Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week a new theme is suggested for bloggers to participate in. This week’s prompt is Favorite Heroines (or heroes, if you prefer!)
Hello Readers! For the past few weeks I’ve been submerged in the Shadowhunter universe as I’ve been reading the 800 page finale to the The Last Hours series, Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare. So when I saw today’s topic, my mind immediately went to this universe and all the many, many heroines. If you’ve never read any of the Shadowhunter books, there is the original series, The Mortal Instruments, which includes 6 books, and several spin-off series (each having three books), which consist of prequels and…. postquels?? (I thought I’d invented that word, but apparently it’s a thing. 😃) Not to mention several short story collections, as well.
There are a ton of characters who are ancestors and descendants, and I don’t know how the author ever keeps them all straight. But, if you’ve never read anything from this world, I apologize for the very hyper-focused post this week. 😉 I’ll be listing my heroines in order from how the books were published, not by the year they were set. Bonus, I’ll be sharing some quotes and we get to enjoy the lovely artwork by Cassandra Jean!
“Shadowhunters, also known as Nephilim, are a secretive race of beings who are humans born with angel blood. They have fought demons and have lived alongside Downworlders in the Shadow World for well over a thousand years, creating their own culture and civilization within human society. Their mandate is to keep the peace in the Shadow World and keep it hidden from the mundane world while protecting the inhabitants of both worlds.”
from Shadowhunters’ Wiki
Let’s see who I’ve included.
(Link to Goodreads through book title.)
1
Clary from The Mortal Instruments
“Heroes aren’t always the ones who win. They’re the ones who lose, sometimes. But they keep fighting, they keep coming back. They don’t give up. That’s what makes them heroes.“
Clary, from City of Heavenly Fire
2
Isabelle from The Mortal Instruments
“I watch my brothers give their hearts away and I think, don’t you know better? Hearts are breakable. And I think even when you heal, you’re never what you were before.“
Isabelle, from City of Fallen Angels
3
Maia from The Mortal Instruments
“Strength is loyalty and unity, not dividing people with lies.”
Maia, from City of Heavenly Fire
4
Tessa from The Infernal Devices
“There are so many worse things than death. Not to be loved or not to be able to love: that is worse.”
Tessa Gray, from Clockwork Princess
5
Charlotte from The Infernal Devices
“…you are a Shadowhunter first, and a lady second.”
Charlotte, from Clockwork Angel
6
Emma from The Dark Artifices
“What I have is trying. I can try harder than anyone else in the world. I can make revenge the only thing I have in my life. I can do that, because I have to. But it means it’s all I have.“
Emma, from Lady Midnight
7
Cordelia from The Last Hours
Elias: “So you want to be a hero?“
Cordelia, from Chain of Gold
Cordelia: “I want to be a merciful hero.“
8
Lucie from The Last Hours
“Lucie had long ago decided that living a story would be terribly uncomfortable. Far better to write them, and control the tale so it was never too sad or too scary, only just enough to be intriguing.“
from Chain of Gold
9
Anna from The Last Hours
“We are special, unusual, unique people. That means that we must be bold and proud, but also careful. Don’t think you have so much to prove that it makes you foolish.”
Anna, from Chain of Iron
10
Dru from (the not yet published) The Wicked Powers
“Don’t remain silent about what you want, or you may never get it.“
Dru, from Queen of Air and Darkness
Who’s your favorite book heroine? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
There’s definitely something to be said for immersive universes like this one!
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-favorite-character-traits-for-heroines/
Yes! It’s nice to escape from the real world into a fantasy one.
That’s fun you went with characters all from one series.
It was fun! And very nostalgic. 🙂
I haven’t read these, but I have to say, the pictures you used to showcase these heroines are absolutely beautiful.
Yes! The artist worked alongside the author and it really brings the characters to life.
I’ve only read one book in this universe, but it’s really neat to see the wide variety of characters that you picked over the series. Also, the artwork is amazing!
My TTT: https://bookwyrmknits.com/2023/02/21/top-ten-tuesday-favorite-heroines/
The artist is so talented! She has created artwork for various book worlds.
I love the Shadowhunter Chronicles! Lucie actually made my list, though I do love them all.
My post- https://teaandcatsandbooks.wordpress.com/2023/02/21/top-ten-tuesday-favorite-heroines/
I really grew to love Lucie the most in the final book. I think she needs her own series. 🙂
I never read beyond the initial series (The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices), but I loved Clary and Isabelle and Tessa and Charlotte. Great female characters!
It’s a fun world!
So fun that you took all your heroines from one bookish universe! It’s a clever idea. 😀
And also easier, which is probably what really prompted my choice. Ha!
There are so many great female characters in the Shadowhunter world. That artwork is nice. I have not see it before
This artist has worked closely with the author and created a lot of artwork for Shadowhunters, but she’s also created a lot of art for other book worlds, as well. So talented!
I’ve never read any of the Shadowhunters books because the sheer scale of the series and the number of books I would have to catch up on frankly terrifies me, but I’m glad you love them!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2023/02/21/top-ten-tuesday-408/
Yes!! There are a lot. If I wouldn’t have started with it years ago, I probably wouldn’t have tried either. It’s why I’ve never read Maas’ books. So very daunting. 😃
Yeah I think if I’d found them when there were less books then I probably would have read them because it would have been such a commitment, but now there are SO MANY! Yeah, her books did tip over into doorstoppers pretty darn quickly!
I’ve not read any of these books, Dedra so can’t comment, but I do love books with strong female charcters.
Me too! It’s almost a must for me now. 🙂
I binge-read the first four or so books of the original TMI series back in 2010 or so. They definitely kept me reading, although now I don’t remember anything about them since I didn’t continue on with the series for some reason. Glad you enjoy the books so much!
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Yes, they are definitely a commitment. If I wouldn’t have started at the beginning and kept up with their releases, I probably wouldn’t still be reading them. 😃
How fun that you decided on a specific world/group to feature. I’m not sure I’ve read a series with this extensive a world or group to use, but it’s a cool way to talk about favorites. 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting my website this week!
This is the most extensive series I’ve read. It’s too hard to keep up with very many. But it’s a fun escape!