33 Facts About The Shadow Hunter Chronicles You Didn't Know

Cassandra Clare's bestselling young adult novel series 'The Mortal Instruments' was spun off into a media franchise, The Shadowhunter Chronicles.

It is set in a universe where fairy tales and mythologies from both the pagan and Christian cultures coexist with the normal humans known as mundanes. Shadowhunters are half-human, half-angel hybrids born with angelic blood who patrol the Shadow World to prevent demons and Downworlders such as warlocks, faeries, werewolves, and vampires from attacking the mundanes.

The story takes place at different points throughout the franchise's timeline, and it has been praised for its unique mix of fantasy, magic, romance, and action. Even the most ardent fans, though, may not know everything there is to know about the series.

So whether you're a superfan or a newcomer, take a look at these facts you might not know about The Shadow Hunter Chronicles.

Characters

Shadowhunters are Angel Raziel's appointed warriors on Earth, with the power and responsibility to control and govern the demons and the supernatural beings that reside in our world. A woman named Clary Fairchild appears as the main character in Cassandra Clare's series of 'Mortal Instruments,' which is a starting point of the broader Shadowhunters franchise.

Former NFL player Isaiah Mustafa plays Luke Garroway, the Shadowhunter turned werewolf, on the Shadowhunters TV series adaption for all three seasons.

Cassandra Clare was a great admirer of Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and other similar works, but they were mostly always about boys finding out they are the chosen ones, the heroes. Shadowhunters was a result of wanting that epic hero narrative about a girl.

Harry Shum Jr., who played High Warlock of Brooklyn Magnus Bane, also appears on Glee as Mike Chang. He is a dancer, and choreographer and has toured with artists like Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, and Missy Elliott.

The stars of the TV show adaptation, Dominic Sherwood (Jace Wayland), Katherine McNamara (Clary Fray), and the rest of the cast got angelic rune tattoos after season one production was over.

Matthew Daddario (Alec Lightwood) first auditioned for the role of Jace in the movie version. Upon seeing his audition, Cassandra Clare told the casting directors that he was a better match for Alec, and that's why he was cast.

The author made sure that every book passed the Bechdel test, which measures how well women are represented in fiction.

The entire cast of Shadowhunters read the books to have a better understanding of their characters.

Lily Collins, the actress who played Clary Fray in the first film version of The Mortal Instruments, was a journalist who used to write for Teen Vogue, Elle Girl, and the Los Angeles Times.

Novels

There are five Shadowhunter Chronicles series, including 16 novels as of March 2022, along with several graphic novels, manga, film, and television series adaptations written by American author Cassandra Clare. She started writing her first novel, City of Bones, in 2004. The novel was published by Simon & Schuster in 2007 and adapted into a film in August 2013.

Originally, the author wanted to follow up the first three books of The Mortal Instruments series with a graphic novel, but it never materialized, so the series continued with City of Fallen Angels instead.

Clare wrote fan fiction under the pseudonym 'Cassandra Claire' before City of Bones appeared. Her best-known works are The Draco Trilogy (Harry Potter) and The Very Secret Diaries (The Lord of the Rings).

The paperback repackaged editions of Mortal Instruments have all their spines lined up, forming a single picture with a piece of the picture and the title on the spine.

Clare's writing is shaped by her fans' feedback. It led her to include Magnus Bane as one of the major characters in The Infernal Devices.

To date, the book text has been set with the font Dolly in all the major installments.

The dark Artifices trilogy was inspired by the author's lived experiences while she was in high school in Los Angeles.

The author was accused of copying elements of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series and sued, but Kenyon's copyright claims were later dropped.

Across all of her work, the idea of the chosen family runs prominently, examining how individuals are connected not only to those to whom they are related by blood but also to those whom they form a connection with and form a community with.

Globally, her books have been translated into more than 35 languages and have sold more than 50 million copies.

The author has published at least one Shadowhunter book per year since 2007, with short stories and collaborative works thrown in between.

Clare will release her next novel, 'Chain Of Thorns,' in November 2022. It is the third installment in the 'Last Hours trilogy.'

Companion Books

The companion books delve deeper into the world of Clare's Shadowhunters, evil-hunting warriors who live at the margins of civilization. The books include extensive background information about the characters and the magic, myths, wicked powers, and romances revealed in the series, as well as inspiring insights into the major themes associated with the series.

There are many extras and special features included in The Shadowhunter's Codex, which is a companion book to The Shadowhunter Chronicles series released on October 29, 2013. It elaborates on the terminology and lore of the series.

As part of the Bane Chronicles, Clare has written eleven novellas centered on Magnus Bane, a High Warlock from Brooklyn who can perform magic. The novellas were originally released online in a period of a year and were written together by Clare and other young-adult authors.

Cassandra Jean, the creator of The Shadowhunter Tarot Cards, compiled a collection of artwork called 'A History of Notable Shadowhunters & Denizens of Downworld: Told In The Language Of Flowers.' It is a collection of never before known details and notes about the characters inspired by the Victorian language of flowers.

The Shadowhunter Academy Anthology, like The Bane Chronicles, contains 10 short stories released over nine months about Simon Lewis, first introduced in The Mortal Instruments as Clary Fairchild's best friend.

Clare co-wrote The Shadowhunter’s Codex with her husband, Joshua Lewis.

Adaptation

As a result of several adaptations of Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments, the story of Clare's aspiring heroes and their journey through the Shadow World has been told in a variety of different ways. While the reproductions are unique in their own way, they have garnered mixed opinions and reviews.

Screen Gems announced plans to adapt 'City Of Bones,' the first book in The Mortal Instruments series, in 2010 with hopes of launching a successful film franchise. However, the adaptation failed to recover its costs, so the second sequel was canceled.

A year after Constantin confirmed that The Mortal Instruments would be revived as a television series with Ed Decter as showrunner, he exited the series in August 2016 for 'creative differences.'

A large portion of the story of Shadowhunters takes place in New York City, but most of the shooting was done in Toronto, Mississauga, and Oshawa in Canada.

'The Lord Of The Rings' executive producer, Robert Shaye, was also one of the producers on the 'City Of Bones' movie adaptation.

Clare had trouble finding a studio interested in making a film with a female in the lead role. Studios asked her to switch to a male lead, which she refused.

The author is familiar with the movie industry as she tagged along on the set when her grandfather produced the movies. She also appeared as a cat demon in a party scene in 'City Of Bones.'

The author was involved extensively during the casting process, which included late-night phone calls from director Harald Zwart.

Among the artists featured on the Mortal Instruments soundtrack are Demi Lovato, Colbie Caillat, Jessie J, and Ariana Grande.

As part of the #SaveShadowhunters campaign, fans signed petitions, purchased a billboard in Times Square, and flew a plane over Netflix's headquarters in an effort to save the show from cancellation.

With more than a decade of publication, the 'Shadowhunters' franchise has enjoyed great success, and it has been on the New York Times Bestseller list for nearly three years. It's also on the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly charts as a bestseller.

Clare is currently working on the first book in her upcoming Sword Catcher series, and she co-wrote The Magisterium Series with Holly Black.

FAQs

What are Shadowhunters fans called?

Stars of the show adaptation, Katherine McNamara and Harry Shum Jr., dubbed Shadowhunters fans 'Shadowfam.'

Are Clary and Isabelle Parabatai?

No Clary and Isabelle did not become Parabatai.

Who is the most powerful Shadowhunter?

Among the most powerful Shadowhunters are Clary and Jace.

Who is the strongest vampire in Shadowhunters?

Raphael is one of the strongest vampires in Shadowhunters.

In what order should you read the Shadowhunter Chronicles?

The author recommends reading the first three Mortal Instruments novels, then The Infernal Devices, then all of the Mortal Instruments. Alternatively, you can follow the publication order.

What is new about the new covers for the Shadowhunter Chronicles?

Every new cover will feature a new character, with the first three featuring Jace, Clary, and Simon.

What is the first series in the Shadowhunter Chronicles?

The Mortal Instruments is the first series of books published.

What is the Shadowhunter motto?

Nephilims have the motto 'Facilis descensus Averno,' which means 'The descent into Hell is easy' in Latin.

In what book does Simon become a Shadowhunter?

Simon is offered the chance to become a Shadowhunter near the end of the 'City Of Heavenly Fire.'