Born in Teheran, Iran, to American parents, Cassandra Clare has spent her first years of life traveling the world. She lived in Switzerland, England, or France before even turning 10. Books were here only options in a constant search for quietness and silence, and later on, she ended up working for entertainment magazines. She began her first novel in 2004, and she quickly became one of the top-rated young adult fantasy writers out there. Here are some of the best Cassandra Clare books to stimulate your imagination and hunger for action.
Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices Book 1)
The action takes place five years after the famous City of Heavenly Fire. Emma used to be a child back then, but now, she is a woman seeking revenge. Her parents were killed during the unfortunate events, and she needs to find out who – or what – was behind the murders.
Teaming up with Julian, Emma ends up investigating a massive plot that covers Los Angeles. She wants to follow her mind, but her heart is pushing her in a different direction. As if the adventure was not difficult enough, Julian’s brother has also been kidnapped by the faeries years ago and recently returned.
Time works in a different way in the faerie kingdom, and Julian’s brother has barely aged – he cannot even recognize his family. Will the faeries actually let him return? Will they find out who is killing them one by one?
Chain of Gold (The Last Hours Book 1)
Chain of Gold is the first novel in an impressive trilogy that combines the good and the bad in a beautiful manner. The story follows Cordelia, who is a Shadowhunter. She has been trained to fight and kill demons since she was a child only.
Her father is suddenly accused of a crime, yet she believes in his innocence. She teams up with her brother, and the two travel to London in order to support the family. New characters kick in – some childhood friends with fishy backgrounds.
Cordelia’s confusing life is shattered when some demon attacks to ruin London. They are not unusual – the Shadowhunters have fought such demons before. The city is quarantined, and she ends up trapped in there. Will she manage to escape?
The Clockwork Princess (Infernal Devices Book 3)
The Infernal Devices is one of the most appreciated Cassandra Clare books in terms of manga. It is part of a larger collection and also represents a prequel to the Mortal Instruments collection. All in all, the story follows Tessa Gray.
Tessa is only 16 years old. She is American and has to travel to Victorian London, who is currently shattered by a dark underworld with incredible powers. Tessa has some history with the Shadowhunters, as they rescued her in the past.
These days, she ends up caught in the middle of a conflict that she should not be part of. Sooner or later, she realizes that this conflict could ruin her, as well as her friends. She then meets Will and Jem, who decide to look after her.
Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices Book 1)
This is the first book in The Infernal Devices series and brings the reader in the middle of a war – the Shadowhunters struggling to win the battle against the darkness. Whatever happens, history will be changed forever.
The action took place in 1878, and Tessa joins London’s supernatural underworld to find her brother. She knows that she is likely to face a series of dangers, but she wants to reunite with her brother. After a series of unfortunate accidents, she realizes that she can only rely on the Shadowhunters.
Two men stand out in the crowd – Jem and Will. She is attracted to them, but she has no idea what they are up to. One thing leads to another, and they end up fighting a mysterious society of warlocks, vampires, humans, and demons.
City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments)
City of Bones belongs to The Mortal Instruments series and represents the first chapter in the collection – a must-read before moving on to the next releases. Clary Fray is only 15 years old. She ends up in a club in NYC, and she ends up witnessing a murder committed by a few teenagers with weird tattoos.
The body vanishes. She cannot call anyone – not even the police. There is nothing to indicate a murder. There is no blood. There is nobody. This is how Clary meets the Shadowhunters – a bunch of warriors trained to kill demons.
She meets Jace, one of them. He acts like a hillbilly, but he looks like an angel. Things escalate quickly, and Clary’s mother is kidnapped, while the young girl is attacked by demons. She ends up in a fight that she did not want to be part of, but she can only go forward now.
The Red Scrolls of Magic (The Eldest Curses)
Magnus Bane is in desperate need of a vacation. He ends up having a trip around Europe, along with Alec Lightwood. The two are together. They decide to visit Paris and enjoy their holiday, when an old friend comes with bad news about a demonic cult that wants to take the world over.
Alec is a Shadowhunter. Magnus is surprised to find out that he created the cult himself years ago – it was nothing but a joke. Now, the two of them must go around Europe and track the members in an attempt to prevent a catastrophe.
Things become even more challenging, as demons go after them too, in the attempt to eliminate the threat. In order to succeed, the two must trust each other. They must learn to work together, and they must share some of their deepest secrets.
Conclusion
Bottom line, these are some of the top-rated Cassandra Clare books. There are a few series worth some attention, and more importantly, there are characters that may pop up in different books. Many of the author’s books are referred to as Shadowhunters novels because they revolve around the group of demon-slaying warriors – even if characters are different.