House.

Story 2: "Paid Debts"
My favorite of the three stories. A Silverspires Fallen stays too late at Hawthorne, where his food and drink had been drugged, and finds himself running away from the tender mercies of a gang. There's an appearance by Phillipe, but this is more a story of human mercy and Fallen -- indifference is the wrong word... Fallen blindness to human suffering? Either way, it was an interesting story and showcases the harsh realities of the world of the Fallen.

Story 3: "What Has to Be Done"
This takes place after Morningstar's disappearance and Selene's ascension to Head of House. Mildly interesting but does not add much to the narrative other than underlining that Selene felt overwhelmed from the very beginning.

If someone loved the worldbuilding in House of Shattered Wings, these stories may be worth a read. But otherwise they can be passed over without missing anything. ( )

Three vignettes that precede [The House of Shattered Wings]. A very welcome chance to get a better look at the historical context, but the last story in particular is a snippet rather than a full story. For completists rather than a must-read addition. ( )