Hello book nerds! If you’ve come across this article, you’re probably an aspiring Shadowhunter or one in training, with only a couple of Cassandra Clare books under your belt. and hey, we got it. how were you supposed to know that when you picked up the city of bones there were at least fifteen other books waiting for you? Well, as book experts who grew up alongside Clary, Izzy, and Jace, we’re here to help.
You are reading: Shadowhunters books reading order
below is the order we read it in! the reading order is set this way because it is the order in which the books were originally published, and therefore reveals and character arcs link to each other in series, plotlines, and timelines.
Are you ready to immerse yourself in this world? Check out the Shadowhunters reading order below and see where you should start, pause, take a break, and, okay, never stop. especially with more books on the way. We apologize for putting you on this path, but #sorry, not sorry.
the reading order of the shadowhunters
your guide, from the team’s epic reads
1. city of bones (the mortal instruments #1)
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary’s first encounter with Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the land of demons. It’s also his first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a bit like an angel and acts like an idiot. Within twenty-four hours, Clary is drawn into Jace’s world with a vengeance when her mother goes missing and Clary is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get sight of her? Shadowhunters would like to know…
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2. city of ashes (the mortal instruments #2)
Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what’s normal when you’re a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who’s becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn’t ready to let her go—especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary’s only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil—and also her father.
to complicate matters, someone in new york city is murdering underground children. is valentine behind the murders? and if she is, what is she trying to do? When the second of the deadly instruments, the Soul Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate, directly approaching Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help his father?
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3. city of glass (the mortal instruments #3)
To save her mother’s life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters — never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and her best friend, Simon, has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.
As Clary discovers more about her family’s past, she finds an ally in the mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, her only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside his eternal enemies. but can the Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? As Jace realizes exactly how much he’s willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save Crystal City, no matter what it takes?
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4. mechanical angel (infernal devices #1)
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London’s Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called the Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is an inhabitant of the underworld with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. . What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa’s power for himself.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the London Institute’s Shadowhunters, who vow to find her brother if she uses her power to help them. Soon she finds herself fascinated and torn between two best friends: James, whose frail beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm’s length…everyone, that is. , but tessa. As their search leads them into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world…and that love can be the most dangerous magic. everyone.
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5. city of fallen angels (the mortal instruments #4)
The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She’s training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.
but nothing comes without a price.
Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, causing tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her: Clary’s mom just found out she’s a vampire and now she’s homeless. When Jace begins to walk away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead her to lose everything she loves. loves. . even jace.
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6. clockwork prince (the infernal devices #2)
See Also: John Madden – Book Series In Order
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of Jem’s handsome self-destructive Will and fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war against the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. she blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered her life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio travel from a mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds unspeakable horrors, from the slums of London to a haunted ballroom where Tessa discovers the truth of her parentage is more sinister than ever. what I had imagined. when they encounter a mechanical demon who warns them of the will, they realize that the magister himself knows his every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa feels her heart grow ever more drawn to Jem, but her longing for Will, despite her bad mood, continues to haunt her. but something is changing in her will: the wall she has built around herself is crumbling. Could she find the free will of the magister of her secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
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7. city of lost souls (the mortal instruments #5)
What price is too high to pay, even for love? Plunge into fifth installment in the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series and “prepare to be hooked” (Entertainment Weekly)—now with a gorgeous new cover, a map, a new foreword, and exclusive bonus content! City of Lost Souls is a Shadowhunters novel.
When Jace and Clary are reunited, Clary is horrified to discover that magic from the demon Lilith has bound her beloved Jace to his evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. the key wants to destroy sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle cajole and bargain with Seelies, Demons, and the ruthless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays her own dangerous game. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he really lost?
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8. clockwork princess (the infernal devices #3)
A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain plans to use his Infernal Devices, an army of pitiless automatons, to destroy the Shadowhunters. He needs only one last item to complete his plan: he needs Tessa Gray.
charlotte branwell, headmistress of the london institute, is desperate to find mortmain before he strikes. But when Mortmain kidnaps Tessa, the boys who have equal claims to her heart, Jem and Will, will do anything to save her. Because even though Tessa and Jem are now engaged, Will is as in love with her as ever.
As those who love Tessa band together to rescue her from Mortmain’s clutches, Tessa realizes the only person who can save her is herself. But can a single girl, even one who can command the power of angels, take on an entire army?
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9. city of heavenly fire (the mortal instruments #6)
Darkness has descended on the Shadowhunter world. Chaos and destruction overwhelm the Nephilim as Clary, Jace, Simon, and their friends band together to fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary’s own brother.
Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically pitting Shadowhunters against Shadowhunters. Wielding the infernal goblet, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures of nightmare, tearing families and lovers apart as the ranks of his darkened army swell. nothing in this world can defeat sebastian, but if they travel to the demon realm, they just might have a chance…
Lives will be lost, love will be sacrificed, and the entire world will change. Who will survive the explosive sixth and final installment of the Mortal Instruments series?
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please note the above that if you don’t feel like jumping between two series and prefer to stitch the trilogies together, cassandra clare recommends reading the mortal instruments pt. i (books 1-3), then the infernal devices, and then finally the mortal instruments pt. ii (books 4-6).
10. the chronicles of doom
Fans of The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices can get to know warlock Magnus Bane like never before in this collection of New York Times bestselling tales, in print for the first time with an exclusive new story and illustrated material.
This collection of eleven short stories illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose beguiling personality, flamboyant style, and sharp wit grace the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices.
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Originally released one by one as electronic-only short stories by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan, this compilation features all ten together in print for the first time and includes a never-before-seen eleventh short story. , as well as new illustrated material.
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11. tales from shadowhunter academy
Simon Lewis has been a human and a vampire, and now he is becoming a Shadowhunter. But the events of City of Heavenly Fire left him stripped of his memories, and Simon isn’t sure who he is anymore. He knows he was friends with Clary, and that he convinced the total goddess Isabelle Lightwood to go out with him…but he doesn’t know how. And when Clary and Isabelle look at him, expecting him to be a man he doesn’t remember…Simon can’t take it.
So, when the Shadowhunter Academy reopens, Simon launches himself into this new world of demon hunting, determined to find himself again. the new me of him. whoever this new simon is.
But the academy is a Shadowhunter institution, which means it has some problems. like the fact that students who aren’t Shadowhunters have to live in the basement. and that differences, like being an ex-vampire, are looked down upon. at least simon is trained in weaponry, even if it’s just from hours of playing d&d.
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12. lady midnight (the dark artifices #1)
See Also: The 10 Best Books on the Runes – Norse Mythology for Smart People
It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.
Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that spans Los Angeles, from the sunset fringe to the enchanted sea that laps at the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…
To further complicate matters, Julian’s brother Mark, who was captured by the fairies five years ago, has been returned as a bargaining chip. The fairies are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind, and they need the help of the Shadowhunters to do so. But time works differently in fairies, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the fairies really allow it?
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13. shadow lord (the dark artifices #2)
Emma Carstairs has learned that the love she shares with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, isn’t just forbidden—it could destroy them both. She knows she should run from Julian. But how can she when the Blackthorns are threatened by enemies on all sides?
Her only hope is the Black Volume of the Dead, a spellbook of terrible power. everyone wants it only blackthorns can find it. Fueled by a dark deal with the Seelie Queen, Emma; her best friend, cristina; and Mark and Julian Blackthorn journey to the courts of the fairies, where dazzling festivities hide bloody danger and no promises can be trusted. Meanwhile, growing tension between Shadowhunters and Downworlders has spawned the Cohort, an extremist group of Shadowhunters dedicated to scouring Downworlders and “unsuitable” Nephilim. They’ll do everything in their power to expose Julian’s secrets and take over the Angel Institute.
When the Downworlders turn against the key, a new threat arises in the form of the Lord of Shadows: the Dark King, who sends his greatest warriors to slaughter those with Blackthorn blood and seize the Black Volume. As the dangers close in, Julian devises a risky plan that depends on the cooperation of an unpredictable enemy. But success may come at a price he and Emma can’t even imagine, one that will bring about a blood reckoning that could have repercussions for everyone and everything they hold dear.
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14. queen of air and darkness (the dark artifices #3)
Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters.
After the tragic death of livia blackthorn, the key teeters on the brink of civil war. A fragment of the blackthorn family flees to the angels, seeking to discover the origin of the disease that is destroying the race of witches. Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put aside their forbidden love and embark on a dangerous mission to the fairies to retrieve the Black Volume from the dead. what they find in court is a secret that can shatter the shadow world and open a dark path to a future they never could have imagined.
Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world from the Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the Parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love.
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15. ghosts of the shadow market
The Shadow Market is a meeting point for faeries, werewolves, warlocks, and vampires. There, the Downworlders buy and sell magical objects, make dark bargains, and whisper secrets they do not want the Nephilim to know. Through two centuries, however, there has been a frequent visitor to the Shadow Market from the City of Bones, the very heart of the Shadowhunters’ world. As a Silent Brother, Brother Zachariah is a sworn keeper of the laws and lore of the Nephilim. But once he was a Shadowhunter called Jem Carstairs, and his love, then and always, is the warlock Tessa Gray. And Jem is searching through the Shadow Markets, in many different cities over long years, for a relic from his past.
Follow Jem and see, set against the backdrop of the murky businesses and festivals of the shadow market, Anna Lightwood’s doomed romance, Matthew Fairchild and Tessa Gray’s great sin as they plunge into a world war. valentine morgenstern buys a soul in the market and the soul of a young jace wayland finds safe harbor. A lost heir and a beloved ghost hide in the market, and no one can save you once you’ve exchanged your heart. not even brother zachariah.
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16. the red scrolls of magic (the greater curses #1)
All Magnus Bane wanted was a vacation.
A luxurious trip through Europe with Alec Lightwood, the Shadowhunter who, against all odds, is finally her boyfriend. doesn’t seem too much to ask for the centuries-old high warlock. But just as they’ve settled in Paris, an old friend arrives with news about a demon-worshipping cult called the Crimson Hand that’s hell-bent on causing chaos around the world. a cult that was apparently founded by the magnus himself. years ago. as a joke.
Now, Magnus and Alec must race across Europe to track down the Crimson Hand and its elusive new leader before the cult can cause any more damage. As if it wasn’t bad enough that their romantic getaway has gone off the rails, demons are now after them at every turn, and it’s getting harder to tell friend from foe. As their search for answers becomes increasingly dire, Magnus and Alec have to trust each other more than ever, even if it means revealing the secrets they’ve both been keeping.
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17. gold chain (last hours #1)
Welcome to Edwardian London, a time of electric lights and long shadows, the celebration of artistic beauty and the wild pursuit of pleasure, with demons waiting in the dark. For years there has been peace in the Shadowhunter world. James and Lucie Herondale, children of the famous Will and Tessa, have grown up in an idyll with their loving friends and family, listening to stories of good defeating evil and love conquering all. But everything changes when the Blackthorn and Carstairs families come to London…and so does a remorseless and inescapable plague.
james herondale longs for a great love and thinks he has found it in the beautiful and mysterious grace blackthorn. Cordelia Carstairs is desperate to become a hero, save her family from ruin, and keep her secret love for James hidden. When disaster strikes the Shadowhunters, James, Cordelia, and her friends plunge into a wild adventure that will reveal dark and incredible powers, and the true cruel price of being a hero…and falling in love.
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Which Shadowhunter series is your favourite? tell us in the comments!
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