Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer and TV critic who covers sci-fi shows like Doctor Who and Pluribus, fantasy shows like The Magicians and Percy Jackson, and horror of all kinds. They also cover Marvel and DC TV shows and movies, with a robust knowledge of comic books. Their TV reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes.
Dani is also part of ScreenRant’s books team, using their fiction writing and literature studies as the backbone for their book analyses.
They have covered events, such as the Denver Fan Expo. Professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale, have shared their articles. Their review of Ponies was quoted in the show’s TV trailer.
In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18.
Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity.
With HBO’s Harry Potter TV show coming up, some folks will want alternative media that still feel reminiscent of the fantasy story, and a bestselling author just offered a perfect choice. Based on the eponymous children’s book series, the Wizarding World will hit screens again in December 2026 with HBO’s Harry Potter series. However, the news isn’t too thrilling, considering J. K. Rowling has built her personality around hating and paying to disenfranchise the trans community. Plus, the books feature harmful Jewish caricatures and problematic names like Cho Chang. Everyone has to choose for themselves if or how they will engage with future Harry Potter media.
Plenty are choosing to watch the TV show regardless. Some have chosen to engage with the stories in ways that don’t give her money, such as re-reading books they already own and making their own fan art. However, many folks don’t feel comfortable engaging with the franchise at all. Luckily, plenty of alternate movies, TV shows, and books better than Harry Potter exist that can fill the void.
Young readers have so many options with hits like Amari & The Night Brothers and Percy Jackson & The Olympians available. Young adult readers can dive into The Legendborn Cycle and The Kingkiller Chronicle. Meanwhile, the best adult-age pick is The Magicians Trilogy, which has been described as Harry Potter meets The Chronicles of Narnia. What’s more, new books are coming out every day that are perfect alternatives to Harry Potter. The newest addition to the list is The Last King of Faerie by Cassandra Clare, which is part of The Shadowhunter Chronicles series.
The Last King Of Faerie Has Similar Tropes To Harry Potter
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Before anything else, it’s important to clarify that The Shadowhunter Chronicles isn’t connected to Harry Potter. Before she was a published author, Cassandra Clare wrote Harry Potter fanfic, but she ended that two decades ago. Despite a rumor that spread shortly after City of Bones’ publication, Clare has maintained that her YA series isn’t Harry Potter fanfiction, explaining in more detail on Tumblr in 2015, and there’s no reason to doubt her. Even so, The Shadowhunter Chronicles, especially the new book The Last King of Faerie, is perfect for those who want a more inclusive alternative to Harry Potter.
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The new book centers on Ty and Kit, two estranged best friends who must work together to find Ty’s sister, Dru, who was kidnapped and taken to the world of Faerie. Of all the Shadowhunter Chronicles ships, Ty and Kit are two of the most beloved, and they get a chance to shine again in season 2. Meanwhile, Dru has to find a way to stay safe around Ash, the crown prince of the Seelie Court.
In The Dark Artifices trilogy and The Last King of Faerie, a bigoted extremist group called the Cohort wants to eradicate people who have impure downworlder blood. Better in Black introduces a prophecy that becomes central to the new book, and most people only partially know it. However, it ultimately reveals that a chosen one—my words, not Clares—could save or doom the world. Ty and Kit go on a journey to find mystical objects, and bad guys chase them. In the newest book, Dru stays in a medieval-esque castle in Faerie with an unpredictable layout.
These are common fantasy tropes and by no means exclusive to Harry Potter or The Last King of Faerie. However, the book also includes smaller elements that will seem enjoyably familiar, but any elaboration would spoil some major plot points. As such, readers will have to discover them for themselves.
Despite these comparisons, The Shadowhunter Chronicles has unique lore and incredible world-building. The political systems that rule Clave, the Cohort, and the downworlders feel realistically complex, and it’s dissimilar from the Harry Potter world, except for the fascism. The characters in The Shadowhunter Chronicles are nothing like the characters in Harry Potter. On top of that, The Last King of Faerie has plenty of representation that’s sorely lacking in Harry Potter.
Cassandra Clare’s The Shadowhunter Chronicles Is More Inclusive Than Harry Potter
One of the most appealing aspects of The Shadowhunter Chronicles that isn’t present in Harry Potter is positive representation of minorities. Cassandra Clare uses sensitivity readers for characters outside her community (via Writer’s Digest). Long-time Shadowhunter fans know that her writing of LGBTQ+ folks, people of color, and neurodivergent characters has improved greatly since City of Bones. Clare doesn’t always get it 100% right when it comes to representation. As an autistic reader, I have a few critiques about Ty, though nothing too big. However, I get the impression from her Tumblr posts that she’d be the first to admit she can always do better.
If you’re looking to get into the franchise but don’t know where to start, here is ScreenRant‘s guide to reading Cassandra Clare’s The Shadowhunter Chronicles.
On top of that, The Shadowhunter Chronicles unapologetically includes queer characters. At least half the characters aren’t straight, with a mix of gay, lesbian, bi, and ace. The books feature a polyamorous throuple that doesn’t lean into stereotypes. Plus, the series features Diana, a badass black trans woman shadowhunter, and Anna Lightwood, a genderqueer shadowhunter who uses she/her pronouns. Even just one of these things is unthinkable in Harry Potter.
Ultimately, The Last King of Faerie will satisfy the appetites of folks who enjoy Harry Potter but want a more inclusive story. Theoretically, you can read it on its own with relatively little difficulty, though I strongly recommend reading The Dark Artifices, the last trilogy, as it makes the story easier to follow. Plus, anyone who wants to drown out the Harry Potter news can dive into the larger series. With 18 main books, plus a few short story and novella collections, the series has enough books to keep readers entertained until after Harry Potter releases.
Shadowhunters
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