Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Bookish Wisdom earns from qualifying purchases. This doesn't change our picks or your price.
Quick answer: If you finished The Queen of Air and Darkness, try Chain of Gold, Lady Midnight, Clockwork Angel, City of Bones, Shadow and Bone and Throne of Glass. They bring Shadowhunter-style battles, romance and found families. (The title also names T.H. White's Arthurian novel; this list focuses on Cassandra Clare.)
Cassandra Clare's 2018 book ends the Dark Artifices trilogy, with Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn facing the Unseelie King and a war with Faerie. It is an action-heavy fantasy with a deep romance. Readers who finish it want more of the Shadowhunter world and similar urban fantasy with epic romance. These 15 books include Clare's other series and other YA and adult fantasies.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lady Midnight | Cassandra Clare | 14+ | the start of the trilogy |
| Lord of Shadows | Cassandra Clare | 14+ | series readers |
| Chain of Gold | Cassandra Clare | 14+ | readers who want a new series |
| Clockwork Angel | Cassandra Clare | 14+ | readers who love period fantasy |
| City of Bones | Cassandra Clare | 14+ | new readers |
| Shadow and Bone | Leigh Bardugo | 14+ | readers who like epic fantasy |
| Six of Crows | Leigh Bardugo | 14+ | readers who like ensemble casts |
| Throne of Glass | Sarah J. Maas | 14+ | readers who like long series |
| A Court of Thorns and Roses | Sarah J. Maas | Adult | older readers |
| The Cruel Prince | Holly Black | 14+ | readers who like faerie politics |
| Daughter of Smoke & Bone | Laini Taylor | 14+ | readers who like lyrical prose |
| Vampire Academy | Richelle Mead | 14+ | readers who like school fantasy |
| The Bone Season | Samantha Shannon | Adult | readers who like worldbuilding |
| Red Queen | Victoria Aveyard | 14+ | readers who like court intrigue |
| The Once and Future King | T.H. White | Adult | readers who want the Arthurian book |
1. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
The first Dark Artifices book, in which Emma and Julian investigate murders in Los Angeles. Start here if you skipped it.
Best for: the start of the trilogy.
2. Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare
The second book, with the war with Faerie growing. A strong middle chapter.
Best for: series readers.
3. Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
The first book in The Last Hours, set in Victorian London. A good new start with returning characters.
Best for: readers who want a new series.
4. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
The first Infernal Devices book, in which Tessa discovers her powers in Victorian London. Atmospheric and romantic.
Best for: readers who love period fantasy.
5. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Clary learns she is a Shadowhunter in New York. The beginning of the Mortal Instruments.
Best for: new readers.
6. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Alina discovers a power that could free her land. Russian-inspired fantasy and romance.
Best for: readers who like epic fantasy.
7. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
A crew of misfits attempts an impossible heist. Fast, funny and tense.
Best for: readers who like ensemble casts.
8. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
An assassin competes to become the king's champion. Action, romance and magic.
Best for: readers who like long series.
9. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Feyre is taken to a faerie land and falls in love. Steamy and popular.
Best for: older readers.
10. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Jude, a human girl in Faerie, wants a place at court. Intrigue and enemies-to-lovers romance.
Best for: readers who like faerie politics.
11. Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
Karou meets an angel and learns the truth about her past. Lush, romantic and wild.
Best for: readers who like lyrical prose.
12. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Rose, a guardian-in-training, protects her friend Lissa at a vampire school. Fast and funny.
Best for: readers who like school fantasy.
13. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
Paige is a clairvoyant in a dystopian London. A big, dark series.
Best for: readers who like worldbuilding.
14. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Mare, a Red girl with a Silver power, is forced into a deadly court. Fast and twisty.
Best for: readers who like court intrigue.
15. The Once and Future King by T.H. White
White's retelling of the King Arthur story includes the section “The Queen of Air and Darkness.” Funny, wise and tragic.
Best for: readers who want the Arthurian book.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Queen of Air and Darkness: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
If you want more of the Shadowhunter world, read Chain of Gold or Clockwork Angel. For similar epic YA, pick Shadow and Bone, Throne of Glass or The Cruel Prince. For something more adult, try A Court of Thorns and Roses. If you came here for the Arthurian novel, read The Once and Future King. Check the content notes: many of these have violence and some romance.
Related: 15 Books Like Red Queen You’ll Love: Powers, Betrayal and Royal Intrigue · What Age Is Red Queen Appropriate For? A Parent’s Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
Which book is the third in The Dark Artifices?
The Queen of Air and Darkness. The first is Lady Midnight and the second is Lord of Shadows.
What should I read next in the Shadowhunter world?
Chain of Gold is popular, and the Infernal Devices trilogy is also loved.
Is the T.H. White book related?
It shares the title with a section of The Once and Future King, but the stories are different.
Is it okay for teens?
Yes, ages 14 and up, though there is violence and some romance.