I have previously written a lot about the Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger. It was a good series overall but had some MAJOR bugs. I recently finished reading The Mortal Instruments and The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare and noticed many similarites. Like an insane amount of similarities. Let's check them out and the answer the big question- which is better?
Setting:
They are both based on fictional worlds, hidden from humans. They are both magical and considered to be the best by those residing there. They both consist of one race which considers themselves superior (elves in KOTLC and the Nephilim in TMI and TDA) and other races which fight to get equal representation (trolls, goblins, dwarves, gnomes, ogres in KOTLC and warlocks, vampires, werewolves, faeries in TMI/TDA).
Characters:
On this one, TMI/TDA takes the lead. The characters are just made so much better, so much more realistic. One major flaw in KOTLC was the increasing number of characters to the point where some main characters were totally left out in many books at a time. While TMI/TDA also has a vast amount of characters, none of them are left out of action and are always included in the plot.
Theme:
Both stories have almost the same theme - the government goes awry (the Council in KOTLC and the Clave in TMI/TDA), it is up to the heroes to restore it, all the while trying to make it work with the person they love, which turns out to be impossible. There is also this part about meeting with all the species to create an agreement (The Peace Treaty in KOTLC and The Accords in TMI/TDA) which eventually breaks down as one species betrays the others (the Dwarves in KOTLC and the Fair Folk in TMI/TDA)
The Love Story:
Somehow both the series end up caring a lot about the romance happening. While KOTLC kept it rated G, TMI/TDA at times did not. However, the similarities are shocking. In both series, the hero and the heroine feel like they should not fall in love, know that they love each other, fight against it, and then end up together. Like seriously.
Past and Powers:
In both series, the hero is found to have special powers, though KOTLC went overboard with this one. Sophie (KOTLC) has so many powers she herself has lost count. Clary (TMI) has the power to create runes, which no one else does. While this may not count, Emma (TDA) is considered the best fighter. While it is obvious that the hero is a hero because of their uniqueness, I feel it shouldn't be too visible. While TMI/TDA has done a good job giving focus to other characters as well, I'm sorry to say KOTLC has done a horrible job at this. Everything is always about Sophie.
Bonds:
The bond concept is seen in both the series; the parabatai bond in Clare's and the Cognate bond in Shannon's. Both are meant to make each other stronger and do things normal people cannot. And in both, the bonded end up more powerful than other people with bonds. Sophie and Fitz (KOTLC) somehow can enter even the most broken minds while Emma and Julian (TDA) are the most powerful parabatai who managed to take up an angel form together, something no one was able to do for years.
The conclusion and the answer to our question about which is better comes in the next post!
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