If there’s something you’re looking for in your next read, there’s a large possibility that Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter novels have it. After many years and many books, the Shadowhunter series maintains a huge following of fans and readers of all kinds. That’s because they have so much to offer! If you’re looking for a reason to dive into this extensive and magical world, you’ll find five big ones below.
5 Reasons You Need to Get into the Shadowhunter World
1. The Shadowhunters come from a world within our own world.
Shadowhunters are warriors with angelic blood, appointed to preside over demons and other supernatural creatures in our world that can’t be seen by regular humans. And don’t you just love a hidden magical realm within our own? This set-up has something for everyone, with references to real places and modern society alongside fictional locations, magic, and legendary beings. In the Shadowhunters world, you’ll find creatures and characters straight out of ancient fairy tales and myths, but that rogue vampire is still so relatable because he’s also just your typical teenager.
2. The characters and their relationships are complex and real.
Are you looking for a ship to go to the ends of the earth for? The Shadowhunter novels contain SO MANY GOOD SHIPS. There are love triangles, star-crossed lovers, and every other kind of riveting-yet-complicated romance you could hope for in a book. There are also so many meaningful and wonderful friendships throughout the novels, some even spanning decades! In the end, these characters’ ties to each other are what get them through every challenge they face.
3. These books showcase the global community in both fantasy and real-life.
This expansive, multi-trilogy series includes a wide variety of magical beings, creatures and monsters inspired by myth, folklore and fairy tales. The human and Nephilim characters are also racially and ethnically diverse, with many different cultural backgrounds, religious traditions, sexual orientations, and gender identities represented. The inclusivity in these novels is a big reason why they remain fan-favorites.
4. The witty writing will engross you.
If you’re looking for a book that will make you seriously LOL (and also cry at the same time), you’ve found 15+ of them. Cassandra Clare’s writing, especially in the dialogue between her characters, is bound to make you cackle at least three times a book. These characters understand that they have to save the world, but they aren’t going to do it without complaint or worry. And isn’t that relatable?! The smartness of the writing will pull you deep into these books, until suddenly it’s 3am and you’ve just queued up the next book in the series, because you HAVE to know what happens next.
5. The Shadowhunters universe has a deep catalog of content.
The Shadowhunter novels started with one: City of Bones. Now with several spinoff series, multiple books with hundreds of pages, and an ever-expanding world, you’ll never run out of new material to read. That said, there are plenty of breaks where you can take time off and come back in when needed, so don’t feel intimidated. This universe is huge, but it takes place across centuries, across continents, and across series. It’s wholly worth your time, and you can take as much time as you’d like with it.
