The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare, Wesley Chu Published by Simon & Schuster on April 9th 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, LGBTQIA, YA
Goodreads
From #1 New York Times bestseller Cassandra Clare and award-winner Wesley Chu comes the first book in a new series that follows High Warlock Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood as they tour the world after the Mortal War. The Red Scrolls of Magic is a Shadowhunters novel.
All Magnus Bane wanted was a vacation—a lavish trip across Europe with Alec Lightwood, the Shadowhunter who against all odds is finally his boyfriend. But as soon as the pair settles in Paris, an old friend arrives with news about a demon-worshipping cult called the Crimson Hand that is bent on causing chaos around the world. A cult that was apparently founded by Magnus himself. Years ago. As a joke.
Now Magnus and Alec must race across Europe to track down the Crimson Hand and its elusive new leader before the cult can cause any more damage. As if it wasn’t bad enough that their romantic getaway has been sidetracked, demons are now dogging their every step, and it is becoming harder to tell friend from foe. As their quest for answers becomes increasingly dire, Magnus and Alec will have to trust each other more than ever—even if it means revealing the secrets they’ve both been keeping.
I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher. This does not influence my thoughts on the book or this review.
My love for Malec knows no bounds so of course I had to read this new story about their adventures! The Red Scrolls of Magic takes place in between The Mortal Instruments books so I think people only familiar with the TV show versions of Magnus/Alec will still be able to enjoy this one and get a taste for Cassandra Clare’s writing.
Warlock Magnus and Shadowhunter Alec have just started dating a few months ago and it’s time for them to go on their first trip! What is supposed to be a fun trip to Paris turns into an adventure of tracking down the Crimson Hand, a cult bent on creating chaos around the world.
I really liked this story! It reminded me of what I love about Cassandra Clare, her fantastic characters and the ways that you just get sucked into their lives. I really loved reading about Magnus and Alec in their early days and seeing them navigate their relationship. Magnus and Alec have been a solid couple in the Shadowhunters world for so long so it was kind of refreshing to see their early struggles but I also really loved how much they care about each other.
I also really loved meeting some of the characters from Lady Midnight, it made me pick up that series too (which if you follow me on Instagram, you know I am obsessed with). While the plot wasn’t the most thrilling, I really do love the character building behind this series so I could definitely overlook some of the slow pace in the beginning of the novel.
Overall, I really enjoyed this fun Magnus/Alec adventure! It was a good re-introduction back into the shadowhunter world and I definitely think that fans of the TV show would be able to read this, without any prior knowledge of the bookish world.
