Cassandra Clare's & Holly Black's New Series News!

Last week it was announced that Cassandra Clare, the author of The Mortal Instruments & The Infernal Devices, was starting a new series with friend Holly Black. The first book, titled The Iron Trial, is out 2014. And Constantin Film, who has developed The Mortal Instruments, has already nabbed the film rights!

But the thing about this series is that it's going to push up every book in Cassandra Clare's series. Yes, push up! Here's what Cassandra posted on her Tumblr:

They’re not going to push back the Shadowhunters books. And you are not getting Dark Artifices late. The Iron books have in fact not pushed back the dates of the publication of City of Heavenly Fire and Clockwork Princess. They have pushed them up.

Yes. Up. Because of the books I am doing with Holly, you are going to get the next Shadowhunters books sooner, not later.

Let me break this down. Originally, when I scheduled the publication dates of the Shadowhunter books with Simon and Schuster, we were trying to get one out about every nine months. This is an insane schedule. It is, I was told by everyone, a “not-doable” schedule for a writer, because these books are long — about 120,000 words each — and writing a book takes a while. Generally, it is assumed, a year. But I thought “I can do this! I write fast and who needs sleep!” Clockwork Angel came out September 2010, then CoFA March of 2011, and Clockwork Prince was scheduled for September 2012. Except, because I was writing so much that I wasn’t doing other things like sleeping or regularly eating, I started having intervals where I blacked out, and eventually I fell down the steps of my driveway and broke two ribs and my wrist.

And that was something of a wake-up call, because I realized if I kept on at the pace I was at, I would be dead soon, and there would not be more books.

So (because of the broken bones) Clockwork Prince was pushed from September 2011 to December 2011. City of Lost Souls was pushed from March to May. And my agent went in and talked with Simon & Schuster, and pushed back Clockwork Princess to September 2013, and City of Heavenly Fire to December 2014.

Then came the idea of the "Iron" books:

Meanwhile, Holly and I had had the idea for the Iron books (we actually had it ages ago when it was a particularly crazy theory and we thought ‘what an awesome book that would make! Someone should write it!’ and then realized that probably … we should) and I was trying to figure out how they would fit in my schedule. One thing you don’t want is two books of yours coming out too close to each other. That is very bad for writers, for reasons complicated and boring to go into, but it’s true. If you have two a year, you want them as far apart as possible.

So while scheduling ourselves, I decided the Iron books would be fall books, which meant the Shadowhunter books would have to come out in spring. 

Here's how the publication schedule was changed:

• Clockwork Princess got pushed up from September 2013 to March 2013.
• City of Heavenly Fire got pushed up from December 2014 to March/April 2014.
• The Dark Artifices got pushed up from Winter 2015 to Spring 2015.

Now honestly, I hate this. I mean, I don't want the books to come out earlier. I don't want Cassandra to rush through the books, and then they'll turn out bad. And honestly, I'm so scared to read City of Lost Souls not just because it seems really scary and dark, but because it revolves around Sebastian, and not much around Clary & Jace. City of Fallen Angels was a big let down because it revolved around Simon and not much around Clary and Jace, and now I'm very scared for City of Lost Souls. I don't want her to rush through all the series. 


It's such a pain when I start slowly not liking my favorite author anymore, and right now, that's how I feel about Cassandra Clare. And right now, I honestly like The Infernal Devices much better than The Mortal Instruments, but that's just me.


Are you excited for Cassandra's & Holly's new book series?

Bookieholic Question: When A New Book In A Series Comes Out ...

And you push it back and then you realize it's been like a year since you pushed it back, enough time to not completely remember what was happening in the first place, or a new book comes out from a series you like but you don't really remember some details of the book before or the series in general because it's a long series, do you read the book and figure the details will come to you or do you just choose to re-read from book one and get caught up in the story line again?

This is probably my WORST habit when reading books. 

I usually start a book, and then stop reading it for 1 of 2 reasons: 

1. The library won't let me renew the book. (Grrr! >.<)

2. It's boring, and I don't have time to read it.

Though the 2nd one I don't really do. It's only rare that I do that. For example, right now, I'm reading Passion by Lauren Kate, and I haven't read that series in a year ... really. So I pretty much forgot EVERYTHING in the book; what the history is, what's happening, why she's running away. It's pretty confusing.

So here's my question for you:

Do you reread the series again, or just read the book and figure out the details later?!

Right now, I'm just reading the book. I'll figure out the details later! But really, this is a BAD habit to have! And it sucks. *Sighs*

A few series that I've done this to are:

Does this problem apply to you when you're reading books? Clearly, it applies to me!

Cassandra Clare Starting a New Trilogy

As The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices come close to an end, Cassandra Clare isn't saying goodbye to her Shadowhunter world just yet. Cassandra Clare has signed a three-book deal with Simon & Schuster to write The Dark Artifices, a spin-off series set in 2013 Los Angeles. The first book is somewhere to be released around 2015.

Cassandra Clare has been teasing fans with the possibility of a spin-off series, but now there is a confirmation, as Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, has announced the deal, according to The Washington Post.

“The series follows Emma Carstairs, the fiercest warrior and most skilled young Shadowhunter since Jace Wayland, and Emma’s sworn partner in arms, Julian Blackthorn,” the statement reads. “Despite Emma’s complicated feelings for Julian, the two must band together to investigate a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica.”Clare said in a statement that she was sure readers would love both her new and her established characters.“I know readers will come to love Emma, Mark, Cristina and Julian just as they have loved Jace, Clary, Will, Tessa and Jem,” she said. “Readers have often asked what will happen in the Shadowhunter world after the events of the ‘Mortal Instruments’ and this series will give them a chance to find out.”

Now, you're probably wanting more about this trilogy, right? Well, you're in lucky! Down below is the information we know so far:

Series: A trilogy

Setting: Los Angeles, 2013

Characters: Emma Carstairs, Julian Blackthorn, Mark, Helen, Carmen, Olivia, Tiberius, Arthur + more

Release Date (s): 2015 (Book One)

Synopsis (Book One): Los Angeles, 2012. It’s been five years since the events of the Mortal Instruments when Nephilim stood poised on the brink of oblivion and Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs lost her parents. After the blood and violence she witnessed as a child, Emma has dedicated her life to the eradication of demons and being the best, fastest and deadliest Shadowhunter since Jace Lightwood. Raised in the Los Angeles Institute, Emma is paired as a parabatai with her best friend, Julian. As Emma hunts those who caused the death of her parents, the trail they’re following leads back to those they’ve always been taught to trust. At the same time, Emma is falling in love with Julian — her closest friend and, because he is her parabatai, the one person in the world she’s absolutely forbidden by Shadowhunter Law to love. Set against the glittering backdrop of present-day Los Angeles, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica.

Here's what Cassandra had to say:

The Dark Artifices: Okay, a quick recap. I have a plan for another Shadowhunter trilogy (contemporary, but not about the characters from TMI).

Working title: The Dark Artifices. It takes place five years after the end of TMI (ie in 2012) and deals with the Shadowhunters of the Los Angeles Institute. There is a tangential connection to the characters of TMI but they are not main characters. The main characters are teens (meaning that during the events of TMI they’d be 11, 12 years old.)

The main female protagonist’s name is Emma, the main male protagonist’s name is Julian. They are both Shadowhunters. They both have always known they are Shadowhunters.

There is love, magic, romantic confusion, etc. and so on. I have not sold these books; I haven’t written any of them, I won’t until I’m done with what I’m writing now. So I don’t have a pub date beyond “after CoHF”, and I have other, non-Shadowhunter projects I’m also planning on. But thanks for being so interested, everyone!

* Since it takes place 5 years after the end of CoHF it is reasonable to assume that surviving characters from TMI will make cameos. They will be in their early twenties so you’ll get to see what they’re up to in their more adult lives.

Here is some more as to what the surviving Mortal Instruments characters might be up to:

“If I did Dark Artifices, the surviving main cast of TMI would be 21-24 years old. We would see where they are in life, where their relationships are, how they’re moving into their positions of power in the Clave, etc…”

On progress of the series (Jan. 6):

“I’m pretty busy with TMI and ID but I do work on Dark Artifices a little when it’s really nagging at me. I’ve done enough to have gone around Los Angeles and taken pictures for photo references (resulting in an exciting bit of activity in which Holly Black was nearly washed away by a freakish wave), I know the basic plot, the main characters, the manner in which it explores the fallout of what happens in the Mortal Instruments series, but it’s still at that fun stage where mostly it’s just an idea marinating in my brain, waiting for its time to come.”

Here are the names of the main characters:

“Emma, Julian, Mark, Helen, Carmen, Olivia, Tiberius, Arthur — a few others. It’s a big family.”

Here’s an update from Cassie (Jan. 7):

Just cobbling together things I’ve said about TDA in the past (with the help of FYMI):

Okay, a quick recap. I have a plan for another Shadowhunter trilogy (contemporary, but not about the characters from TMI). Working title: The Dark Artifices. It takes place five years after the end of TMI (ie in 2012) and deals with the Shadowhunters of the Los Angeles Institute. There is a tangential connection to the characters of TMI but they are not main characters. The main characters are teens (meaning that during the events of TMI they’d be 11, 12 years old.) The main female protagonist’s name is Emma, the main male protagonist’s name is Julian. They are both Shadowhunters. They both have always known they are Shadowhunters. There is love, magic, romantic confusion, etc. and so on. I have not sold these books; I haven’t written any of them, I won’t until I’m done with what I’m writing now. So I don’t have a pub date beyond “after CoHF.”

As it’s set 5 years after the end of CoHF it is reasonable to assume that surviving characters from TMI will make cameos. They will be in their early twenties so you’ll get to see what they’re up to in their more adult lives…we would see where they are in life, where their relationships are, how they’re moving into their positions of power in the Clave, etc.

Also, if you are curious about the characters from TDA, look out for characters either in or mentioned in CoLS and CoHF who might be 11, 12, 13 years old. (As five years later, they will be sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen.)

Now, this is all speculation. I do enjoy writing in the world of the Shadowhunters and I think there are infinite stories to tell in it. I also think that there are stories I would like to tell that are not necessarily about Shadowhunters. It is just a matter of what order I write what in.

The Washington Post reported on March 13, 2012, that Cassandra Clare had officially signed on for a three-book deal with Simon & Schuster to pen the spinoff Shadowhunter series The Dark Artifices.

“The series follows Emma Carstairs, the fiercest warrior and most skilled young Shadowhunter since Jace Wayland, and Emma’s sworn partner in arms, Julian Blackthorn,” the statement reads. “Despite Emma’s complicated feelings for Julian, the two must band together to investigate a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica.”

Clare said in a statement that she was sure readers would love both her new and her established characters.

“I know readers will come to love Emma, Mark, Cristina and Julian just as they have loved Jace, Clary, Will, Tessa and Jem,” she said. “Readers have often asked what will happen in the Shadowhunter world after the events of the ‘Mortal Instruments’ and this series will give them a chance to find out.”

How cool is that? Personally, I'm really excited! I'm really happy the Shadowhunter World isn't going away, as I love it very much and wish I can live in it.

What are your thoughts on The Dark Artifices?