Cover of City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

5 book recommendations

Books Like “City of Glass” by Cassandra Clare

If you were captivated by the high-stakes demon battles, intricate shadow world, and breathtaking forbidden romance of City of Glass, you are not alone. Cassandra Clare crafted an unforgettable urban fantasy epic brimming with ancient lore and pulse-pounding stakes. Dive into our handpicked collection below to discover your next adventure.

  1. Cover of Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

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    Legendborn

    by Tracy Deonn

    An Instant New York Times Bestseller!
    Winner of the Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe for New Talent Author Award

    Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Tracy Deonn’s YA contemporary fantasy reinvents the King Arthur legend and “braids together Southern folk traditions and Black Girl Magic into a searing modern tale of grief, power, and self-discovery” (Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles).

    After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.

    A flying demon feeding on human energies.

    A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.

    And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

    The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.

    She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.

    This paperback edition of Legendborn contains a teaser to the thrilling sequel, Bloodmarked, as well as an exclusive short story from Selwyn Kane's perspective!

    Why it's similar

    Both novels follow a teenage girl who discovers a hidden, ancient society of lineage-based warriors dedicated to hunting demons, leading her to uncover deep family secrets.

    What's different

    Legendborn grounds its narrative in Arthurian legend and explicitly tackles contemporary themes of racism and generational trauma in the American South.

  2. Cover of Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

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    Daughter of Smoke & Bone

    by Laini Taylor

    Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

    In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

    And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

    Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

    When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

    Why it's similar

    Both books center on an escalating war between supernatural factions coded as angelic and demonic, accompanied by dramatic revelations regarding the protagonist's true identity and past.

    What's different

    Taylor employs a lyrical, fairy-tale prose style and shifts the conflict into an entirely separate parallel realm rather than staying within modern urban fantasy conventions.

  3. Cover of House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

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    House of Earth and Blood

    by Sarah J. Maas

    A #1 New York Times bestseller!

    Sarah J. Maas's bestselling Crescent City series begins with House of Earth and Blood, which follows the story of half-Fae and half-human Bryce Quinlan as she seeks revenge in a contemporary fantasy world of magic, danger, and searing romance.

    Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life-working hard all day and partying all night-until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She'll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.

    Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose-to assassinate his boss's enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he's offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

    As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City's underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion-one that could set them both free, if they'd only let it.

    With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom-and the power of love.

    Why it's similar

    Both stories take place in high-magic metropolitan settings where angels, demons, and shifters navigate factional politics and uncover conspiracies that threaten total war.

    What's different

    Written for an adult audience, Maas's novel features significantly more graphic violence, profanity, and explicit content framed around a noir-style murder mystery.

  4. Cover of Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

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    Shadow Kiss

    by Richelle Mead

    "Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires - the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them. Rose knows it is forbidden to love another guardian. Her best friend, Lissa - the last Dragomir princess - must always come first. Unfortunately, when it comes to gorgeous Dimitri Belikov, some rules are meant to be broken ... Then a strange darkness begins to grow in Rose's mind, and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil drawing nearer to the Academy's iron gates. The immortal undead are closing in, and they want vengeance for the lives Rose has stolen. In a heart-stopping battle to rival her worst nightmares, Rose will have to choose between life, love, and the two people who matter most ... but will her choice mean that only one can survive?"--Goodreads, viewed on March 16, 2019.

    Why it's similar

    Both are YA urban fantasy novels centered on a supernatural academy community, mixing intense battles, forbidden romance, and political intrigue among paranormal factions.

    What's different

    The tone is slightly darker and more focused on the psychological costs of duty and battle, with less emphasis on a sprawling magical war.

  5. Cover of The Demon’s Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan

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    The Demon’s Covenant

    by Sarah Rees Brennan

    When the Obsidian Circle expresses interest in her brother, a teen turns to the notorious Nick and Alan for help in this thrilling second book in the Demon’s Lexicon urban fantasy trilogy set in the unforgiving magical underground of London.

    Mae Crawford has always thought of herself as in control, but in the last few weeks her life has changed. Her younger brother Jamie has suddenly developed magical powers—drawing the attention of the ruthless Obsidian Circle, whose new leader, Gerald, wants Jamie to join their ranks—and will stop at nothing to recruit him.

    As secrets unravel and loyalties are tested, Mae turns to the enigmatic brothers Nick and Alan for help, but even their formidable skills may not be enough to withstand the power-hungry magicians closing in. With the fate of her family and friends hanging in the balance, Mae must navigate a world of shifting alliances, supernatural danger, and deadly bargains.

    Can she find a way to outwit Gerald’s trap and protect those she cares about, or will the forces of darkness claim them all?

    Why it's similar

    Both stories are YA urban fantasy involving demon-related magic, complex alliances, sibling bonds, and the struggle of teens to navigate loyalty and love amid escalating supernatural danger.

    What's different

    The narrative focuses more on family dynamics, moral ambiguity, and character-driven tension than on large-scale battles and institutional politics.

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