Cassandra Clare Books in Order (Shadowhunters, City Of Bones, Clockwork Angel, Chain of Iron)

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Cassandra Clare is the pen name of Judith Lewis (née Rumelt), an American author of Young adult fantasy fiction. She is best known for her bestselling series The Mortal Instruments, which has been adapted into a movie in 2010 and into a television series, between 2016 and 2019.

Cassandra Clare is known to have first made a name as a fanfiction writer, mostly in the Harry Potter community with The Draco Trilogy. She published her first novel, The City of Bones, in 2007, which has been a Locus Award Nominee for Best First Novel 2008. This marks the beginning of The Shadowhunter Chronicles, now a media franchise still ongoing.

How to read Cassandra Clare’s Books in Order?

The Shadowhunter Chronicles in Order

The Shadowhunter Chronicles is set in a universe where fairy tales and mythologies are true. Living alongside the mundane (or normal humans), a race of humans who possess angel blood, the Nephilim or Shadowhunters, is organized to patrol the Shadow World and prevent demons as well as Downworlders, including warlocks, faeries, werewolves, and vampires from attacking the mundanes. For more details, go to our full reading order for The Shadowhunter Chronicles.

The Mortal Instruments

Revolves around the Shadowhunter Clary Fray. She and her friends are confronted with two wars: the first against Valentine Morgenstern, and the second against his son Jonathan Morgenstern.

1. City of Bones (2007)
2. City of Ashes (2008)
3. City of Glass (2009)
4. City of Fallen Angels (2011)
5. City of Lost Souls (2012)
6. City of Heavenly Fire (2014)

Mortal Instruments Companion Books

1. The Shadowhunter’s Codex (2013)
2. The Bane Chronicles (2014)
3. Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy (2016)
4. A History of Notable Shadowhunters & Denizens of Downworld: Told in the Language of Flowers(2016)
5. Ghosts of the Shadow Market (2019)

The Infernal Devices

Set in 1878 in Victorian-era London, it centers on Tessa Gray, a teenager who comes to London following her brother’s invitation but ends up thrust into the shadow world upon learning she is not a mundane but a warlock. It contains:

1. Clockwork Angel (2010)
2. Clockwork Prince (2011)
3. Clockwork Princess (2013)

The Dark Artifices

A sequel to The Mortal Instruments series, taking place five years after the conclusion. Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs seeks the answer to her parents’ mysterious deaths. It brings in many of the previously introduced characters such as Magnus Bane, James Carstairs, and Tessa Gray.

1. Lady Midnight (2016)
2. Lord of Shadows (2017)
3. The Queen of Air and Darkness (2018)

The Last Hours

A sequel to The Infernal Devices series. It takes place in 1903 London and Paris and revolves around the children of the previous series’s main characters, including those of Tessa Gray.

1. Chain of Gold (2019)
2. Chain of Iron (2021)
3. Chain of Thorns (2023)

The Eldest Curses

A trilogy exploring Magnus Bane’s story and secrets. This series is co-written with Wesley Chu.

1. The Red Scrolls of Magic (2019)
2. The Lost Book of the White (2020)
3. The Black Volume of the Dead (TBA)

Mortal Instruments Graphic Novels/Manga

Mortal Instruments Graphic Novels with Art by Cassandra Jean.

1. The Mortal Instruments: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1 (2017)
2. The Mortal Instruments: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 2 (2018)
3. The Mortal Instruments: The Graphic Novel, Vol.3 (2019)

Infernal Devices Graphic Novels With Art by HyeKyung Baek.

1. The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel, Volume 1 (2012)
2. The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Prince, Volume 2 (2013)
3. The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Princess, Volume 3 (2014)

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The Chronicles of Castellane Series in Order

Series set in the vibrant city-state of Castellane where the richest of nobles and the most debauched of criminals have one thing in common: the constant search for wealth, power, and the next hedonistic thrill.

1. Sword Catcher – Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword Catcher—the body double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He has been raised alongside the prince, they are as close as brothers, but Kel knows that his destiny is to die for Conor. Lin Caster is one of the Ashkar, a small community whose members still possess magical abilities. By law, they must live behind walls within the city, but Lin, a physician, ventures out to tend to the sick and dying of Castellane. Despite her skills, she cannot heal her best friend without access to forbidden knowledge. After a failed assassination attempt brings Lin and Kel together, they are drawn into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King, the criminal ruler of Castellane’s underworld.

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The Magisterium Series in Order

This series is co-written with Holly Black. The Magisterium Series is about twelve-year-old Callum Hunt who joins the Magisterium in order to become a mage.

1. The Iron Trial (2014) – Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial. Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail. All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him. So he tries his best to do his worst — and fails at failing. Now the Magisterium awaits him. It’s a place that’s both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future. The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come . . .
2. The Copper Gauntlet (2015) – It’s not easy for Call . . . and it gets even harder after he checks out his basement and discovers that his dad might be trying to destroy both him and Havoc. Call escapes to the Magisterium ― but things only intensify there. The Alkahest ― copper gauntlet capable of separating certain magicians from their magic ― has been stolen. And in their search to discover the culprit, Call and his friends Aaron and Tamara awaken the attention of some very dangerous foes ― and get closer to an even more dangerous truth.
3. The Bronze Key (2016) – Magic can save you. Magic can kill you. It should be a time of celebration. The Enemy of Death is dead; a severed head proof of his downfall. The magical world has no reason to believe otherwise, and Callum, Tamara and Aaron are celebrated as heroes. But at a party held in their honour, things go horribly, brutally wrong. A fellow student is callously murdered, and it seems Call’s worst fears are confirmed: there is a spy in the Magisterium. No one is safe. Now, using the powerful magic they’ve been taught, the trio must risk their lives to track down the killer. But magic is dangerous – in the wrong hands it could bring terrible destruction. And reveal the deadliest secret of all….

• The Silver Mask (2017) – Callum Hunt’s life has fallen apart. His friend is gone. The spy has escaped. His secret is out. He is facing an existence behind bars, banished from the rest of the magical community for what he is – for what he might become. But a shocking revelation has promised freedom – at a cost. Will he stay strong, and faithful to his friends and teachers? Or take the risk, and destroy everything he’s ever loved? This fourth year at the Magisterium will be unlike anything else that has gone before….
• The Golden Tower (2018) – Callum Hunt has been a hero and an outcast, a force of good and a portent of evil. While the doors of the Magisterium have been open to him, he has never felt entirely welcome. If anything, he has felt others’ resentment . . . and fear. Now, as he begins his final year at the magical school, his place is less certain than ever. With one unique exception, he is estranged from most of his friends. A furtive darkness still hounds him. And the greatest challenge he will ever face is right around the corner.

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Short fiction

1. Other Boys – published in Eternal Kiss: 12 Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire (2009).
2. The Mirror House – published in Vacations from Hell (2009).
3. I Never – published in Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd (2009).
4. Cold Hands – published in ZVU: Zombies Versus Unicorns (2010).
5. The Rowan Gentleman (co-written with Holly Black) – published in Welcome to Bordertown (2011).
6. Some Fortunate Future Day – published in Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories (2011).

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If you like the Cassandra Clare reading order, you may also want to check out Sarah J. Maas’s work, or our guide to Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse series. Don’t hesitate to follow us on Twitter or Facebook to discover more book series.