If you’re in a reading slump after finishing Cassandra Clare’s Moral Instruments series, we have a list of books that are bound to get you going again. Here are some books to read if you love the Mortal Instrument series. 

11 Books to Read If You Love the Mortal Instruments Series 

1. Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens 

Edison Rooker isn’t sure what to expect when he enters the office of Antonia Hex, the powerful sorceress who runs a call center for magical emergencies. Antonia is…intimidating, but she gives him a job and a new name—Rook—both of which he’s happy to accept. Now all he has to do is keep his Spell Binder, an illegal magical detection device, hidden from the Magical Consortium. And contend with Sun, the grumpy and annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia’s rival colleague, Fable. Like the City of Bones, Spell Bound‘s unique magic system and lovable characters all combine to create an epic adventure!

 

2. The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith 

Also set in New York City but in 1911, this historical fantasy has all the magic, murder and mystery we love from the City of BonesFrances is a seamstress who recently lost her brother to a mysterious death. She finds herself tangled up in the murder of a man, with no recollection of what happened. Frances is shipped off to Haxahaven Sanitarium, which she realizes isn’t a sanitarium at all: it’s a school for witches. Throw in a boy named Finn with magical powers of his own and a power-hungry leader of an ancient order and you’re in danger of a story that might be read all in one sitting. 

 

3. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn 

When sixteen-year-old Bree witnesses a demon attack, she’s introduced to a secret society of Legendborn students-turned-demon-hunters. Bree discovers she has magical abilities and infiltrates the society of Legendborn students, who are descendants of King Arthur’s knights, to investigate how they might be tied to her mother’s death. On her quest for the truth, she teams up with Nick, an ex-Legendborn, and encounters Selwyn, who calls himself the “Merlin” of the society. This contemporary fantasy is the perfect combination of magic and demon-hunting, with some romance in between. 

 

4. Tithe by Holly Black 

In the critically acclaimed Modern Faerie Tales series, Kaye must save herself from the sinister magic of the fey courts, and protect her hear in the process. Kaye’s life takes a turn when she stumbles upon an injured faerie knight in the woods. Kaye has always been able to see faeries where others could not, and she chooses to save the strange young man instead of leaving him to die. Kaye’s journey is much like Clary’s, as her glimpse into the faerie world unravels a power struggle much larger than Kaye could have imagined. 

 

5. Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson 

Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living. When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends it by awakening a revenant, a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard. Only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has any chance of stopping the darkness. In this new fantasy novel from the bestselling author of Sorcery of ThornsArtemisia must deal with sinister evils and betrayal. 

 

6. Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury 

A rich, dark urban fantasy debut following a teen witch who is given a horrifying task: sacrificing her first love to save her family’s magic. The problem is, Voya’s never been in love—she’ll have to find the perfect guy before she can kill him. Voya is on a strict mission and the future of her family’s magic relies on her success. Enter infuriating Luc, a guy who seemingly wants nothing to do with her. This duo is perfect for fans of Clary and Jace.

 

7. She Who Rides the Storm by Caitlin Sangster 

In this atmospheric YA fantasy, four teens are drawn into a high-stakes heist in the perilous tomb of an ancient shapeshifter king. Long ago, shapeshifting monsters ruled the Commonwealth using blasphemous magic that fed on the souls of their subjects. Now, hundreds of years later, a new tomb has been uncovered, and despite the legends that disturbing a shapeshifter’s final resting place will wake them once again, the Warlord is determined to dig it up. All four teens race to steal the cursed sword rumored to be at the very bottom of the tomb. Like in the Mortal Instruments series, our tough teens face off old magic in this YA fantasy. 

 

8. Wings of Ebony by J. Elle 

In this debut fantasy, Rue, a Black teen from Houston, has her world upended when she learns about her godly ancestry in a magical hidden world. After her mother is killed on her doorstep, Rue is taken away from her neighborhood by the father she never knew to a secret island of magic wielders. But with evil sinking its claws into both these worlds, Rue must unearth the truth of her identity and discover her power before it’s too late. Rue must embrace her newfound magical identity and rise up in order to save the people she loves, just as Clary must face her true ancestry in the Mortal Instruments. 

 

9. Slayer by Kiersten White 

In a series set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Nina grapples with the responsibility of managing her incredible powers that she’s just beginning to understand.  Nina is the newest Chosen One at Watcher’s Academy and the last Slayer, ever. As Nina hones her skills, there’s plenty to keep her occupied: a monster fighting ring, a demon who eats happiness, a shadowy figure that keeps popping up in Nina’s dreams… Slayer has all the goods: a secret society, combat training and a powerful lead.  

 

10. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong 

In this imaginative retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in 1920s ShanghaiJuliette Cai and Roma Montagov are heirs of rival gangs. When monsters and murders crop up around the city and threaten both gangs, the two young heirs must set their guns–and grudges–aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule. Juliette is a strong female lead, just like Clary from the Mortal Instruments series. And did someone say forbidden love? 

 

11. The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell 

Esta is a Mageus, one of the remaining few with magical powers living in the shadows of modern-day New York City. She has the ability to manipulate time, which is a handy skill for a thief of magical artifacts.  Esta travels back in time to 1902 to retrieve a book to save the future of the Mageus before the mysterious Magician can destroy it. Like the City of Bones, The Last Magician is part of an epic series and has all the magic and shadows of New York City.

 

12. The Lost Book of the White by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu

This second book in the Eldest Curses series is a thrilling new adventure for High Warlock Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood, for whom a death-defying mission into the heart of evil is not just a job, it’s also a romantic getaway. The Lost Book of the White takes place after the Mortal Instruments series and brings all your faves (Jace! Clary! Simon! Izzy!) back for another romp, this time fighting demons in Shanghai.

 

Want more? Here are books to read if you love the Infernal Devices series!

Top Fan Reactions to Our Violent Ends 

The end of Chloe Gong’s These Violent Delights had us all scrambling for the sequel. 

All we could do was patiently wait for Our Violent Ends. 

Some were willing to do whatever it takes to get their hands on the sequel.

Some more than others…

 

Just hypothetically, right?

@ourviolentendschloegonghi @thechloegong i can’t wait till november for this book 😩😩 #bookish#yafantasy#enemiestolovers#thesevioletdelights#fyp#ourviolentends#bookclub♬ original sound – Hannah


Didn’t know people on BookTok have so many fakes weapons lying around, but we’re here for it.

@arpi.readsyes this is abt OVE pls accept this as my application for an arc @thechloegong🙇‍♀️ ##theseviolentdelights##ourviolentends##advancedreaderscopy##netgalley♬ original sound – sierra

Some of you had vivid flashbacks to reading the ending of These Violent Delights.

@nicolioliravioli #stitch with @thechloegong i borrowed it from the library back in february and it has not left my mind since 💔💔 #thesevioletdelights #ourviolentends ♬ original sound – nicole =)


Then there were those of you who had reservations about starting the sequel. (Not a spoiler, just speculation!)

@groovytas(not finished!!) but whyyyy tf would i get attached to them 🤡🤡 ##fyp ##booktok ##bookish ##yabooks ##ourviolentends ##thesevioletdelights♬ all i need – chillytunees


Well, you can hang on to your organs and put away those daggers because the wait is almost over! Our Violent Ends hits shelves on November 16, 2021. 

And, of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without the author and TikTok queen herself, Chloe Gong. 

@simonteen@thechloegong blesses us with a dramatic reading from ##OurViolentEnds 🙏🏼 ##thesevioletdelights ##yabooks ##booktok ##simonteen ##chloegong♬ original sound – Riveted by Simon Teen

 

Need to catch up before reading Our Violent Ends? Check out this recap of These Violent Delights!

Looking for some books to start off your fall reading? We have a whole list of award-winning YA novels to get you started. Check them out below! 

Award-Winning YA Books to Check Out

1. Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley 

Winner of the 2012 Michael L. Printz and William C. Morris Awards, this poignant and hilarious story of loss and redemption “explores the process of grief, second chances, and even the meaning of life” (Kirkus Reviews). 

2. The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer 

Winner of the National Book Award as well as Newbery and Printz Honors. This modern classic takes on an iron-fisted drug lord, clones bred for their organs, and what it means to be human. 

3. The First Part Last by Angela Johnson 

Winner of the 2004 Michael L. Printz Award and Margaret A. Edwards Award.

This little thing with the perfect face and hands doing nothing but counting on me. And me wanting nothing else but to run crying into my own mom’s room and have her do the whole thing. It’s not going to happen…

 

4. A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti 

A Printz Honor BookEach step in Annabelle’s 2,700-mile cross-country run brings her closer to facing a trauma from her past in National Book Award finalist Deb Caletti’s novel about the heart, all the ways it breaks, and its journey to healing. Because sometimes against our will, against all odds, we go forward. 

5. Scythe by Neal Shusterman 

Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021)Two teens must learn the “art of killing” in this Printz Honor–winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology. 

6. Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper 

In this “searing work of historical fiction” (Booklist)Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Sharon M. Draper tells the epic story of a young girl torn from her African village, sold into slavery, and stripped of everything she has ever known—except hope.

7. All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor book, and recipient of the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature.

In this New York Times bestselling novel, two teens—one black, one white—grapple with the repercussions of a single violent act that leaves their school, their community, and, ultimately, the country bitterly divided by racial tension.

8. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz 

Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021)This Printz Honor Book is a “tender, honest exploration of identity” (Publishers Weekly) that distills lyrical truths about family and friendship. 

9. The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed 

A William C. Morris Award Finalist.

Perfect for fans of The Hate U Give, this unforgettable coming-of-age debut novel explores issues of race, class, and violence through the eyes of a wealthy black teenager whose family gets caught in the vortex of the 1992 Rodney King Riots. 

10. Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali 

Saints and Misfits—a William C. Morris Award finalist and an Entertainment Weekly Best YA Book of the Year—is a “timely and authentic” (School Library Journal, starred review) debut novel that feels like a modern day My So-Called Life…starring a Muslim teen. 

11. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds 

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

A Newbery Honor, Printz Honor, and Coretta Scott King Honor–winning novel, and an ode to Put the Damn Guns Down, this is New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds’s electrifying novel that takes place in sixty potent seconds—the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he’s going to murder the guy who killed his brother. 

12. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn 

Winner of the Coretta Scott King – John Steptoe for New Talent Author Award. 
 
Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Tracy Deonn’s YA contemporary fantasy Legendborn offers the dark allure of City of Bones with a modern-day twist on a classic legend and a lot of Southern Black Girl Magic. 

13. KiraKira by Cynthia Kadohata 

Winner of an ALA Newbery Medal.

kira-kira (kee ra kee ra): glittering; shining

Glittering. That’s how Katie Takeshima’s sister, Lynn, makes everything seem. The sky is kira-kira because its color is deep but see-through at the same time. The sea is kira-kira for the same reason. And so are people’s eyes. When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it’s Lynn who explains to her why people stop on the street to stare.

14. Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman 

A William C. Morris Award Finalist.
 
A half-Japanese teen grapples with social anxiety and her narcissist mother in the wake of a crushing rejection from art school in this “stunningly beautiful, highly nuanced debut” (Booklist, starred review). 

15. The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds 

A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book

Just when seventeen-year-old Matt thinks he can’t handle one more piece of terrible news, he meets a girl who’s dealt with a lot more—and who just might be able to clue him in on how to rise up when life keeps knocking him down—in this “vivid, satisfying, and ultimately upbeat tale of grief, redemption, and grace” (Kirkus Reviews) from Jason Reynolds.

16. Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti 

A summer romance headed for heartbreak turns into a mother-daughter road trip in the name of true love in this story of love, loss, and redemption from Printz Honor medal winner and National Book Award finalist Deb Caletti. 

17. Godless by Pete Hautman 

A National Book Award Winner.

“Why mess around with Catholicism when you can have your own customized religion?”
Fed up with his parents’ boring old religion, agnostic-going-on-atheist Jason Bock invents a new god — the town’s water tower. He recruits an unlikely group of worshippers: his snail-farming best friend, Shin, cute-as-a-button (whatever that means) Magda Price, and the violent and unpredictable Henry Stagg. As their religion grows, it takes on a life of its own.

18. Tell Me Something Real by Calla Devlin 

Three sisters struggle with the bonds that hold their family together as they face a darkness settling over their lives in this “one of a kind” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) debut novel that was a finalist for the William C. Morris Award. 

19. Enchanted Air by Margarita Engle 

In this poetic memoir, which won the Pura Belpré Author Award and was named a Walter Dean Myers Award Honoree, acclaimed author Margarita Engle tells of growing up as a child of two cultures during the Cold War. 

20. When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds 

Winner of the Coretta Scott King – John Steptoe for New Talent Author Award. 

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds, a “funny and rewarding” (Publishers Weekly) coming-of-age novel about friendship and loyalty across neighborhood lines and the hardship of life for an urban teen. 

21. Inexcusable by Chris Lynch 

National Book Award Finalist.

Date rape—from the accused’s point of view—is the subject of this “finely crafted and thought-provoking page-turner” (SLJ), a National Book Award Finalist from Printz Honor–winning author Chris Lynch. 

22. The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon 

Winner of the Margaret A. Edwards Award and Coretta Scott King – John Steptoe Award.

In this “taut, eloquent first novel” (Booklist, starred review), a young Black boy wrestles with conflicting notions of revolution and family loyalty as he becomes involved with the Black Panthers in 1968 Chicago. 

23. Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper 

Winner of the Margaret A. Edwards Award  and the Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe for New Talent Author Award.

Andy tackles his guilt and grief in the first book of Sharon M. Draper’s award-winning Hazelwood High trilogy.

24. Noggin by John Corey Whaley 

2014 National Book Award Finalist 
Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) 
 
Travis Coates has a good head…on someone else’s shoulders. A touching, hilarious “tour de force of imagination and empathy” (Booklist, starred review) from John Corey Whaley, author of the Printz and Morris Award–winning Where Things Come Back. 

 

Don’t stop there! Check out these bestselling books. 

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