It’s never a dull day for fantasy fans here at WinterIsComing! Today we have a special, double announcement for readers: Cassandra Clare, dubbed “the new queen of fantasy” by The Wall Street Journal, announced not one but TWO new series, published by Walker Books in the UK and Random House in the US.
The Wicked Powers trilogy: the finale Shadowhunters series
The best-selling author seems to be working overtime as she writes three different series in the next few years. The Shadowhunters Chronicles, a titanic saga now spanning 23 books and four series (plus various novella collections) will reach its epic conclusion with its fifth and last series called The Wicked Powers, slated for publication in spring 2026. That’s two years from now, which could seem far away to some, but loyal fans have been waiting for this announcement for over a decade.
The Wicked Powers will be a trilogy set in modern times. It will follow fan-favorite characters we met in The Mortal Instruments and The Dark Artifices: Kit Herondale, Ty Blackthorn, Drusilla Blackthorn and Ash Morgenstern as they are drawn into the final massive conflict between the demons and the angels. It’s safe to assume that, as always, the Shadowhunters will be caught in between the battle between heaven and hell. Other beloved characters and protagonists of previous series will also appear: Clary, Jace, Emma, Jules, Magnus, Alec, Mark, Kieran, Cristina, Jem, Tessa and so many others; I can’t believe this will be the last time we see them.
What are the titles of the three books in The Wicked Powers trilogy by Cassandra Clare, you ask? Let's list them:
- Book One: The Last King of Faerie
- Book Two: The Last Prince of Hell
- Book Three: The Last Shadowhunter
Cassandra Clare’s new YA series In Fire Foretold
As her fans know, Cassandra Clare doesn’t do things halfway. Her current series Sword Catcher has been out for less than a year, and she's already announced her next two series. In addition to the next book in that series, titled The Ragpicker King, coming out in 2025, Clare is working on another non-Shadowhunter series: a young adult duology titled In Fire Foretold.
According to publishing house Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers (an imprint of Random House Children’s Books), In Fire Foretold — the title sounds ominous, I’m sold already! — is a pulse-pounding YA romantasy duology set in a new world with entirely new characters. The story centers around a young woman who must learn to control her dangerous magical abilities in order to save her kingdom, all while finding herself torn between two brothers, two princes of a kingdom born to a cursed royal bloodline. We don’t yet have a publication date nor a title for the first book in the new series, but we will keep you posted.
Says Clare of her new series In Fire Foretold: "I'm excited to be launching my next YA series — a kickass portal fantasy that contains a ton of things I love, from a bold and reckless heroine to a magical wasteland filled with terrifying monsters that must be fought, to a love triangle with two very unusual cursed princes. I can't wait for us to bring these stories to the world.”
So what are the next Cassandra Clare books coming out?
- The Ragpicker King (a sequel to her new adult fantasy series Sword Catcher) will be published in 2025.
- Four collections featuring beloved characters from the Shadowhunters series (these will be available at first only for people who contributed on Kickstarter, as this was a crowdfunded project to spotlight fan artists). The books are: Secrets of Blackthorn Hall, Careful of Books: Novellas, Notable Shadowhunters, and Better In Black: Short Stories.
- Presumably any other Sword Catcher sequels.
- The Last King of Faerie, the first book in The Wicked Powers trilogy, will be published in spring 2026. This trilogy will be the last we’ll see of the Shadowhunters world.
- The first book in her new duology In Fire Foretold, still untitled, does not have a precise publication date yet.
We will cover new announcements related to all these upcoming Cassandra Clare books, so stay tuned if you’re dying to hear of the publication dates, cover reveals and more details.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.