What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
Harald Zwart · Film · 2013
If you loved The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, start with City of Bones (Cassandra Clare, 2008) — a book from the same story. Below: 1 book, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones across media.
If you loved the thrill of discovering a hidden supernatural world, these selections capture that same sense of secret destiny and adventure.
Start with the source
Books on the same thread
The Shadowhunter Chronicles
Cassandra Clare · Book · 2007
Shares 2 threads with The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy.
Dive back into the source material that inspired The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones to further explore the complex lore, forbidden romances, and high-stakes battles of the Shadowhunters.
Series on the same thread
Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia
Guillermo del Toro · Series · 2016
Shares 2 threads with The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones: Chosen One, Coming of Age.
Much like the protagonist in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, an unsuspecting teen discovers a hidden reality and must embrace a dangerous destiny to save two worlds.
Sleepy Hollow
Alex Kurtzman · Series · 2013
Shares a thread with The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones: Urban Fantasy.
This series mirrors the fish-out-of-water intensity found in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by thrusting an outsider into a secret, supernatural conflict that threatens the modern world.
Shadow and Bone
Eric Heisserer · Series · 2021
Shares a thread with The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones: chosen one.
Fans of the chosen one narrative in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones will appreciate this journey of a young woman discovering unique powers amidst dangerous political intrigue.
Grimm
David Greenwalt · Series · 2011
Shares a thread with The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones: Urban Fantasy.
If the legacy and secret responsibilities of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones resonated with you, this show effectively blends police work with a hidden world of monsters.
Podcasts on the same thread
S-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
Explores: small-town isolation, eccentricity, social decay.
While tonally distinct from The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, both narratives focus on uncovering dark family secrets and the unsettling mysteries hidden beneath the surface of daily life.
The Adventure Zone
The McElroys · Podcast · 2026
Explores: improvised storytelling, group dynamics, high fantasy satire.
This podcast captures the same camaraderie and fantasy adventure spirit found in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, focusing on a group of misfits facing supernatural threats together.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones based on a book?
Yes, the 2013 movie The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is an adaptation of the 2008 book titled City of Bones. The film follows the plot of the novel, focusing on Clary Fray discovering her heritage as a Shadowhunter and her entry into the Downworld.
What is the premise of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones?
In The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, a teenager named Clary Fray discovers she is a Shadowhunter, a half-angel warrior. After her mother disappears, she joins these warriors to protect humanity from demons, vampires, and other evil forces residing in an alternate realm known as the Downworld.
Who directed The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones?
The 2013 movie The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones was directed by Harald Zwart. The film depicts the story of Clary Fray as she learns about her ancestry as a Shadowhunter and navigates the dangerous supernatural environment of New York City.
Does The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones involve vampires?
Yes, vampires are part of the supernatural elements featured in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. As Clary Fray enters the Downworld to search for her missing mother, she encounters various creatures, including demons and vampires, alongside her group of half-angel Shadowhunter companions.