Cassandra Clare’s series, The Mortal Instruments, is a popular book series within the young adult community. The series is about a young girl named Clary Fray who finds out that she is a Shadowhunter.
Since then the novels, or the first book, have been turned into a film, as well as a television series.
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones film premiered in 2011 with Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell-Bower playing the lead roles Clary Fray and Jace Wayland. The film rendition received bad ratings in the box office, hence why there is no second film. However, fans still wanted more with a live rendition of the novels, which led Clare to allow the series to appear on TV. The television series premiered in January and stars Katherine McNamara as Clary and Dominic Sherwood as Jace. Although the film had bad ratings, it stayed decently true to the plot, setting and style of the novels, whereas the television show has changed the series drastically.
In the novels, the institute where the shadowhunters live is an old style, Victorian building, with many rooms, no technology, and a huge library. The institute is only supposed to have Jace Wayland, the Lightwood children, Isabella, Alec and Max, and the old institute director, Hodge. In the television series, the institute is filled with shadowhunters, WRONG, there is technology around every corner, MORE WRONG, and Hodge is hot, WRONGEST! Not to mention, Max Lightwood is not even in the television show. Not only has that changed but when the shadowhunters go and kill demons, their blood in the books are stark black, in the show, it is bright red. There are many other subjects in the television show to rant about, however, this was one of the many major topics. Overall, the television show does not compare to the novels, at all, making the film look better.
The film may be better than the television show, however it does have its moments. (SPOILER ALERT) For example Valentine, Clary’s father, ends up taking themortal cup, which is very special to the shadowhunters. He also took Clary’s mother through a portal and has her captive as well as the mortal cup for a couple of the books. In the film, Clary gives her father a fake cup and he ends up going through the portal with it, leaving the real cup and her mother behind. If there were to be a second film, it would be very difficult to continue the plotline.
Overall, the film and television show do not compare to the novels and if you are currently watching the show, and have not read the books, it would make sense for you to read them.