The Mortal Instruments reading order

A plan for the whole series

6 volumes, 3,282 pages, about 60 hours. At 45 min a day that is about 3 months.

• From volume 2 on, the number of ratings falls most before volume 4, “City of Fallen Angels” (by 30%). Plan your break after volume 3, before the series plans it for you.
• Readers scored volume 4, “City of Fallen Angels”, below its predecessor (7.6 after 8.0). If you slow down there, that is on the book, not on you. From volume 6 the form returns.

Stages

4 stages, with 3 short books from outside the series between them. You finish around February 4, 2027, 17 days later than in one go.

1. 1
   Stage 19 h13 daysby November 11, 2026

   • 1. City of Bones2007 · 512 pages · 9 h
2. Short breakThe Fire Next Time · James Baldwin · 120 pp. · score 8.82 h, by November 14, 2026. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
3. 2
   Stage 220 habout 4 weeksby December 11, 2026

   • 2. City of Ashes2008 · 512 pages · 9 h
   • 3. City of Glass2009 · 560 pages · 10 h
4. BreakMaus · Art Spiegelman · 295 pp. · score 9.05 h, by December 20, 2026. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
5. 3
   Stage 319 habout 4 weeksby January 14, 2027

   • 4. City of Fallen Angels2011 · 434 pages · 8 h
   • 5. City of Lost Souls2012 · 592 pages · 11 h
6. Short breakOn Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century · Timothy Snyder · 128 pp. · score 8.42 h, by January 18, 2027. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
7. 4
   Stage 412 h16 daysby February 4, 2027

   • 6. City of Heavenly Fire2014 · 672 pages · 12 h
8. The end of the series

   February 4, 2027

We count 1.1 min per page, the pace of an average novel reader. Faster? Move the slider.

Does the series hold up

Shape of the series: the finale is the best part. The last volume (8.2) stands above the rest. Whoever reaches the end gets the reward.

Best volume: City of Heavenly Fire (8.2, 534 ratings). Weakest: City of Bones (7.3). From volume 2 on, the biggest drop in the number of ratings is between volume 3 and 4: 30%. The series is complete; you can read it start to finish with no waiting. The last volume (8.2) scores close to the series average or above it.