City of bones by CASSANDRA CLARE

Book Summary – 

City of Bones, the first installment in The Mortal Instruments series, is a modern urban fantasy novel set in New York City. Readers follow Clary Fray, a seemingly ordinary 15-year-old, whose life is turned upside down when she witnesses a murder at a nightclub—one that no one else can see. The perpetrators vanish, leaving no trace. Soon after, Clary’s mother disappears, and Clary herself is attacked by a demon—only to be saved by Shadowhunters, angel-human warriors sworn to protect the world from demonic forces. Clary discovers she is one of them, and that her mother had hidden their magical heritage to protect her.

The quest to rescue her mother leads Clary into a hidden supernatural realm, where she allies with the enigmatic Jace Wayland, and her best friend Simon Lewis is pulled into the chaos. Clary confronts haunting family secrets, including that her father is the rogue Shadowhunter Valentine Morgenstern, who aims to wield the powerful artifact known as the Mortal Cup to build an army for his radical cause.

With demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves, and shifting loyalties at every turn, Clary races to thwart Valentine’s plans—and in the process, uncovers deep truths about her identity, heritage, and the world she never knew existed. Critics found the story compelling, although some noted its predictable elements; still, Clare’s richly imagined urban fantasy resonated with young adult readers and earned several nominations, such as the Locus Award for Best First Novel (2008) and the Georgia Peach Book Award (2009).

About the Author – 

Cassandra Clare, born Judith Rumelt in 1973 in Tehran, is an American author celebrated for her imaginative young adult fantasy series. Raised across Europe and the U.S., she began her career in journalism—writing for publications like The Hollywood Reporter—before gaining fame for her elaborate fanfiction inspired by fantasy classics.

Her debut novel, City of Bones, launched The Mortal Instruments, a sprawling universe exploring the Shadowhunter world, with subsequent expansions like The Infernal Devices and The Dark Artifices. The series has since surpassed 50 million copies sold, inspired film and television adaptations, and cemented Clare as a defining voice in young adult urban fantasy.