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Cassandra Clare is a writer whose books came off the bookstore’s bookshelf. However, sometimes we don’t know which to pick up first – so many to choose from!
We are here to help you immerse yourself in Clare’s world of shadow hunters and various mystical creatures. Cassandra is known for romance, intrigue, and drama, and her books will delight even the most skeptical of young adult imaginations.
Below are three books, some of our favorites, that can help you introduce yourself to their amazing and magical world and that will help you prepare for the March 2021 release of Chain of Iron.
City of bones
In the first book of her Mortal Instruments series, 15-year-old Clary Fray goes to the Pandemonium Club in New York City. She suddenly witnesses a murder committed by three teenagers covered in strange tattoos and bizarre weapons. And she is more than a little frightened when the body rises in air and makes her curious how this is even possible.
Soon, Clary is introduced to the world of shadow hunters, a secret group of warriors who want to bring demons back into their own from our human world. And Clary is introduced with a vengeance when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a monster. As a human, she survives and almost kills a demon. But how is that even possible and what is behind this world? Read on to find out.
This novel will make you continue this modern day urban fantasy series that follows City of Ashes and ends with City of Heavenly Fire.
Clockwork angel
In this prequel series to The Mortal Instruments collection, we are introduced here to The Infernal Devices path of Clare’s books, which are full of romance and a sense of dark secrets.
When the older brother of the 16-year-old orphan Tessa Fell suddenly disappears, her search for him leads her into the dangerous, supernatural underworld of Victorian London. There she discovers that she is a fiend herself, and now she must learn to trust the demon-slaying shadowhunters if she is ever to learn to control her powers and find her brother safe and sound.
Followed by Clockwork Prince and ending with Clockwork Princess, this series is a favorite of Cassandra Clare fans everywhere and is sure to get a favorite spot on your bookshelf.
Gold chain
In the first of her The Last Hours series, released in 2020, Cassandra Clare introduces us to a world of magic and romance.
In the book, Cordelia Carstairs is also a shadow hunter, a warrior who has been trained to fight demons since childhood. When her father is accused of a terrible crime, she and her brother travel to London in hopes of preventing the family from ruining. Cordelia’s mother wants to marry her, but Cordelia is determined to be more of a hero than a bride. While in London, Cordelia meets childhood friends James and Lucie Herondale and is drawn into her world of glitzy ballrooms, secret quests and supernatural salons where vampires and warlocks mingle with mermaids and magicians. In between, she also hides her love for James, who is supposed to marry someone else.
But Cordelia’s new life is shattered when a shocking series of demon attacks ravages London, monsters that seem impossible to kill. During this experience Cordelia and her friends learn what forces they can unite and sometimes share.
Followed by Chain of Iron in March 2021, this book is sure to become a favorite, filled with drama, sassy, outspoken characters, and action-packed scenes.
While these are three great books in Clare’s world to begin with, we recommend that you grab the novel, The Red Scrolls of Magic, which begins The Eldest Curses, and her ethereal Lady Midnight from The Dark Artifices collection. Want to learn more about Shadowhunters? Make sure to grab the Shadowhunters Codex as well, a guide to everything Shadowhunter related.
Do you have a favorite Cassandra Clare book? Let us know on Twitter at @BookRiot and let me know why it’s your favorite at @AuroraMiami. Happy reading!