Series · fantasy

The Mortal Instruments

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare has 6 known books (6 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with City of Bones (2007). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is City of Heavenly Fire.

Books: 6 known books (6 novels)
Published: 6
First published: 2007
Status: completed
Shelved under: Fantasy
Last checked: 12 September 2026

Start here: City of Bones (2007) — then read straight through in publication order.

Book one

City of Bones (2007)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

Book 1:
City of Bones
Novel2007
City of Bones, published 27 March 2007 at 485 pages, opens Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments with Clary Fray watching a boy murdered in a New York nightclub -- and then watching his body vanish, since nobody else in the room could see him at all. It launches the six-novel series and the wider Shadowhunter Chronicles franchise, introducing Clary's training alongside Jace Wayland and the hidden world of demon-hunting Shadowhunters; City of Ashes continues the story.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of City of Bones
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Book 2:
City of Ashes
Novel2008
City of Ashes came out in 2008 at 453 pages, a novel by Cassandra Clare. It holds position #2 in The Mortal Instruments. It sits between City of Bones and City of Glass.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of City of Ashes
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Book 3:
City of Glass
Novel2009
City of Glass is a novel by Cassandra Clare, running at 541 pages in 2009. It sits at #3 in The Mortal Instruments's reading order. City of Ashes precedes it, and City of Fallen Angels follows.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of City of Glass
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Book 4:
City of Fallen Angels
Novel2011
City of Fallen Angels is a novel by Cassandra Clare, in 2011 at 424 pages. It is book #4 of The Mortal Instruments. It picks up after City of Glass and hands off to City of Lost Souls.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of City of Fallen Angels
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Book 5:
City of Lost Souls
Novel2012
City of Lost Souls came out in 2012 at 534 pages, a novel by Cassandra Clare. It holds position #5 in The Mortal Instruments. City of Fallen Angels precedes it, and City of Heavenly Fire follows.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of City of Lost Souls
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Book 6:
City of Heavenly Fire
Novel2014
City of Heavenly Fire, published in 2014 at 725 pages, is a novel by Cassandra Clare. It currently closes out The Mortal Instruments. It follows City of Lost Souls.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of City of Heavenly Fire
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About The Mortal Instruments

Clary Fray's ordinary New York teenage life ends the night she watches a boy get murdered in a nightclub -- and then watches his body disappear, because nobody else in the room could see him at all. Clary is dragged into the hidden world of Shadowhunters, warriors who hunt demons and keep the balance between the mundane world and the supernatural one, and discovers she's one of them, with a mother who's spent her whole life hiding that fact. As Clary trains alongside the enigmatic Jace Wayland and uncovers a conspiracy threatening the Shadowhunter world, the series builds a mythology of angels, demons, warlocks, vampires and werewolves living in plain sight of modern Manhattan.

Cassandra Clare's debut series launched what would become The Shadowhunter Chronicles, a multi-series YA fantasy franchise that has sold tens of millions of copies and spawned a film and TV adaptation. The Mortal Instruments set the template the later series would follow: morally gray found-family casts, love triangles complicated by shocking revelations, and a densely interconnected mythology that rewards long-term investment.

Six novels tell one complete, continuous story across two linked trilogies, following Clary and Jace from their first meeting through the series' climactic war.

How to read this series

Read the six novels in publication order: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, City of Heavenly Fire. The first trilogy (Bones-Ashes-Glass) tells a complete arc; the second trilogy continues directly from it with the same characters and escalating stakes, so the six books should be read straight through as one continuous story.

This is the entry point to the wider Shadowhunter Chronicles. Cassandra Clare's other series -- The Infernal Devices, The Dark Artifices, and The Last Hours -- are set in different time periods and can technically be read in various orders, but reading The Mortal Instruments first is the most common recommendation since it's both the earliest-published and the series everything else builds outward from.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in The Mortal Instruments?

Six novels: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, and City of Heavenly Fire.

What order should I read The Mortal Instruments in?

Publication order, starting with City of Bones. All six books tell one continuous story.

Is The Mortal Instruments the right place to start the Shadowhunter Chronicles?

Yes, for most readers. It was the first series published and introduces the core Shadowhunter world that the other series (Infernal Devices, Dark Artifices, Last Hours) build on or lead into.

Is The Mortal Instruments finished?

Yes, the six-book series concluded with City of Heavenly Fire in 2014.

Is The Mortal Instruments connected to the Shadowhunters TV series and movie?

Yes. The 2013 film City of Bones and the 2016-2019 Shadowhunters TV series both adapt this series, with varying degrees of faithfulness to the books.