City of Bones, the first installment in the bestselling The Mortal Instruments series, introduces readers to the world of Shadowhunters, a powerful line of human-angel hybrids secretly living—and slaying demons—alongside “mundanes,” or normal humans. But it’s the saga’s third entry that dramatically raises the stakes of teenage protagonists Clary Fray and Jace Wayland’s struggle to prevent the evil Valentine Morgenstern from creating a dark new order of otherworldly warriors. In the midst of a young adult fantasy boom, it was Cassandra Clare’s ability to capture the beauty and pain of young love—for heroes of varied sexual identities—coupled with her flair for the supernatural that distinguished her books from the pack. Since completing the first three volumes of The Mortal Instruments, Clare has expanded her Shadowhunters universe to include four other series—for a current total of 15 novels—as well as a number of short story collections, companion books and graphic novels. —Megan McCluskey
The 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time
