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How popular are Cassandra Clare's urban fantasy novels written for young adults? Popular enough to regularly land on best-seller lists. Popular enough to be translated into languages all over the planet. Popular enough to inspire reams of fanfic — stories written by readers about their favorite characters. Popular enough to inspire a movie and a television series.

So it's no wonder that Utah fans were ecstatic upon receiving the following news: Clare will launch her newest book, "Lady Midnight," on Wednesday, March 9, at Bennion Junior High School in Taylorsville, the second stop in her rock-star-style bus of a national tour that will also include a stop in Vernal.

"Lady Midnight" is the first novel in the "Dark Artifices" trilogy, which picks up where the "Mortal Instruments" series ends.

Why are Clare's novels so popular with young readers?

High-school sophomore Oliva Dunford likes that Clare's paranormal stories unfold in familiar real-world settings such as movie theaters and Starbucks. "The characters," she says, "are easy to imagine as well, and the dynamics and emotions of those relationships are very tangible, making me feel like I know them like a friend."

Haydn Olsen, a senior in high school, expresses similar sentiments: The characters are easy to relate to, she says. "It's like you're there."

Clare's fans are not limited to teenagers. Like many books written for young adults, her novels have huge crossover appeal.

Erin Jensen discovered "The Mortal Instruments" series when she was teaching high-school English. She'd assigned her students to write book reports and noticed that references to Clare's "City of Bones" kept popping up in papers written by boys, as well as girls. Her curiosity was piqued.

"I read the novel in about a day and agreed with my students that this was an engaging and interesting fantasy novel that included magic, vampires, werewolves, teenager drama, mysterious family secrets, etc.," she says. Since then Jensen has read most of Clare's work and says she can "definitely get behind any book that encourages teenagers to read."

Haylee Harrell, a graduate fellow in women's, gender and sexuality studies, says she likes Clare's novels "because of the balance of mystery, humor and the strength of the female protagonist. I continually reread her 'Mortal Instruments' series solely because [protagonist] Clary Fray is a perfect balance of independence, relatability and sharp wit."

Clare also has fans among her fellow writers. Amy Finnegan, author of the YA novel "Not in the Script," says Clare's "Infernal Devices" series has "nonstop action, heart-pounding romance and some of the best twists I've ever read. I read these books in a time when paranormal novels all felt too similar, but Clare's characters really shine in this series, and her conflict went beyond the ordinary."

Aspiring urban fantasy writer Taylor Dowler admires Clare's ability to create a three-dimensional universe so real that Dowler says she "can see it" — a universe peopled with characters who are at once sympathetic and flawed. And, according to Dowler, those characters realistically struggle with classic adolescent issues of identity and acceptance.

Clare isn't surprised that adolescents and adults read her books. When asked to describe her typical fan, she says, "My fans are anything but typical. I hear from readers as young as 8 and as old as 88: male, female, scattered all over the globe."

One of the reasons she enjoys in-person events, like the one being held at Bennion Junior High School, is that she never knows whom she'll be meeting.

When asked to account for her books' remarkable popularity, Clare says, "You never know what readers are going to respond to, but I've worked hard to make the characters seem like real people with diverse personalities. I want them to feel believable no matter what supernatural adventures they're tangled up in."

Supernatural adventures abound in Clare's books. The author is especially well-known for her Shadowhunter characters — humans with angel blood — who protect mankind by mixing it up with all kinds of beings, ranging from warlocks to evil fairies.

Her latest novel introduces a new Shadowhunter storyline featuring a feisty heroine named Emma Carstairs who's on a quest to discover the truth about the death of her parents.

The series is set in Los Angeles, a city that's near and dear to Clare's heart. "I grew up in Los Angeles and spent my teenage years there, so writing about teenagers in L.A. feels very natural. Emma and Julian visit many of my old haunts in the 'Dark Artifices' [series]," Clare says. "Los Angeles is a fascinating city because it's so modern and sprawling, but set in this place of enormous natural beauty, where mountains and desert and ocean meet. Those contrasts sparked my imagination when I was younger, so it made sense to revisit the site of the daydreams of my youth." —

'Lady Midnight' on tour

YA author Cassandra Clare is on tour to launch "Lady Midnight: The Dark Artifices Book One," her first new series in six years. Author Holly Black will appear with Clare at the Taylorsville event, sponsored by the Granite School District and The King's English Bookshop.

When • Wednesday, March 9, 7 p.m.

Where • Bennion Junior High School, 6055 S. 2700 West, Taylorsville

Tickets • Free, but in order to secure a place in the signing line, attendees must have a ticket. Tickets come with the purchase of "Lady Midnight" from the King's English Bookshop (one ticket per copy). Books may be purchased and reserved at the Salt Lake City store (1511 S. 1500 East), online (http://www.kingsenglish.com) or by phone at 801-484-9100. Additionally, Clare will sign one book from each of her previous series. Black's books also will be available for purchase.

Additional Utah stop • Clare will sign books at the Walmart in Vernal (1851 US-40) on Thursday, March 10, at 6 p.m. Wristbands will be distributed for a place in the signing line. For more information, call the store at 435-789-9784.

'Lady Midnight'

Cassandra Clare

Margaret K. McElderry Books (March 8)

Pages • 720

Cost • $24.99