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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
Significant violence — demon hunting; battles throughout
Language
Some
Contemporary language; some mild strong words
Sexual Content
Some
Mild romantic content with a significant twist
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Significant violence — demon combat is frequent and graphic in places; A major romantic twist mid-series — the reveal involves the relationship between Clary and Jace; The extended universe — six Mortal Instruments books plus multiple companion series; The villain's worldview — Magnus and the Shadowhunter hierarchy's treatment of Downworlders
What this book is about
Clary Fray is a teenager in Brooklyn who witnesses a killing in a nightclub—and realizes she can see the killers, who are invisible to everyone else. They are Shadowhunters: demon hunters who protect the human world. When her mother disappears, Clary is pulled into their world. City of Bones is the first of the Mortal Instruments series—urban fantasy YA with an extensive, interconnected universe.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Significant violence — demon combat throughout
A major romantic twist involving the main couple — best experienced unspoiled
A very large extended universe — the series expands significantly
The villain's ideology — Shadowhunter supremacy and how it's challenged
Reader Verification
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