Cassandra Clare's New Shadowhunter Series, The Dark Artifices!

For all you Cassandra Clare fans out there, I have good news. This morning Publishers Marketplace announced the official purchase by Margaret K. McElderry Books of another Shadowhunter series (this time about Shadowhunter partners Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn from LA) to release its first book sometime 2015! Below is the official announcement:

Cassandra Clare's new fantasy series THE DARK ARTIFICES, her third Shadowhunters series, set in Los Angeles, continuing her tales of Shadowhunters, as Emma Carstairs and partner Julian Blackthorn must band together to investigate a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica, again to Karen Wojtyla at Margaret K. McElderry Books, in a major deal, "worth in the high seven figures" according to the AP, for publication beginning in 2015, by Russell Galen at Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency (NA).

And, as a extra, special treat, here is the current cover copy for Lady Midnight, the first book in the series:

Los Angeles, 2012. It’s been five years since the events of the Mortal Instruments when Nephilim stood poised on the brink of oblivion and Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs lost her parents. After the blood and violence she witnessed as a child, Emma has dedicated her life to the eradication of demons and being the best, fastest and deadliest Shadowhunter since Jace Lightwood. Raised in the Los Angeles Institute, Emma is paired as a parabatai with her best friend, Julian. As Emma hunts those who caused the death of her parents, the trail they’re following leads back to those they’ve always been taught to trust. At the same time, Emma is falling in love with Julian — her closest friend and, because he is her parabatai, the one person in the world she’s absolutely forbidden by Shadowhunter Law to love. Set against the glittering backdrop of present-day Los Angeles, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica.

If there is one thing that I love best about Cassandra Clare, it's her ability to write sexual tension, and oh-my-Shadowhunter, this book sounds steamy-sexy!! Having visited Santa Monica just last week, I could believe that waters so gorgeous might be enchanted. Three years seems like a long time to wait for something so exciting, but luckily we have the releases of City of Lost Souls (May 8, 2012) and Clockwork Princess (Sometime 2013) to look forward to in the next year. I'm glad that our protagonist is going to be a born-and-bred Shadowhunter this time around, though I wonder if this Julian could possibly be as Panty-Combusting as Jace and Will! What do y'all think?