Books Like The Dark Artifices series by Cassandra Clare – 3 of the best fantasy young adult book series out there with plenty of action, magic, romance, and more
The captivating Dark Artifices series is a 3-book tale of magic, murder, and mystery…
It follows on from the Mortal Instrument book series by the same author, featuring the Shadowhunters, which has since been made into both a movie and a TV series.
This series picks up several years after the Mortal Instruments series and features a number of the same fantastic characters.
The Shadowhunters are once again the main protagonists, and in keeping with their ethos, they are on a mission to protect the human world, and battle against evil villains.
But that’s not all they battle with.
In this trilogy, the characters have to deal with an increasingly intense, forbidden romance between two parabatai, and fight to ensure it does not interfere with their duties as defenders of the earth.
Told from multiple points of view, the novels bring with them a depth and variety that more two-dimensional stories often lack.
Ardent Shadowhunters / Mortal Instruments fans will know that the Dark Artifices trilogy, the sequel trilogy, is even better!
But if YA fantasy novels are your bag, you are NOT going to be disappointed with the The Shadow and Bone Trilogy and Six of Crows series. There’s drama, assassins, power plays, and teaming up against dangerous villains.
Themes In The Dark Artifices Series By Cassandra Clare
This urban fantasy series features all the myth and magic of a fantasy series but in a modern day American setting.
There are fairies, angels, vampires, and Shadowhunters everywhere.
But, there are several themes running through The Dark Artifices series, and it is not just the paranormal stuff.
This urban fantasy series goes beyond the usual trope of a demonic plot to investigate, but there’s also a strong theme of romance and forbidden love, as the two parabatai begin to fall head over heels with one another.
But there’s character growth when these two characters have to decide between defying the Shadowhunters’ law that they have always adhered to, and give in to their desire for one another, or to choose duty, responsibility, and doing the right thing for the right reasons.
Another theme you will find as the novel progresses is coming of age, as protagonist Emma Carstairs tries in vain to process her feelings from the death of her beloved parents, and goes head first into a revenge mission, struggling against Shadowhunters’ enemies with her parabatai.
A further theme comes in the form of strongly held beliefs being called into question, and how to navigate such a situation when it shows itself.
And, without giving too much away, the trilogy also deals with betrayal and rebellion.
Books Like The Dark Artifices Series By Cassandra Clare
Strangely enough, the book series most enjoyed by many of those who’ve read The Dark Artifices series, are not always urban fantasy series set in the modern day, but ones with their own world building and timelines.
Here follows descriptions of other great fantasy series that are perfect for those who loved The Dark Artifices series!
The Shadow And Bone Trilogy And Six Of Crows Duology
You’ve likely heard of the Shadow and Bone fantasy TV series. Well, these are the two book series that the TV series is based on.
And every bookworm agrees, reading a book series can be so much better than watching it play out on screen.
And more importantly, the story in these book series runs a little differently than the TV series, so even if you’ve already seen a season or two of the TV series, you may still enjoy reading the books.
This series of books is actually made up of 2 separate book series.
They are both written by the same author, namely Leigh Bardugo, and are set in the same universe, namely the Grishaverse.
The Grishaverse consists of 5 warring nations in a world where darkness reigns and science is met with superstition, and there are monsters who feast on human flesh.
The story centers around Alina Starkov, who, it turns out, has dormant magical power, but with such big power comes a big destiny.
Soon after realizing her power, Alina is kidnapped and sent to train as a member of the Grisha…
Because the entire Grishaverse all depends on her.
The following book series, Six of Crows, is set in the same universe, but this time concentrates on a series of different characters.
In particular, it features criminal prodigy Kaz Breker. He and his medley crew find that they are all that stands between the world and its destruction
In both of these action-packed, drama-filled series you get a lot of the same themes that you see in The Dark Artifices series…
Specifically, as is often common in young adult series (both in the fantasy genre and in others), in the Shadow and Bone Trilogy there’s a theme of growing maturity and coming of age in critical circumstances as protagonist Alina Starkov readies herself for the challenge that lies ahead before facing it head-on.
And that’s not all – the Shadow and Bone Trilogy also features a good deal of romance, but in this case the reason tensions run high is that there is a love triangle between 3 of the characters.
There are also themes within the Six of Crows series that feature friction between the various characters, though this time it’s not romance.
The six dangerous outcasts that make up Kaz’s crew struggle to work well as a team thanks to their barely reconcilable differences as they attempt a seemingly impossible mission to make them rich beyond their wildest dreams.
Pros
It’s made up of not one but two book series, so is sure to keep you occupied for quite some time.
Themes: Young adult, romance, fantasy, outcast, love triangle
Throne Of Glass
Another book series that has gone down particularly well with readers of The Dark Artifices series, is the young adult fantasy book series, written by Sarah J (If you liked this, also check out Books Like In Other Lands and other similar titles). Maas, who is perhaps better known for her earlier fantasy series, A Court of Thorns And Roses.
And it will be no surprise to learn that several books in this series have been nominated for, and on occasion won awards in recent years.
What’s more, it has been announced that the Throne of Glass series had been opted for a television adaptation, with the show beginning with the fourth novel in the series, titled Queen of Shadows.
The series is made up of 7 individual novels to work your way through, so it’s something you can really get your teeth sunk into and keep you suitably occupied.
The story follows the tale of protagonist Celaena Sardothien, a beautiful yet deadly teenage assassin, as she is forced to fight for the protection of everything she holds dear.
It’s a story that really speaks to the target audience of young adults, with a remarkable heroine displaying real grit, strength of character, and real character growth.
There’s a romance theme going on as well, and this series parallels that of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, in that there’s a love triangle between 3 of the characters that is just as epic as the main storyline.
Pros
It’s a 7-book series, so it’s sure to keep you occupied for a substantial length of time.
There’s a “who will she choose” love triangle.
Cons
Again, as with the Shadow and Bone Trilogy and Six of Crows Duology are not, strictly speaking, in the urban fantasy genre, and they take place in their own world, and not here on planet Earth where The Dark Artifices series is set.
Themes: Young adult, female heroine, personal growth, romance, love triangle
Final Thoughts
So, if like me, you’re a big fan of the Dark Artifices series by Cassandra Clare, then why not join your fellow fans and try out the Shadow and Bone Trilogy and Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo and the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.
These 3 series may not have the same setting as The Dark Artifices series by Cassandra Clare, but they tend to go down just as well with the same readers.
In all of these series, there’s plenty of action, danger, magical ability, feisty characters, drama, teenage hormones, and above all, real character growth.
The power of such epic stories is that they can teach young adults how different behaviors bring about different results, and they can imitate the character’s strength and attitude as they attend to their own real-life endeavors.
And whenever you read, it’s an opportunity to identify the moral/s of the story, and use it as something to learn from to propel yourself forward in your own life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Are Parabatai Forbidden To Fall In Love?
The more a pair of parabatai shadowhunters surrender to their feelings for one another, the stronger the curse grows between them, leading to inescapable tragedies, both of heartache and magical disaster, when they become romantically linked.
What To Read After The Dark Artifices?
The Dark Artifices is just one series in the Shadowhunter book collection. After The Dark Artifices series is The Wicked Powers series.
Gawonii Chubbuck is a proud Native American writer and poet. Born and raised on tribal land, Gawonii has a deep connection to her culture and heritage which is reflected in her work. Gawonii's writing focuses on themes of identity, tradition and the power of nature. She has a unique ability to capture the beauty of life, while also exploring its darker sides. Her poetry is often inspired by nature, and she often uses nature-inspired imagery and metaphors to express her ideas. Gawonii is a passionate advocate for Native American rights. She is a staff writer at RT Book Reviews.
