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Series · fantasy
The Mortal Instruments
The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare has 6 known books (6 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with City of Bones (2007). City of Heavenly Fire is the latest book with a fully recorded publication date.
- Books
- 6 known books (6 novels)
- Published
- 6
- First published
- 2007
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Fantasy
Start here: City of Bones (2007)
— then read straight through in publication order.
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
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 - Book 2:
City of Ashes
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 - Book 3:
City of Glass
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 - Book 4:
City of Fallen Angels
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 - Book 5:
City of Lost Souls
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 - Book 6:
City of Heavenly Fire
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
Key facts about The Mortal Instruments series
The Mortal Instruments series has 6 books on our list. Since all 6 are out now, you can read the whole list today.
Start with City of Bones, since it opens the publication order in 2007. City of Ashes is book 2, from 2008. City of Glass is book 3, from 2009.
City of Fallen Angels is book 4, from 2011. City of Lost Souls is book 5, from 2012. City of Heavenly Fire is book 6, from 2014.
Each title links to its own page, while the list keeps them in date order. Each book page shows its dates and editions.
City of Heavenly Fire is the latest book with a full release date, out on 27 May 2014. Since the catalogue marks the series as complete, we list no next book.
The books came out between 2007 and 2014, while their length runs from 424 to 725 pages. That is a run of 7 years.
Cassandra Clare has 30 books on our list. Additionally, they write The Infernal Devices, Shadowhunter Chronicles: Short Fiction Collections and The Dark Artifices, plus 3 more series. We shelve the books under fantasy.
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.
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.
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