Cassandra Clare Essential Reading Guide (books in order)

Published Nov 4, 2026, 6:04 PM EST Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer and TV critic who covers sci-fi shows like Doctor Who and Pluribus, fantasy shows like The Magicians and Percy Jackson, and horror of all kinds. They also cover Marvel and DC TV shows and movies, with a robust knowledge of comic books. Their TV reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes. Dani is also part of ScreenRant's books team, using their fiction writing and literature studies as the backbone for their book analyses. They have covered events, such as the Denver Fan Expo. Professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale, have shared their articles. Their review of Ponies was quoted in the show's TV trailer. In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18. Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity. Sign in to your ScreenRant account The Shadowhunter Chronicles has many possible reading orders, so here’s all the information you need to dive into the story. Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunter books are one of the longest-running YA fantasy series of this century, with over 20 books split into five sub-series, and it’s approaching its conclusion. The Last King of Faerie, the first book in the final trilogy, The Wicked Powers, is out now, with the second expected in Fall 2027. Perhaps you’re starting The Shadowhunter Chronicles now because a friend recommended the series, or you’ve always been curious but never actually started. Maybe you were convinced to pick up the books because of The Last King of Faerie’s beautiful cover art and the increased interest in fantasy romance. Or maybe, you're finally catching up on or revisiting the world of the Shadowhunters. No matter why you're reading the books now, the series is so expansive that the reading order can be confusing. There are four main ways to read The Shadowhunter Chronicles: Cassandra Clare's recommendation, grouped by series, publication order, and chronological order. Here are the books in each reading order, along with the pros and cons of each. By the end, you should feel more confident choosing the reading order that fits you best. Limited-edition releases, such as Seasons of Shadowhunters and Classics Reimagined in the World of the Shadowhunters, that haven't received wide releases aren't included on the lists. Similarly, Shadowhunters and Downworlders, which wasn't written by Cassandra Clare, and graphic novels don't appear. Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter Recommended Reading Order Title Series Book Release Year City of Bones The Mortal Instruments 2007 City of Ashes The Mortal Instruments 2008 City of Glass The Mortal Instruments 2009 Clockwork Angel The Infernal Devices 2010 Clockwork Prince The Infernal Devices 2011 Clockwork Princess The Infernal Devices 2013 City of Fallen Angels The Mortal Instruments 2011 City of Lost Souls The Mortal Instruments 2013 City of Heavenly Fire The Mortal Instruments 2014 The Bane Chronicles Standalone 2014 The Shadowhunter’s Codex* Companion guide manual 2013 Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy Standalone 2016 The Red Scrolls of Magic The Eldest Curse 2019 The Lost Book Of The White The Eldest Curse 2020 Lady Midnight The Dark Artifices 2016 Lord of Shadows The Dark Artifices 2017 Queen of the Air and Darkness The Dark Artifices 2018 Ghosts of the Shadow Market* Standalone 2019 Chain of Gold The Last Hours 2020 Chain of Iron The Last Hours 2021 Chain of Thorns The Last Hours 2023 Secrets Of Blackthorn Hall* Standalone 2021 Better In Black* Standalone 2025 The Last King of Faerie The Wicked Powers 2026 *No explicit recommended location from Cassandra Clare Ideal for: Readers who need breaks from characters to prevent burnout, readers who enjoy variation in settings and characters Not ideal for: Readers who want to finish one story before starting the next, readers who want consistent writing quality Because Cassandra Clare is the brilliant mind behind the Shadowhunters books, readers value her opinions highly. Luckily, they can experience the books the way Cassandra Clare recommends. On her 2019 website (accessed via The Wayback Machine), she outlined the ideal order. Her current website also makes suggestions for when to read newer books. She explicitly recommends waiting for Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, The Eldest Curses, and The Bane Chronicles after finishing The Mortal Instruments. She also suggests reading The Infernal Devices ahead of Ghosts of the Shadow Market, though she doesn’t specify whether to read it immediately after or wait. I’ve taken a little liberty by placing it after The Dark Artifices since reading it sooner would include spoilers. A few other Shadowhunter books don’t have an explicit recommendation, so I’ve placed them in the best narrative spot. Clare’s suggested order does a good job of breaking each story into consumable bits, preventing burnout. What’s more, reading The Infernal Devices mid-The Mortal Instruments introduces audiences to characters and details that show up in the second half of the six-book series. The order breaks up The Infernal Devices and its sequel, The Last Hours, similar to how it breaks up The Dark Artifices and its sequel, The Wicked Powers. The main downside is that it requires switching back and forth between groups of characters, time periods, and settings. This can feel impossible with so much forward momentum. The back-and-forth can also make it difficult to stay invested in a single story. The writing quality also varies in this order. The Shadowhunter Release Date Reading Order Custom Image by Simone Ashmoore Title Series Book Release Year City of Bones The Mortal Instruments 2007 City of Ashes The Mortal Instruments 2008 City of Glass The Mortal Instruments 2009 Clockwork Angel The Infernal Devices 2010 City of Fallen Angels The Mortal Instruments 2011 Clockwork Prince The Infernal Devices 2011 City Of Lost Souls The Mortal Instruments 2012 Clockwork Princess The Infernal Devices 2013 The Shadowhunter's Codex Companion guide manual 2013 City of Heavenly Fire The Mortal Instruments 2014 The Bane Chronicles Standalone 2014 Lady Midnight The Dark Artifices 2016 Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy Standalone 2016 Lord of Shadows The Dark Artifices 2017 Queen of Air and Darkness The Dark Artifices 2018 The Red Scrolls of Magic The Eldest Curse 2019 Ghosts of the Shadow Market Standalone 2019 Chain of Gold The Last Hours 2020 The Lost Book of the White The Eldest Curse 2020 Chain of Iron The Last Hours 2021 Chain of Thorns The Last Hours 2023 Better in Black Standalone 2025 Secrets of Blackthorn Hall Standalone 2026 The Last King of Faerie The Wicked Powers 2026 Ideal for: Readers who don't want any spoilers, readers who want consistently improving writing quality, readers who want the original reading experience, readers who like Malec Not ideal for: Readers who forget plot/character details easily, readers who can't bounce back and forth repeatedly between two stories While Cassandra Clare proposes a different order, I personally recommend reading The Shadowhunter Chronicles in release order for folks entering the Shadowhunter world for the first time. It’s virtually the only way to prevent spoilers for future stories. Plus, it means getting to revisit Magnus Bane and Alec, a fan-favorite ship, later on. While both characters show up periodically in later series, the couple primarily appears together in The Mortal Instruments and The Eldest Curse. However, this order isn't without its issues. The back-and-forth between 21st-century New York and 19th-century Victorian London can be jarring. It disrupts the momentum of The Mortal Instruments series multiple times instead of just once, like in Cassandra Clare's recommended order. On top of that, readers either have to read all the short stories in their book collections, which were published months to years after they debuted online, or track down a plethora of links. Shadowhunter Series Reading Order Title Series Book Release Year City of Bones ​The Mortal Instruments​ 2007 City of Ashes The Mortal Instruments 2008 City of Glass The Mortal Instruments 2009 City of Fallen Angels The Mortal Instruments 2011 City of Lost Souls The Mortal Instruments 2012 City of Heavenly Fire The Mortal Instruments 2014 Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy Standalone 2016 The Red Scrolls of Magic The Eldest Curse 2019 The Lost Book Of The White The Eldest Curse 2020 Clockwork Angel The Infernal Devices 2010 Clockwork Prince The Infernal Devices 2011 Clockwork Princess The Infernal Devices 2013 Lady Midnight The Dark Artifices 2016 Lord of Shadows The Dark Artifices 2017 Queen of Air and Darkness The Dark Artifices 2018 Chain of Gold The Last Hours 2020 Chain of Iron The Last Hours 2021 Chain of Thorns The Last Hours 2023 The Shadowhunters Codex Companion guide manual 2013 The Bane Chronicles Standalone 2014 Ghosts Of The Shadow Market Standalone 2019 Secrets Of Blackthorn Hall Standalone 2021 Better In Black Standalone 2025 The Last King of Faerie The Wicked Powers 2026 Ideal for: Readers who want to complete a story before moving on, readers who need consistent characters and settings to stay invested Not ideal for: Readers who don't want any spoilers at all, readers who don't want to revisit the characters and stories at the very end Anyone who wants to complete a full story before moving on to the next will struggle with both Cassandra Clare’s recommended reading order and the release order. The former’s a little less jarring about it, but both weave The Infernal Devices into The Mortal Instruments. Luckily, you can also read The Shadowhunter Chronicles in series order. Technically, any first book in a series can be a starting point, but this reading order recommendation starts with The Mortal Instruments, as it was the first one published and does the best job of introducing the rules and dynamics of the Shadowhunters world. Then, it follows publication order, for the most part. Because The Eldest Curse centers on Alec and Magnus, central characters in The Mortal Instruments series, it’s better to read it after the first series but earlier in the publication order. Similarly, it’s a good idea to read Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy after The Mortal Instruments because it’s essentially the unofficial seventh book, and it includes foundational information for The Dark Artifices. Unfortunately, the series reading order includes some spoilers for The Infernal Devices because The Mortal Instruments part 2 and The Infernal Devices were published in an alternating order. Additionally, it can be hard to place the standalones and short story collections because almost all of them feature characters from multiple series and/or take place in different timelines. The only logical conclusion is to read them at the end so they won’t feel out of place in one series or another. However, that means revisiting old storylines and characters later on. Shadowhunters Series Chronological Reading Order Note: This list will be significantly longer than the others because it breaks down the major short story and novella collections in the Shadowhunters timeline. Title Series Or Story Collection Book Release Year The Bane Chronicles: What Really Happened In Peru The Bane Chronicles 2014 The Bane Chronicles: The Runaway Queen The Bane Chronicles 2014 The Bane Chronicles: Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Harondale The Bane Chronicles 2014 Clockwork Angel The Infernal Devices 2010 Clockwork Prince The Infernal Devices 2011 Clockwork Princess The Infernal Devices 2013 Better in Black: The Good Storm Better in Black 2025 Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy: The Whitechapel Fiend Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy 2016 Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy: Nothing But Shadows Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy 2016 Ghosts of the Shadow Market: Cast Long Shadows Ghosts of the Shadowhunter Market 2019 Ghosts of the Shadow Market: Every Exquisite Thing Ghosts of the Shadowhunter Market 2019 The Bane Chronicles: The Midnight Heir The Bane Chronicles 2014 Chain of Gold The Last Hours 2020 Chain of Iron The Last Hours 2021 Chain of Thorns The Last Hours 2023 Better in Black: A Surfeit of Annas Better in Black 2025 Better in Black: Zachary's Day Out Better in Black 2025 Better in Black: The Beautiful Ajatara Better in Black 2025 The Bane Chronicles: The Rise of the Hotel Dumort The Bane Chronicles 2014 Ghosts of the Shadow Market: Learn About Loss Ghosts of the Shadowhunter Market 2019 Ghosts of the Shadow Market: A Deeper Love Ghosts of the Shadowhunter Market 2019 The Bane Chronicles: Saving Raphael Santiago The Bane Chronicles 2014 The Bane Chronicles: The Fall of the Hotel Dumort The Bane Chronicles 2014 Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy: The Evil We Love Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy 2016 The Bane Chronicles: The Last Stand of the New York Institute The Bane Chronicles 2014 Ghosts of the Shadow Market: The Wicked Ones Ghosts of the Shadowhunter Market 2019 Ghosts of the Shadow Market: Son of the Dawn Ghosts of the Shadowhunter Market 2019 City of Bones The Mortal Instruments 2007 The Bane Chronicles: The Course of True Love (And First Date) The Bane Chronicles 2014 Better in Black: Who The Wolf Loves Better in Black 2025 The Bane Chronicles: What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything (And Who You’re Not Officially Dating Anyway) The Bane Chronicles 2014 City of Ashes The Mortal Instruments 2008 City of Glass The Mortal Instruments 2009 The Red Scrolls of Magic The Eldest Curse 2019 City of Fallen Angels The Mortal Instruments 2011 City of Lost Souls The Mortal Instruments 2012 Better in Black: Too Wise to Love Better in Black 2025 The Bane Chronicles: The Voicemail of Magnus Bane The Bane Chronicles 2014 City Of Heavenly Fire The Mortal Instruments 2014 Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy: Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy 2016 Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy: The Lost Herondale Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy 2016 Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy: The Whitechapel Fiend Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy 2016 Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy: Nothing but Shadows Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy 2016 Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy: The Evil We Love Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy 2016 Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy: Pale Kings and Princes Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy 2016 Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy: Bitter of Tongue Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy 2016 Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy: The Fiery Trial Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy 2016 Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy: Born to Endless Night Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy 2016 Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy: Angel Twice Descending Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy 2016 The Lost Book of the White The Eldest Curse 2020 Ghosts of the Shadow Market: The Land I Lost Ghosts of the Shadowhunter Market 2019 Ghosts of the Shadow Market: Through Blood, Through Fire Ghosts of the Shadowhunter Market 2019 Better in Black: City of Broken Hearts Better in Black 2025 Lady Midnight The Dark Artifices 2016 Lord of Shadows The Dark Artifices 2017 Queen of Air and Darkness ​The Dark Artifices​ 2018 Ghosts of the Shadow Market: The Lost World Ghosts of the Shadowhunter Market 2019 Ghosts of the Shadow Market: Forever Fallen Ghosts of the Shadowhunter Market 2019 Secrets of Blackthorn Hall Standalone 2025 Better in Black: Judgment of King Kieran Better in Black 2025 Better in Black: The Time of Two Better in Black 2025 Better in Black: Bred in the Bone Better in Black 2025 The Lost King of Faerie The Wicked Powers 2026 Ideal for: Readers who know the Shadowhunters lore and story, readers who prefer a linear storyline Not ideal for: Readers new to the series, readers who don't want to continually revisit the short story collections, readers without access to all the books Chronological order is an appealing way to read book series for many. The linear direction means the time periods pass in a familiar way, and folks don’t have to worry about keeping track of different timelines. However, I only recommend the books and short stories in this order for those who have already read the series and know the Shadowhunters lore. For starters, this order requires folks to have access to all the books so they can jump in and out of the short story and novella collections. Additionally, The Bane Chronicles won’t be as enjoyable of a starting point for those who don’t already know the dashing High Warlock. That’s half of the appeal of the short story collection. On top of that, you need to do a lot more legwork to understand the world and story without the foundation of The Mortal Instruments. The Infernal Devices is arguably a better series than The Mortal Instruments. Clare’s writing has continued to get more polished and engaging with every series in Shadowhunters. However, it has a weaker world-building introduction, and readers may take longer to grasp what’s going on. That said, the chronological approach is an interesting way to engage with the franchise for those who have read The Shadowhunters Chronicles. I know I plan to revisit the stories in this order while waiting for The Last Prince of Hell, expected in Fall 2027. Release Date 2016 - 2019-00-00 Network Freeform Directors Andy Wolk, Mick Garris, Mairzee Almas, Catriona McKenzie, Tawnia McKiernan, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Oz Scott, Mike Rohl, Kelly Makin, Ben Hernandez Bray, Joshua Butler, Jeremiah S. Chechik, James Marshall, J. Miller Tobin, Gregory Smith, Chris Grismer Writers Peter Binswanger, Allison Rymer, Darren Swimmer, Todd Slavkin