Cassandra Clare Books in Order — All Four Shadowhunter Series Explained (2026)
Cassandra Clare has written four Shadowhunter series set in one world across three centuries, and almost every new reader starts in the wrong place.
The confusion is understandable. The Infernal Devices is set in 1878, a hundred and thirty years before The Mortal Instruments. So people assume they should read it first. They should not.
The short answer
Read them in publication order:
- The Mortal Instruments — 6 books, modern New York
- The Infernal Devices — 3 books, Victorian London
- The Dark Artifices — 3 books, modern Los Angeles
- The Last Hours — 3 books, Edwardian London
Start with City of Bones. Everything else assumes you have read it.
Why not chronological order?
Because The Infernal Devices was written for people who already knew the modern characters. Several of its most important moments land only if you recognise a surname, or understand what a particular family becomes. Read in 1878-first order, those moments pass you by entirely — and one of them is the single most-quoted scene Clare has written.
Publication order is also easier going. City of Bones is the simplest book in the whole run; the writing gets considerably better as it goes.
1. The Mortal Instruments — start here
Clary Fray watches three teenagers kill someone in a nightclub, and nobody else in the room can see them. That is the first chapter, and the rest of the series comes out of it.
| # | Book | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | City of Bones | Rs. 745 |
| 2 | City of Ashes | Rs. 745 |
| 3 | City of Glass | Rs. 850 |
| 4 | City of Fallen Angels | Rs. 850 |
| 5 | City of Lost Souls | Rs. 745 |
| 6 | City of Heavenly Fire | Rs. 1,245 |
Worth knowing: the series was originally a trilogy ending at City of Glass, and that shows — book 3 resolves everything the first two set up. Books 4 to 6 open a second arc. If you stop at three, you get a complete story.
2. The Infernal Devices — read second, the fans' favourite
London, 1878. Tessa Gray arrives from New York to find her brother and is taken in by the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Three books, and most long-time readers consider it the best thing Clare has written.
| # | Book | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clockwork Angel | Rs. 1,295 |
| 2 | Clockwork Prince | Rs. 1,245 |
| 3 | Clockwork Princess | Rs. 1,245 |
Shorter and tighter than The Mortal Instruments. If you found book 1 of TMI a slow start, this is where the series earns its reputation.
3. The Dark Artifices — read third
Five years after the Dark War, at the Los Angeles Institute. Emma Carstairs is hunting her parents' killer with Julian Blackthorn, her parabatai — and Shadowhunter law forbids parabatai from falling in love, for reasons nobody will explain to them.
| # | Book | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lady Midnight | Rs. 850 |
| 2 | Lord of Shadows | Rs. 1,295 |
| 3 | Queen of Air and Darkness | Rs. 1,295 |
Longer and more adult than the first two series. The characters are older and the books are much thicker.
4. The Last Hours — read fourth
Edwardian London, following the children of The Infernal Devices characters. It will mean very little if you have not read Clockwork Angel through Clockwork Princess first.
| # | Book | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chain of Gold | Rs. 1,295 |
| 2 | Chain of Iron | Rs. 1,295 |
| 3 | Chain of Thorns | Rs. 850 |
The companion books
- The Bane Chronicles (Rs. 1,295) — eleven short stories about Magnus Bane across several centuries. Read after The Mortal Instruments; several stories spoil it.
- The Red Scrolls of Magic (Rs. 1,245) — The Eldest Curses #1, Magnus and Alec in Europe. Sits after City of Heavenly Fire.
- Cassandra Clare 2-book set (Rs. 1,295) — useful if you want to try her before committing.
All four series, complete, in stock
Original editions. Cash on delivery nationwide, 3–5 day delivery. Free over Rs. 3,000, flat Rs. 199 below.
Common questions
Can I start with The Infernal Devices?
You can, and plenty of people do. You will lose several payoffs that depend on knowing the modern characters, and you will spoil one major reveal for yourself. We would not.
How many Shadowhunter books are there in total?
Fifteen across the four main series, plus the companion volumes. All fifteen are in stock here.
Do I need to read The Bane Chronicles?
No. It is enjoyable and it is optional. Read it after The Mortal Instruments, not before.
Is it suitable for teenagers?
The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices are solidly young adult, roughly 13+. The Dark Artifices is older in tone and content — closer to 16+.
What should I read after?
Readers who finish Clare usually go to Sarah J. Maas, Stephanie Garber or Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows, all of which we stock.
Also useful: Fantasy Books · Young Adult · Best fantasy series ranked · ACOTAR in order