How 'Shadowhunters' Will Diverge From The Books

Technically the story of Cassandra Claire's beloved YA novel City of Bones — the first in The Mortal Instruments series — has already been adapted in the form of a movie. But, if you're like me, you probably don't like to talk about that. It's best we choose to set our sights forward to ABC Family's new interpretation of the underground world of Shadowhunters. Claire was on hand for Beyond the Shadows: The Making of Shadowhunters to talk about the production design of the upcoming TV series and how true it stayed to the picture in her head of the world she created. However, the cast also revealed Shadowhunters changes certain parts of the book City of Bones in its first season.

If you're a fan of the books you're probably freaking out, but don't worry! As our new Clary Fray, Katherine McNamara, explained in Beyond the Shadows, fans shouldn't worry too much since the show will retain the essence, tone, and themes that readers have grown to love about the series — there will just be a few added twists and turns. Sounds fun, right? Matthew Daddario, who plays the by-the-books Shadowhunter Alec Lightwood, even hinted at some uncertainty when it comes to the future of his love life. (Hold your horses fellow Malec fans, I think Daddario was just trying to get a rise out of us. But, I guess we'll have to wait and see to be sure.)

Of course, if you've seen one or two — or twenty — adaptations of a young adult novel, no matter whether it was a movie or a television series, you probably know that there will be some changes between the book and the eventual variation. As the cast of Shadowhunters assures us, the changes made to the story are to ensure the show will be entertaining for everyone to watch. Although some fans may enjoy following a story they know, I think more people will acknowledge it's more fun when you don't already know the ending.

Plus, from what I can tell of what was revealed in Beyond the Shadows, namely the rigorous casting process and the multiple steps to determine Clary's specific hair color, it seems that everyone involved with bringing The Mortal Instruments to life in Shadowhunters is dedicated to making it the best adaptation possible. Really, is there anything else a fan can ask for? (Probably, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.)

Images: John Medland/ABC Family