Books Like City of Bones: 6 Urban Fantasy Reads Next

City of Bones opened a door a lot of readers never wanted to close: the discovery that beneath ordinary city life runs a secret world of Shadowhunters, demons, and magic — and that the heroine has always belonged to it. Cassandra Clare paired that hidden-world thrill with fast banter, found family, and a romance fraught with complications. So the books that satisfy City of Bones fans share that mix: a secret magical world, a protagonist pulled into it, and a romance that keeps you turning pages.

Here are six novels that deliver, each with what it does best. If you’ve raced through the Mortal Instruments, here’s where to go next.

Clockwork Prince — Cassandra Clare (the same world, often better)

The best next read is more Cassandra Clare. The Infernal Devices prequel trilogy — Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, and Clockwork Princess — is set in Victorian London’s Shadowhunter world, and many fans consider it stronger than the original series, with a love triangle that actually earns its reputation. Essential, and instantly familiar.

Best for: more Shadowhunters, with an even better romance.

The Cruel Prince — Holly Black (the dangerous court)

Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince trades demon-hunting for a treacherous faerie court, but keeps the dangerous magic and barbed, enemies-to-lovers romance. A mortal girl schemes for power among cruel immortals, and the result is addictive. Perfect for readers who loved the edge in Clare’s romances.

Best for: scheming, faeries, and a sharp-edged romance.

Shadow and Bone — Leigh Bardugo (the magic and the slow burn)

Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone gives you a richly built fantasy world, a heroine discovering dangerous power, and a smouldering romance — the same emotional beats as City of Bones in a Tsarist-Russia-inspired setting. It also leads into Six of Crows, one of YA fantasy’s best.

Best for: immersive world-building and a slow-burn romance.

Throne of Glass — Sarah J. Maas (the lethal heroine)

Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass follows an assassin competing for her freedom, growing into an epic of court intrigue, deadly magic, and romance. It’s bigger and more romance-driven than City of Bones, ideal for readers who want to commit to a long, swoony saga.

Best for: a deadly heroine and an epic, romance-rich series.

An Ember in the Ashes — Sabaa Tahir (the high stakes)

Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes raises the danger. In a brutal, Rome-inspired empire, a soldier and a rebel spy collide, with forbidden romance and genuine peril on every page. Darker and tenser than City of Bones, but every bit as gripping.

Best for: the dark stakes and a forbidden romance.

Children of Blood and Bone — Tomi Adeyemi (the fresh mythology)

Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone delivers magic, oppression, and a fierce young heroine fighting to restore power to her people, in a vivid West African–inspired world. It brings the sweeping stakes and slow-burn tension into fresh territory.

Best for: a powerful new world and a heroine reclaiming magic.

How to choose your next read

Pick by what you loved most. The same Shadowhunter world? Clockwork Prince. The dangerous court? The Cruel Prince. Immersive magic and slow burn? Shadow and Bone. A lethal heroine? Throne of Glass. The high stakes? An Ember in the Ashes. A fresh mythology? Children of Blood and Bone.

For more, browse our fantasy and young adult collections, and start with whichever part of City of Bones you’re chasing.