The Shadowhunter's Codex (The Mortal Instruments)
Intended as the ultimate resource for the young Shadowhunter in Clare’s enormously successful Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series, this serves as a behind-the-scenes guide to heroine Clary’s world, as it is supposed to be her personal copy of the Codex. Including chapters and sections titled Bestiaire Part I: Demonologie; Angelic Magic; and The Rise of Nephilim in the World, it also sports scribblings and notes taken by Clary and her two friends, Simon and Jace, who occasionally snatched away her Codex to add their own thoughts. Filled also with Clary’s sketches and drawings of such creatures as demons, wolves, marks, steles, a Seelie queen, a pixie, brownies, and much more, it is visually entertaining as well. The handwritten notes in the margins add significant humor and some novelistic personality. Meant to be flipped to random sections at will, this is an ideal addition for anyone who closely follows the series and is interested in all the background information they can get. An excellent addendum to the complex world Clare has built and meant for the serious fan. Grades 9-12. --Julie Trevelyan