In March 2007, the world was blessed with the first book of a wonderful series: "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones." I picked up the series around the time the third book was released and loved it from the start. I read the books over and over again, I waited eons for the next instalment to come out and I read the spin-off series.

Then, in 2013, "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" was turned into a movie. I was ecstatic. That being said, the movie was underwhelming. Fast-forward to 2016 when I heard a TV show was being made based on the series. I was once again ecstatic, but this time I wasn't disappointed. "Shadowhunters" is a great show that you should definitely consider adding to your queue. Here are seven reasons why:

1. Racial Diversity

The characters in the books are primarily white, but the cast of the show is wonderfully diverse. While there are probably viewers/readers who disagree with the casting choices because "That's not how it was in the series," I personally love it! Now I can't imagine Luke as a nerdy white kid because in "Shadowhunters," he's the guy from the Old Spice commercials taking on a major role in the show.

2. LGBTQ+ Inclusion

The big, obvious one here is Malec. But if you didn't catch it, Luke's police partner, Ollie, has another partner (and they're adorable together). This obviously isn't unique to "Shadowhunters," but including LGBTQ couples is important in our modern society.

3. International Audience

The books and the show have extended all over the world. There's a Facebook group for fan-based discussion of the show where people have shared images of the books in foreign languages. I find the alternate cover art for these versions fascinating because they look vastly different from the English books I know and love.

4. Religious Diversity

Along with racial diversity and an abundance of homosexual relationships, the characters in the show also have different religious beliefs. Simon is Jewish, Raphael is Catholic (both are vampires, but that's not the point here). Jace, a "shadow hunter," may be somewhat agnostic. While the first two have explicitly shared their religious affiliations, Jace's beliefs can be more or less inferred from his actions.

5. Breaking the Barriers

This show, along with many other television series growing in popularity, is important because of the lessons it can teach younger generations. We live in a time where acceptance of gender and sexuality is more commonplace.

Though oppression still exists, society as a whole seems to be more open-minded."Shadowhunters" is explicit about what is acceptable through the inclusion of diverse characters. Hopefully, the writers will continue to showcase this to prove that gender and sexuality differences should be accepted as reality and nothing more.

6. Characters' Ages

In the books, the younger characters are around 16-18 years old--the two "humans," Clary and Simon, are in high school. However, in the show, these characters are depicted as being in their 20s. Clary and Simon are starting college when their world turns upside down. This choice by the producers has added an air of maturity to the show, which I find more relatable.

7. Maturity

There are a lot of differences between the show and the book, but "Shadowhunters" adapts the events of the book to our current society. For example, since Magnus is a warlock, he is immortal and has had many romantic partners. In the books, Alec is really upset about this and he reacts rather childishly.

In the show, the pair have a discussion about Magnus' past. Alec assures him that his number of partners doesn't matter and that all he wants is to alleviate Magnus' feeling of loneliness. The writers of the show made this situation more relatable by inserting a mature discussion rather than showing Alec's immature reaction.

In my opinion, "Shadowhunters" is one of the greatest shows to come about. The writers and the cast are magnificent and, while the TV series doesn't stick to the events of the book exactly, it takes a path that instead encourages acceptance and open-mindedness.

The diversity of the cast and characters is amazing and appeals to a broader audience and the international fanbase that the book series already has. So, if you're looking for something new to watch (or a good book series to read), you should check out "Shadowhunters" (and "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones").