Mortal Instruments Books In Order Novels & Stories

Okay, but what about the graphic novel adaptations or the TV show? Do they change the reading order? Not at all. The books are the source. The Freeform show 'Shadowhunters' is a loose adaptation that remixes elements from across the series, but it's not a substitute. The graphic novels are cool, but they follow the same plot as the novels. For the true, detailed, canonical story, the prose novels in publication order are the only path. Any adaptation assumes you either know the book plot or don't care about spoilers. Protect your first-read experience by sticking to the original text sequence.

What about the newer series like 'The Last Hours' (starting with 'Chain of Gold')? That's set after 'The Infernal Devices' but before 'The Mortal Instruments'. See, it never ends! If you're going for full chronology, it gets even more complex. My advice to new readers: Stick to the completed series first. Do 'Mortal Instruments', then 'Infernal Devices', then 'Dark Artifices'. Worry about 'The Last Hours' and 'The Wicked Powers' later, once you're sure you're in for the long haul.

Is there even a wrong order? You could start with 'The Dark Artifices' if you really wanted to. It's set five years after the original series and focuses on a new cast. You'd be confused about some past events and legacy characters, but the core story of Emma and Julian is relatively self-contained.

That said, you'd miss so much context about the Clave's politics, the parabatai curse, and why everyone is so wary of certain family names. The emotional weight of certain cameos would be lost on you. So while technically possible, it's like starting a TV show in season 7. You might follow the plot, but you won't feel the history in the room.