Shadowhunter Chronicles reading order (City of Bones, 2007)
Start here
City of Bones
2007
Shadowhunter reading order: start with City of Bones (2007), Mortal Instruments book one. Clockwork Angel is a Victorian door, not the usual first book.
Short answer · Start here
City of Bones
It is Mortal Instruments book one (2007) and the usual Shadowhunter door. Clockwork Angel is a real Victorian door if you only want Infernal Devices. Do not start with Lady Midnight. Do not start with the TV series.
Several trilogies (and one six-book run) share a world. Clare’s FAQ is short: most people read Mortal Instruments, then Infernal Devices, then Dark Artifices, then Last Hours, then the later Wicked Powers books when they exist.
Publication order after City of Glass interleaves Infernal Devices with the last three Mortal Instruments novels. That is a documented second path, not a reason to start in 1878.
The Mortal Instruments
| # | Title | Year | Notes | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  City of BonesStart here | 2007 | Start here. | |
| 2 |  City of Ashes | 2008 | ||
| 3 |  City of Glass | 2009 | Ends the original three. Infernal Devices begins after this in publication. | |
| 4 |  City of Fallen Angels | 2011 | ||
| 5 |  City of Lost Souls | 2012 | ||
| 6 |  City of Heavenly Fire | 2014 | Ends Clary’s six. |
The Infernal Devices
| # | Title | Year | Notes | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Clockwork Angel | 2010 | Victorian door. After City of Glass if you want publication interleave. After the six if you want Clare’s ‘most people’ path. | |
| 2 |  Clockwork Prince | 2011 | ||
| 3 |  Clockwork Princess | 2013 |
The Dark Artifices
| # | Title | Year | Notes | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Lady MidnightDo not start here | 2016 | After Mortal Instruments. Not an on-ramp. | |
| 2 |  Lord of Shadows | 2017 | ||
| 3 |  Queen of Air and Darkness | 2018 |
The Last Hours
| # | Title | Year | Notes | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Chain of Gold | 2020 | After Infernal Devices. Edwardian London. | |
| 2 |  Chain of Iron | 2021 | ||
| 3 |  Chain of Thorns | 2023 |
Contested order, labeled:
- Mortal Instruments (all six), Infernal Devices, Dark Artifices, Last Hours. Clare’s “most people read like this” list. This house’s first recommendation if you want the whole shelf.
- Mortal Instruments 1–3, then Infernal Devices interleaved with Mortal Instruments 4–6. Publication after City of Glass. Allowed. Fun if you like watching the two lines arrive together. Not required.
- Clockwork Angel first. Allowed if you only want the Victorian trilogy. Then read Mortal Instruments before Dark Artifices. Last Hours is a sequel of sorts to Infernal Devices; Clare says it does not spoil the modern books.
The Wicked Powers is the later modern close Clare names after Last Hours. It is not on the shelf as a finished trilogy on this page. When those books exist, they are not a new book one.
Extras — after Mortal Instruments
Clare: Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, The Eldest Curses, and The Bane Chronicles should be read after Mortal Instruments. Read Infernal Devices before Ghosts of the Shadow Market.
House rule: novels by cycle first. Insert a collection if you have it. Do not start the Chronicles on The Red Scrolls of Magic because Magnus is on the cover.
The Shadowhunters television series rearranges people and years. It is not a book order.
Common mistakes
- Starting with Lady Midnight because Emma is the new hardcover.
- Starting with Clockwork Angel and then jumping to Queen of Air and Darkness.
- Using the show as a table of contents.
- Treating The Bane Chronicles as book one of the franchise.
- Stopping after City of Glass and calling the series finished without knowing three more Clary novels exist.
What to read next
- Grishaverse (Leigh Bardugo) — If you want another YA shelf with a second door that looks like book one.
- Folk of the Air (Holly Black) — If you want a finished faerie/crime trilogy with a later generation that should stay later.
- Vampire Academy (Richelle Mead) — If you want another six-then-spin-off YA vampire run.
- Twilight (Stephenie Meyer) — If you want the other 2000s door people still start on a novella.
- Stop after City of Heavenly Fire. The original six are a complete visit.
FAQ
Infernal Devices or Mortal Instruments first?
Mortal Instruments if you want Clare’s usual path. Infernal Devices if you only want 1878. Dark Artifices last among the modern books. Start at City of Bones (2007).
Do I need the extras?
No.
Is Last Hours a prequel I should read first?
No. It follows Infernal Devices.
TV order?
Not a book order.
Sources
- Cassandra Clare, reading-order FAQ — author’s “most people read” cycle list. Opened 2026-09-13.
- Cassandra Clare, Exploring the Shadowhunter Chronicles — official cycle doors. Opened 2026-09-13.
Same shelf
